Published
dj-usrn, I wrote a long, long post about finding a job https://allnurses.com/nursing-first-job/advice-someone-who-696962.html#post6359780 . Please, please don't make me re-write all of that!!!
It's taking a while for grads to land their first job; don't be disheartened! Until you do get a paying job, do volunteer work somehow associated with the area you're interested in working. It probably won't be a nursing position, but you can volunteer at a retirement community (if you're interested in geriatrics), doing mentoring (if you want to go into peds), etc.
Make sure all your clearances, vaccines and other work-related requirements are up-to-date. You can even mention this on your resume. If someone has a need for a nurse starting tomorrow, you want them to know you're available.
Best of luck!
Thanks everyone for the congrats! I got hired at Sharp Rees-Stealy Urgent Care. It's an amazing opportunity! I used an internship/volunteer program through Palomar Pomerado Health, here is the link:
I would suggest it for anyone who doesn't have any medical experience. The program is a volunteer program where you start as a nursing assistant helping patients with anything from changing linens to assisting with physical therapy. You are under an RN's supervision and you can't do anything too crazy. But its still a great program, and the more hours you complete you get to float to specialized departments such as Emergency or Critical Care and the best part is that you get specialized training for those areas. It's great, I highly recommend it and I'm sure it's helped me and my resume.
GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!!!!
AleOnFire
2 Posts
Hi everyone! This is my first post after almost two years of reading everyone else's posts. I graduated in May 2011 from National University with my BSN. Since March 2011 I have been applying to new grad programs in San Diego, literally hundreds and hundreds of them! Almost a year later and after only 3 interviews at a community clinic, UCSD and Sharp...I finally landed my DREAM JOB! So I'm here to tell everyone to not give up! I was seriously so over it up until yesterday afternoon. We all have to stop being shy and nervous about "bugging" nurse managers and just bust some doors down to get an interview. I applied for a position that wasn't even for new grads and I nailed it! We have to show that what we lack in experience, we make up for with enthusiasm for nursing and an eagerness to learn. Seriously everyone...DON'T GIVE UP!!!!!!!