New Grads - Where are you now?

vintagemother, BSN, CNA, LVN, RN · Mar 21, 2014

I had a low paying job at an ALF before my license came and a month after I graduated. Too bad they were going thru a lot of management and ownership changes while trying to replace their techs with real nurses. This was a bad combo for me as new nurse. I was terminated after a few weeks.

The facility had never had nurses before they hired all of us at one time.

I'm in school completing the remaining prereqs to apply to RN school. I recvd my license last month and am looking for work in SNFs and acute facilities but my first priority is school.

Ambitious83 · Mar 22, 2014

I had a low paying job at an ALF before my license came and a month after I graduated. Too bad they were going thru a lot of management and ownership changes while trying to replace their techs with real nurses. This was a bad combo for me as new nurse. I was terminated after a few weeks.
The facility had never had nurses before they hired all of us at one time.
I'm in school completing the remaining prereqs to apply to RN school. I recvd my license last month and am looking for work in SNFs and acute facilities but my first priority is school.

I pray everything works out for you. I can feel it in my bones, something is coming soon for you. Let's claim it! What are the requirements to bridge to RN in your area? Here in Dallas, we have to work at least 6 months of Med-Surg in order to apply for the bridge program. Good luck with everything.

Illusionist · Mar 23, 2014

It took me a month of applying everywhere to land a job but only because I was recommended by someone from the inside.

I used to apply 5x a day and I only got one call and I turned the offer down (which was a mistake) because I thought I could do better.

but I got a better job in the end. :) and I did get a better offer.

Ambitious83 · Mar 23, 2014

It took me a month of applying everywhere to land a job but only because I was recommended by someone from the inside.
I used to apply 5x a day and I only got one call and I turned the offer down (which was a mistake) because I thought I could do better.
but I got a better job in the end. :) and I did get a better offer.

That's awesome, one month of filling out applications and a previous job offer. Kudos to you. ♥♥♥ I've been hearing so much about others having a hard time finding a job. Are you an LPN/LVN or RN? Did you go to a community college or private college?

bstullis · Mar 23, 2014

I was encouraged to apply for jobs before I graduated, so started applying in October 2009. Graduated from ASU in Dec 2009, licensed April 1st 2010 (had to check 4 times to be sure it wasn't a practical joke), and couldn't find a job in nursing until I went on vacation to eastern Washington in July. I was hired by a local ECF the same day I scheduled an interview at the local level 2 trauma hospital. I gave notice at the ECF that if I was hired at the hospital I would take the job there. They understood that it was a possibility and said they understood but still hired me to work for as long as I could (I should have seen the red flags waving in my face). Long story short, it took me 10 months and nearly 250 applications to find a job where they didn't require 1+ year of experience from a new grad.

Good luck to the new grads out there now. Best advice I can give is go to the manager of the floor/unit you want to work on and talk to them directly. A face to face is always better than a resume in the computer any day. Especially if you had clinical rotations there. They know you and you know some of the staff already.

vintagemother, BSN, CNA, LVN, RN · Mar 23, 2014

I pray everything works out for you. I can feel it in my bones something is coming soon for you. Let's claim it! What are the requirements to bridge to RN in your area? Here in Dallas, we have to work at least 6 months of Med-Surg in order to apply for the bridge program. Good luck with everything.[/quote']
Ambitious 83- thank you so much for your uplifting words! I stand in agreement with you that God will see me through!!!
In my area CA, the community colleges require 6 mos full time LVN experience in order to bridge. But---the application period for the bridges recently changed to *once* a year! And when you apply in Feb they may let you start in Sept or in Jan of the next year!!!!!! Of course, all prereqs and experience hours must be complete before you apply...so for that reason, a bridge is my "fall back" plan.
Before I attended LVN school, I completed almost all of the classes necessary to transfer and apply to the straight BSN program at the local State University (no bridge is offered there) but it's an inexpensive 2 year nursing program that graduates you with a BSN/RN. It's always been my first choice.
This is why I'm studying as much as I can on this Spring Break! After this semester is done Ill be able to apply to bridges and straight RN programs.

Illusionist · Mar 23, 2014

I am an lvn. I went to a private school because I have no time for wait lists.

pookyp, LPN · Mar 25, 2014

Graduated December 2012. Licensed in February. Same day I got the good pop up I applied for jobs online. No call backs and a few rejection emails. So last week I started calling facilities asking if they were hiring. Aloft of peoe said no. So I called this one home health agency on Friday and they told me to email them a resume. Saturday they called me and told me to come in Monday.

So yesterday I talked to the president of the agency and she said she never used to hire new grads, but has changed her mind because they don't come with bad habits and she can train and mold then how she likes.

Orientation is Thursday and I got the job. Kind of excited. I would have rather been in a nursing home or ALF, but beggars can't be choosers. I'm gonna get my 1 year in. I know I'll like it because I did home health as an aide for years before. Can't wait to start! I went to a technical school in fort Lauderdale.

Ambitious83 · Mar 25, 2014

Congrats! Thats great that you got the job. Maybe that was the place for you to be, back home in HH I didnt know it was that hard to find a job. There should be compensation for job searching. (Smile)

In Home Health, what will you be doing different than before (aide vs nurse) on the job?

pookyp, LPN · Mar 25, 2014

Congrats! Thats great that you got the job. Maybe that was the place for you to be back home in HH I didnt know it was that hard to find a job. There should be compensation for job searching. (Smile) In Home Health, what will you be doing different than before (aide vs nurse) on the job?[/quote']
Well there will be more documentation. And as an aide I only gave bed baths. As a nurse I will give injections, clean wounds, patient teaching, etc. as an aide I just did my beds and moved to the next house. I'm looking forward to being more hands on.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Mar 25, 2014

Here in Dallas, we have to work at least 6 months of Med-Surg in order to apply for the bridge program.

Just wanted to make a friendly clarification: although you need 6 months of work experience before a DFW area bridge program will accept you, it does not necessarily need to be med/surg experience.

If that was the case, virtually no LVNs would be able to bridge because the local hospital systems stopped hiring them several years ago. Most of my LVN colleagues who bridged to the RN license have never worked a day inside a hospital.

I completed a private nonprofit LVN program in southern CA in October 2005, moved to D/FW TX in November 2005, took NCLEX at the end of December, received my CA license in January 2006 and my temporary TX license in February. I found a job the day after receiving my temporary TX license in the mail, but then again, the job market was better in '06 than it is today.