New RN looking for a job!! I am desperate!!

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Hello everyone: I am a new graduate. I just took my boards and have my license and everything, i just cannot fina a job!!! I have been applying everywhere and i still haven't heard from anybody. What is going on??!!! How long does it take? Helpppp I am getting very frustated and afraid i am going to forget the little you learn in nursing school!!:sniff::sniff:

Specializes in ED.
There are many job openings in the SF Bay area. FYI though the cost of living is very high.

actually the bay area is in the same position, I graduate in December and have heard the classes before mine are having to go down to the central valley to get any experience. each hospital can only take so many new hires and there are so many travel nurses coming because of the great pay, so hospitals use them since they have experience...bummer...

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Hi There CubanGirl,

I am in Australia but it seems that the nursing workforce is in a similar state where ever you are in the Western world. Areas of severe nursing shortages in some areas and others where there are waiting lists for positions.

I have been in the profession for over thirty years and like many of the other "old folk" :wink2: out there I am sure that I can tell you that this is a very cyclical phenomonen when I first started lecturing in nursing a lot of the graduates where unable to find work and left the profession. Which is a dreadful thing to think about doing after you spent all that time,money and effort to get where you are. So - I am not suggesting that but hopefully can offer some advice.

As an employer I can tell you that there are a number of things that I would look for:

  • Fit to need - that is, can I (as an employer) offer you what I think you will need to get you where you want to be AND can you offer me what I need in my organisation. The action point that you can take from this before you just send out a million generalist resumes do some research about the local health care organisations and then refine your resume to fit each one you contact. Don't forget to make it personal eg address your covering letter by name to the Director of Nursing (or your equivalent in the US).

Got more I could say but before I ramble on let me know if it helps. All the best.

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Specializes in M/S.

Hi AustralianNursing,

are you originally from Australia or are you over there on assignment? I think it would be awesome to go over there on assignment.

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Specializes in OR, ICU, Med-Surg.

CubanGirl,

That feeling that you forget everything you learned in nursing school over the summer while you job hunt is totally normal. Almost every one of us fealt that. Our web discussion board was filled with those sentiments after we passed our boards. I went right into an OR residency after I took 3 months off to do some backpacking with several friends I hadn't gotten to spend much time with while I was studying like a mad scientist for 4 years. I was scared out of my mind the first month and my RA totally knew it.

My job hunt took me about 2 months when I buckled down and did it. There are plenty of nursing jobs out there though. If you are desperate for ANY job you can pretty much walk in and be hired at nearly any SNF, as they typically have turnover rates >30%. If you are after a residency program they usually start them at specific times throughout the year. Some do them yearly, some do them monthly, depending on the size of facility and educational infrastructure they have set up. My tips for gaining rapid employment are:

1: Practice your answers to commonly asked interview questions.

2: Don't be afraid to call a dept. manager 3-4 times regarding your application status. They like follow-up as it shows you have a desire to work there. Refrain from calling the human resources personnel as they have very little to do with hiring outside of putting your application in the right hands. Find out the dept. manager's name and number and call them. If HR won't give it to you, be resourceful and find it yourself via a hospital directory or physically going down there and putting a resume in their hands. Internet applications are fine, but they lack a personal touch and you are yet another faceless name in a large stack.

3: Find out 2-3 things in your facilities mission statement that you like and find some way to let them know those things are important to you. Whether it is in your resume or during an interview.

4: If you are after the 'good' spots, be patient.

Wish you lots of luck and congartulations on passing! Don't trade all that stress you got rid of by passing for new stress from not getting a job! lol

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical/Oncology.

Hello Nurse K8,

I was thinking of relocating to the Sacramento area since I was looking for a

change of pace from the Bay Area. Are jobs still hard to come by in that area?

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:)Hi Again - I am in Australia. It is relatively easy to obtain employment in Australia once you have gone through the registration process which is nowhere near as complicated as in the US. Difference in terminology so while most people here know what Travel Nursing is in the US, it doesn't exactly fit what is available here. Short term contracts around the country or state can be arranged by the agencies or you can organise it yourself pretty easily!

Never having been to the US I don't know if I can compare working conditions (I am presuming that Scrubs and ER are NOT true representations of working life) but we have mandated nurse to patient ratios, state and private salary awards etc. Let me know if you are interested and I can be of assistance.

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Specializes in Med/Surg.
Hello Nurse K8,

I was thinking of relocating to the Sacramento area since I was looking for a

change of pace from the Bay Area. Are jobs still hard to come by in that area?

Giraffe-

In my opinion, if you are a new grad they are! Hospitals have plenty of jobs open, but they all require 6 months-1 year experience. I noticed some hospitals in the Walnut Creek area had openings. I would go there before Sac- it is too hot here anyway!

Good luck- Kate

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Specializes in M/S.

Australiannursing

what is your specialty? Approximately where in Australia are you located? ( Region, Northeast, South) I have worked mainly Med/Surg. RN 1 year, LPN 1 1/2 years. Looking to travel and get more experience in other areas around the US first then adventure to Australia. I would love to be a light nurse but I am unable to get the experience I need at the hospital I am working at now. I have gotten alot of good info from this website.

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cuban, make getting a job your primary job right now..make copies of your resume and call hr at different facilities and ask for appointment

drop in if you see a place that you like the look of

check with fellow grads and see if they know of any openings where they work

check with your school and see if they have any idea who might be hiring

getting a little bit of experience will be the wedge in the door

when my sil gradualted there were recruiters at the out there begging for grads

when my dtr graduated three years later she had to take a job 50 miles away for a year until the job market opened up again

right now there may be job shortages in certain area because some to the nurses who are not working full time have SOs who may have lost their job d/t the economy downturn and theyhave had to increase their hours

good luck

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I just want to thank everyone for all the support. I feel a little bit better knowing that I am not alone. Everybody in my family keeps telling me " Oh do not worry about it, you should enjoy the time off" but I am actually kind of miserable because i have fought so hard to get where I am now that I just don't want to be sitting around. Once again THANKS!!!!! guys, this is a great website.:yeah::D:typing

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you're not alone cubangirl,

same here with me at Washington and Oregon, I am still in job hunting for 3 months now,

i have an agency but i'm still in the process of applying for my assignment at the correctional facility, i'm gonna have an interview tomorrow

i also applied for public health nurse II position, i was able to become one of the finalists but i didn't get the job, i need some more experience according to the health department. though the manager is still bargaining with their HR to hire me temporarily for a different position maybe a lower position.. i pray that i will hear a good news from the clinical manager tomorrow:plsebeg:

just continue sending your applications online or go out apply in person to some LTC who don't post their ad online or newspaper, be a walk-in applicant..i also go out and apply whenever my husband got a chance to get off from work and watched our kids

don't give up :wshgrt:

How did it go with the clinical manager? Hope you got good news. Here everything is still the ame, no luck so far. LOL:D:D

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Specializes in Hospice, Critical Care.

We're hiring in Pittsburgh. Low cost of living and lots of elderly to care for. :)

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