Hello everyone. I am getting increasingly frustrated because I have been looking for a graduate nurse position since October. I graduated in December and passed the NCLEX last week. I have been on two interviews with no luck. I feel like the interviews go amazing but then I hear that it has been filled with someone else. I work for a hospital for 4 years and I thought that would give me a toe in the door. Florida hospital does not have anything on their website for GN's and Orlando Health has one. When I called about it they said that they have someone for the position and they are just waiting for them to apply. This is ridiculous. Why did I go to nursing school to have such a problem with finding a job? I am starting to look into nursing homes which is a complete 360 on the area I would really like to work which is postpartum. I haven spoken to all the managers of floors for the hospital I currently work for and my manager said they arent taking any new GN's in the pool. What am I suppose to do??
And does anyone know the starting salary in the orlando area for GN's??
Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
ok guys, i have edited a few posts because they come under the heading personal attack which will not be tolerated as per terms of service which you all agreed to when you joined the site.
personal attacks
our first priority is to the members that have come here because of the flame-free atmosphere we provide. there is a zero-tolerance policy here against personal attacks. we will not tolerate anyone insulting another individual's opinion nor name calling and will ban repeat offenders.
now regarding bringing in foreign nurses i would just like to point out that since oct 2006 the us has been under retrogression and many foreign nurses have been affected (i was one of them until i moved to canada and decided to stay here) this means that currently many nurses have not been able to get a immigrant visa to live and work in the us unless they have a application date currently of 2001 to 2003 depending on where they was born. h1b visas as specialist visas and also hard for some nurses to get. also despite what people think foreign nurses have to be paid the same as us nurses and the company has to provide this information to the government when they apply for the nurse.
i trained in the uk and was no way guaranteed a job when i qualified and in the uk we have had several periods of time when newly qualified nurses struggle to find work and for many they have had to relocate if able to (depending on the family workings)
i am reopening this thread and do request that you respect each other and the terms of service. we know that for many nurses not just in the us things are very hard at the moment and this should be a time of coming together and supporting each other not attacking each other
Understand that the lack of jobs for New Grads is a new development. It is all a result of the downturn in the economy.
We have a different economic model here in the US than they do in Europe. We do prize education here and a net result of that is higher income for the educated. We also reward hard work. But before Obama, we didn't borrow money to pay people to work. If a company could afford another employee, a person would be hired. When the downturn occurred, companies lost revenue. Without revenue to support the payroll, people were laid off.
During times such as these, it becomes an "employers" market. They can be more demanding about the skills and experience of new employees and start them at a lower income and no hiring bonuses.
Ours is a cyclical model and there are also times when it is an "employees" market where employees can pretty much demand what they want and get it.
One thing about our country.....if you don't like it, you are FREE to leave anytime you want.
Great and insightful post. Everything you say is spot on. The lack of jobs for new (nurse) grads is a new development and reflects the state of our economy. In this great country of ours it is supply and demand. Yes, we have problems and big ones now. And our current President and Administration in my view is way off track (but that is a nother post and another forum lol). But I would not trade our way of life with Germany or any European country. I believe in free market and capitalism. There are a lot of people who value education and there are some people that want something for nothing. Or think they are "owed" something.
Just because someone goes to college does not guarantee them a job. They have to be smart and competitive.
I have a Bachelors in EE and a minor in Physics. I will graduate this August as an RN
I served in the USAF as an officer. I worked for NASA. I currently program computers.
My father is a retired USAF officer.
My grandfather emmigrated here and served in the US Army.
My husband is Active Duty US Army and is currently in Afghanistan.
My daughter is a combat medic who joined the Reserves after 4 yrs AD in the USArmy with 2 tours in Iraq.
My son is a US Army Vet.
My stepson is AD USArmy.
My brother-in-law served in the US Army as an officer.
My Uncle served in the US Air Force.
'nuf said.
I applaud you and your family's service. And I understand why you shared it with us (lol). I think you have a very good understanding of economics as well!
I graduated in may 2008 and had the same problem, I worked for the health department for a while and in nursing homes and have been in pediatric home health for a little over a year, I just started looking for a hospital job and basically have realized that the experience that I have gotten counts for squat when it comes to the hospital ( as far as they are concerned, i feel i have learned a lot), so now i am begging for a med/surg position anywhere. If you can hold out for a hospital job and thats what you want then do it, but if you gotta eat than take anything you can get. You would be surprised how well nursing homes pay, more than the hospital usually and they are 8 hr shifts. (I just hated the job) Good luck to y'all! Hang in there it will happen!
I currently work for Baycare and I just saw on the job board a position at Countryside Mease hospital for a graduate nurse on the med surg floor...just an FYI...Good luck to those on the job hunt!!
Specializes in Psychiatric/ER/Primary Clinic/Addiction.
I have been an RN for 4 years but only worked in LTC. Now, I cannot find a job in a hospital to save my life. I have applied to about 50 positions and spent much money on personal interview travel, ect.. I have been unemployed for a whole year and am getting very frustrated over this. I can go anywhere, does anyone know what section of the U.S. is hiring newer nurses for hospital work, I am willing to relocate , thanks
The Florida Department of Corrections is always hiring. My wife was the head man personal secretary for a couple of years. New nurses come in, work a couple of years, then vacated with the experience tag.
It's behind the wall so prepared your head; prisoners do strange things.
At this point I would not assume you will get into a specialty that you want. You want advise? Take anything for now, get your foot in the door, and then you can move to the floor that you really want to be on.
I think this is good advice; to just get your foot in the door. I applied at least 4 times to two different SACs accredited RN schools and wasn't accepted. But instead of giving up I decided to "get my foot in the door" and become a CNA and work my way up. I just got my CNA license in March, and am getting ready to start LPN school this summer. I'm a bit surprise too because I keep reading all these articles that say there is a nursing shortage, yet hardly anyone seems to want to hire a grad nurse, or even a grad CNA. I really don't think it's right, because you have to gain your experience somewhere.
I think this is good advice; to just get your foot in the door. I applied at least 4 times to two different SACs accredited RN schools and wasn't accepted. But instead of giving up I decided to "get my foot in the door" and become a CNA and work my way up. I just got my CNA license in March, and am getting ready to start LPN school this summer. I'm a bit surprise too because I keep reading all these articles that say there is a nursing shortage, yet hardly anyone seems to want to hire a grad nurse, or even a grad CNA. I really don't think it's right, because you have to gain your experience somewhere.
Agreed, it isn't right, but during these times companies make do with shortages in most areas, and unfortunately this includes hospitals and nursing.
Keep on keeping on, though...you'll get there one day, as will we all if we keep at it. All we've got is time :)
Thanks...
Silverdragon102, BSN
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