Nursing is the Biggest Mistake of My Life

[almost_nurse]

I am graduating in two months. It took me seven years from the moment I decided to become a nurse to when I started my BSN program. I thought I did everything right. Graduating Summa Cum Laude. Volunteering at every opportunity. Years of job experience in healthcare. Networking. But, I am getting turned down for every job I apply to.

I am still in debt, though I signed my life away for a scholarship that doesn't even guarantee a job but severely limits my employment options after graduation. My fiancé is talking about leaving me if I have to take a job that's not in a desirable area (even though I knew I might have to do that when I took the scholarship). But, even jobs that are considered "undesirable" won't take me. And it's not just me. It's all new graduates.

The best advice I could give anyone is not to pursue a career in nursing. I thought I was going to be an awesome nurse. I have the passion, the drive, the compassion, the dedication, the hard work--but that doesn't matter. If you don't have two years experience you can't even get your foot in the door. No one will take you.

I got one job interview but I flunked the "describe a situation where..." questions. The biggest employer in my area requires an electronic "talent" test and if you don't get the right algorithm your application doesn't even make it past HR, so it doesn't matter how hard you work. I regret the moment of "clarity" when I thought nursing was the right thing to do. Me, and thousands and thousands of other naive people who think they're actually going to make a difference in the world.

This is probably the lowest point in my life, and I've been through a lot. I thought I'd finally "made it". I thought I'd pulled myself up by my bootstraps. But I don't see any way out, now. I'm in debt and can't get a job, and neither can many, many other new graduates.

[BonnieSc]

As a New grad in 2015, I was given a job within 2 weeks of graduation from nursing school..(Without having passed the nclex at the time of hire. (Which I of course rocked the following week))

I graduated with an ADN and only 8,000 in debt that I paid off within 6 months of graduation.

Little young to start eating your young, aren't you? YOU haven't even "made it" in nursing yet, so I wouldn't go around telling others who is and who isn't going to "make it". And one doesn't "rock" the NCLEX. You pass or you fail. Even passing in 75 questions doesn't necessarily mean you did better than someone who passed it in 76 or 100 or any number--as if NCLEX, once passed, has any bearing on who makes a good nurse anyway. (I think you'll find that only very new nurses even think about the NCLEX, much less brag about it.) The OP is not "inaccurate", as you put it, when she says that it's hard for new grads to find jobs where she is. That's a truth for many people. It's a little soon to call it "the worst mistake," but I can't blame her for being anxious--and realistic.

[wolf9653]

Next year you won't even remember saying this. Hang in there, it will pass.

[KateRyder]

Hi Joe

Not sure why people are assuming that you are a woman and that your fiance is male..

Hope it all works out for you

[wolf9653]

Joe, This is my experience, and what I would have told myself 30 yr ago, if i could. If someone gives you an ultimatum, it's already too late. You're just not as important to them as living in a ritzy neighborhood. Cut your losses and live your life for yourself.

[wolf9653]

With a name like "Joe' instead of 'Jo' I'd put a higher probability on the original poster being male. Weather the fiance is male or female I haven't a clue.

Hi Joe

Not sure why people are assuming that you are a woman and that your fiance is male..

Hope it all works out for you

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Not sure where the last few posters got the idea that OP's name is Joe. OP doesn't give their name anywhere. If it's in reference to the "Edited by", that's one of the site admins who edited the OP for spacing, not the actual OP.

OP, hang in there. Many areas of the country are seeing an employers' market rather than an applicants' market. Many employers are choosing to filter out who they will consider for interviews by requiring active licensure. Finish school, pass NCLEX, and keep applying. This isn't anything to be stressing out over at this point.

[Libby1987]

"Joe" is one of the mods/editors on Allnurses and OP's avatar is a female.

ETA Jinx!

[amb218, BSN, RN]

It's waaaay too early in the game to be that stressed out about finding a job! Once you graduate and pass the NCLEX, you'll get more interviews and more opportunities will come your way. About the electronic test batteries though...there is actually quite a bit of information about them online. They are not looking for the realistic answer but more the "textbook" answer if you know what I mean. I've taken a few of them myself and I'm definitely not a fan of them either...

[wolf9653]

Can I share my experiences job hunting?

1. Wear a suit if you have one , period. you'll never go wrong. No stark white or blue shirts,

it looks like you want a job in administration. Subtle color shirts with a conservative coordinated tie

works best for me.

2. Cold calling , mailing unsolicited resumes, and knocking on doors yielded me zero results.

3 Job fairs and open houses don't give you anything you wouldn't find on Indeed or monster.

And if you think you're going to get a different result face to face if you could just talk to them,

you won't.

4. Most of my interviews were from company websites. A few from posting my resume on monster, indeed etc, and my state nursing association.

5.Jobs that are a stretch for you to qualify for are a waste of time. If they actually interview you,

it's because they want to tell HR they interviewed 20 people and their friend is the most qualified.

6. don't apply for every nursing job on the hospital website,

they may even automatically block you out for a year if you submit too many.

Keep your target and energy focused.

7. At the end of an interview they ask if you have any questions. I ask 3.

a) what are you looking for in a nurse -see if you can show them how you meet this

b) what happened to the person I'm replacing - is this really someplace you can servive?

c) You have 50 resumes in that pile, what made you pick mine?

if they have to scramble for an answer, they were never serious to begin with.

Sometimes the silences can be as telling as the answers.

8. If you are looking for one job to spend the remainder of your days, let them know.

They seem to relish the idea of not having to have this same conversation 400 times in the next

20 years.

[wolf9653]

well, you know, guys have long hair too!

well, i did back in the day, lol.

"Joe" is one of the mods/editors on Allnurses and OP's avatar is a female.

ETA Jinx!

[cheesepizza]

Agree with most above posters...you're in a more emotional than logical place, which is totally understandable, but you may make your employment reconcile easier than you would have thought. I feel for your feelings though, I was in a very similar place two months before I graduated. However, even my now ex-partner who turned out to be pretty selfish and not supportive, stayed with me cross country for two years of school and encouraged me! I can't imagine having been threatened during that time...blergh.

I took my first job away from him, in a less than ideal location, did about a year. Good experience but would never do it again. Got my second nursing job off Craigslist/virtual nurse friends I made and cyberstalked while I was in school and freaking out. Best job I've ever had. Look outside of the box and try and let your stress be productive, if it's going to be there (sounds like it). As far as your relationship, no one can make those decisions but you. I am a firm believer that a lifelong partner should be the one that makes you feel eternally safe and comfortable when ya walk in the door from a stressful day though!

Good luck. I'm very sorry you're feeling all of the feelings, but it definitely sounds like you're capable and I'm actually excited for your future. I flipped my last part of school and would have never guessed I'd be where I am now.

[SassyHairNurse]

Ok sister this might be hard for you to swallow but I'm an LPN finishing off my RN that's trained many a BSN and I'm gonna school ya here. A) Been married 30 years with 5 kids, probably at least one is in your age group. IF the fiancé is threatening to leave you at this stage of the game over "location" beat him to the punch and dump him girl "game over." B) All is not lost, you will likely need to get your feet wet for ONE year in a Post Acute depending what part of the world you live in. As a BSN, you can often get into an acute entity in HH or Med Surg and work your way into a transfer. Also shoot for corrections, good pay, good bene's and that counts. Start setting yourself aside from others by getting certs like Chemo, Trauma, ICU that your competitors don't have. BUILD YOUR RESUME...!!! C) Work on the self confidence, it exudes in the interview process, if you believe in yourself, you will sell yourself well in an interview. Study Lateral Violence, you're going to experience it as a new nurse and if you feel like you're at a low point now, wait til you get nurse ratchet the seasoned 30 year MSN that eats you for breakfast because that's unfortunately how it often rolls. I've stood at many a nurses station with BSN's in tears saying how do you do it? Put ur big girl panties on and ROCK IT. You've got the knowledge, you've got the paper and you just need to hit the floor and do it for a bit. Get ur bootie on to Grad school ASAP and KEEP GOING, YOU are the future of our medicine; get that PA or at least RNP. The biggest part of what I'm hearing from you is lack of confidence and certainly esteem if some guy is gonna dictate where you practice. You got this........