Nursing School is the New Law School - Almost 2 years and still no job

[RN003]

Everybody knows that the United States is over run with law schools, and that if you do not attend a top school or graduate below the top 10% of your class, you are destined for a long time in the unemployment line.

Nursing school has become the same way. I have a great resume and good references, but in May it will be 2 years since I graduated and passed the NCLEX and received my license, and I still can't find work.

To be fair, there is an explanation for this. The way the system works in my neck of the woods is that each little rinky-dink town has its own nursing school (yes, there are towns with 5000 people that have 2 year nursing programs in this state), and that school feeds into the local hospital. So, if you do not get a job at the local hospital that your school feeds into, you will not get a job at all. All the other towns have their own nursing schools that their own hospital hires from exclusively.

Now, the reason I cannot get a job in this town is because my father is a physician here and the hospital tried to buy his practice several years ago and he wouldn't sell to them so that he wouldn't be in their pocket. So there is small town politics at work. Part retaliation for that and part just not wanting a doctor's kid to be on the nursing staff.

I couldn't move because I'm helping to take care of my mom and grandpa, but now things are looking up and I am able to expand my job search nationally.

However, the fact that I have been out of work for so long is another nail in my coffin. Hospitals are worried that I have lost the skills and knowledge that I acquired in nursing school, and are afraid to offer me a position, even if they are otherwise keen on hiring a new graduate.

I don't know what to do. I am at the end of my road and, to be quite honest with you, I would like to leave nursing. However, there really is nothing else that I can do. I feel like I have a degree that is not worth the paper it is printed on. Nursing school does not provide you with any marketable skills that transfer readily to other careers.

[Student Mom to Three]

Everybody knows that the United States is over run with law schools, and that if you do not attend a top school or graduate below the top 10% of your class, you are destined for a long time in the unemployment line.

Nursing school has become the same way. I have a great resume and good references, but in May it will be 2 years since I graduated and passed the NCLEX and received my license, and I still can't find work.

To be fair, there is an explanation for this. The way the system works in my neck of the woods is that each little rinky-dink town has its own nursing school (yes, there are towns with 5000 people that have 2 year nursing programs in this state), and that school feeds into the local hospital. So, if you do not get a job at the local hospital that your school feeds into, you will not get a job at all. All the other towns have their own nursing schools that their own hospital hires from exclusively.

Now, the reason I cannot get a job in this town is because my father is a physician here and the hospital tried to buy his practice several years ago and he wouldn't sell to them so that he wouldn't be in their pocket. So there is small town politics at work. Part retaliation for that and part just not wanting a doctor's kid to be on the nursing staff.

I couldn't move because I'm helping to take care of my mom and grandpa, but now things are looking up and I am able to expand my job search nationally.

However, the fact that I have been out of work for so long is another nail in my coffin. Hospitals are worried that I have lost the skills and knowledge that I acquired in nursing school, and are afraid to offer me a position, even if they are otherwise keen on hiring a new graduate.

I don't know what to do. I am at the end of my road and, to be quite honest with you, I would like to leave nursing. However, there really is nothing else that I can do. I feel like I have a degree that is not worth the paper it is printed on. Nursing school does not provide you with any marketable skills that transfer readily to other careers.

So, you must at least be getting interviews if you are hearing this, right?

I am assuming that if you were "blacklisted" at the local hospitals because of your father (small town politics suck) that you have been putting in applications at other types of health care facilities, schools, clinics, etc. What kind of feedback have you received from them?

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Hospitals are worried that I have lost the skills and knowledge that I acquired in nursing school, and are afraid to offer me a position, even if they are otherwise keen on hiring a new graduate.

Have you considered securing employment outside the hospital setting? I know that home health, LTC, hospice, clinics, private duty, and other non-acute areas of nursing outside the hospital tend to be more open to hiring new grads. If you're dead-set on working in the hospital, you might continue to be unemployed for a very long time.

[perioddrama]

You could also take a refresher course. Here in CA, there are more old, old new grads taking refresher courses than before. I have even contemplated taking one.

Good luck!

[MissM.RN, BSN, RN]

So sorry RN003, this breaks my heart to hear about my fellow new grads. Yes, small town politics really suck.

First question: are you a diploma or ADN nurse? if so, apply to online RN-BSN program through your state school stat. it can help you look "refreshed" in terms of learning, rather than enrolling in expensive RN refresher programs that barely "refresh skills" beyond sitting in front of power point presentations.

Second question: it seems like you can move. Take the plunge and apply to areas you might not love, but where the hospitals will be willing to train their workforce. That's what I had to do, and I don't regret it for a minute. It's sad that nursing schools do not truly prepare you for hospital nursing with 1:5 ratio's anymore. Are you in an RN compact state? https://www.ncsbn.org/nlc.htm