Officially giving up

DavidDudley · Oct 17, 2013

Yeah I feel like giving up too. I am an LVN & when I apply everyone wants someone with experience. If I get called in for an interview I wonder why am I here? I know I won't get the job because they have probably interviewed 10+ people with experience. It's frustrating & I know it won't get any better if I decide to become a RN.

I agree that becoming an RN in and of itself won't make it better. What makes things better is a proper shift in your mindset. Once I changed my mindset as to how to approach the job market, I've now always maintained 2 jobs always.

CuddleFox · Oct 17, 2013

I've tried looking out of state: no luck

Rural areas: nothing

flu shot clinics: want at least a year of experience

nursing homes/home health: want nursing experience

what hurts the most is the last interview i went on the manager liked me but the girls in the peer group didn't. They wanted someone "goofy" and not as serious. Last i checked, you're supposed to act like a professional in an interview. I'm not interviewing to be a clown!

why should my livlihood be decided by a bunch of snots?

DavidDudley · Oct 17, 2013

I've tried looking out of state: no luck
Rural areas: nothing
flu shot clinics: want at least a year of experience
nursing homes/home health: want nursing experience
what hurts the most is the last interview i went on the manager liked me but the girls in the peer group didn't. They wanted someone "goofy" and not as serious. Last i checked, you're supposed to act like a professional in an interview. I'm not interviewing to be a clown!
why should my livlihood be decided by a bunch of snots?

Can you be a little bit more specific? I started off in home health and sub-acute SNF with no experience. I essentially had no competition.

What other states have you tried and approx how many apps have you put in for those states? If you haven't I would make a list of every state, then make a list of every city in each state. For every city, make a list of every hospital (both acute and LTACH), nursing home(both long term and sub-acute), home health, jails, prisons(both state and federal). Apply to all of them, then personally make calls to the directors or managers to follow up and tell them that your willing to bust your butt for them. For every job you apply for, follow up every 3-4 weeks until they tell you to STOP calling.

DavidDudley · Oct 17, 2013

And apply to the hospitals in the area I work in. Where I work at, the hospitals are friendly to new grads. My hospital hires new grads all the time.

LPN2BSNRN · Oct 17, 2013

Have you tried case management with Insurance Company? The pay is good and you don't have to worry about your clinical skills being up to par. Also, you can do a refersher course regardless of the reason why you have not been in a clinical setting, as long as your License is not expired. There is a company out of Floriday that does them for both LPN and RNS. It is called Kane Education, look them up on line. They hold two to three classes in different states. It is worth a try.

BSNbeauty, BSN, RN · Oct 17, 2013

What does your resume look like? Do you have any experience so far as caring for humans such as babysitting, caring for a loved one, etc. How do you present yourself on interviews?? Do you smile? Are you authentic ? Something tells me that there may be something about you that isn't coming off right. I have a ADN and have been offered several jobs when graduating. When I was a new grad LPN I had several job offers. Something about me, my resume, my tact that makes people want to hire me. I've had jobs in ICU, ER, LTC, you name it. Now I work in my dream specialty which is Mother/Baby. I've had NM hire me over someone with more experience. So that is why I think there is something with you that they do not like. No offense, just my two cents.

LPN2BSNRN · Oct 17, 2013

When I was a new LPN.. I put my clinical experience under work experience just as if I had worked there.. It worked.. I got a job at an Assisted Living and PRN on Medical Surgical Unit. Try that.. Sometimes they forget that you have experience which you gain in your clinical settings.

DavidDudley · Oct 17, 2013

What does your resume look like? Do you have any experience so far as caring for humans such as babysitting, caring for a loved one, etc. How do you present yourself on interviews?? Do you smile? Are you authentic ? Something tells me that there may be something about you that isn't coming off right. I have a ADN and have been offered several jobs when graduating. When I was a new grad LPN I had several job offers. Something about me, my resume, my tact that makes people want to hire me. I've had jobs in ICU, ER, LTC, you name it. Now I work in my dream specialty which is Mother/Baby. I've had NM hire me over someone with more experience. So that is why I think there is something with you that they do not like. No offense, just my two cents.

Interesting, but vague. Your not pinpointing exactly what it is that makes you attractive to employers. For me, the last 3 jobs I got hired for all they cared about was my experience and nothing more.

JesusKeepMe · Oct 17, 2013

I feel for you. I can only imagine how you feel, perhaps you feel hopeless, sad, discouraged, depressed, angry, bitter, alone. I assure you, those feelings are okay, and its normal. You've spent years studying, and you've sacrificed so much to obtain your degree. You thought for sure that obtaining a job, despite the economic climate, would be easy, because you're a nurse. You'll always have a job, nursing is a recession proof job, theres a nursing shortage...blah blah blah, thats what ALL nursing students are told. Now you're waiting for a job, been waiting 18+ months, and no one is offering you a job. Trust me though, you are not alone, nurses across the US are out of work.

Im an RN with a BSN with 2.5+ yrs exeperience in psych...I cant find a job due to me working only psych for so long, as though psych nurses arent rral nurses as they say. Ive been forced to do what I have to do to pay my bills. I dont like working with peds...scares the crap outta me, but guess what, I work with peds doing private duty nursing. They pay is HORRIBLE, but its about gaining experience at this point.

What advice can I give to you? Perhaps look into home health, private duty nursing, nursing homes, corrections nursing, the county jail/prisions, anything PRN as well. Dont limit yourself. PLENTY of nursing are working jobs they abhor just to pay those bills. I really want you to get your career started, as I dont want you to get hopeless.

If you feel up to it, email me the area in which you reside, and I will do research to find what hospitals/agencies hire new grads.

Gotta go look for a job myself, hope to hear from you :)

HeatherGurl84 · Oct 17, 2013

I am in the same boat.....all you can do is keep trying.

RN that never was · Oct 17, 2013

I tried the AF in 2011 to be commissioned as an officer RN with no experience and 5 months out of school. My recruiter told me I was in. I interviewed with the Chief RN at a military base and was assured I would be going to officer's basic training in 3 months. Sadly, I failed to get a promised waiver for a slight hearing loss in 1 ear. Recruiter said in his 17 years he has NEVER seen a waiver denied like that. Things were already starting to change in 2011. However, my friend who graduated a year before me (BSN) WAS accepted and used the same recruiter. We applied at the same time and even interviewed together with the Chief RN.

She was 17 months from graduation with no paid experience.

ToniRNLa79 · Oct 17, 2013

Don't give up! I was a stay at home mom of 3 for 11yrs, decided to go for nursing and graduated to find out no one would hire me die to lack of work history and no experience. I graduated in May 2012 and found a job in psych in oct just to get something under my belt. A month ago I found a job which I wanted since I started school as a CCU nurse. I probably applied to over 200 places before I got a bite. Don't give up!!!