Old Grad, No Experience! Odds of Landing a job in NYC?

Hi there, I am an RN from Nepal (South-Asia). Graduated 2011. I moved countries and worked as an administrative officer in an eye surgeon's office. Never worked as an RN. I have applied for the NYC board and have my NCLEX August 3rd week. However, I live in the Bay Area, CA. I was hoping to know what are my chances of landing a job? I am very inclined to Ante-partum, L&D, Postpartum area as that is where I am confident. (During 2 months of exposure, did 40 deliveries independently, and 10 under supervision. Have seen Pre and Eclampsia, Breach Vaginal Delivery, Forceps and Vaccum Delivery, Still Birth, Abortions, PPH and all, you name it but I don't think SEEING these 5 yrs ago is going to boost up my chances. I know where I stand)Which is why, I am worried that after all these, I may not land any job at all. I would work and take any job I get that is if I get one. Any experiences with job hunt from foreign nurse graduated yrs ago and no experience? Any experience that is close would help.

Thanks

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

Your odds both in southern Cal and in NYC are slim to none. COVID is partially to blame, but those were very tough markets before Covid struck. You will need to look at positions hungry for help. LTC/SNF, jails, things along the Mexican border, rural areas, night shift and the like.

Thought so and super-scared. I had to apply to NYC board as it did not need prior experience and also I could apply from outside the States. Thank You for your response 🙂 , appreciate it. An interesting point you have, I have heard a lot of people say COVID has increased the demand of Nurses. However, you say otherwise. May I know how is it creating problems? My hope was as others are saying COVID has brought a lot of demand, I might land one. I guess not, hmm 😞

**Graduated 2016, joined 2011.

Edited Jul 24, 2020 by HopeILandAJob

[Jedrnurse, BSN, RN]

3 hours ago, HopeILandAJob said:

Thought so and super-scared. I had to apply to NYC board as it did not need prior experience and also I could apply from outside the States. Thank You for your response 🙂 , appreciate it. An interesting point you have, I have heard a lot of people say COVID has increased the demand of Nurses. However, you say otherwise. May I know how is it creating problems? My hope was as others are saying COVID has brought a lot of demand, I might land one. I guess not, hmm 😞

**Graduated 2016, joined 2011.

Covid has not increased the demand for nurses as such. For people in some limited specialty areas, maybe. Covid has caused nursing hiring freezes, layoffs and furloughs due to decreased "demand" for non-emergent services.

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

Covid has increased demand for experienced nurses. You are what we call an "old new grad", meaning you graduated a long long time ago (almost 10 years!) but have never used your RN education. You would be facing challenges even if times were normal simply because newer new grads will be perceived to have more recent and relevant education. You will need special training and extra attention to get up to speed. Unfortunately in a pandemic, finding people with the time to devote to that is exceedingly difficult and growing moreso by the day.

I know this sounds discouraging. I believe you WILL be able to find work, but it likely won't be your first choice of places or your first choice of shift. You are articulate and motivated - both good things! All you can do is get your resume out there, emphasize the things you learned about when working in administration and present yourself as smart, motivated, friendly and eager to learn. I truly do hope you find a job you love.

55 minutes ago, Jedrnurse said:

Covid has not increased the demand for nurses as such. For people in some limited specialty areas, maybe. Covid has caused nursing hiring freezes, layoffs and furloughs due to decreased "demand" for non-emergent services.

Hi Jed, I did a quick search and found the details about these. Thanks to you for helping me know more. Stay Safe 🙂

1 hour ago, Nurse SMS said:

Covid has increased demand for experienced nurses. You are what we call an "old new grad", meaning you graduated a long long time ago (almost 10 years!) but have never used your RN education. You would be facing challenges even if times were normal simply because newer new grads will be perceived to have more recent and relevant education. You will need special training and extra attention to get up to speed. Unfortunately in a pandemic, finding people with the time to devote to that is exceedingly difficult and growing moreso by the day.

I know this sounds discouraging. I believe you WILL be able to find work, but it likely won't be your first choice of places or your first choice of shift. You are articulate and motivated - both good things! All you can do is get your resume out there, emphasize the things you learned about when working in administration and present yourself as smart, motivated, friendly and eager to learn. I truly do hope you find a job you love

"Old New Grad" sounds yuck, haha, but that's what I have become and is a precise term indeed. Thank You for being appreciative, knowledgeable, transparent and motivating, all at the same time. I can tell you are a wonderful RN. I am taking your suggestions and have added them in my list of "Things to do to find a job".

I would dive in a beat if I get a night-shift job in a L&D department. But the reality is I simply will have to take any that I get. Well, I just hope I get one and any. Stay Safe and thanks again 🙂

Edited Jul 24, 2020 by HopeILandAJob

the summary of this thread, unless there are other contributors with more ideas.

Edited Jul 24, 2020 by HopeILandAJob

[Katie82, RN]

Unfortunately, a lot of the experience you list may not be usable in this country because they are outside the scope of practice of a RN, unless you are referring to "assisting" with those procedures. I'm not sure if the regulations have changed, but you may be taking the NCLEX for foreign-trained nurses, so make sure you study for that one. I have friends who took it and tell me that it is more difficult than the boards for American-educated nurses. You can take the NCLEX in the Bay Area and it will allow you to work in New York. All the same Boards, and all transferable through reciprocity or Compact.

4 hours ago, Katie82 said:

Unfortunately, a lot of the experience you list may not be usable in this country because they are outside the scope of practice of a RN, unless you are referring to "assisting" with those procedures.

Hi Katie,

I delivered and did 2 episiotomies, lots of sutures, lots of oxytocin drips and one twins delivery all on my own but the others that I mentioned were definitely assisting. It was a tertiary hospital with a flow of at least 600-700 patients per day and most of the cases were complicated (people there were a firm believer of home delivery with a neighbour who has a child!!). A L&D nurse doesn't deliver here in the States? What does one do? Assess, support, chart, oxytocins if necessary, etc? Sorry to ask but I just have no idea.

4 hours ago, Katie82 said:

I'm not sure if the regulations have changed, but you may be taking the NCLEX for foreign-trained nurses, so make sure you study for that one. I have friends who took it and tell me that it is more difficult than the boards for American-educated nurses.

I looked at the numbers of foreign educated and US educated pass percentage and had a huge difference but simply thought that was a matter of different curriculums, familiarity with the health-care system and trends ,etc. I never though the exams could be tougher. Thanks for the heads up! I will make sure I have prepared enough 🙂

4 hours ago, Katie82 said:

You can take the NCLEX in the Bay Area and it will allow you to work in New York. All the same Boards, and all transferable through reciprocity or Compact.

I figured that and am grateful for it. Otherwise, CA needs the prospective candidate to have a SSN before they can even apply boards and I am still waiting for it. (Applied on 1st week Jan 2020- that's 7.5 months now. The sad part is, I sent an enquiry of progress last week and found out that my application was transferred to another office to shorten the processing time. Looked the so-called "shortened processing time" up and the wait times reflected are 3 months at least. Pheww!! I can only imagine what it is like to the sole bread-winners. You cannot work anywhere, let alone nursing and live in the US for around 11 months on your own!!). But I guess there is a silver lining. I have waited so long that I have reviewed 4 prep materials by now. And am positively hopeful about passing the NCLEX.