I have graduated from a RN diploma school almost 2 years ago and have since been actively searching for jobs. All this time I have not gotten a single phone call or anything. I am from the NJ/Philly area and everywhere around me is only hiring BSN now. I enrolled in an RN to BSN program but my graduation date is in another 2 years.
I haven't been slacking though, I have ACLS, PALS, IV therapy certification, BLS Instructor (cannot find a class to teach),and I also do basic volunteering at the ER near me. However, I have 0 work experience in the health care field. I have applied almost anywhere and everywhere, and had my resume checked many times.
I feel like giving up, I really just do not know what to do anymore. By the time I finish my RN to BSN program I will have been 4 years out of my nursing student clinical experience and I fear that will look terrible. Should I just start looking for jobs other than nursing in the healthcare field then apply for an RN job again when I graduate? I really need advice. I have also tried looking for RN residencies but they all require BSN. I am also unable to relocate.
I think networking is key here. Tell everyone you meet that you are looking. Ask your former classmates. I hear some health care organizations hold job fairs.
I second the idea about a LinkedIn account. There you can join nursing professional groups and maybe network with some recruiters who might have ideas for you.
Also, are you sure you really can't move? Sometimes we tell ourselves we can't do smth when, in fact, all that means is we can't do it without upsetting our status quo (might not be the case with you). If your career depends on it, it is pretty important.
This may be a tangent or another thread altogether and I'm sorry if this has been addressed before, but what do the diploma schools tell their students? I graduated 22 years ago from an AS program. I can't imagine what the profs in both Diploma and AS tell their students now when even BSNs are struggling to find jobs.
I'm sorry OP. I hope you find something. Have you looked into school nursing?
I'm sorry, I hope you find something. I think you should contact the school you originally attended. I honestly did not know diploma programs still existed. Are you in contact with any other graduate from that program? Do they have jobs? Network, network, network. Have you had a interview at all? Have you had another nurse review your resume and see why you are not getting past the resume stage. Good luck.
Any med surg unit will take you. They are desparate, so apply to med surg units and find out who the director is or hiring manager. Call the unit at night after midnight when its calmer and someone will gladly tell you who the director is or hiring manager. Then you apply first and then call her/him let them know you are very interested in med surg and would they consider interviewing you. Every job I got I did this. Also lots of agencies are out there, however most want 1 year of active work experience.
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
Any med surg unit will take you. They are desparate, so apply to med surg units and find out who the director is or hiring manager.
Med/surg units are far from desperate in the area where I live. In fact, the managers now have the ability to cherry-pick who they want to hire because so many people have been applying.
It's the same story where the OP lives (NJ) due to a local glut of new nurses.
Yes, I see it's a diploma program you graduated from now.....and I wish I had a more positive suggestion for you but I honestly don't know of anywhere hiring nurses without ANY degree in nursing. Over the years I have worked with many nurses who graduated from diploma programs who were working as nurses and now have some great experience behind them. However, many of them also continued on to get an ASN or BSN so that they could be more employable by those who require such degrees.
In an age when the preference for RNs be higher and higher education minimums, a diploma-school graduate--no matter how good-- is going to have a truly steep path to climb to compete.
bless you, 42.5 yr here, diploma graduate, never without job, many administratine...look rural......you may have to move...you can go to work in a week in se texas...as in christus jasper hospital, med surg, ER, or Icu
INN_777, BSN, RN
432 Posts
Hi cc!
I think networking is key here. Tell everyone you meet that you are looking. Ask your former classmates. I hear some health care organizations hold job fairs.
I second the idea about a LinkedIn account. There you can join nursing professional groups and maybe network with some recruiters who might have ideas for you.
Also, are you sure you really can't move? Sometimes we tell ourselves we can't do smth when, in fact, all that means is we can't do it without upsetting our status quo (might not be the case with you). If your career depends on it, it is pretty important.