jennthern

I am a recent ADN grad with a Bachelor's in Biology and Psychology. I had a mediocre GPA that I managed to make competitive with my excellent nursing school grades. I have worked at a major children's research hospital for 8 years. I chose the ADN program because it was my only option for a nights/weekend program. I have NOT been able to get a job since graduating in December even at the hospital I currently work at. Under significant family pressure, I applied to medical school mostly because I never thought I would get in and could convince my family to let it go. Well, I got in!!! Through my shock, I asked my medical school contact why and he said my educational background coupled with my extensive research background made me the ideal candidate for medical school. But, I'm not good enough to be a nurse. How does that work?? Might been mean, but I am very much looking forward to seeing those nurse managers who wouldn't hire me as a nurse when I am a MD!!!!! In my opinion, the system is clearly flawed. Excluding ADN's is a huge disservice to the profession. We may have more to bring to the table than given credit for!!

At my hospital it is policy to show you around the floor and introduce you to staff. It is a way to see how you interact with people. I wouldn't read much into that, but more into the fact that she really liked you! I went on an interview where I toured and met, but when she actually interviewed me, she barely asked me anything. Red flag. I found out later she hired the first person she interviewed. I was the last. Needless to say, her mind was made up before I got there and she was just going through the motions! Good luck!

Biology for sure was MUCH harder!! I have easily gotten through my nursing program while working full time. I struggled quite a bit to get through all the chemistry I had to take getting my 1st degree. As for jobs, I am actually recruited all the time for jobs and only have a BS in Biology! My coworkers and I say that you will always eat with a science degree! In fact, I will take a pay cut when I become nurse. That is of course if I ever find a job. Those, as a new grad, I am not being recruited for!!! To answer the obvious question, I really enjoy working with people which lab work does not provide so I felt it was time for a change!

Every new grad I know in Memphis from SW, U of M, and Baptist have all been able to find a job. The only people who struggle are those that hold out for day shift or L&D/ICU/Peds/OR. Once they let that go, they have all been able to get jobs. One of my classmates got a call for an extern position 9 months after she applied. I think new grads are slow to realize that the Human Resources wheels are S-L-O-W. I applied for a job that took a month before the nurse recruiter called, another month before the nurse manager called, 2 weeks for the interview, and now it has been 3 weeks with no decision made. Do the math, that is over 3 months!!! You just have to keep applying and wait. It will happen eventually. I think December grads are at a disadvantage in that alot of people take vacation and are willing to work some overtme so hospitals aren't desperate to fill positions. Once late Feb/early March rolls around that will change. Having a PCT job will at least get you some experience and a foot in the door.

I just had to deal with this myself! I applied for 2 positions at a hospital and got called for an interview to both in the same week! I felt the same as you. Would it look bad interviewing for both? I even bumped into the nurse manger I interviewed with first while waiting for the second interview! I loved the 1st department but knew the 2nd one was not for me at all! Guess the nurse manager felt the same way because I was not offered a position. Still have my fingers crossed for the other department. So, apply, apply, apply!!! You never know what will (or won't!!) happen.

Sadly tryharder, you should forget about trying to say something positive on these boards. You will get shot down quickly! I am with you, eventually the tide will turn and people will get jobs. Every experienced nurse will tell you there are ebbs and flows. WE ARE IN THE GREATEST ECONOMIC DOWNTURN SINCE THE DEPRESSION!! Every industry is suffering. My brother is a computer science graduate who can't find a job to save his life. He also thought he was in a "safe" field. He is currently working at a gym selling memberships. It sucks that we all went to school with the promise of a secure job on the back end, but that isn't happening. However, we came back from the Depression and we will come back from this. It may not happen easily or on your time frame, but it will eventually. Tryharder, I agree with everything you said. I am a new grad with no real prospects. But, I know with perserverance, I will eventually find a job. Ultimately, that job will be exactly where I was meant to be. I am healthy and happy and the rest will work itself out when it is meant to!!! Hate on my positivity if you feel the need, but I will get through this with a smile on my face and a job that I love. Maybe not tomorrow, but someday! :)

You don't pick your schedule at SW except clinical days. All of the classes are Tues/Thurs. I would pick a Friday clinical. You don't want to get stuck having to go to clinical all Wednesday then have a test on Thursday. Clinicals in 2 and 3rd semester are 12 hours.

Are you basing your info on what you know or what you are reading on these boards? I have no doubt that in certain parts of the country, new grads are having a tough time finding jobs but not everywhere. If you look right now on job posting boards, there are jobs listed that accept new grads with an ADN. I am also in an ADN program. My classmates are finding jobs, internships, and externships. Are they all getting the areas they wanted? No. Is it taking a little longer than they thought? Yes. Are they having to work a little harder to find those jobs? Yes. I have also met several new grads at my clinicals. Did they get those jobs the second they graduated? No. BUT, they did within a few months. Are you going to graduate with a daytime, ICU job, with a sign-on bonus waiting for you? Nope! But if you are willing to work nights on a Med-Surg floor at the Med, you can find a job!!!

It doesn't really work like that - ER, ICU. ADH1 builds on what you learned at the end of Foundations. For instance, you learned UTI's. In ADH1 you will study pyelonephritis, kidney stones, etc. Then, in ADH2 it goes even further in depth. Respiratory, cancer, diabetes, cardiac, GI/GU, blood administration, gallbladder/pancreas/liver. ADH1 was VERY drug heavy.

I have read your threads. Not to be discouraging, but if you are lacking in education, you need to forget nursing school for right now and focus on getting what you missed. I am currently in the Southwest nursing program. Don't let the fact that it is a 2 yr community college fool you. It is hard and takes a lot of work!!! I have 2 bachelor's degrees and have to work hard just to get a low B. Only half of my Foundations class passed. Not one person in any of my classes have gotten A's. You need algebra, pharmacology, anatomy, physiology, and microbiology skills. I hope that you eventually get to where you want to be but for right now it sounds like you need a lot of remedial education before you can even take the classes you need to GET IN nursing school. (FYI - Southwest does have an online program but it is for LPN's or respiratory therapists. Not regular students.)

Wow! That really is interesting!! Congrats to you on being the "cream of the crop"!

Not to get on the ASN vs BSN argument, but if you crunch the numbers 15 of 18 having BSN's makes sense. With U of M, Baptist, Union, UT (the last classes) all graduating many BSN's and Southwest graduating 14 ASN's, statisically speaking 15 of 18 having BSN's is probably close to being accurate without it necessarily meaning that the BSN's always have an advantage.

I had a 2.7 GPA, A's in A&P 1,2 and Micro, and 144 on the NLN. I was accepted.

I am in the program now so I can answer some of your questions. In clinical, all dosages are calculated for you on the MAR. I have yet to need a calculator for anything The uniform is white pants, a navy polo, and a white lab jacket. You get it through the school. The hardest class is Foundations. It is meant to be weed out class. Good luck!!

I was accepted this spring. They base admittance on GPA (x1), A&P I & II, Microbiology grades (x4 each) and NLN scores (10%). I had a 2.7 gpa, A's in all 3 classes, and 144 on the NLN exam. So, my overall ranking number was 65.1. Your GPA is only weighted by one so it is your grades in the sciences classes and the NLN that matters the most.