JaxNewGrad

Thank you for the perspective. It helps. But the situation you describe kinda makes me wonder even more if the 'nursing shortage' ever really existed. :)

Hey... thanks for the heads-up. Just wanted to let you know that I applied for several "will consider new RN with BSN" ads for Baptist Nassau last year... went through a telephone interview with HR (the HR rep seemed very positive about our interview) and about a week later, I got a phone call from the HR to let me know that the nurse manager decided not to hire a new grad. FYI. But I have my fingers crossed for any new nurse who applies.

Just a quick reply... I have a BSN. Doesn't seem to matter.

Regarding Mayo clinic (in Jax)... I spoke to Ms. Lineburg last year, after I graduated. I applied for a new RN position at Mayo. When I received the standard "there are more qualified applicants, you were not selected" letter in the mail, I called and asked for feedback. Was it my resume? My letter of recommendation? No, that wasn't it. She stated that there were 7 positions, 24 applicants, and other new RNs were better qualified because they had done their clinicals at Mayo. With regard to volunteering, I tried that last year, too. I called Volunteers in Medicine, but they didn't need help in any clinical areas, just in the back office (recordkeeping) area. Ditto the homeless shelter's new medical clinic. It's been almost a year, and not even an interview. Pretty depressing.

I used the logic test at tickle.com when I took the FCCJ test. (Eventually ended up at JU, though.) What I recall is that I scored above the 90th percentile in logic, math, and science but apparently am unable to read. The passages are long-winded, very formal prose (written, let's say, in the 1940s) about which the test-taker is to answer questions. Here's my suggestion: don't read the paragraphs first. Read the questions first, then scan the paragraph for answers. Guess if you have to... you only have a certain amount of time to answer each of the three reading comprehension sections, and it's not long. I think FCCJ may have a practice test available, too.

This makes me nervous. What is the difference between "approved" and "eligible" programs/schools? I wonder who or what organization is behind this? It seems like someone has decided that the way to get more nurses is to push them through whatever programs are available. Get ready for more storefront nursing schools to pop up. It's very lucrative for smaller retail schools/programs to admit & graduate ADNs. The bigger public and private schools have to turn so many students away that nursing education is turning into a cash cow. It's predictable that storefront schools want autonomy from the board of nursing.

Thanks for posting this and for contacting the paper. The more I read these articles, the more the whole "nursing shortage" story seems like self-perpetuating propoganda.

Everyone, thanks so much for your suggestions and words of encouragement. I'm an older student (mid-40's) with an aging mom who has health problems. Actually, they're more like my problems since she doesn't go to the doctor unless I take her there. (I'm sure other members are in the same boat. Stubborn parent who doesn't think they need to take their meds, etc.) Relocation is not an option. I'll keep plugging along and looking for re-entry training. Great suggestion about volunteering in an ER. I thought about that, but thought they'd never let me do it... was concerned I'd end up being a human speedbump for the experienced ER nurses. :chuckle

I had a high GPA and was convinced I didn't need a review, until I started reviewing on my own with books and CDs. I could not crack the 70% correct mark no matter how hard I tried. (And I found myself arguing out loud with the answers to the questions ~ LOL!) Kaplan was the key for me. I took a class locally -- kvetched non-stop about the price, mind you -- and felt so much better prepared. When my NCLEX cut off at 75 questions, my heart sank. But I checked the unofficial results a few days later and found that I passed. LAAAAAAA! My FWIW: beg, borrow, sell a kidney on eBay... whatever it takes. Just get the money and get to Kaplan. Do EVERY SINGLE QBANK QUESTION. Let them give you an analysis of where your thinking vs. NCLEX thinking clash. It's invaluable. HTH!

My only triage experience came during clinical rotations at school. I was appalled when I realized that the person who checked in potential patients had no medical/nursing or triage training. (The misspelled chief complaints should have been a red flag sooner.) I saw a lot of patients whose complaint sounded minor on paper, but when I decided to do a quick assessment in the waiting area that complaint was often much more serious (e.g., back pain is actually a narcotics overdose, heartburn is an M.I.). This system was consistent among the hospital EDs I visited. I understand some EDs have patients self-triage by way of a computerized software package located in a kiosk at check-in. I wonder how well that system works?

Just wondering if anyone has encountered a situation where s/he is searching for work and just can't find any? I graduated with a BSN last year. Good grades, solid work history in a different industry. I've had no interviews, just a stack of "you don't meet our qualifications" letters which seem to be based on having no prior healthcare experience. I'm curious at what point you say 'It was an expensive experiment, and a nursing job is not going to happen... hang it up." ? I'm very near that point. I've been expanding my job searches outside of nursing in the last month. In May, another crop of grads will come out and I'll have been out since September. HR people will look at me as being "rusty" in comparison with those grads. I've looked for refresher courses in my area, but found none. It seems as though the longer I'm out and not employed as a nurse, the slimmer my chances of ever being employed as a nurse.

Greetings, everyone. I graduated with a BSN last September and haven't had an interview yet. Lots of applications and a stack of "you don't meet our requirements" responses. While speaking to a nurse recruiter the other day, she asked me what I was doing to keep up my skills. Valid question. I told her I was re-reading notes, lab values, etc. I checked with my school and they said it was okay to come back to the nursing lab to practice skills. I thought about a refresher course, but I'm not in a position to spend money now due to unemployment. (I'm not certain refresher courses exist in this area, but I'll check.) I called the local chapter of Volunteers in Medicine to see if they had any direct patient care volunteer opportunities, but they didn't.... just clerical type positions. Would welcome your suggestions for keeping skills fresh while I search for a job. Thanks!

I'm so sorry to hear this. I hope by the time you read this you'll have found a new grad position. When I was searching new nurse internships for FL, I found many in the Orlando area. I live in Jacksonville and I can't get an interview graduating with a BSN and honors because I have "no experience." I'm not 20 years old... I've been in the workforce for many years, some in management, yet I keep running into the brick wall of "you have no healthcare experience." I tried to get an entry level position at a plasma donation center, and they asked me why I was applying. The interviewer jokingly said I was overqualified for the job. You think??? I have a strong suspicion that if I do apply for patient care tech jobs to gain experience, I won't get any of those, either. It's a catch-22. I've spoken to several nurse recruiters at the hospitals, several of them on a recurring basis. (I call it "polite stalking" ~ LOL!) They're sympathetic, for the most part, but with several of them there's and unspoken attitude that nurses are a dime a dozen. For example, there was an OR nurse internship at Mayo that required an application fee (what the heck?), references, and had no pay, no stipend, or benefits associated with it. It was a 16 week program. I thought I must have mis-understood the posting, so I called their HR department to confirm. Yes, the posting was correct: four months of training, no pay. I'm afraid I may just have to give up on finding any nursing jobs within two hours of Jacksonville and concentrate on getting back into the corporate world.

I graduated in September '08 magna cum laude from Jacksonville University, and I can't even get an interview. I've applied to two new grad RN programs and was told there were "more qualified" candidates. It was explained to me that since I have no experience in healthcare (I was never a patient care tech, a monitor tech, or a unit secretary) that I'm less qualified than those who've worked for the hospitals. I'm beginning to wonder if it's age discrimination. I'm in my mid-40's and I had a 20 year career in another field before I became a nurse. Our entire department was laid off right before I finished school ... I was working nights the entire time I went to nursing school. I feel like I've made a very big, very expensive mistake. Just wondering if any other new BSNs are in the same boat?