kargirl

Try going to the town you live in local volunteer ambulance corp and see if they need volunteers, or towns close by to where you live. And try the LTC facilities and doctor's offices, even if they don't pay well. I'm from North Jersey so I don't know what jobs are opened down there, I know Kimball Medical center(part of Saint Barnabas) had some of job openings recently. I don't know if you're near there. Hang in there, I know it's daunting, I'm trying to cross over into a hospital now, and even with almost 2 years experience in a rehab center - I'm having trouble. They say, well it's not hospital experience, well the hospitals wouldn't hire me straight out of nursing school !!! Good Luck !!!!

When I graduated in 2009, I went through the same thing. I finally got a position in a LTC facility, but in the sub -acute rehab unit. I hate to say it, but my Dad knew someone who worked there and they handed in my resume. Things are really bad out there......it took me 9 months of interviews to get that position . I even interviewed in a doctor's office !!!! You need to get clinical experience no matter what !! I was even going to volunteer for an town ambulance corp for clinical experience !!!

My prayers are with you, your son and family.

Try contactingthe recruiter below, and put your resume on Monster, that's how all the recruiters get my email and phone # GOOD LUCK!!!!!:) Kellie Rooney Healthcare Recruiter CPR, Inc. [email protected]

It depends on where you are going to school and what state you want to work in. TX, Fla, NM all have openings for new grads. I know because I am a new grad and I'm getting e-mails :typingday after day from recruiters offering me positions in these states. I am not in the position to relocate, since I have a family. Where I live (N.J.) most of my class that graduated in Jan 09 have not found jobs. I have applied :banghead:to every LTC, Hospital , Home Care and Dialysis center in a 100 mile radius. I even cold-called places. I was lucky and got a position as a Nurse Liaison :nurse:because of my past business and sales experience. I may also have another opportunity at a clinical nursing position:yeah:, but only because I know someone. In my area the problem is many nurses aren't retiring :crying2:and some have gone back to work because of the economy. Hospitals are also in fiscal turmoil, and many have closed, bringing more experienced nurses to the market. If you really want to be a nurse.....go for it !!! I believe the economy will be better by the time you're out of school. I recommend getting a job in a hospital or LTC as an aide. Also look into being a nurse extern....all of them have gotten jobs in my class. Good Luck !!!!

It's true that nurses eat their young.....I hate to say it but I believe its a nasty female thing.....SOOOO MANY nurses are catty and mean to new grads and pretty much any other female who they may find threatening. I don't know why but it's like that movie "Mean Girls" I am an older graduate, but saw soooo many nurses be mean to young pretty nursing students.....just don't get it !!!! I wanted to say to them "HELLO !!!! You are not 21 any more and you're not even in the same ballpark as these young women...you could be their mother or even grandmother!!!!" But they're soooooo competitive....High School all over again !!

I really think it depends where you are in the U.S. The job market in the New York Tri-State Area, I'm in Northern NJ is very saturated. I went to a job fair in April, there were about 5 Large Hospitals there that point blank said "We are not hiring New Grads at this time." The LTCs and Visiting Nurse places said the same. They didn't even look at your resume, rather they just threw them on a pile behind them (there were 100's), and told you maybe in the future they would call you when they have openings for new grads. The problem is the bad economy , hospitals do not want to shell out the money from their budgets for training new RNs that may not work out, and they do not want to pull an able bodied RN from their staff to train a new RN. So far the only people who got jobs in my graduating class, were nurse externs, knew someone or are working at a correctional facility !!! It has nothing to do with grades. I don't know if Keith(who started this thread) is a young student, but unfortunately in the non academic world, in "THE REAL WORLD :devil:", grades don't really mean anything unless you have a close relationship w/an instructor who has ties with nursing recruiters in local facilities. I remember when I graduated from College the first time Magna Cum Laude with a BA degree from A GREAT UNIVERSITY....I thought I had the world by it's %@&$^$, meanwhile, I was given the standard low paying entry level position for a college grad. Nobody asked me what my GPA was. So I'm still looking, passed my boards 2 months after I graduated (in Jan 09') on the first try with 75 questions(big whoop !), I'm articulate, experienced and also worked as an NA as well as in the business world... and have a kick #$^$% resume !!! But the only prospects I have are at 2 places where I know someone, and lets not forget the CORRECTIONAL FACILITY !!!! Good Luck Everyone ! Look for my "Memoirs of a Prison Nurse :smokin:" coming to your local bookstore in a couple of years !!! CHIN UP !!!

I'm a new graduate RN & I'm going for an interview at a doctor's office. I know salary is negotiable, but don't have any idea what the average is for a doctor's office. Also, do you usually get medical benefits working in a doctor's office full time ? I was making $18.00/HR per diem as a Nursing Assistant while going thru nursing school...so don't really want to go lower than that..is that realistic ? I do have 15 years experience in the business world and was an administrative assistant in the past. I need the RN experience...since it's so hard finding new grad nursing positions... Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks !!!

Hi minicakes, I hope you're still looking at this site for answers, since you posted this a week ago. I also get nervous before interviews. My best advice is to be yourself. You obviously are smart, personable, caring and strong if you were able to graduate from nursing school. I have gone on soooo many interviews over the years, and the times that I did well was when I was confident in my abilities and didn't try to put on an act. I have a good sense of humor, so I try to use that a little in interviews to break the ice....don't get me wrong, I'm mostly serious in the interview, but realize that you are dealing with another human being, and a little charm & humor can go a long way. Also, if I'm really nervous I will actually tell the interviewer "Please bare with me, but I get a little nervous during interviews." The interviewer will usually respond with, "Don't worry about it ! or Don't be nervous." Once, I have gotten that out in the open I feel a huge weight lift off of me. I was in the business world for 15 years, in Sales..believe it or not, so you have to be pretty agressive in those types of interviews. Now I have gone on a couple of nursing interviews, and found the questions to be much easier. Be prepared with a couple of patient care stories in your mind, since they usually ask situational questions like, "Tell me about a time when you went out of your way for a patient ? " "Was there a time that you had to deal with an ethical issue ?" "How did you work as a team player w/other students or staff ? Can you give me an example? Why did you become a nurse ? What 5 words would describe you ? You should go on line to monster or other career sites and they will give you tips on interviews and questions. I wish you luck, don't worry about the accent or stutter, they're not hiring you to teach English Class, and practice in front of a mirror or role play w/friends. Sorry this was so long, but I feel your pain and thought I might be able to help !!!:typing Good Luck !!!!

I'm also a new grad and Bayada was at a Job fair last month and told all of the nw grads they don't hire new grads, also all of their jobs posted on Monster ask for experience. The same goes for most of the LTCs in NJ, they want experience or LPNs.

Thanks for the help everyone ! It's for Saint Barnabas. I feel much more confident now :typing !

I am a new grad and have to take a medication test to even be considered for a RN position at a hospital. Anyone ever take a test like this for a job ???? Any idea of what type of ??? would be on it ? Do you need to know specific dosages or just the major meds and side effects ? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated ! Thanks !

This may be a stupid question...but aren't externships just for nursing students and internships are for new graduate nurses ? Not quite clear on that while I was reading your posts.... Thanks

To New Grad Nurse 75 & Jules A, I'm new here so I still can't send private messages, otherwise I would...thanks for your encouragement and I have interviewed for an RN position at the hospital where I work and they told me they have only a few positions for new grads, but there were about 50 NAs applying for about 5 positions, also I didn't work there as long as others(some have been there for years) who they paid to go to nursing school for, which means they already invested $$$ in them. I only worked there since June of 2008.

Where I live...which is NJ...they only want experienced RNs...no new grads...I graduated in Jan, and I am having a rough time...so are my classmates. And I worked as a Nursing Assistant for a year !!! Most hospitals want you to have passed your NCLEX and have your license # before they will even look at your resume....then they tell you they're not hiring new grads at this time....this is on their website and also what HR says at the job fairs..I think it really depends on where you live, in the NY Metro area the market is very saturated and they only want experienced RNs...even at the nursing homes!!!! Good Luck....hope you don't live in Northern NJ !!!