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Thanks for the suggestions. I think I just need to persist and look hard for an RN job, and in case I do have to look for a CNA job, I will make sure I disclose my RN license to the potential employer. It's a complicated situation.

Thanks for the reply. I thought about volunteer at one time, but volunteer experiences is not actual work experiences. I agree with your supervisor that future supervisor will not overlook the fact that one didn't use one's license and went ahead to pursue something less challenging. I'm not able to relocate these days. I think I do need to think twice about working as a CNA. Maybe I should look for jobs in doctor's office. Nursing homes do not seem to be hiring these days, they all want experienced. But I am going to try nursing homes in the nearby state as well. I wish you luck in your job hunting.

How could she apply for an immigration visa now if she does not have a US RN license yet? Also, she cannot apply for an immigration visa by herself, she has to find an employer that is willing to apply for her. And I heard it is extremely difficult to find such an employer even for foreign RNs lived in US for many years and educated in US. Overall, it all depends on the job market, it is difficult for a US graduate to get a job nowadays in most states. I'm not sure why they still want to bring foreign RNs in this country, the job market is already bad enough.

I graduated last year from an ADN program. I do not have any prior healthcare work experience, that's probably why I cannot find an RN job in this bad market. Since my RN license is getting more stale without revelant work experience, and it is very hard for me to find an entry-level RN job, and I have another full-time job that give me benefits and pay the bills, I'm thinking about taking the CNA certification exam and become a CNA. I saw a lot of ads for part-time CNA, the ads do not say experience requirement. So if I can work as an CNA part-time, in, say a nursing home, and when there is RN position available inside, I might be able to get it. I'm also thinking that work as a CNA can give me some work experience in the healthcare field, even though it does not count as an RN experience, but when the market pick up, I might have a chance to get an RN job. Also, I can make a little bit extra money by working as a CNA. It is better than sitting there doing nothing and let the my RN license get stale. Anybody has any suggestions? If I apply for CNA job, should I tell the potential employer that I have an RN license as well? Or I should not mention it at all.

Walk-in is really hard. I walked in some, then stopped. Spent a lot of time on the road just to find out they are not hiring, it just waste a lot of time and gas money! Maybe it is better to call to find out if they are hiring first.

sistasoul & smn2009, Disregard the arguments, I like the positive attitude you two have. I believe the positivity is very important. One has a big chance to get there if there is a positive attitude (not guaranteed though). But if the attitude is negative, there will never be a way. I've been little frustrated in that I've looked at Skilled Nursing Facilities and Nursing homes in my area, I walked in, I faxed resumes, etc. But either they are not hiring currently, or they want at least one year acute care experience. Too bad, even the nursing homes here are not hiring new graduates. But I'll keep looking in other areas while still keep an eye in my area.

Paid training (where the nurses pay hospitals for training them after graduation) are already common in the Philippine. "take a vocation, work in McDonald's, work in Wal-mart".These are so insensitive/rude comments from some of nurses. Don't think working in McDonal's or Wal-mart is little stress. In terms of fighting for decent salary, the American doctors are much smarter than nurses in that they know how to tightly control the supply to the labor market.

If the nursing profession are really fighting for semi-decent salaries, then why don't they learn from MDs who successfully control the Number of seats of the medical schools tightly over centuries?

If that happens, not all experienced people will leave, because most cannot find jobs right away. Even if they leave, if other hospitals are doing the same, where they are going to? I think it's all about supply & demand in the labor market. If the bad economy continues, eventually it will hit the market for experienced nurses. It happens in job markets in many professions, the salaries going down for experienced due to high demand for scarce job opportunities. Nursing is a bit different since it has strong labor union and can protect its members. And don't try to downgrade new nurse training to flipping burgers in McDonald's. It's all about "getting in the door". Flipping burgers for two years will lead one to nowhere except couple of free burgers a day. While two years work will turn a new grad nurse to experienced one and make her much more marketable.

Even the pay during the training is low, but everybody know after gaining experience, new nurses can enjoy much better pay and much more job opportunities. This is unlike bartender, these are dead-end jobs, and one make sthat kind of money pretty much forever.

Sure, why not? But I doubt the hospital will agree. Some people who do not have experiences are shut out of the door permanently, even though they are trained in US, spent huge money in tuition, occurred a huge debt etc. Even worse, unbelievably some places are still importing foreign nurses since they are "experienced" while tens of thousands of US new grads are denied job opportunities. This is ridiculous, it hurts the US economy and its people in the long run. I saw new grads nurses on this board live on food stamps, though she is looking for a job actively, nobody wants to hire her because she needs to be trained. My classmate told me she is depressed, she took a loan for nursing school and she still has no job with an RN license. I looked everywhere, even the nursing homes here are not hiring new graduates. Luckily I still have a non-nursing job, but it's getting hard to hold on to it and I'm on the verge of financial difficulty. If any hospital in my area agree to hire me but pay me minimum wages (8/hr) during the training period (say 6 months), I would be more than happy to accept that. Unfortunately almost all hospitals here are unionized. So I know that's not possible.

If you have a very good paying job with great benefits now, and you can retire in 6, 8 years. I would suggest you go to nursing school part-time and keep your current job for security reasons. I didn't quit my job while going to nursing school, and now I'm lucky still have a job that pays bills while I cannot get a nursing job.

Hi Jmaverick101, can you tell me when did you apply for the jobs? I'm wondering how the job markets in Texas now. Here in NJ even the several nursing homes I went to are not hiring new graduates. By the end of year if I don't get a job here I have to move out of state.

Congratulations on your new job. I have questions about volunteering. Do hospitals let you volunteer once you have RN license? Another thing is: I have former classmates work in the hospital, if they work as a nurse there, and I volunteer, I don't feel very comfortable about that. I would rather pick up a hospital that I do not know anybody there.

Curious, just wondering which part of the country are you in that are still importing nurses from other countries nowadays? Maybe Texas or Okaloma? Most places used to import foreign nurses 4, 5 years ago, but not any more. The bills that are trying to give foreign RNs more visa numbers have failed a couple of times. I guess had there been a real shortage of nurses, that bill would had been passed already. Where I'm, lots of LTC are not hiring new RNS either, they want experiences.

If you have good experience, and no work authorization problem, then I don't see why foreign grads cannot get a job. My friend is a foreign grad, has a green card, and 6 years hospital experience in US, She has not problem getting a job and as many hours as she wants.

I'm in NJ. The nursing homes here are not hiring new graduates either. They only hire per diem. I'm facing a choice either move out of state, or look for a non-nursing job.

Very scary. With this bad job market the rehabilitation centers I went are not hiring new graduates either. They are only looking for per diem experienced. How sad! On one side I think I might be lucky get a job in any place, on the other side I don't feel like going there for long term. Am also afraid got stuck in rehab if that is my first nursing job.

Me 4! same here. Fortunately I didn't quit my non-nursing job, I still have regular income coming in to pay all the bills. - North New Jersey

Thanks for the information, Good to know so much to learn in subacute rehab.

Sorry for the confusion. I guess I do not quite understand the industry well. Your information is very helpful. Thanks.

MH24, Congratulations on getting your first job! It's scary that in December more graduates will be in the market, and the job market looks just going to get worse in the near future. I already started the transfer of the license to the state of Texas. I may have to visit there to look for jobs. As long as I can get in the hospital door. I've been through other professions. Know how hard it is to jump to a better field once you stuck in the wrong area at the beginning. People started with acute care/med-surg, they can come back easily find a job in a LTC, but not the other way. Kind of not fair for the unfortunate ones, but it is how society works.

I'm a new ADN in New Jersey. I graduated in June 2009, got my license in Sept. I don't have any prior work experience in health care field. I've been looking for jobs, mainly in hospitals and so far no good. As you all know, it's extremely hard for new graduates to find a hospital jobs in New Jersey. I regret not started applying earlier. I'm lucky that I still have a non-nursing full-time job to fall back on. Paying bills is not a problem. But I cannot just keep doing something else and let my nursing license get stale. My ultimate goal is to work in an RN pool for a major hospital, that means I can work in Med-surg, ICU, ER, L&D. etc. I really enjoy doing different things. Given the current job market for new graduate in NJ, and the market is just getting tougher for me as the new graduates will rush in in December. I know sooner or later I may either have to move out of the state, or start looking at LTC. My understanding is: if I have to start in LTC, sub-acute or shot-term nursing home stay is a good place to start. Assisted living is the last place I should look at. I've seen some specialty hospitals, are they the same as subacute care? although these special hospitals in NJ do not seem to hire either. I am also thinking about applying for specialty hospitals in PA. I've also seen some recruiting events for Nursing and Rehab centers. These Nursing and Rehab centers are affiliated with the same major health care system, which have some real good hospitals. Is it better to start in a rehab center like this? so chances of moving to the affiliated hospital will be bigger, compared to an independent nursing home chain? For Rehab center, vs long-term subacute care, is that long-term subacute care is much better? Seems more iv skills, wound change, G-tube, tache-care used in long-term subacute care. Am I right? If so, I'll probably concentrate on looking for a subactue facility first. My classmate who worked in a nursing home for many years as a LPN told me to try to get a hospital job, and not to work in a Nursing home, she said nursing home sucks. Another option is home care. I know a foreign language, which may place me on some kind of distant advantage in looking for a home care job in new york city. But I heard home care experience do not really count. So it's may be better to start with long-term subacute? The order would be: Specialty Hospital > Long -term Acute Care > Short-term subacute care > Nursing Home > Rehab > Home Health Care > Assisted Living. Is my order right? Any suggestions? Greatly appreciate. Another possibility is to move to a State like Texas, look for a hospital job there. Get one year med-surg experience, then come back to NJ. I'm single, owe no houses, but my friends are all in NJ, and I'm very comfortable with the climate and the living here. Careerwise, does it really make a such a big difference starting in a hospital vs starting in a LTC? I'm not sure if it is worth the moving out for one year. Any suggestions, greatly appreciate it.

I'm a new ADN in New Jersey. I graduated in June 2009, got my license in Sept. I don't have any prior work experience in health care field. I've been looking for jobs, mainly in hospitals and so far no good. As you all know, it's extremely hard for new graduates to find a hospital jobs in New Jersey. I regret not started applying earlier. I'm lucky that I still have a non-nursing full-time job to fall back on. Paying bills is not a problem. But I cannot just keep doing something else and let my nursing license get stale. My ultimate goal is to work in an RN pool for a major hospital, that means I can work in Med-surg, ICU, ER, L&D. etc. I really enjoy doing different things. Sooner or later I know I may either have to move out of the state, or start looking at LTC. My understanding is: if I have to start in LTC, sub-acute or shot-term nursing home stay is a good place to start. Assisted living is the last place I should look at. I've seen some specialty hospitals, are they the same as subacute care? although these special hospitals in NJ do not seem to hire either. I am also thinking about applying for specialty hospitals in PA. I've also seen some recruiting events for Nursing and Rehab centers. These Nursing and Rehab centers are affiliated with the same major health care system, which have some real good hospitals. Is it better to start in a rehab center like this? so chances of moving to the affiliated hospital will be bigger, compared to an independent nursing home chain? For Rehab center, vs long-term subacute care, is that long-term subacute care is much better? Seems more iv skills, wound change, G-tube, tache-care used in long-term subacute care. Am I right? If so, I'll probably concentrate on looking for a subactue facility first. My classmate who worked in a nursing home for many years as a LPN told me to try to get a hospital job, and not to work in a Nursing home, she said nursing home sucks. Another option is home care. I know a foreign language, which may place me on some kind of distant advantage in looking for a home care job in new york city. But I heard home care experience do not really count. So it's may be better to start with long-term subacute? The order would be: Specialty Hospital > Long -term Acute Care > Short-term subacute care > Nursing Home > Rehab > Home Health Care > Assisted Living. Is my order right? Any suggestions? Greatly appreciate.

Thanks for sharing. Wish you the best in searching for the next job.