WondeR.N.

I think it's definitely worth calling the recruiter--or a few of them. Don't sell yourself short, though, by asking for a new grad spot. You're experienced, and it's worth a lot! Jeez...two years of med/surg is like gold. Why don't you sign up for some continuing education classes about L&D? Check out ce.nurse.com. I'm a big fan of it. Get additional CPR certifications, anything to make your resume more attractive to the recruiters.

There is no policy against it where I work, I have my own office where patients come to see me, it never interferes with the work I do, and I don't take a lunch break. I don't take smoke breaks, talk on the phone or gossip with co-workers. Nobody would say "boo" to me for surfing allnurses, checking my email, researching new drugs/procedures or reading the news. I also pass meds, do treatments, talk to anxious patients and their family members, other care providers, consult with the docs and deal with the staff. I am also very good at what I do, and my employers respect me as a professional and as a human enough to understand that I know how to manage my time. Every nurse's situation is different, and just because somebody is able to read allnurses at work does NOT mean they're a lazy employee.

RNpandoraRN, is it possible you've only looked into post-partum doula programs or have spoken? I have a friend who was a birth doula, extremly knowlegeable and a nursing student at the time. She also worked as a tech in L&D. She's now in L&D, studying to become a midwife. Continue being persistent and explore all your avenues. Something will break for you.

She is your supervisor and absolutely should at least acknowledge your resignation, unless she's completely unprofessional. If that's the case, it's no wonder you're quitting. You should mention this during your exit interview with HR. Congrats on the new gig.

yep...I'm at work right now. I learn a lot on these boards! I'm not in a hospital, though, so my schedule allows me to take a few moments now and then to check the news, visit allnurses, etc.

I agree. I am a newly employed RN with only a few months of experience, and there was no way to enter

SPower, I live in the burbs, but I applied to the Visiting Nurse Service of NYC...at the beginning of this year, I think. VNS offers a great new grad training program, similar to hospital nurse residencies, but they had no openings for new grads at the time. I don't know about any other home health agencies in the city, but in the burbs there are lots of advertised home health jobs with agencies that say they'll train new grads. I never got a call back from any of them, though. My guess is that they're pretty well staffed with all of the experienced nurses that have recently lost their jobs.

The Squire is right. Many nursing schools are highly competitive to get into, but if you're a good student in high school, you'll have NO problem at all. The TEAS is easy...EASY...and I took it almost 20 years after graduating from high school (got a 98%). Just do a quick TEAS prep course online with practice tests so you know you did everything you can to prepare. If you can start right into a 4 year program, that would be the best, but you can always earn your ADN, get licensed as an RN and then transfer into a university or do an RN to BSN program.

Oh, and I want to echo missyadams. When you send your resume and cover letter, include your list of references with full contact information as well as a couple of LETTERS of reference from your clinical instructors, professors, etc. It's easy to file a resume away, but when it's accompanied by letters oooohing and ahhing about how much of an asset you would be to their organization, it goes a long way toward getting the right pair of eyes to look at you.

Freaking out, you need to pace yourself. The job market SUCKS big time in the NY-NJ-CT area, not to mention PA...and, well, the rest of the country. Pace yourself and brace yourself for the long haul. It took me 10 months to find a job, and many of my classmates (May '09) are still searching. It's horrible, but you'll find a job eventually. Look into temp, part-time, anything. Apply for licensure by reciprocity in NY, CT, PA--anyplace you can get to without needing a plane. Look into online continuing ed courses for more resume filler. I have RN friends who are still working as patient care techs, but they're keeping their skills fresh and constantly learning. It's a whole lot easier to get a job when you have a job, so consider everything. I wish you a LOT of luck. Things will turn around--at least that's what I keep telling myself! ;-)

I'm thinking the person who emailed her might be somebody who just read the thread and did not post any response.

Oh! English is his second language! Well...there you go. That would explain a LOT. I apologize, because I don't know where you're located, but here in NY, you hear a new language every time you turn the corner. Probably 25% of my nursing class had English as their second language, and just about everybody was 100% fluent. I do recall one very smart, incredibly sweet man who had already had one successful career (teacher in the Philippines) and--in his 60s--decided he wanted to go into nursing. While his English was good, he was not fluent, and so much of his energy was focused on trying to understand and communicate with medical terminology in English that he just couldn't keep his head above water and failed in our 2nd or 3rd semester. He was always nervous and anxious, became overwhelmed in the clinical environment and just couldn't pass the tests with a high enough grade to stay in the program. Nursing school is really tough, and without complete fluency in English, it's damn near impossible. It's sad, but there's zilch you can do to help your classmate with that.

WahWah...it's performance anxiety?

WahWah, I'm just throwing this out here: Is English the first or second language for the student who is floundering? Is it possible there is a language barrier? Or is it possible that the student has some MAJOR performance anxiety that turns him into a clueless mess when he's being observed and critiqued? Of course, it's just possible that nursing is not what his brain is designed for and he'll fail or quit, but I'm curious as to whether there are some barriers to his communication or performance. PS: You may want to resist the temptation to give more examples than you have. You never know who hangs out on these boards.

And one more note...for crying out loud, people: this poster is a STUDENT!!! She is NOT a nurse! The other student, incompetent or not, is NOT her responsibility! Why is this so difficult for you all to understand?! The INSTRUCTOR should be supervising her students, not pawning the failing ones off on other students! And if the instructor isn't watching her students well enough, the responsibility for the patients' well-being falls upon their designated licensed RN, not another student! Jeez! If all you have to offer are sanctimonious cliches about how "the patient comes first," or "nursing is about caring and sharing," take it over to the "Nurses Who Walk on Water" section of the site! And leave the rest of us who have a solid grip on reality here to stick it out and REALLY HELP somebody.