roxbox

Argo - I appreciate the advice, and I have decided this past week that increasing the application radius to 2 hrs is my next move. Drastic times call for drastic measures...thank you. Here's to hoping for the best outcome!

And just to add to this, I have the utmost respect for any and all experienced nurses (and all nurses in general, for that matter). I have always listened to the invaluable advice they would give to me and as a student I made sure every nurse I worked with was completely aware of this. It made for a fantastic relationship with open communication and the ability to learn in a comfortable environment. I am just posting to see if there are any improvements or different directions I should take to get any experience at all and welcome all advice.

The CNL Certification was a mandated part of the program I was in and is designed to create an awareness surrounding best practice and a better understanding of evidence based research. As a student, it gave me a deeper understanding for the interdisciplinary nature of the health care system and leadership roles that the nurse is capable of performing. While it was helpful to have in my background training, I do not feel entitled to any role as a leader on a unit. In addition, I was recommended by several seasoned nurses to obtain ACLS certification while I was applying for jobs in order to continue my nursing education. As far as receiving an MSN degree rather than BSN is that if I decided to go for a BSN, not only was there over a year wait to get in, but after speaking to the school of nursing and going over my transcripts, I would have had to take the English, Math, Science, etc. that I had already taken for my undergraduate degree - in addition to investing 3 years due to retaking several classes - to get another Bachelor's degree. The MSN program I was in was strictly nursing and required a year of prerequisites. It was rigorous and challenging and I put a lot of effort into obtaining this degree. I think you are misunderstanding my intent. I just want to be a bedside nurse, anywhere. As I said, the CNL certification was a mandated part of my program. If I felt so entitled to be a leader on a unit as a new grad, I would be carrying a different (and very naive) attitude.

Hi everyone - I don't post a whole lot on here, but hop on every so often. I'm quite concerned about my next steps and need your help. I moved to Seattle in July of this year after passing my boards and obtaining my Masters Degree in Nursing. I was in the accelerated program in Ohio, so I'm a novice nurse having received my Clinical Nurse Leader Certification and ACLS Certification. So I have all of this excellent training and cannot find a job. It has been devastating for me, and I've come to the point where I don't really know what direction I should go in. Moving is not really an option, although I'm willing to travel around the western Washington area and have applied to several jobs in Tacoma. I've applied to well over 100 jobs and have received very little feedback. I've been volunteering at Swedish on the Peds unit, but that has not really done much either, since they have no new grad openings. I've also put my name into several temp agency's contact banks and still, nothing. I'm actually considering getting a Medical Assistant Certification, thinking maybe that would help, but at the same time think that might be taking many steps backwards and more $$ spent which is again in a backwards direction. Any advice? I know it's bad for everyone right now, and I guess it's become bad (and discouraging) enough for me to the point where I'm reaching out to anyone for help! Thank you all so much for reading.

I just graduated from an accelerated MSN program and moved to Seattle thinking I would have little difficulty getting into a residency program. I have been applying for 2 months and have not heard back from anyone! One of the most difficult hurdles is the fact that all the job openings require at least one year experience yet no one is willing to open their doors to new grads - it's a complete Catch 22 situation and an incredibly discouraging process. I even got ACLS certified out here just to keep my mind working. I've applied to PCA jobs to keep my skills up and have heard nothing. I've applied to nursing research positions and have heard nothing. I'm going to continue looking for 2-3 hours a day and hope for the best, but this is just to let you all know we're in this together!