psycheab

I've looked through older threads and know that Memorial offers a Residency program a few times a year, but just wondering, what other opportunities are there in Colorado Springs for new nurses? I really hope to avoid any kind of commute in the direction of Denver. Anybody have any news on Saint Francis Penrose? Are there other, maybe less well known hospitals/medical centers that have positions available? We are moving there in early summer so I'm just trying to get a jump start on the job hunt.

Just wondering what the hiring climate is like for new graduate nurses in the Cherry Hill area. Is it highly competitive/may take 6 months or longer to find a job? Possibly moving to NJ because of husband's work; did this not terribly long ago, but to Utah, and I could not find a nursing job nor could I even get an interview. It was incredibly frustrating! But, since I didn't work, I went ahead and completed an RN-BSN program, so will that give me much leverage? Thanks in advance.

I was in your shoes roughly 6 years ago (wow, it's already been 6 years.) Um, I was in my last semester of nursing school when hubby got orders for Japan. I graduated in May, took NCLEX in June, and we moved in July. I applied to a few jobs I came across on usajobs.gov at the base we were stationed at, but, honestly, was never even considered as I had no experience and every federal job posting I've come across always reads "Must have 1 year of experience." Now, there may be opportunities where you could possibly volunteer and get your foot in the door (and get people to recognize your face), so you may have to go knock on a few doors if you want to pursue that. Another option may be working at either the Red Cross or see if where you will be stationed has a WIC (Women, Infants and Children) Overseas office. If a position is available, they look to hire nutritionists or nurses. As far as your license, just aim to get the license in your current state and keep it current (renewals for most states is every 2 years) until you move back to the States. Feel free to PM me if you have add'l questions or concerns.

Thank you for your response! I need to first lose about 25 lbs to "make weight" for my height and then I would want to do as you suggested, lose an additional 5-10 pounds just to be sure. I'm already down about 15 lbs and I know that I can do it, even though it does take some discipline. About 5 years ago, we had been TTC for close to 3 years with no luck (and no medical intervention, yet.) I was significantly overweight and I told myself that I was going to at least lose some weight before trying to get any medical help such as Clomid or IVF. In under 6 months, merely by watching calories (1200-1500) and working out at least 4 days a week, I dropped 50 lbs. Somewhere in those last 5 lbs I actually got pregnant . So, again, I know what it takes -- I really appreciate your encouragement and I applaud your weight loss efforts! Great job! So, let me ask you another question. Would they schedule you an appt with MEPS before doing things such as the Chief Nurse interview? Or would it be one of the last things in preparing your packet/application? I'm just curious as to what kind of time frame I might be looking at (and how hard I'm going to need to push myself!) Thanks for any advice or just letting me know what your experience has been.

Just looking for some clarification, as I'm still learning some of the jargon. By Clinical nurse boards, do you mean for those going in that already have some experience? I was looking to apply to go to NTP, would that be considered a separate group. Last I spoke with a recruiter, he said that a board would be meeting in June for NTP. Would you think that is still the case? Oh, and if anyone has been following my posts, I finally did hear from a recruiter. I gave up on the one I initially contacted and found another one very near where we used to live. While he didn't respond to me personally, I'm assuming he forwarded my email to the proper recruiter and then THAT recruiter sent me the pre-qualification (?) questionnaire. Have another question that is of a personal nature. I have some weight to lose. At what point will that make or break you? The initial physical? When you in-process at MEPS? I'm even wondering if maybe I'm putting too much pressure on myself and should forget trying to get an application packet together for this June board (if it is even still meeting.) Thoughts? And JillyRN and kdazzle, I'm sorry to hear of your news. I was rooting for both of you!

I'm fairly sure -- I was on the Air Force website and selected Healthcare Recruiter and searched for the one that I thought might be the most accessible from my current location. He is in LA, so I'm thinking he just may have so many applicants/interested people that my one little email fell through the cracks. What I might do now will be to contact a recruiter where we had previously lived (there was one in the immediate area -- kicking myself for not pursuing this then.) Nope, not from Cincinnati. I'm a Southern gal

The first place would be usajobs.gov. Unfortunately, right now there is a hiring freeze. Do you have any experience? We had PCSed to Japan right after I passed NCLEX and wasn't qualified because I didn't have any experience. However, it never hurts to just go to the hospital/clinic and find out who the hiring manager is and see what they say. Good luck!

Okay, I've posted before about how long it took to hear from a recruiter. It's now been like at least 10 days and no response. Is it okay to contact another recruiter?

We are in Korea -- there are opportunities to work at military clinics/hospitals, but they strongly desire people with at least 1 year experience, something I lack. And that was also the first obstacle I ran into when I first graduated with my ADN. I literally graduated one month, took the NCLEX the following month, and then we PCSed (moved) to Japan the next month. But, it was also during that time that I found out I was pregnant and would go on to have 2 babies while we were in Japan for 3 years. The Air Force then sent us to Utah where I was ready to work, ready to get my career going but that was a big fat NEGATIVE. Utah is flooded with nurses. Older nurser, mid-career nurses, nurses returning to the field, and new graduate nurses from University of Utah, BYU, and I don't even know how many community colleges within the Salt Lake City/Provo metro area. I never stood a chance. Annnnd then the AF sends us to Korea. I honestly can't remember how long ago it was that I thought "well, if the AF is going to keep moving us around, maybe I should try to join the AF." So, I finished my BSN while in Utah, probably should have tried to get apply then seeing as how a healthcare recruiter was not but 20 mins away (doh!), but you know, got busy with the move and here I am. Sorry, got off on a tangent. Needed to vent. LOL.

Okay, so I know I need to be patient, but I'm wondering -- when you first contacted a recruiter about applying (AF nursing) did they get back to you right away? (In another thread) I posted that I'd emailed a specific healthcare recruiter yesterday, but they haven't replied. My situation is a little different; I'm currently overseas with the hubby is active duty AF, so email was my first initial contact as opposed to calling. I am wondering if I should just try and give him a call, though.

Thank you both for your replies. I have sought out one of the Healthcare Recruiters and emailed him regarding Air Force nursing. I know it is a long and selective process, but this is something I had started thinking about nearly 5 years ago and was just starting out getting my ADN. So, it's a little bit of a relief and really exciting that I took that initial step and contacted a recruiter. Eeek! So it begins!

Hi, I have a couple of specific questions that I hope maybe some of you who have been through the process or are starting the process might be able to answer when it comes to Air Force nursing. First of all, straight away, what is the age cut off? I have read different things, so I thought I'd ask. I'm 36 going on 37 later this year. Secondly, I have my BSN but no experience. It just hasn't been in the cards since I graduated a few years ago. From having babies -- I literally found out I was pregnant the very day I graduated from nursing school -- to moving to 3 different areas, one of which was so heavy populated with nurses that despite my best efforts (200+ resumes/job applications) I never found employment. Would the AF even talk to me? Also, when is the physical done? I have some weight to lose to meet Air Force standards. If the flight physical is one of the first things they look at, then I need to allow myself another 4-5 months before I'd be in top shape. I know I can do it, too; I lost 50 lbs before getting pregnant with my first child -- yep, also during my last semester of nursing school. Yeah, that's discipline for you :). Lastly, and this may go unanswered, but I am curious as to whether my husband already being in the Air Force would work to my advantage or disadvantage? Obviously if I were to make it through and receive a commission, we'd be dual military as he already has 10 years in (FYI, he is non-medical.) So, I'm wondering if that is viewed as a good thing or a bad thing...or doesn't really matter. Would love to hear thoughts! Any feedback is appreciated.

That's funny, I received your PM and just wrote you back!

We knew we were moving there about 6 months prior to actually being there. Even during that time, I started looking for jobs and contacting HR departments about any kind of new graduate nurse programs and/or externships. My hubby had gotten assigned to Hill AF Base, which is about 30 mins or so north of Salt Lake City, so I was applying EVERYWHERE. I would say that I looked for a job for about 18 months before I threw in the towel. Of course, at that point, we knew we would be moving again soon, so there was no point in continuing to look. Give me a sec and I'm going to PM you some add'l thoughts.

Do you have any experience? If not, I've got some bad news for you my friend. I hate to sound discouraging, but I looked for a job for a long, long time and must have applied to hundreds of jobs. Hundreds. I went on 2 interviews and never found a job. I finally confronted a HR department -- at that point, I'd already already given up, so I figured what did I have to lose -- about why it was so difficult to find a job or even get a call back and was told that for every nursing position they advertise, they receive about 200 applications. Looking at my resume/credentials from an HR standpoint, I had zero experience (new graduate) and only an Associate degree. University of Utah, Weber State, BYU all pump out BSN educated nurses every single semester, so an out-of-state Associate with obvious military affiliations (meaning, I move around every 3-4 years) didn't stand a chance. And I didn't just limit my job search to hospitals. Oh no. I applied at clinics, county health departments, blood/plasma donation centers, dialysis centers, nursing homes, behavioral health centers. Just about everywhere, but correctional facilities. It has been brought up in other threads in this forum if you take the time to read them that Utah is a state where the people that live there mostly stay there. People have been living there for generations, their mothers and grandmothers, aunts and uncles, cousins, etc., all live there and they have no desire to leave the state, so all the hospital systems there have a big pool to choose from that just keep regenerating over and over again. Bitter? Meh. I was when I lived there. I even went on to complete an RN-BSN program thinking it would give me a little bit of a boost. Nope. If you have some freedom with where you want to relocate to, I would keep looking. That's my two cents.

Completed nursing school in 2007 (Associate degree.) The Air Force then promptly sent us (my husband is the Active Duty member, I'm a dependent) to Japan where I couldn't work at the base hospital because I did not have a year experience. July 2010 -- AF then sends us to Utah where it is IMPOSSIBLE to find a nursing job. Trust me when I tell you that I have looked everywhere, applied everywhere, showed up at career fairs, knocked on HR doors, submitted literally hundreds of resumes, only to never find a job. Present -- Just finished a bridge RN-BSN program. AF may be sending us to Korea next year. Still haven't found a job, and to be honest, quit looking. Finally accepted it as my fate that I won't find one here. So, I will arriving to Korea at possibly either Yongsan or Osan and would love to try and find a position at the base hospitals there, but again, without any experience. Is there any way around the "Must have 1 year experience" requirement? Other agencies besides AFPC or Army Civilian jobs that I don't know about where I could at least get my foot in the door? While I support my husband's job wholeheartedly, this has made it extremely hard for me to even get mine off the ground. Advice?? Anybody?

Yeah, I've applied to many nursing homes in the area, too. Hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, schools, home health, county health departments, dialysis centers, plasma collection agencies...I know you mean to be supportive, and I appreciate it, but I have exhausted my search just about everywhere. I draw the line at correctional facilities as I do not want to put myself in harm's way. Trust me, I'd love to be able to get that 1 year of experience under my belt. But, out here, it just isn't happening. And I've realized it because of these simple reasons. 1) I'm not from here. 2) I didn't graduate from any of the colleges here. 3) I don't know anybody here. 4) I don't plan on staying here (military). I'm a realist -- I know any HR person can look at my resume and figure out within 2 seconds that we are military and not give me a second thought because it is easy to assume "Well, they won't be here but for a couple of years." At the same time, it makes me very bitter, as I feel like it is an acceptable form of discrimination. Sorry, I'll leave it at that before I really get up on my soapbox.

In just about every RN job that I've come across for military installations, they have all indicated "Must have 1 year experience." Can anybody tell me if there is a loophole or a way around this? Or, is there a way to get your foot in the door -- do military hospitals/clinics hire nurses through agencies and then maybe you can get hired on at the GS level? I just cannot find a nursing job in the local area. I apologize if anyone has come across my moaning and bellyaching about not being able to find a job here in Utah. But, as the hubby is in the military, my goal is to just get hired on at the base and then when we move, hopefully do an easy transfer. LOL, yeah, I know...it might not be so easy. Thanks for any suggestions!

A little backstory. I graduated with my ASN in May 2007 and passed NCLEX the first time in July 2007. Due to a variety of reasons (moving, having babies, moving again) I've not worked and therefore, have not gotten any experience. My license is current where I originally was licensed and I hold a current license where I am now living. The hiccup that I am running into, as we prepare to move again, is that some states BON won't issue a license by endorsement because I a) it will have been over 4 years since passing NCLEX and b) I have not gained any experience/accrued any work hours. I will be graduating with my BSN in December. Once we get to where we are going, can I just take the NCLEX again? Otherwise, seems like I've put a lot of time, energy, and money into a nursing career that I can't get off the ground. Thanks!

RN2BDFW, I guess I should have been more specific as my husband could potentially relocate to San Antonio. So, does the hiring forecast for SA seem to match what is going on in the DFW area? Thanks for your feedback!

Yes -- please update and let us know what area you are looking for work in. My husband will be relocating next year and we are considering Texas, but only if I can find a job there as it was truly impossible to find work as a nurse in our current location (metro Salt Lake City, Utah). Just way too many nurses and nursing programs pumping out new graduates every semester.

I'm only going to copy and paste what I posted to an earlier thread... Oh, and if you aren't having any luck having your MASTERS, then I might as well just give up entirely and wait until the Air Force relocates us and save the trees that I'm killing with all the wasted resumes I'm sending out. Sorry, but, yes...I'll admit it, I'm bitter. I don't want to paint you a bleak picture, but I'll just tell you my experience... We relocated to Utah last summer. 6 months prior to the move, I started looking for a job. I probably sent out well over 150 resumes in that time, applying for jobs at all the facilities and hospitals you mentioned. In that time, I got 2 interviews and lost out both positions to someone with experience. (I have no experience either, at least not nursing experience.) I'll be honest with you, if you can relocate or don't mind doing some sort of commute, that may be your only option. I actually went and talked with someone at UofU HR and asked her about the outlook for hiring new grads. She said that for every RN position that they have an opening for, she usually gets about a hundred resumes for it And, just to add, it isn't my interview. Meaning, I'm not going in and bombing the interview. In my first career, I got every job I ever interviewed for. Even when we were wrapping up nursing school, they made us go through a mock interview and I was the only one in the class to get a perfect score according to one of our nursing faculty. So, not to toot my own horn, but just to point out that it isn't my interviewing skills. It's my lack of experience. Utah is the worst place for a new graduate nurse UNLESS you networked while doing your clinicals, landed some sort of internship/externship, or the ol' "know somebody." But, if you aren't from here and just recently relocated...I'll just say don't get your hopes up. Just to add, we are military -- you wouldn't happen to be military, too?

This occured to me the other day... how do travel nurses work in other states? For instance, I have a friend who holds an Alabama RN license. She did some "travel nurse" work and went out to California. How did she, or any travel nurse, get around the whole license issue? Just curious...

If this is what you want, and it sounds like it is, I would be finding someone to fill in for you at your son's summer camp. As soon as possible, too. You can also do the whole "Hey, if you need to get away for a day, we can swap" sort of thing. In any case, I would not miss the opportunity to interview.

I don't want to paint you a bleak picture, but I'll just tell you my experience... We relocated to Utah last summer. 6 months prior to the move, I started looking for a job. I probably sent out well over 150 resumes in that time, applying for jobs at all the facilities and hospitals you mentioned. In that time, I got 2 interviews and lost out both positions to someone with experience. (I have no experience either, at least not nursing experience.) I'll be honest with you, if you can relocate or don't mind doing some sort of commute, that may be your only option. I actually went and talked with someone at UofU HR and asked her about the outlook for hiring new grads. She said that for every RN position that they have an opening for, she usually gets about a hundred resumes for it And, just to add, it isn't my interview. Meaning, I'm not going in and bombing the interview. In my first career, I got every job I ever interviewed for. Even when we were wrapping up nursing school, they made us go through a mock interview and I was the only one in the class to get a perfect score according to one of our nursing faculty. So, not to toot my own horn, but just to point out that it isn't my interviewing skills. It's my lack of experience. Utah is the worst place for a new graduate nurse UNLESS you networked while doing your clinicals, landed some sort of internship/externship, or the ol' "know somebody." But, if you aren't from here and just recently relocated...I'll just say don't get your hopes up. Just to add, we are military -- you wouldn't happen to be military, too?