paRN12

I moved out here as a new BSN, RN as well 3 years ago and my husband is also in the military. Since I didn't have any acute care experience, my only option was to get a nursing home job. Honestly, I wouldn't go through the hassle of getting hired in a nursing home just for a few months. To me, it's not really worth it. Plus, I'm not sure that anywhere would hire you if they knew it would only be for a few months. I would suggest just getting a waitress/retail job in the meantime or you could even try volunteering somewhere if you don't need that second income right now. I know you said you are going to be starting work at Tripler. Have you thought about getting a contract job there as an RN before you start working there in 5 months? I currently volunteer there and we have several contract nurses on my unit. That might be an idea since it's short term.

All I can say is good luck...I have been on the island for 2.5 years (moved out here as a new grad) and STILL haven't gotten hired into a hospital after applying to 100+ RN jobs. It's VERY competitive here for nursing, unlike many other places on the mainland. I would suggest getting hired back in Arizona and getting acute care experience before moving to the island. Hospitals here require new grads to work as CNAs or unit secretaries for at least a couple years before they'll move you into an RN position. I'm moving in a few months and although I'm sad to be leaving Hawaii, I can't wait to get back to the mainland to start working in a hospital. The only places here that will hire new grads are assisted living facilities and SNFs (which is where I had to work the last couple years).

At the facility I work at, we put the medication in a cup with hot water and then put paper towels in the cup (once the meds are dissolved) to soak everything up and then we throw it out.

I'm from PA, but moved to Hawaii back in September after graduation in August. I know the majority of people I graduated with got RN jobs in PA not long after graduation. However, a lot of them were PCT's or nurse's aids on the floors they got hired or they previously did an internship at the hospital that hired them after graduation. I know there are a few nurse residency programs in PA though that will consider new RNs. Hawaii and California are awful places for new grads. I just landed a job here in Hawaii after searching for months but it's in an assisted living facility because no hospitals here really hire new RNs without experience.

Unfortunately those horror stories you have heard about finding nursing jobs here are true. All I have to say is be prepared to not have a nursing job for at least a few months (if not longer) after you move here. There really aren't many places on the island hiring new grad nurses. I graduated in August with my BSN and moved to Oahu in September to be with my boyfriend who is in the Army and is here for his residency at Tripler. I applied all over even months before I got here and I kept getting rejected from every job I applied to. I finally talked to some nurse recruiters at the hospitals here and they told me they won't consider hiring new grad RNs unless you work in the hospital first as a unit secretary or nurse's aid for months or even years because nursing is so competitive here. I applied for a ton of nurse's aid positions just to get my foot in the door, and I even got rejected from all of those. I applied to a family medicine clinic RN position at Tripler and online it said I was qualified even though I didn't have a year of experience but because I have my BSN. It took about 3 months to finally hear back, but they said they had given the position to someone else. While my application was still active, my boyfriend went and talked to a few people at Tripler to find out more information about my application, the hiring process, etc. and they all pretty much told him that they aren't hiring any new grad nurses because they require at least 1 year of acute care experience. I finally gave up on applying for RN positions within the hospitals here and decided to start applying to nursing homes/assisted living facilities because there are so many and a lot of the postings said they would consider new grad RNs. After a couple weeks of applying, I got two interviews for two different assisted living RN positions (and then two job offers as well). I accepted the one offer and I start working soon. I would really recommend getting your Hawaii nursing license as soon as you can. I also recommend looking on Craigslist and indeed.com for nursing jobs. You can also make a list of different places on the island and call them to see if they are hiring. I really would try to keep an open mind and be willing to work in other settings besides hospitals here and just keep applying to places and you'll eventually get something even if it's not your first choice. My job search here was very frustrating, especially knowing that everyone I graduated with in August had RN jobs in hospitals within a couple months of graduating. I'm excited though and thankful that I finally found something here. Good luck with your search and feel free to message me if you have any other questions/concerns! :)

RNHal11- That is so frustrating!! What websites are you looking at? I always used indeed.com and a few weeks ago I started looking on Craigslist and that's where I found a few AL jobs that were hiring so I applied and got interviews a few days later. Maybe you could try that? You could also try making a list of nursing homes/AL facilities on the island and call them to see if they are hiring RNs. I know of a couple nursing homes/AL facilities that are hiring right now...if you want more info/suggestions you can message me and we can discuss it!

I agree with purplejadern. I would definitely recommend working in a hospital you might be interested in applying to after graduation. A lot of my friends were pcts and got offered RN positions before they even graduated and then started work immediately with their temporary practice permit before they took the NCLEX. I never worked as a pct or aide and I moved after graduation so it took me a lot longer than everyone else that I graduated with to find a job.

I went on two interviews last week for an RN assisted living position and they asked me a ton of questions about my clinical experiences.. i.e.: have you ever disagreed with something one of your patients decided to do, have you ever seen another nurse or student in your clinical group make a mistake and did you correct them, have you ever had a family member who was rude and disrespectful towards you and what did you do, etc. For the one interview, I got a ton of basic nursing questions about different diseases (signs/symptoms, medications used to treat them, etc.) Like I said, this was for an assisted living RN position so I'm sure your questions will differ depending on where you are interviewing. Good luck! :)

I agree with RNHAL11. It is very difficult finding a RN job here. I graduated with my BSN in August then moved to Hawaii back in September from PA (my boyfriend is here with the Army for 3 years). I literally sent in so many applications all over the island and didn't get any calls back. I even broke down and applied to a bunch of nurse's aide positions because I talked to the nurse recruiters at the hospitals here and they told me they wouldn't even consider me for a nurse residency program unless I work as an aide or unit secretary for months or even years because it's so competitive. Needless to say, I sent in a ton of nurse's aide applications and still got rejected from all of them even though I'm way overqualified! So frustrating. I finally decided to start applying to nursing homes/assisted living facilities to at least get some type of RN experience even though it's not in the hospital. I just got offered a job at an assisted living facility here and I start in a couple weeks. I figured some RN experience is better than none, and once we leave the island in a couple years I'll hopefully be able to get some experience working in the hospital. I really would recommend getting at least 6 months-1 year RN acute care experience before coming to the island, but even then I heard it's still very difficult finding a job. If i were you, I would be open to working in other clinical settings (especially nursing homes or AL) while you live here because the chance of getting any hospital job without any acute care RN experience is slim. I wish you the best of luck though with your job search! :)

I would definitely wear a suit/jacket because it looks very professional. I went on an interview last week and two this week and wore my interview suit and got offers from both jobs!

thank you for all of the advice/suggestions! I actually applied for a new grad nurse residency program back in September at a big hospital in PA and didn't get asked to interview. Before I applied to switch my license over to Hawaii, I tried looking up jobs in PA near where I'm from and there either weren't many available, or none open for new grads. I think I am going to give it until the summer and see if I can find anything here and if not, consider moving somewhere else to get a job. Military spouse- My boyfriend is a doctor and in the Army, so luckily he has been able to support me and says he will continue to until I find a job. Which is nice, however, I want to be able to support myself and actually use my degree that I worked so hard for. I'm only 22 and still under my parents health insurance, so luckily that hasn't been a concern for me yet. We have talked about marriage, but it probably wouldn't be for a while. I even applied for a nursing job at the army hospital he works at, and didn't get it even though it said online I was qualified for it. Every time I call there and ask about jobs, they ask me if I'm in the military or a military spouse. When I say no, they tell me I need to volunteer for a year with the red cross and then they will consider hiring me for a nursing job. Do you really think if I was a military spouse it would help me get a job there? I somehow doubt it, but it still makes me wonder.

I'm a new grad RN who graduated with my BSN in August. In September, I moved from PA to Hawaii (Oahu) to be with my boyfriend who is here for the Army. I heard nursing jobs were hard to get before I got here, but I didn't know it would be anything like this. I've literally called everywhere on the island and no one is hiring new grads right now. I've applied to several nurse's aid positions at a couple different hospitals and keep getting rejected, which is beyond frustrating considering I am overqualified for those positions. I've even applied for RN positions at clinics and health centers, which didn't require experience, but I've still had no luck. I just recently applied for my Hawaii RN license, so maybe once I get that I'll have more luck finding something. I'm thinking about applying to nursing homes or hospice/home health even though that won't count towards a year of acute care experience. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I can do to get a nursing job or know anyone at the hospitals here I can talk to about it? I am so frustrated since I worked so hard for 4 years and did so well grade wise in school and especially since most of the people I graduated with already have RN jobs back home. I appreciate any suggestions/advice anyone may have. Thanks!

It honestly all depends on where you live and what nursing school you attend. I thought senior year was the easiest and I went to a pretty competitive/difficult nursing school in PA. I just graduated with my BSN in August and moved from PA to Hawaii and I still haven't found a nursing job yet. I even applied for nurse's aid jobs to get my foot in the door and I'm getting rejected from those because it's that competitive here. I would definitely look up the different hospitals you are interested in working at and see if they have a new grad residency program and when the application deadline is so you know. If you aren't sure, then you can always call the nurse recruiter and ask. All of my friends back in PA who were PCT's for a while got RN jobs right after graduation so I'm sure you will have no problem. I also agree that you should take your NCLEX asap after graduation so you are already in the studying mindset and remember everything. I graduated August 15th and took and passed my NCLEX with 75 questions on August 27th.

employers usually like you to have your license in the state for which you are applying, especially for states that are really competitive. I just moved to Hawaii a couple months ago and my RN license is in the state of PA and I've had employers tell me to change my license over so my resume looks more marketable (even though they still won't hire me because I have no experience and it's so competitive here). However, there have been a couple nursing homes here that didn't require experience, but said they wouldn't hire me because I don't have a Hawaii license yet. I just don't want to pay over $200 yet to change my license over in case I can't find a job here and would eventually have to move back home.

I'm a new grad RN from PA and a lot of my friends who just graduated already have new grad RN jobs at hospitals in Pittsburgh and Philly. Children's Hospital of Philadelphia definitely hires new grads and some of the hospitals outside of Philly do too because that's where my friends are working. I'm living in Hawaii now and not having any luck finding a nursing job

it is IMPOSSIBLE to get a new grad nurse position in Hawaii. I just recently moved to Honolulu a couple months ago (I graduated with my BSN in August and passed my NCLEX so I'm an RN in Pennsylvania) and I've been trying everything to get a nursing job. It's pretty much required to work as a secretary or nurse's aid here first and then apply to the graduate nurse residency program to eventually work as an RN. It's even difficult getting an aid job because you are competing with all of the other new grads who want to get an entry level position in hopes of getting into the residency program. I've been told by many of the hospitals here that there are lots of new nurses who have been working as aids or secretaries for years before getting into the nurse residency program because it's just so competitive. I've even tried health clinics all over the island and no one is hiring. I finally heard back from a nurse's aid job I applied for and they are requiring me to go in and take a skills test before they even pass my application on (which is ridiculous since I have already taken and passed the NCLEX). It really is frustrating. I would recommend getting a nursing job back home and working for a year and then coming to Hawaii because if not, no one will hire you or you will have to work an entry level job for a while. I really don't want to move back to PA, but I might have to if I can't get a nursing job here within the next couple months.

I understand your frustration. I graduated with my BSN in August and took and passed the NCLEX in August and I still haven't found a job yet. I just moved to Hawaii and there are NO new nurse positions here. All new nurses must work as a secretary or aid before they are even considered for the nurse residency program (which must be completed before being considered for an RN position). And even working as an aid or secretary doesn't guarantee you a spot in the residency program. I heard that there have been new nurses working as aids for years before getting into a residency program. It's so frustrating! I really don't want to move back to PA, but I might have to if I can't find a job here soon.

I just recently moved to Hawaii a couple months ago, and there are NO new grad positions here! It's definitely the worst here than anywhere else. I'm originally from PA and all of my friends who I graduated with in August already have RN jobs back there. It's so discouraging :-( Congratulations on your new job! I hope I find something eventually.

Hi, I'm an August 2012 BSN graduate and an RN in PA. I just moved to Honolulu to be with my boyfriend (who is in the Army and is a doctor at Tripler) and I'm trying to find an RN job on the island. I heard it was difficult to find a nursing job here as a graduate nurse, but I didn't think it would be pretty much impossible. I've applied to so many RN jobs and called so many places to see if they are hiring new grad nurses and I've had NO luck! Does anyone from Hawaii have any suggestions on how I can get an RN job with not having any experience? I heard I have to start as a nurse's aide or secretary first and wait for an RN job to open up or to volunteer with the red cross for a year before I can be hired at Tripler. Is there anything else I could do that would help me get hired? This whole job search is really frustrating, especially knowing I could easily get hired as an RN back in PA. I really love it here so far and would hate to leave, but I worked way too hard the last 4 years to not get a nursing job or to get a job doing something that I'm not even interested in or over qualified for. I'm sure all of the new nurses on the island feel the same way, but I'm just not used to this type of nursing job market.

I only used the Saunders content book and the Saunders book of questions and passed the NCLEX after 75 questions.

I didn't really use the hesi hints unless I was going through content that I was unsure of. I mostly did questions on the hesi evolve website and the case studies (I focused on med surg). I also did a lot of NCLEX questions from the Saunders book, even though I think that hesi questions are completely different than NCLEX ones. I agree that hesi questions are worded differently and are more difficult, but as long as you do as much as you can before the exam and go in feeling confident, then you'll pass!

I only studied Saunders and I passed at 75 questions. I thought Saunders was very helpful (I used the book of questions and the book of content with the CD). Really practice the select all that apply questions because I had a ton of those when I took the NCLEX last week. good luck! :)

I just recently graduated from nursing school with a BSN and took the HESI exit exam in June. I thought this test was very difficult and a lot of the material I have never seen or learned before. My school had someone from HESI come for 3 days and teach a review course and teach us hints for answering the HESI questions. I would definitely recommend studying for this exam by doing tons of NCLEX (Saunders book) and HESI questions (on the hesi website) and going through any content you aren't sure of. I did some questions every day for about 3 weeks and passed the HESI with a 906 (you needed an 850 at my school to pass and graduate). I know several people from my school who didn't study or go over any questions or material and failed a couple different times. Even if you feel like studying isn't helping, I would do it anyways because it helps you to feel more confident when you go in to take the test. If you can pass the HESI, then you shouldn't have a problem passing the NCLEX (I thought the HESI was much more difficult). Good luck! :)

I'm from PA and I just took the NCLEX the other week and I passed. I came home right away and got on the pearsonvue website and tried to re-register and I received a pop-up saying a test has already been scheduled. Therefore, the pearsonvue trick worked for me! Another trick to find out the results of your test is to log on to the dept of the state website for the state you registered the NCLEX with, and look at the status of your license. I took the NCLEX on a Tuesday afternoon and logged on to the dept of the state website early Wednesday morning and found out I passed because it said license status: active and had my RN license number listed. Before I took the NCLEX, it said license status: pending. I would definitely recommend trying this first before paying $8 to pearsonvue and having to wait 48 hours for the quick results. I suppose every board of nursing is different for every state, but PA was super fast and had my results up less than 24 hours after I took the test and I didn't have to pay the $8 to pearson vue to find out!