murphyk12

Thank you for the great advice. I've been looking over lab values, basic meds, assessments, cardio, & neuro. I didn't think about abd pains. I will definitely go back to that. I have a 6 month orientation & will be getting ACLS, PALS, Critical Care, Trauma, & Telemetry certs. Im sure I'll be okay, just very nervous. I just have to build my confidence back up :) Thanks again!

I graduated with a BSN Dec. 12'. Passed my boards Mar 13'. I was actively seeking employment for the past year with no luck & finally was just offered a position in the ED. It is a dream job for me as I want to pursue trauma nursing. I have had the opportunity to experience the ED a few times during clinicals & fell in love. So here's my dilemma. I have been out of school for so long that I'm afraid I'm going to look stupid. I don't start for a month so I have time to study, but since there is such a variety in ED nursing, I don't know what I should focus on. Cardio, stroke, etc. Or if there is a book I can get that would help. I would appreciate any feedback to help me prepare. I really don't want to mess this up & want to prove that I will be a great ED nurse.

I have a NJ and Pa license with a BSN and cannot find work in either state. Most hospitals here will only hire BSN and still nothing. I am 15 min from Philly and all the best hospitals. I just became a member today to see what the consensus is and it seems to be everywhere. I live in a great area surrounded by the city and the shore, but if I didn't have kids, I would be out of here. I look online everyday and there just are no positions for new to practice nurses. It's sad, but hopefully we will see a turn around with the Obama care bringing more patients in for care. I am not political by any means so I don't even know if that's something to look forward to, only heard from a few hospitals I keep stalking for work :) I actually just applied to the Navy. Maybe that could be something you can look into if your interested in international care. I am not sure if you would like something like that, but it's an option and they have the best benefits of all the services, so I've been told. Good luck to you where ever you end up!

Honestly, I have been out of school for a year and have not found a position yet. I don't know if it's this tough everywhere, but you may have to take what you can get out of the gate just to keep up on your clinical skills and gain experience. I feel the same way about floor nursing and fell in love with trauma during a clinical and med evac...very cool! I guess it depends on what you have a passion for. There are school nurse positions, home health care, military nursing, many private physician offices hire nurses. In my area the newest thing is emergent care. They are popping up everywhere and just requires good assessment skills. Also, insurance companies like Horizon, Aetna etc hire nurses. There are a ton of areas to consider, it's the great thing about our field. The problem is finding an open position for new to practice nurses. Good luck!!

I am right there with you. I graduated with a BSN December 2012, passed my NCLEX in March 2013, have a Pa AND NJ license and cannot find a job anywhere!!! I am starting to lose hope I thought I would have no problem getting into a hospital in Pa. I have had my clinical adjuncts refer me and nurses who loved me on the floors I worked on and...nothing. It's not due mostly in part to inexperience, it is the lack of positions for new to practice nurses. All the positions are for NP's, coordinators, educators, or nurses with 1-3-5 years experience. I am now a year out of school and feel like I cannot remember anything. I try to keep studying and reading, but I'm a married 36 y/o with 3 boys and BILLS! My husband has his own contracting business and I have become his best painter! Seriously? ***! A painter?! I suffered working f/t while busting my ass in nursing school with a 3.7 GPA and I'm a *******' painter! Who feels like reading after a day of grueling labor! UGH, I am so heartbroken with the fact that I cannot use the knowledge and skills I have obtained. I have applied for everything under the sun. I have just recently contacted the NAVY since they accept ages up to 41. I am waiting for a recruiter to contact me back. In all honesty, what will that get me? I certainly will not be in active duty and part time is only 1 weekend a month and two weeks a year! I seriously do not know what else to do. I have begged, pleaded, cried; everything short of holding a nurse manager hostage, which I have been contemplating... I am now at the point that I am terrified of being contacted because I do not feel like a nurse at all anymore. Everyone says, "Oh just hang in there, it will all come back!" Of course, they didn't have 5 years of information shoved in their brain in 2 short years! It's very disheartening. I was a CNA, but since getting my license, I am no longer eligible. So obviously, as you can see, I should read up on my coping skills! I go through all the stages of grief everyday and just when I start to think positive again and accept that I am not practicing, I wake up and start all over again. I know exactly how you feel and it's a terrible feeling. I pray that you have since found something. I will keep you in my thoughts and send you best wishes. I am finished with my rant! And please people, do not criticize me and tell me I'm negative or have a crappy attitude and that's my issue. It is not at all the case. I am a very pleasant person, but like I said, it is very disheartening to not be doing the one thing you worked so hard at to accomplish and struggled through all-nighters, missed football games, Mother's Day tea, and many other important events in my children's lives to have no reward in the end other than a license that has become useless. I am still trying to stay positive and believe the right opportunity will come along when it's ready...one day...hopefully soon, even if it is in the Navy :)