Spuen

I dont regret being a Nurse as a whole, I do regret buying into the hype that nurses were "in demand" with out doing any actual reaserch into it. There has always been a surplus where I live by the time I realozed I had to look upstate it was too late for even that. So I more so regret not being more agressive early on searching for a job after graduating. But everything happens for a reason I guess

I will agree with TriciaJ, Sometime getting in contact with a nurse recruiter or staff agency, who place flre permanent positions, can make a world of a difference. They are litterally paid to find nurses to fill jobs so sometimes ypu get lucky. I managed to get incredibly lucky, I have been looking for a hospital job for 3 years. I got fedup with all of the silence from hospitals and applied out of state at Indeed. Only 20 or so applications and I had 2 places interested. One of which I was helped by a recruiter who was very positive and informative, sent me all kinds of interview tips and gave me feed back when he interviewed me. And I finally did land a great job that is paying me for my experiance even though its not hospital based. Now a bit lf a disclaimer I only have and associates, so i was at a disadvantage. The hospital is huged but understaffed so I have no doubt thay I'll have to work hard and deal with stress with 8 patients tp care for. But in my mind you have to start somewhere. And the hospital as a whole is very supportive of continued education. I shadowed someone on the floor and it was hecktic but managable. Sometimes you have to look for places where there is a Nursing shortage but at least you go in know its going to be tough instead of surprised like many that Ive seen here are.[sOUNDCLOUD][/sOUNDCLOUD]

Im going through the process now moving from overcrowded south Florida to Springfield Illinois. I was flown up to get a feel for the town and it is like noght and day almost. But thats part of what makes it exciting. The fact Im also going from living with my parents to being on my own in a state with no family or friends is terrifying. But as the others have stated before. Having to accept and face the challenges teaches you a lot about yourself. Best way I deal with it is make a list of everything you have to do before and while you're there. I started with getting my RN license in the other statw. Now its grown a mile long with everything from finding out local cable providers and how utilities are delt with to figuring out how to moved my car with what little I do have. Having family who knows the area will help tramendously though!

I wish that was the case here. Exams are on any computer anywhere. You just need to finish it in certain time limit. I ended up getting a C- in two classes and booted from the program. Thankfuly Ive found a hospital with an in person BSN program running in cooperation with a local university. Im hoping to do much better.

Most frustrating thing about BSN is the lack of actual classes, at least around where I live. Everything is online which might be great for some people but there are other whole function better with an actual teacher not text on a screen. Even more appalling is the amount of cheating and paid papers that goes on so people can get their BSN! I spoke with one of my professors at one point out of frustration. My hands on skilles were top notch, 90's on the 2 physical assessment tests we had to do. But academically I was struggling because nothing was clicking. Her advice? Cheat. Take your test with the book open. Take the test with other classmates with the book. People weren't scoring high because they were memorizing and understanding the information. They were just copying from the book. How is that better?

Some times moving is the only thing you can do even if its just for those first 2 years. Ive been job hunting for 3 years in Florida only people that will even look at me are out of state. I hsd 2 offers on in Texas and another up in Illinois where there is a shortage. And that was after only 2 weeks off looking out of state. You may not even have to go far. Multiple people here have told me Pennsylvania needs nurses. And like I said it can be temporary. I wish you luck .

@raindrop Hm I hadn't considered asking about the committees, I'll look into it. I've been doing research as a hospital as a whole and brushing up on ortho. Never heard of an horse shoe before though it looks interesting! I know not to say I'm desperate or come off as such. I did mention to the recruiter that it was difficult to get a job though. @Bonnie - I wouldn't be surprised if I did end up with 8 patients. The nurse manager told me that the day shift had a lot of discharge and ambitions and it was overall very overwhelming for nurses who have never been on the floor. Hence me applying for the night shift. I'm a bit weary about how understaffed they really are because they seem to be sparing no expense when it comes to them flying me up for the last interview Thursday. They are going as far as to cover any food I have at the hotel. It's amazing especially since no hospital down here would go so far for someone they were trying to hire. Just has be a bit weary as to how much of a shortage they have and whether it's about the state overall (who a whole lot of people are leaving from what I've read) or the hospital it's self.

Like some of the posters above there are a few clinics but only in lower socioeconomic schools, I applied to work at one and they had a fairly nice size clinic in a portable. They had a social worker, therapist, three rooms for treating patients, all of them were equip with the making that allows for doctors to examine through a video camera. But there were only 5-6 clinics in total owned by the one organization. Interesting thing is there was still a nurse stationed at the school to treat specific patients. To kinda explain that, around where I live there is no such thing as a nurse for the entire school any more. Instead we have specific patients we treat, check on and chart on everyday. They have to have their doctor fill out a special form and have it approved by the district. Only then can a student receive medical aid. Kind rough on my part because kids come into the clinic and I can't give them anything only tell them to call their parents. Most of the time were like some hidden secret kept in a teach planning room or small clinic. When a teacher sees me in the hall they usually do a double take and say "we have a nurse?"

Yeah, Honestly I love my current job but the pay is not something you can live off of and there are no benefits. XD I'll try to look at it that way if I start getting frustrated with the job. The hospital is Memorial Medical Center. They are offering Relocation and a 5k sign on bonus so they are at least making it worth it to some extent. I'll keep the complex in mind, Thank you!

Whow Oo Thank's for the warning. I'm heading up on the 11th for the last interview so I don't officially have the job yet but I'm a bit desperate at the moment since I'm 1. Broke even with living with my parents 2. Lost my health insurance because I aged out of my Parent's plan. and 3. can't finish my BSN without a decent paycheck or someone else paying for it. I think Springfield is my best shot at getting into a hospital and at the very least getting my experience so I can have a better chance at getting hired else wear. I have a feeling no matter where I go, because I only have an associates, it'll be understaffed. The Nurse manager was upfront with me having to care for 6-7 patients on a night shift but its Ortho so I'm hoping it evens out? I've been kinda weary since the Recruiter told me the floor had 8 openings, so I figured it was going to be far from easy. As for the town I'm kind of a homebody who keeps to herself to begin with so I'm not too concerned with it being boring. As long as I have internet I'll be fine XD. I have a feeling I'm not going to stick around very long though. Being from Florida winter is not something I am used to at all. My goal is to get the experience I need. If thing's aren't too bad I'll stay if not I'll hopefully be in a position where I can be hired anywhere after a year and a half. Thank you for the warning though! I'll definitely keep it in mind.

I don't know what the job market out in Ohio is like but I'm going through the relocation process now moving from south Florida to Illinois. Honestly express interest in the opportunity to move and mention you have family. From what I've notice recruiters seem it as a good thing if you have family in the area. It mean's your more likely to stick around longer. Apply for jobs in any hospital you would be interested in way before hand. This is mostly because You have to still interview multiple times, possibly schedule a skype or in person interview where you would have to fly up, or they will fly you, Then you have to apply to get your license in the state. (if you don't have one already) And at that point it can take up to 2 months if not more. Get in contact with a recruiter because they can help you find the right fit and sometimes you can work out relocation assistance.

Growing up I went to uniform schools for elementary and Highschool, Middle school we had a dress code but I've always been the odd one out. hoodies were my best friend and so were Jeans. Most schools around here have uniforms. and if there isn't a full uniform there is a mandated Polo the kids wear. takes out more than half the frustration in dealing with a dress code. I've worked and different schools , all grade levels over the past 5 years and all have the same sort of uniform system. So I'm a definite supporter of uniforms. Partly because dress code can be subjective at times and partly because it takes away the stress of always worrying if your wearing what "in". Majority of the time there was more issues with stress and cattyness among girls than we had issues with boy's oggling girls to start. As for the comments about teaching boy's to be respectful vs telling girls to cover up it is a bit of a balancing act. I agree with the OP to an extent, It should be equal honesty. Girl's shouldn't dress like its beach day or they are in a club and boys told to stop oggling. One thing I absolutely hate is how sexualized everything is. Maybe this is because I've been training to be a nurse since I was a teen but they are just body parts! All girls have boobs and everyone has a butt. They exist, get over it. I live in south Florida where it is beach weather 95% of the year. and humid 100%. I wont fault any one who wears a tank top and shorts in this weather, skinny, fat, busty, flat chested, male or female, But! only if it's not in school. The point of school is to learn academically and on some level how to be professional. Especially when many work places do have a uniform or strict dress code. Amusing side note: My high school was a career tech school So I was in clinicals to be a nurse my junior and senor year. Most frustrating thing about that was the mandatory white scrub we had to wear. There were so many times where even the guys got in trouble for wearing the wrong kind of boxers. XD

If you can, like most above, try to search outside your state. If you search 'new grad position' there are A LOT of programs and opportunities for new grads in various states, sometimes just a few cities over in your own state. Just make sure, if you do look into relocating, to do your research on the hospital and City to make sure it's somewhere you feel safe moving to. I live in South Florida where the job market is absolutely flooded. I got my associates back in 2010 and still working on my BSN because of lack of money and family issues. All while working as a school nurse. I started applying out of state out of desperation and with in a month had 2 call backs on interviews with high chances of getting an offer. I'm on the final round of interviews with now. With your background even as an LPN you still have a good chance of getting a job as an RN somewhere.

Update: So the second interview was Monday, but for some reason every time they called they contacted someone else. It was really odd to say the least. But we rescheduled for the next day and I ended up calling them for the interview. Interview was fairly short only 15 minutes but the recruiter got back to me that they wanted to continue the process and fly me up for the final interview! So far everything is looking good and there is a high chance I'll get an offer!

I've been working as a school nurse fpr 5 years. Thibgbis most hospitals dont see that as experience... So that is my issue. Most see me as a new grad but i only have my ASN.