Sorry Nurse Recruiters/Nurse Managers!

[Isitpossible]

As I receive rejection after rejection for nursing jobs, I feel the need to apologize to nurse recruiters/managers who overlook my BSN because I lack patient care tech experience.

I am sorry I could not afford to take a job as a tech making 7 an hour. You see while attending school part-time, I needed to maintain a home, equipped with mortgage payments, children and all the other responsibilities of wife and mother.

I m sorry you cant see that I carried a gpa over 3.0 even with the all the responsibilities I have.

I'm sorry that you cant see that for past 2 ½ years of nursing school, I stayed up late each night studying or preparing care plans while working 40 hours a week.

I'm sorry that you can't see how I worked tirelessly in every aspect of my life to obtain a second degree.

I'm sorry that you can't see that despite a lack of patient care experience I am mature, driven, focused, ambitious and hard working.

I'm sorry that you can't see that I passed by NCLEX exam with 75 questions in under one hour. Not because of exceptional knowledge, because I studied tirelessly!

I'm sorry that you can't see how I was complimented time and time again by not only my clinical instructors but more importantly the patients who I cared for. I wish you could hear the amount of times a patient or the family said "you are going to be great nurse."

I'm really sorry you can't see past this lack of experience and have formed a judgment against me before knowing me.

[GingerRoot]

It not what you know...its who.

During my last clinical rotation...my preceptor and her friend (another RN), had every family member but their dogs working in that hospital.

When I asked her about how to obtain employment there...she pulled me to the side and said, "no one applies online anymore, and the so-called "nursing shortage", is a myth. You have to know people sweetie. Sorry."

So disgusting..

[Jackfackmasta, ASN, RN]

what does BTW means? I see it everywhere:idea:

[Patti_RN]

When I read posts like this, I have an irresistable urge to write a 5 page tome and give advice about finding that elusive first job. But, I already did that a week ago... so here is the link to what I wrote:

https://allnurses.com/nursing-first-job/advice-someone-who-696962.html

I could retype the whole darn thing, but it's easier for me if you just click on that link. Good luck!

[dudette10, MSN, RN]

"Frustrated" does not equal "entitled." I've seen entitlement posts--as we all have--and this isn't one.

She's frustrated because she worked 40 hours a week in a job that could actually pay her bills, rather than going the CNA route.

That said, I have to agree with others about having someone look over your resume. Are your job responsibilities from your previous career not presented in such a way as to be applicable to healthcare? Were you able to network at all during your clinicals? Are there some routes "in" that you haven't explored?

I think it's more an issue with how you are going about your job search than your lack of patient care experience. I got my job offers through networking and without previous healthcare experience.

[GadgetRN71, ASN, RN]

OP, I sympathize. I too think its ridiculous that CNA experience is suddenly the magical thing that will get you in the door. Not all of us were CNAs before school and we got jobs. I worked as a surg tech through school and was making $19 an hour just before I graduated nursing school. No way in heck would I have taken a job for $7 an hour. Hope things get better for you.

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

what does BTW means? I see it everywhere:idea:

BTW: By the way

[nursel56]

This is a vent, but it still provides useful information and proves again how fluid the nursing employment market is. Not long ago the answer to the "does CNA experience count" question would've generally been no. Proving once again the value of this website as opposed to the stock answers we hear so often from the popular press, nursing school recruiters and marketing types.

[Altra, BSN, RN]

I think I hear that buzzing of flies you hear around those who seem to to have given up and wear their abusive work past on their chest like a badge of honor. You should be ashamed of taking crap for that long, actually.

OP, it might be that you don't look/act like a total loser. I am serious when I say that. If you appear intelligent, and with self-esteem intact, you probably aren't looking that great in their eyes. You've been successful. That is bad news for you.

I've been told that I'd be bored (after my resume was reviewed) YES, this was as a new grad. I have a friend that was told, "You're never gonna stay here" by a DON during an interview.

I know experienced nurses that dumb down their resumes to be considered (take off your certifications and acknowledgements of work well done by employers). After doing this, they were hired. Being a mope during the interview might help. Look down at your hands and only speak if asked a question kind of thing...

Boy, it must suck to be a nurse who thinks this way about nursing.

[mindlor]

I am not sure what you did in your previous job history. However, try to frame it in a management and or customer service role. I had no CNA experience or any medical experience AT ALL. But I had management and customer service experience....a lot. Steller school, steller grades.

When I went for my interview I was dressed to the nine's and ealked in there like I owned the place. Istood tall, shoulder back , smiled a lot and basically made it very hard for them to say no.......

No let me ask you this....

Where did you go to school? public state run school that is NLNAC, or private expensive non-NLNAC school. ???

[PMFB-RN, RN]

It sounds to me like you worked hard to do well in your nursing program and obviously are a smart person. However you seem a little bitter and I wonder why? After all you chose a field where grads are having a very difficult time finding jobs. I assume a person who put the effort into their program you did would have looked into their chosen field and known that finding a job after graduation would be very difficult or impossible and yet you chose to spend all that time and money becoming a nurse?

[PMFB-RN, RN]

as i receive rejection after rejection for nursing jobs, i feel the need to apologize to nurse recruiters/managers who overlook my bsn because i lack patient care tech experience.

i am sorry i could not afford to take a job as a tech making 7 an hour. you see while attending school part-time, i needed to maintain a home, equipped with mortgage payments, children and all the other responsibilities of wife and mother.

i m sorry you cant see that i carried a gpa over 3.0 even with the all the responsibilities i have.

i'm sorry that you cant see that for past 2 ½ years of nursing school, i stayed up late each night studying or preparing care plans while working 40 hours a week.

*** so in other words you have most things in common with tens of thousands of nurses out there.

[Wild Irish LPN, LPN]

unquestionably, don't get discourage before you even start and definitely don't go by someone elses experiences. granted, it's a very competitive market out there these days, with that being said, it doesn't mean that a job can't be obtain. however, it may not be someone's dream job, but it's a job non the less. in regards to belittling your lpn degree, without any doubt it will give you an advantage to those that haven't been exposed to a hospital setting. having said that, the scope of practice of an rn can't be compared to an lpn. wishing you the very best as well, in all of your future endeavors...aloha~

thank you for that very thoughtful advice...being that i am just a few months away from graduating with my lpn in a couple months, i am more than a little sensitive to the "negatives" regarding the job market....i have been fairly agressive about getting out and visiting some facilities i am interested in....not formally applying yet, just introducing myself and giving them a 60 second snap-shot of myself....so far it has worked, i have had a couple nice e-mails sent by some folks encouraging me to contact them in june....i agree too with the thought that ,"it's who you know" to get your foot in the door....networking is where it is at, i started with my first clinical site....getting my bsn is my ultimate goal and you are right, there is a job out there for me....i just need to find it....thanks again my friend!