STILL don't have a job?? Vent here!

Nurses New Nurse

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Hi all! I've been on this site for a while now, but haven't posted much. however, i feel like it'll just make me (and hopefully a few others) feel a bit better about this whole job situation if we vent it out together. i just need to complain, and i need people who understand how frustrated and hopeless i'm feeling.

i graduated from a somewhat prestigious university over a year ago, and passed my nclex without a bead of sweat. great grades, great clinical experience, killer references and resume....still can't get a job. i live in the northeast, where things are tight...but still. i work at the grocery store...THE GROCERY STORE! i paid $100,000 to get a degree so that people can supervise how i bag their eggs and talk to me like i'm stupid. i have nothing against my current job - they're great to me and it pays my bills kinda sorta for now - but it's so damn frustrating!

on top of all of this, i'm getting so sick of people constantly saying to me "but i thought we needed nurses!"...when is oprah gonna do a show about all of us who are graduating and finding a completely closed off job market? and now that a second year of nurses are finishing up, us 2008 grads are getting more and more lost.

it's not like i'm not trying - i apply to jobs nearly non stop. i call and ask for nurse managers and recruiters personally, who never answer their phones or my voicemails. i feel like a complete and total failure pretty much all of the time, and don't know what to do. i have at least 15 friends in the same boat, but none of them currently live nearby and i don't have anyone to talk to about these feelings. i cry a lot when i'm alone, but put on a big smile and just tell people i'm staying optimistic and i'm still looking etc. etc.

anyway - if you wanna chime in, please do. i know our families and friends are probably getting sick of listening to us talk about this stuff, so it feels better to talk to strangers who understand. :)

much love and keep the faith, my friends. we're gonna rise above this someday.

Specializes in Medical ICU, Orthopedics.

I was so upset today... I've been working at a department store while looking for a nursing job and one girl I work with turned and asked me, "Aren't you not technically a nurse, cause you haven't worked as one yet?"

My jaw DROPPED. I spent how long in school, studied my butt off and passed my boards. I AM an RN. It was just so discouraging to hear her say that. It's not like I don't want to be working! :(

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Specializes in Psych.
I was so upset today... I've been working at a department store while looking for a nursing job and one girl I work with turned and asked me, "Aren't you not technically a nurse, cause you haven't worked as one yet?"

My jaw DROPPED. I spent how long in school, studied my butt off and passed my boards. I AM an RN. It was just so discouraging to hear her say that. It's not like I don't want to be working! :(

I don't know ('cause I wasn't there) if she was taking a little dig at you or was simply clueless about how she came across...but I would just let it roll off my back if I were you. A neat thing about being a nurse is that no matter WHAT you do...for the rest of your life you ARE a nurse. You could be working as a congresswoman (hey...she's a nurse!), or a lawyer (hey, he's a nurse!), and you're STILL a nurse. There aren't all that many professions where you ARE something if you aren't currently working in that field. They wouldn't identify either of the aforementioned as BEING a retail store manager after they had long ceased to do that.

It's cool to BE a nurse...and you ARE! :)

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Specializes in Medical ICU, Orthopedics.

Aww thankss! You just put a smile on my face!

I am so happy to be in this profession, what other one would be this supportive!

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To rksgray13: Maybe the reason your friends got hired is because they have connections inside where they're applying too. Who knows? It make a big difference.

To all:

1. How many here graduated without a job for over a year now? What have you guys been doing since then (besides looking for job)?

2. How many hospitals or LTC have you applied so far? How many interviews (if any)

3. How many here still have school loans they have to pay?

4. How many here are single, married, married with kids?

5. Seriously, if you know that nursing would be like this, would you still have gone to nursing school?

1. It will be one year in May, I have been working PRN for a home health agency doing pca assessments for clients (paperwork :yawn:)

2. Too many to count, I've been applying for a year now, hospitals nursing homes and agencies everywhere

3. I have alot of loans out, currently deferred Thank God!

4. Single, no children

5. Yes, I would have, I think I would have been smarter while in school. Doing internships (it wasnt a requirement in school), networking, and working for a hospital while in school.

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I'll be sure to find and post a link for this but those who are out of work, there are organizations that you can volunteer for and get $$$$ knocked off your student loans.

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Specializes in Professional Development Specialist.

Does anyone have any tips on dealing with depression from all this? I keep applying but even the number of places I can put in an application (meaning it doesn't say NO NEW GRADs or 1+yr exp REQUIRED) is dwindling every day. I'm feeling defeated and I can barely function. It takes everything I have just to make some lunch, and there are way too many days I turn on the tv for my 2 yo and 3.5 yo because I can't force myself to do anything more. Every day I search and I feel worse and worse. I'm lost.

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Does anyone have any tips on dealing with depression from all this? I keep applying but even the number of places I can put in an application (meaning it doesn't say NO NEW GRADs or 1+yr exp REQUIRED) is dwindling every day. I'm feeling defeated and I can barely function. It takes everything I have just to make some lunch, and there are way too many days I turn on the tv for my 2 yo and 3.5 yo because I can't force myself to do anything more. Every day I search and I feel worse and worse. I'm lost.

I honestly have my days where I feel depressed and defeated also. Some tips I have would be play with your children, spend time doing mindless things, and most importantly pray! I surf the Internet or YouTube for a good laugh, play with my dog, and fall on my knees every night. I know God will bring me out of this and we all will find a job sooner or later.

Hope that helps! Stay positive and blessed :0)

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Specializes in LTC/Skilled Care/Rehab.

I know how you feel JenniferSews. I am getting very discouraged. I feel like just laying in bed all day but I know that won't help. I also feel a little bitter toward my classmates who are already on their second job. I can't even get one chance to prove myself as a nurse and they have already had two. During one of my interviews, the manager said not to give up hope. Kind of hard when I have a degree that is pretty worthless. She didn't hire me either :(. Why can't I even get a part-time job on the night shift. I would be fine with one shift a week. I just need something!!!! I just try to be thankful for what I do have.....especially after everything that has happened in Haiti. Life could be much worse!!! (((HUGS)))

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Guys, please don't lose hope! That's the last thing any of you should do. I've been through this too. When I had just about stopped sending out applications, I got a job offer a week ago in a unit that, initially, I was very hesitant about (not med/surg, which I wanted, but at this point one can't be picky!), but willing to take it. And that was after almost a year (7-8 months) of job hunting with about a hundred applications sent out. As I've said in a few other posts and I'll repeat it again: NETWORK. Back when I was still job hunting, I volunteered at the red cross and met some really supportive RNs that were willing to help me out. Meet people, even if they aren't in the medical field--they might know someone who knows someone! That was one of the ways I got a lead at a cancer clinic/treatment center--I spoke with a friend that has an aunt who has a friend that's a nurse (confused yet?? ;)). I spoke with the nurse-friend, she gave me a number to call that lead from one thing to another...to which I could have gotten a job at a clinic administering chemotherapy. It's not exactly what I would have in mind as a first RN job, but I'd still be working as an RN and using my skills.

But now, I got the job offer in a hospital where a friend of mine works as an AID. I owe it to her--she's the one that told me of the job opening and her supervisor really likes her...so I was given a chance at an interview and the rest is history.

Take any volunteer experience possible to gain not only experience but to meet people too...Some medical agencies might be considering accepting new grads to volunteer in Haiti?

Just know you are not alone in this and people are here, especially in allnurses, that are supportive. And there's no problem in venting (like here), just try not to take the current job market personally. Keep your head up and keep fighting!

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to laboratorian i never heard of volunteering to help get your loans down but i am definetly interested..can't wait to see the links u post. thanks in advance.

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Does anyone have any tips on dealing with depression from all this? I keep applying but even the number of places I can put in an application (meaning it doesn't say NO NEW GRADs or 1+yr exp REQUIRED) is dwindling every day. I'm feeling defeated and I can barely function. It takes everything I have just to make some lunch, and there are way too many days I turn on the tv for my 2 yo and 3.5 yo because I can't force myself to do anything more. Every day I search and I feel worse and worse. I'm lost.

I know exactly how you feel. If you can afford it, you should see your doctor and try to get on an anxiety or depression medication temporarily until things ease up. I have become increasingly depressed and am already on a depression medication but I have no insurance to get a new prescription or a higher dose. :-(

Secondly, I think having a support system can be the best thing yet. I live with my parents and they have been far from supportive and it's the constant nagging of "did you get a job yet?" "get a job yet?" over and over. They don't realize that the economy has effected nursing as well and they just think I'm not trying. Well 40 applications later, and nothing.

However, I do have a couple close friends I talk to about my situation. They aren't actually in nursing, but I met them while I was in school and they saw what I went through then lol. But they are helpful to vent too because they know the effort I have been putting in.

And, there's always this site. You can always vent here. But it also is discouraging because sometimes after reading posts on here I can end up feeling even more discouraged.

Lastly, venting helps relieve stress, so if you don't have a support system to vent to, you should buy a notebook and start writing your feelings out. It is your journal, so go crazy with it. When you are angry, write a fake letter to a hospital or something venting about how hypocritical it is that you must have experience to get a job, yet how can you get experience if no one will hire you. Vent and wrie it out. I've started keeping a journal because I have had other problems going on besides my hiring woes, but I often find that I'll end up writing about my hiring woes a lot too. It helps some, really.

Much love and just try to keep your head high, it is all we can do right now :-)

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I know what u u guys are feeling b/c i feel that way at times and then i find myself wonder to myself , what else can i do to better help me secure a job in this tough economy. Sometimes, i wonder if i am limiting myself by not applying to too much LTC facilities, however on the other hand when i do call and ask if they are hiring, some are telling me that they want experience, my thing is if everybody wants experience but they are not willing to give you a chance, then how are u ever gonna get the experience that you need to eventually get the position that u desire.

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