Unemployed New Grad

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Should I apply to medical assistant jobs?

I have been applying all over the place in Maryland and turned up nada (9 apps sent; 7 on the way). I am an ADN and it is mostly BSN preferred or 1 year experience. I did a 13 month accelerated program which left no time for internships. I take care of my sick mom and can't move so I'm not sure what to do. The sucky thing is the hospital up the road from my house has build a new wing and they have over 100 RN jobs available... 6 of which are for new grads. I plan to go for my BSN next fall, hopefully that will make me more marketable. I'm just so unsure and disheartened, unemployment is the last thing I thought I would have to worry about. Also, if ONE more person say, "I thought they needed nurses...there is a big shortage" I'm gonna scream.

Specializes in being a Credible Source.
So are medical assistant jobs a no?
Since I'm also a CNA, I'm planning to start applying for CNA positions, too. Dunno if it'll work but I gotta do something and inside of healthcare is better than working at McDonalds, Wal*Mart, or Starbucks.

Also looking at unit clerk positions... anything that'll let me network with the people that make the hiring decisions.

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Specializes in being a Credible Source.
I would be concerned about scope of practice issues......
I know several NPs who primarily or exclusively work as staff nurses on various units. They say that they're only held to the standard of the position in which they're working, not to the level of training or certification that they hold beyond their RN license.
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I feel the same way! I have had my NJ license for 2 months now and a NY license pending and I still can't find a job!

And every time I talk about how difficult it is to find a job, I always have to explain myself. Yes there is a nursing shortage, but hospitals are also a business and they will only hire you if you're experienced and will not need to spend extra time and money training a new grad like me.

I just don't know when I will get a break. I just want to work!

I went to some rehab centers there, and they are not hiring any full-time either. They said job markets really crashes for new grads starts in about March, april this year...

Are the nursing homes in the area hiring? if not, moving to far south is the only way.

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Specializes in Critical Care.
I know several NPs who primarily or exclusively work as staff nurses on various units. They say that they're only held to the standard of the position in which they're working not to the level of training or certification that they hold beyond their RN license.[/quote']

The law of the land will NOT hold them to the standard of the position in which they practice. If you are working as a staff RN, but have a NP licensure, you will be held in court to a NP standard. If there are states that have practice laws to prevent it, I'd like to see it. I have never heard of such laws, however.

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In my area, one of the local giant health care corporations has just finished building another brand spanking new hospital facility. It is a huge campus. The hospital itself has five floors. Several outpatient clinics. Multiple medical specialty units, state of the art. They recently hired for the med/surg unit, and to the disgust of the massively unemployed nursing population here, only experienced nurses who had worked med/surg within the past year were hired. They don't want to deal with new grads or nurses who had worked in other fields, as it will take too long to orient them. They want nurses who can jump right in and keep up without babysitting, and they want current BLS with ACLS and PALS within 3 months. You see, the med/surg unit of this gigantic complex has only thirty beds and will be used as kind of a catch-all, with four beds already reserved as cardiac stepdown, the rest serving as an ICU way station, pediatric overflow, short term pre- and post-op, ER sojourn, and then the usuals (COPD exacerbations and other frequent fliers that inhabit hospitals).

They hired for only twelve hour shifts -- applicants who couldn't work twelves were eliminated without comment. From an insider, I learned that TPTB expect only half of the med/surg beds to be filled at any one time with LOS less than 48 hours, and the plan is to routinely float nurses to other units or send them home on-call as part of the hospital's regular staffing pattern.

I can so relate to this...one of the huge hospital system in my area is building a big brand new hospital and me being naive and all though they will hire plenty of new nurses (I really counted on this facility).Forget it!!! They just want an experienced RNs!!

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Specializes in being a Credible Source.
The law of the land will NOT hold them to the standard of the position in which they practice. If you are working as a staff RN, but have a NP licensure, you will be held in court to a NP standard. If there are states that have practice laws to prevent it, I'd like to see it. I have never heard of such laws, however.
Well, it's certainly a state-by-state thing... perhaps California is different than the state to which you're referring.

I don't know but these are some sharp folks and each of them are adamant that they are held to the standard under which they're working, not the standard under which they could be working.

It seems consistent with the mandated reporter law in California which only require reporting if the suspicion of abuse arose in the context of the mandated reporter's professional work.

I'm curious what is source of your emphatic statement that is at odds with the equally emphatic statements of the NPs to which I'm referring. Whence next I see one of them, and happen to think about it, I'll have to inquire about the source of their statements.

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Hi,

I am located in NY but I believe it is true with shortage of nurses. However, I do believe that it depends on what region you are located in. Another thing that might factor in not finding a job is experiences which most school give you when you are in the program. I'm not sure about other schools but in my school to become an LPN or an RN you must do in b/w internship that the school assign you to when studying nursing so when you graduate you are ready for the work force. I think maybe it has to do with being a ADN.. I guess that's considered a diff kind of nurse.. usually RN and LPN are abundant.

I am actually going for my LPN then get into the RN program.. right now at the hospital all postions are frozen but RN positions.. they are in definite need.. as for LPN usually its homecare settings but they're always hiring as well.

I guess b/c you didn't have experience while in school that's why its harder to find something.. the only advice i can give you is to move.. :(

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
Another thing that might factor in not finding a job is experiences which most school give you when you are in the program. I'm not sure about other schools but in my school to become an LPN or an RN you must do in b/w internship that the school assign you to when studying nursing so when you graduate you are ready for the work force.
Yeah, we know what you're referring to. . .

These "experiences" are actually called clinical rotations. Every single nurse who has been educated in the U.S. (LPN or RN) has attended clinical rotations while completing their nursing programs, since they are mandated by state boards of nursing.

The original poster has definitely attended these "experiences" (a.k.a. clinical rotations), or else he/she wouldn't even have a license to practice nursing in the first place. Clinical rotations are required to graduate from all types of entry level nursing programs (LPN, ADN, BSN, direct-entry MSN, etc.).

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Home Health.

To me, it sounds like she's talking about a nursing internship or practicum. Not all schools offer them (mine didn't), but I've heard they're a great way to network within a hospital.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

Just wanted to put it out there that the job market isn't looking any better for BSNs. I graduated in May from what I like to think was a great nursing school (we did clinical rotations at all the major Boston hospitals), passed the NCLEX in June, was a nursing assistant on an L&D floor, and am still applying for RN positions. There is nothing for new grads (LPNs, ADNs, or BSNs!)

Also, if I had two cents :twocents: for everytime some asked me, "but isn't there a nursing shortage?" I wouldn't be so desperate for a job right now! ARGH!

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Specializes in Psych, Skilled Nursing.
Just wanted to put it out there that the job market isn't looking any better for BSNs. I graduated in May from what I like to think was a great nursing school (we did clinical rotations at all the major Boston hospitals), passed the NCLEX in June, was a nursing assistant on an L&D floor, and am still applying for RN positions. There is nothing for new grads (LPNs, ADNs, or BSNs!)

Also, if I had two cents :twocents: for everytime some asked me, "but isn't there a nursing shortage?" I wouldn't be so desperate for a job right now! ARGH!

it's really hard to look for a job nowadays. :o

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I think its more of "DO YOU KNOW SOMEBODY" than what's your experience.or your resume will be put in the trash bin.

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