This is a vent thread. Dont judge me. Im angry and emotional

Im a new CNA and I have been looking for employment for quite a while, with no avail. Ive probably applied to 45 jobs and have only gotten one interview, for which I was turned down. When I submit an online application, it is rejected almost instantly (within a day). People actually get mad at me when I call to follow up on an app. Today one hospital HR told me that they don't hire anyone with less than 6 months experience and Ill have a hard time finding a hospital that does. How the heck Im I suppose to get experience if no one will give me a job????? It makes no sense! One nursing home receptionist actually yelled "MAAM WE HAVE NO OPENINGS!!!" and hung up the phone on me when I simply asked to speak to HR. Needless to say, she is going to bed with extremely hurt feelings tonight.I leave messages and send emails and no one calls me back. I network with my family and friends, ask everyone I can, search the news paper, online, apply everywhere that has any kind of opening at all, and nothing... Im seriously over this. Here I am, less than 18 months away from graduating nursing school, all pre-reqs done and with good enough grades to get into both the programs in my town and Im actually considering that I have made the wrong career choice.

Ive wanted to be a nurse since I can remember. And now the recession has hit, and eeeeeeevvrybody wants to jump on the healthcare bandwagon, saturating the market and leaving poeple like me (who actually wants to be a nurse and not just doing it b/c I cant find job in my own field) with no job and no way to get one. Not to sound catty, but I was here first!

Im so mad, I dont think Ive ever been this angry:mad::mad:

Now Im gonna have to go back to waiting tables or cashiering b/c I cant get the healthcare job I desperately want.

Its so not fair:crying2:

I feel for you

I felt the same way about nursing school. It is so hard for me to get in, a CNA with LTC and hospital experience, while Joe Blow off the street takes up space in a program. But unfortunately that's how it is.

Where do you live where you cannot find a job anywhere? I would recommend LTC and Assisted living first. Most of them are so desperate that they will hire people without experience. If that doesn't work out try home health, they pay less, but it's experience.

I would suggest not giving up nursing because it is hard to find a job NOW. How many years before you are done with nursing school? There will be many nurses who have left the field by then, and many more people needing care. Sick people are not going away. Older nurses will tell you that there are highs and lows of nursing students. There are period where everyone wants to be a nurse, and periods where nobody does.

Keep searching! You should also try applying for secretarial jobs in the healthcare field if you have any customer service/secretary experience.

I am confused, you say you are 18 months away from graduating nursing school, but than it sounds like you are not yet in nursing school????

I am also confused as to why you not finding a CNA job means you won't be a nurse??

Sorry about the job situation, it is pretty bad right now all around.

Yes I have not started, I start in the spring and my program is only 15 or 16 months b/c we get no breaks.

If I cant get a job as a CNA, how the hell will I ever get a job as a nurse? Is this just a preview of whats to come?

I am sorry, I know it feels good to vent every now and then. I hope things turn around for you!

Yes I have not started, I start in the spring and my program is only 15 or 16 months b/c we get no breaks.

If I cant get a job as a CNA, how the hell will I ever get a job as a nurse? Is this just a preview of whats to come?

CNA's and Nurses are very different jobs. Not finding a job as an aide doesn't mean you won't be able to find a job as a nurse. The job market is bad right now. But you aren't starting until the spring and than it's 18 months than you have to take boards, so you have close to 2 years before you will start looking for a job as a nurse. No telling what the job market is going to be like in 2 years, not to mention there will be a lot more areas you can apply for to get your feet wet at least as a Nurse and maybe not an aide.

:mad:Its so not fair:crying2:

It's actually very fair and is exactly what happened to me. The difference is that when I got outright rejected from hospitals, I walked into a local nursing home and walked out with a CNA job.

I ground out that hellish job for over a year and was finally hired by a hospital.

You may have to do something similar. Hospital CNA jobs are generally very hard to get with no experience.

In your opinion its fair, in mine, its not

Ive never said I was limiting myself to hospitals. Ive applied to both types of places

I don't think your current job hunt is entirely prerogative of an RN's. Think about it: more people are CNA's because it requires less education than an RN. Yes, the field is bad for RN's too, but for CNA's it is only worse because the market is that much more flooded.

I totally feel your pain, though...before I got into NS I job-hunted for months and finally had to accept a nightmare position in AL. Not fun. Basically, we are suffering with you, so just hang in there!

Yes I have not started, I start in the spring and my program is only 15 or 16 months b/c we get no breaks.

If I cant get a job as a CNA, how the hell will I ever get a job as a nurse? Is this just a preview of whats to come?

Do you have any idea how much easier it is to get a job as a CNA once you are in nursing school??? you will be able to network during clinicals, with clinical instructors and other students. Dont be too hard on your self....

Also, being CERTIFIED (CNA) and having a LICENSE (RN) are two comepletely different types of employment...jobs are out there!! yes they are. I just got one, actually i got TWO and had to choose between them. all my classmates, every single one (of 30) got a job.

In your opinion its fair, in mine, its not

Ive never said I was limiting myself to hospitals. Ive applied to both types of places

I mean it is fair in that you aren't getting treated any worse than anyone else. There are a lot of LTCs in my area and they hire anybody with a pulse - and I'm not sure about that in some cases. You are the only person with a CNA cert I ever heard say they could not get hired at a nursing home.