What would you do?? New Grad 2021 Houston

[newnursefall21, BSN, RN]

Hi yall. I’m looking for some career advice. The career counselor at my school doesn’t help at all, and I have no nursing mentors to look up to ? I recently graduated with my BSN, and will be taking my NCLEX in June. I am relocating from DFW back to Houston where I’m from. Because of this, I am unable to use my past clinicals as a gateway to get hired. I applied for residencies, with an interest in Women’s Services and Pediatrics, at multiple hospitals/locations in Houston for this past cohort that starts work in July. I have 3 letters of recommendation, 4 years pediatric home health experience as the primary caregiver, and 3.7 GPA. I applied to Oakland, St Joseph’s, LBJ, Ben Taub, Memorial Hermann, Houston Methodist, HCA, Baylor Scott & White, St. Luke’s, Texas Children’s, and more that I can’t remember. I followed up with HR after submitting my applications, yet I heard back from only 3 hospitals. The rest basically ghosted me, despite my attempts for contact via email and phone.

I had 3 interviews- one with HCA, one with St Lukes, and one with Texas Children’s. I never heard back from St. Lukes following the interview despite 2 separate emails and phone calls to the recruiter. Texas Children’s chose someone with more experience, and HCA offered me a position in... med/surg. I have yet to accept.

My question is.. what do I do? I know if I accept this position, I will be miserable but it seems like my only option. If I reapply to residencies, won’t I just get ghosted again? I’m worried the same thing will happen and I’ll be left jobless like I am now. Along with this, the next cohort start date won’t be until October, but I just graduated with my BSN. What do I do in the meantime if I wait? I can’t be a PCT or sitter since I’ll have my RN license... but I can’t find an RN position open for nurses with no experience. I really don’t know what to do and I’m so down about it. I feel like my hard work has gone to waste. please help ?

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

You may need to cast your net wider to rural outliers in that area. Many large cities are saturated with new grads, so it's harder to land that first job. 

[newnursefall21, BSN, RN]

2 minutes ago, Hoosier_RN said:

You may need to cast your net wider to rural outliers in that area. Many large cities are saturated with new grads, so it's harder to land that first job. 

I didn’t apply to innercity locations is the thing. The only one in the city I applied to was Texas Children’s. The rest I put locations in suburbs like Cypress, Pasadena, Tomball, Katy, Sugarland, the Heights, Clear lake, and even Brenham (an hour 15 min drive from me). That’s why I’m so shook 

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

From what I understand both Houston and DFW are both super saturated. Have someone look at your resume and see if it can be tweaked to make you stand out. 

[TriciaJ, RN]

Why would you hate the job you were offered?

[newnursefall21, BSN, RN]

9 minutes ago, TriciaJ said:

Why would you hate the job you were offered?

it’s not something that I’m passionate about, but most importantly, it requires me to sign a contract committing to 2 years for the specific unit/location. If I break contract, I am subject to pay $10,000 or more. the residency also only lasts 2 months in comparison to 6 months-1 year at most hospitals. along with this, the hospital is known for not treating their nurses well, and for prioritizing their doctors. it’s very physician-oriented 

[newnursefall21, BSN, RN]

42 minutes ago, Hoosier_RN said:

From what I understand both Houston and DFW are both super saturated. Have someone look at your resume and see if it can be tweaked to make you stand out. 

Yes! I’ve had my critical care instructor go over my resume with me and I made some changes. Also, I had my transition to practice instructor review my resume as well. She is the PICU team lead at a children’s hospital in DFW, and plays a significant role in the nurse residency hiring process there. She said my resume was perfect. The recruiter I spoke to at Texas Children’s also said I had a great resume and experience. So I don’t know what I’m missing!

[TriciaJ, RN]

Keep in mind that HR has to start the ball rolling.  They have NO sense of urgency.

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

Also, grads from that area are known, along with current employees, they will most likely be hired first. Add in experienced persons who apply. Some markets are tougher than others. You may need to look outside of the hospital. LTC, LTACH, dialysis, etc. These, along with current med surg offer, are a job that will pay, plus get you experience 

[Psychnursehopeful, ASN, RN]

On 5/13/2021 at 9:29 PM, newnursefall21 said:

Yes! I’ve had my critical care instructor go over my resume with me and I made some changes. Also, I had my transition to practice instructor review my resume as well. She is the PICU team lead at a children’s hospital in DFW, and plays a significant role in the nurse residency hiring process there. She said my resume was perfect. The recruiter I spoke to at Texas Children’s also said I had a great resume and experience. So I don’t know what I’m missing!

You're more missing anything, your just late to the party. I graduated in May with my ASN. I took NCLEX 2 week later. Officially a RN starting in the ICU in June. I applied in February and interviewed in March. Early bird gets the worm. At this point get in where you fit in. 

[BlueSpruceDew, BSN, RN]

Hi! On the one hand I’d say take the med surg job while you can get it, get your hospital experience & hopefully transfer to your preferred specialty when you can. 
 

But I also know that HCA is crap and I’d also be wary to work there, all I hear about is people trying to break their contract cause it’s so bad there. 
 

My mom actually does the nurse residency program at TCH and she told me their problem is this: because they haven’t taken any new nurse residents throughout all of Covid, now that they’ve finally opened up the program for this Summer again they’re very saturated. She said there were over 500 applicants for July start and they could only choose 80. And 80 at once is actually a large number for them, she’s very overwhelmed because they usually only do about 30 per class.
 

if your resume has been looked over by other professionals then it’s probably fine, and the problem is just the sheer number of people all trying to get in after being shut out for so long due to covid. You’re not just going up against May 2021 graduates, you’re competing with everyone who was denied a start date in 2020 as well. 
 

Is there any way you could move to an area where it’s not so super saturated? I moved 1500 miles before my first nursing job so I know it is NOT easy but you might have to. 
 

I took a break from the hospital setting (med surg, then home care, now back to med surg) and I’m tellin ya, if you want to end up in the hospital setting I say try as hard as you can to start out there and stay there. It’s hard getting back in. 
 

if it were me, I’d rather move & start this Summer at a normal start time (around July/August) in a less than perfect specialty, than sit on my degree just waiting for something to open up. 
 

good luck to you! 

[rubylizzz]

I am also a new grad whom graduated in May and took my NCLEX in June. I applied to places in February but only get an offer from HCA, but again it was also something I did not want to go to unless I really had to, plus it was an hour drive. What would you guys recommend I look into/work in the meantime that doesn't close up my chances for working in a hospital setting in the future?

I only have my ADN but will be starting my RN to BSN online in the fall.