I'm a 24 year old male, recent BSN graduate, obtained my RN license this month. I've applied to 20 RN & GNP (Graduate Nurse Permit) positions within 7 different hospitals in my city and surrounding cities (I applied for about 3 positions per facility). It has been 3 and a half weeks since my applications have been submitted and all 20 application statuses online either say "closed" (yes I know closed means the positions have been filled) or "un-qualified" or "pending".
Keep in mind, all 20 nursing positions I applied for have a minimum experience requirement of either "less than one year" or "graduate nurse" with a minimum education of an associates. No other requirements were posted. I met All desired preferences on every position I applied for with either ACLS certification and or education/ BSN and prior experience.
I have 6 letters of recommendation from either clinical site instructors and or nurse assistant professors at my university. I maintained the presidents list throughout nursing school and graduated with a cumulative GPA of 3.8. I have 700 clinical hours, 200 in critical care, 200 in med surg, 100 in Ob/peds. 100 in psych and 100 in community. (And yes all of this information and more is on my resume). I was also a nurse tech prior to nursing school and made sure to network during clinical rotations.
So why can't I get a job? I have a bachelors of science in nursing, 700 clinical hours, 3.8 GPA, I was in the SNA all throughout my program, volunteered at local children's hospital during my breaks, recent RN license, 6 letters of recommendation for hire, I've made sure to apply for positions that are for graduate nurses or RNs with less than 1 year of experience.
I've even made the effort to meet with unit managers in person that were hiring, even gave a few a hard copies of my resume and recommendation letters to them directly and bypassing HR. Still, nothing!
I'm just bent over backwards at the fact that everyone keeps saying "nursing is in so high demand right now, you will get a job so fast bla bla bla" when in reality it's been 3 and a half weeks since I've applied for 20 positions and not a single call back. All of the other open RN positions are for either charge nurse or require a minimum of 2-3 years experience so I can't apply for the others ones.
Why can't I get a job? What am I doing wrong? Advice?
Have you tried anywhere other than the hospitals? Long term care or other high need type of nursing. In my area (south central Indiana), long term care would love new grad nurses (RNs and LPNs), but most look down on it, like it's beneath them. I have my BSN with 15yrs experience and wouldn't work in any other area of nursing. And the area I live, LTC pays more than hospitals or home health. Just an option-don't limit yourself!
Finding a new grad job is tough, even for highly qualified candidates. My friends say a person is lucky if they land a job with less than 50 apps, the average is over 100 to land a job and 6-9 months. I've seen several classes graduate in the semesters before me where even the top students received many rejection letters. Believe me, its not you. There are many qualified candidates and just not enough jobs to go around in the current economy. It is extremely discouraging to apply to jobs day after day without any positive outcome. I know each of you new grads are spending hours writing those those 1000 word essays and questionnaires just to complete an application. I hope everyone in this situation can hang in there and not lose hope.
Specializes in Management, Med/Surg, Clinical Trainer.
I had a full-time non-nursing job when I started nursing school. I tried very hard to find a CNA or tech job as a student, but they were extremely hard to find. School was no help; my advisor refused to provide any information on how to challenge the CNA exam. Some nursing homes provided CNA training, but I didn't want to work in a nursing home (after 7 years and 3 awful LTC jobs, I STILL don't want to work in a nursing home).
I volunteered in a hospital ER for 3 years, but I was unable to turn that into a paid position. By the time I graduated they were barely hiring their own techs as nurses.
I graduated with an ASN in 2008. It took 10 months, over 100 applications, a cancelled job, and a 250-mile move to find my first job.
In my opinion, others were right, probably your city produces lots of nurses, that's why it's not easy to get a nursing job. One of my schoolmates passed the NCLEX RN last Nov '14 in Illinois and got a job after a month, because according to him, nurses are in demand in their place, and to think he's a foreign graduate nurse from Philippines, maybe he's right. But don't get disappointed easily, others went to look for months.
Thank you so much to everyone who had been sharing their stories. Sorry I have not replied to several of your posts as I have been traveling to cities nearby looking for job opportunities.
I also want to thank everyone for your best wishes to me finding a job. It really makes me feel so glad that we are in such a close community with each other that we really look out for one another (nurses). I appreciate it guys and gals :) thank you!
Just a quick update since my original post date.
I do have a few new leads I found through hours of google search rather than going through the hospitals own job search engine and it really seemed to help. A few hospitals in town this week had posted several new grad positions that I found. About 10 total. Applied for them all, just keeping my hopes up and fingers crossed.
Also, I took everyone's advice and fixed my resume. It looks much better now and is more professional. I got in touch with one of my professors at my program and she was happy to help me re-write it.
Forgot whose comment it was as to it feeling bitter that my fellow cohorts were getting jobs right out of school. Yes, it really was but at the same time I'm very proud of them. They were able to get into a unit to which they had been hopping to go on. I will admit that I was a bitter when I first posted this thread but now I'm relaxed and taking a step back and realizing that the right job and unit is waiting for me. I am eager to really get on the floor and start helping patients and their families.
Ill run through the posts this week and respond to as many as I can. Last time I was on here there was only 3 pages, now 6 so I have some work to do lol.
I do have a few new leads I found through hours of google search rather than going through the hospitals own job search engine and it really seemed to help. A few hospitals in town this week had posted several new grad positions that I found. About 10 total. Applied for them all, just keeping my hopes up and fingers crossed.
Good luck! I hope you get some responses to your apps!
Steady as she goes OP. As PP said HR and Nurse Managers work at their own sweet (agonizingly slow) pace.
Question: Do student nurses not work part time during school at hospitals to get their foot in the door anymore? I worked as a student in one of the hospitals we had clinicals at and had a job offer as soon as I graduated.
I can answer your question as I'm a current nursing student actively searching for cna/student nurse/ pct job. I started searching last summer, and just got a nursing interview, in which I did very well. The nursing manager on the unit loved me and immediately offered me the job. Now I'm waiting for Human resources to get back to me so I can move on with the process, its has been a week since my interview. The hospital is also an hour away, anyways, getting a job even as a student is very tough. Some hospitals are not willing to work with the student schedule, then there is preference for bsn students ( which I'm not) and some people cannot afford to live on the cna/pct pay.
Simple , we are not short in nurses , hospitals don't want to hire , I guess that's why we going on strike or your not experienced enough or there's just not that into you, your pick 😒
First off I don't understand why RN schools don't have all their students working as CNA's/ED tech's (many hospitals train for free) during school or at least during summers. All that go this path that I know have jobs lined up right after NCLEX wherever they are working-CNA one day, RN the next- that should be explained during orientation. RN jobs are ALL about someone speaking up for you @ HR otherwise your just another resume on a stack of other resumes, but when someone makes the call over there on your behalf....
Also I don't understand why more new grads don't go into the military. I'm retired military, so yes I eat what I cook. Student loan forgiveness, great pay and benefits, tremendous experience- unfortunately they get the worlds best trauma experience, every recruiter I know even offers NP school for free, killer resume when or even if you get out, and did I mention service to you country?
Career services at the school I attended was worse than useless. I volunteered in an ER while I was a student, but by the time I graduated the hospital wasn't hiring its own techs as new grad RNs, forget volunteers.
The military has become very selective. Look around the threads and you'll find many new grads who were rejected by the military.
Career services at the school I attended was worse than useless. I volunteered in an ER while I was a student, but by the time I graduated the hospital wasn't hiring its own techs as new grad RNs, forget volunteers.
The military has become very selective. Look around the threads and you'll find many new grads who were rejected by the military.
that sucks... i got a job in 1 (if not the most) saturated job markets in the US because i volunteered. somebody at another hospital made a phone call for me and 1 week after the NCLEX, i was employed.
though i wish i had applied to a hospital with an actual NEW GRADUATE program. i am working at a facility that forces new graduates upon nurses for precepting. they DID NOT volunteer to be preceptors. high acuity, FULL pt load, no CNA/LVN, and having to teach. = angry / overworked / bad perceptors. it costs $$$ to properly train a new graduate... i emphasize properly. this is probably the reason it is so difficult to find a job. i find it ironic, to see over 100+ job postings for all things RN BUT with catch phrase "no new graduate".
Hoosier_RN, MSN
3,968 Posts
Have you tried anywhere other than the hospitals? Long term care or other high need type of nursing. In my area (south central Indiana), long term care would love new grad nurses (RNs and LPNs), but most look down on it, like it's beneath them. I have my BSN with 15yrs experience and wouldn't work in any other area of nursing. And the area I live, LTC pays more than hospitals or home health. Just an option-don't limit yourself!