Why hospitals wouldn't give a job to a new grad?

SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN · Mar 8, 2009

thanks. it is not that i know everything. it just i have tried to do whatever i've been told. i'm on my own, with no one to support me. i'm tired, depressed and frustrated and do not know what to do.

first get off of the internet! very few people get jobs that way because using the internet (hospital websites) is technically gong through hr. many hrs will post jobs that are not available right now. for instance, my floor has posted openings too... my floor is not hiring right now. plus, when they do, they already have their pick of internal candidates (current nurse externs and cnas).

are your former instructors friends with the management at the hospital?? if so, try making a contact through one of them. if that does not work, join the local nurses association and network that way. job fairs and the internet will not get you very far. it is who you know and not what you know that will land you a job in this economy. gl!

jakeMIKY · Mar 8, 2009

A great place to look for jobs all over the country is base.google.com. Search using Graduate Nurse.

joyce294 · Mar 8, 2009

Apply online, then bypass nurse recruiter and go directly to the manager of the unit you're interested in and hand deliver your resume. That's my plan this upcoming Summer and Fall 2009 program. Furthermore, I plan to volunteer into the organization to familiarize myself with the facility and will be taking the necessary certification such as ACLS, PALS etc. to make myself stand out of hundreds of applicants. Hopefully this strategy of mine will work :)

OrthoRN09 · Mar 8, 2009

I am a recent new grad (Deember 2008) and was lucky enough to be hired before I took my boards. I am currently in my 4th week of orientation on an Ortho/Trauma unit. There are plenty of my classmates that haven't found jobs yet. And the ones that have (including myself) have taken whatever they were offered just to have a job. The place I was hired is not ideal for me, the commute is long and it is not in the specialty I wanted. But I am going to suck it up and stick it out for a year, or until the economy picks up and the hospitals closer to home are hiring once again. Keep your head up and keep sending out your resume, sooner or later you will get a job.

I RN A · Mar 8, 2009

Thanks. I have already enrolled in ACLS and PALS course. I have the same plan. No one is taking applications for a month though. I have one year of experience as a student nurse in ER and Tele. When I tried to apply to the hospital I've worked for as a student nurse, I've been told there are 3 openings in medsurg and 150 apllications. It is very frustrating. How long have you been looking for a job? I'm thinking about starting out as CNA, but don't know if it will work for me since I have to poke my nose in everything and want to learn everything as RN.

joyce294 · Mar 8, 2009

I have been hunting for a job for the last three months. No luck! I'm waiting this April/May to apply for the Summer and Fall 2009 new grad program. Luckily, the hospital in the bay area that I have been working for for the last 4 years have a new upcoming grad program. I already spoke to the manager and she took my resume. Hopefully, she's willing to take me in. But I'm still applying to several hospitals around California to increase my chances of landing a job. I just can't put all my eggs in one basket.

rntofnp2014 · Mar 8, 2009

You are in the wrong area, you aren't in the wrong market. When I graduated, there were zero full time RN jobs in a sixty mile radius of where I live. I worked too hard for too long and sacrificed too much to not be working as a nurse as I had wanted to for soooo long.

My solution? I got licensed in the three surrounding states and interviewed (21 hospital systems) until I found a place that I WANTED TO BE. I got everything on my wish list except for it being 1.5 hours away from home. I went onto craigslist, looked for roomates, and now only spend 300/month for rent during the time I spend at work (three 12s in a row), which btw, is all tax deductible. Now I only spend 25/week on gas.

Yes, I know, not perfect, but then nothing really ever is. And if you worked this hard for your license, you ought to give yourself a chance to use it. I've had no regrets. And don't tell me you can't d/t hubby or kids. That's my favorite part! When I'm home I'm all MOM/WIFE and when I'm at work, it's all about ME. :)

matchsticktgt, LPN · Mar 8, 2009

http://www.indeed.com/jobs?q=new+grad+rn&l=+

www.indeed.com - search for new grad rn jobs.....1,791 as of today

good luck!

I RN A · Mar 8, 2009

I know. I have been looking for 3 month. I just got screwed becuse my school had a contract with one of the local hospitals. They kept me waiting for a job for 3 month and all of the sudden decided to release my contract 1 week ago with no reason(I have no record or haven't done anything). I have looked for a job previously, but since I was bonded by the contract I didn't try hard. Most of the new grad programs start in June, the application process starts in April. So I guess, I have no choice but wait. I even send an email to the CA state governor, it doesn't make sense to reserve open jobs for people with experience if it takes the same amount of time to train a new grad. With so many new grads with no jobs there something that should be done!

I RN A · Mar 8, 2009

Thank you!

RochesterRN-BSN, BSN, RN · Mar 8, 2009

Yeah unfortunaley a unit can only handle having so many new grads at a time. They can't count them in the numbers as staff and the nurse orienting is not able to get as much done as she needs ot be teaching all the way especially the first 2-3 weeks. If you are short on a floor then add say two new nurses and say the floor normaly runs with 4 nurses plus 1 charge who maybe might take like the 2 lightest patients and the rest divided among the other 4 nurses.....then in the shortage you are working with say 3 and 1 charge or even 2 and a charge. If you were working with 3 total and say for example you have 24 beds and maybe the charge takes 6 patients--the lightest and the others get 9. Now you add in one or two new nurses and each needs a preceptor its hard to have 9 patients when you are trying to orient and teach and such.......yes towards the end of the orientation you might split the assignment and she is your backup and keeping an eye on you, etc. but unitl you get to that place its hard.....yes I TOTALLY understand the frustration of ---hello don't complain that we are short and the shortage sucks then be mad cause we have new nurses that are new grads!! Gotta start fixing the problem somehow and they all have to start new somewhere!!! lol So I get it. It's frustrating on both ends.......

Hell I am an experienced nurse right now and am job searching as I can't work FT in the hosptial any longer with the Night shift requirment so I am only per diem for now and can't find anything!! Especially as I am a psych nurse so.....

Good luck to......

JanineD23 · Mar 9, 2009

The hospitals here in Tucson are actually not hiring anyone. Most are under a hiring freeze. Those of us with contracts are very nervous over the prospect of not having a job when we graduate. You're not alone in the face of no work though. Hopefully the economy will swing back up and you will have the opportunity to find a hospital job :)