Why don't I have a job right now?

[PeepnBiscuitsRN]

I know I'm in the same boat as many new grad RN's so I don't want to make it seem like I'm so great and all. I just graduated with my ADN, I come with 4.5 years of LPN experience in a clinic setting, with a strong focus in peds- I looked back over my resume, and tweaked it up a little- but the problem seems to be this: when I first got my LPN, sure, everything was online and I had to apply online...but I could still take my resume to an actual person to follow up, or I could actually call and talk to someone to follow up and tell them about my experience (which at that point was zilch!)

Now, it's all online, when I try to follow up, I get put through to a different voicemail each time, from different recruiters, whom I'm told aren't even nurses, they don't call me back- ever- when I've tried to go to HR offices to even just hand off my resume in person, I don't even get past the front desk.

This is getting really agitating- oh and the "kiss off" form e-mails are just great, they make it look like they really looked at your resume and all... ha. I know most of the jobs I'm seeing out there call for experienced RN's, but I'll echo the same song that we've all been singing and that is "how do we get the experience if you don't hire us?!" I'm seeing this even for nursing homes, home health etc... and for clinics, for petesake! I worked in a clinic for 4.5 years right next to (literally) RN's and interacted with them on a daily basis! How do I convey that to whomever is looking at my resume? I mean I put it in there, but if they stop reading at "new grad RN..." then I fear they assume I know nada.

And to make things even more fun... I'm 15 weeks pregnant. I'm at that point where I can't really hide it much longer. I know that's not going to help me in my search. (Of course I'd rather be a mommy again than be employed anyday... you know what I mean...)

Just frustrated.

[Code_VSA]

I'm wondering what is going on too. My daughter graduated with her BSN 13 months ago.....still no job.

My employer during Nurse's week let the RN's know they will be handing out pink slips over the next 16 weeks, some RN's will have to work different areas and the RN's that will be layed off from the ER will be replaced with LPN's.

I mean, just how many studies over the decades do they have to do that shows less RN's and higher patient ratio to nurse increase death rates, falls, etc????

Such bull.

[way2busy]

Have any of you looked outside of the hospital and clinics for jobs. I am a plasma nurse and most plasma centers at one time or another is looking for nurses. The pay might not be quite as good as the hospital but you will be in a supervisor position do physical most of the day and cross train to the floor and keep your IV and lab skills up. We also get bonus's every quarter. In fact with all of my years of hospital experience I actually make more than when I worked in the hospital! plus the bonus. You must be very detailed oriented and keep ahead of all changes in the medical field and you will have final say of who gets to donate and who doesn't. They cannot open a plasma centers doors without a nurse being in the building Think about it you could always work for a while in this field and then move on I am an LPN and trained a new grad RN for the past year and she left to go to the hospital and with her supervior experience here and IV skills ( we use 17 gauge needles ) they were happy to have her come on board. Just a thought good luck

[mizzwilsonRN]

Think thats bad!!!! Huh I graduated 2002, just took it upon myself to take the test and pass THIS FEB.......When I sign apps Im told Im a NEW GRAD and the same about needing experience. I was told by my best friends' Manager to volunteer. However when I ask about volunteering I'm told I will not be able to do RN duties due to UNION issues. I also was a CNA for 3 years but I was told I'm not getting hired as a CNA because I'm an RN now and some places would have to pay me RN wages and I would still be responsible as an RN even tho i'm a CNA.....Verry Frustrating:sstrs:

[dcm1245]

as for applying to jobs online, be careful not to waste your time. you'll spend countless hours of your valuable time and receive crazy emails for jobs you have no interest in. yet, if you have no other options, i will share my limited knowledge of this process.

my ex spouse owns a software company with clients such as (bellsouth, disney, coca cola, ferrari, etc..) a complete #%@$ of a human being, but a genius at technology. that wasn't nice of me, was it? =)

anyway, online agencies filter your resume by key word search, and the more "key words" included on your resume flags the company to open your file for review for a specific job. from there, once opening your resume, it is sent through a program that analyzes proper format and grammar data. if it passes this point with flawless errors, then your resume forwards to the company that paid the agency to post their ad. absolutely these elements must be flawless: proper format, font and size, spacing, punctuation, gramur (haha -joking =), and proper resume style based on level of experience: functional, etc... make sure all your personal information can be verified and all dates of employment are accurate. one inaccuracy on employment information, will put your resume in "file 13!" my german grandfather called this the garbage, whatever 13 stands for, who knows.

moreover, while reading the above post, i note a very intelligent response by someone, whom suggested writing under objectives: something to the affect 4 years experience in pediatrics- (excellent statement on their part.) remember, as employers use words to sale their services and advertise their products, you too must use words to advertise and sale yourself to them. it's an unfortunate competitive world, that requires playing a corporate game, where the rules are always changing. find a creative way to set yourself apart from others. remember, you're marketing yourself. if you know very little about marketing, business, merchandising, or resume writing, visit your local library and read up on the subject matter - it's free! you'll be amazed at the inspiration and clever ideas that will burst from your head!! you may even say, damn i'm clever! hahaha. (no really. you may just say that)

a personal tip i discovered many years back and applied to writing my resume was to make copies of resumes posted on line that reflected those of very successful people in similar fields of study. the key is to observe their outline, format, and most important - "word verbiage" used to describe skills, job duties, objectives. do not copy, because it's not yours, nor is it true to you. rather extrapolate the information that applies to you. let their words help you find creative and professional vocabulary in this electronic world to transform your resume to produce a quality merchandise tool. i've shared this with other friends through the years and have written many resumes for people with positive results using such techniques. as well, i've invested in books that are filled with terminology for writing resumes, job performance reviews that determine an employees pay raise at times of evaluation.

i want to share with you one of my favorite little books. (paper back) performance appraisal phrase book. isbn# 1-58062-940-7

good luck!

[mnmnelson44]

I'm having the same trouble. I was an LPN with 11 years Family Practice experience and they say that doesn't count. Very frustrated!!

[mtwinkie]

I almost two years off from nursing because I wasn't sure I wanted to do it. I just moved to Florida from Kansas with my 8 1/2 month pregnant wife and have been looking for a RN position for the last 3 months. Nobody down here seems to be hiring in the Ft. Lauderdale area, the worst part is I can't even get a job anywhere else because I have a nursing degree. I'm desperately looking for work and took the CNA certification test (which seems rediculous but I can't even work as a patient care tech because I'm not certified as one) but to no avail. In a little less than a month I will be a father for the first time so I'm stressing out like crazy. I hope I get a job soon and I hope everybody else does also.

[felixfelix]

sigh...it's ridiculous out there

[SalineFlush]

Think thats bad!!!! Huh I graduated 2002, just took it upon myself to take the test and pass THIS FEB.......When I sign apps Im told Im a NEW GRAD and the same about needing experience. I was told by my best friends' Manager to volunteer. However when I ask about volunteering I'm told I will not be able to do RN duties due to UNION issues. I also was a CNA for 3 years but I was told I'm not getting hired as a CNA because I'm an RN now and some places would have to pay me RN wages and I would still be responsible as an RN even tho i'm a CNA.....Verry Frustrating:sstrs:

No idea why you would first wait 8 years to take the NCLEX and then expect to be treated differently than any other nurse with 0 years experience as an RN but...

I think there are multiple factors going on in this unprecedented hiring environment (and the format--the online, faceless BS-- through which we apply for jobs now combined with the peculiar economic situation does make it rather unprecedented). I am fortunate to have been hired this on July 9 after graduating with a BSN on May 13, 2010. Here in North Carolina, many of the hospitals want all applications of May graduates in by March 1--on March 1 I wasn't quite sure where the heck I wanted to be and was getting so pooped with Nursing school that I really didn't care--so I didn't submit any of mine until mid-March.

Though I placed first priority on the hospital at which I completed my preceptorship, their dim hiring prospects made me broaden my search, reconsider my preferences and consider leaving my college town (which I did not want to do) for job opportunities if necessary...mercifully, this didn't happen, but I've gleaned and pondered over the following:

1.) How can a process possibly be fair amongst a slew of BSN-prepared candidates when many aren't even given an opportunity to interview and are only considered based on their Résumés, which in the case of New Grads, despite the different formats they take, will largely be THE SAME.

2.) I received two official rejection, both online---no call or even an e-mail, and of course no opportunity to interview--had to go to the hospital websites to look under my account and see my HR status--complete BS! On the bright side, I was hired for the first job for which I interviewed

3.) I read an article a couple of months ago about how the best-looking new grads were getting hired first and that more average looks were being passed over (and I'm sure implied in that were candidates with academic records--perhaps more hospital experience as techs, etc.--were getting passed over for the pretty girls who scared us all in nursing school with their lack of technique and sometimes compassion ("I don't WANNA change his wound dressing!").

In my case, being male helped bunches---when I did receive an interview at one of our local hospitals, I felt throughout the entire process that the Director, Nurse Educator and Assistant Director were all trying to sell ME the job more than I was trying to sell myself (something I'm not particularly keen on anyway). My looks didn't hurt either--but I also graduated magna cum laude, I have CNA experience, I'm a member of Sigma Theta Tau, and I didn't have to worry about ADN competition as this particular hospital is no longer taking ADN-prepared New Grad candidates.

Several of my friends who graduated with me but are in their thirties have had great difficulty securing positions--one has received over 8 rejections, starting with the hospital at which she completed her preceptorship. She mused to me that she wondered if her weight had anything to do with it as she is about 100 pounds overweight...but she is also very bright, she graduated with honors, she has about 10 years of work experience in pharmaceuticals making real $$$, and she's been literally all over the country looking for work (interviewed on the West Coast, in AL, and in NC). Another friend in her thirties has struggled to find a job in this state, perhaps for different reasons, but one of our classmates, a man well-into his 50's had no trouble securing a position in the ER in which he had completed a summer externship and worked a few months as a CNA II.

Having years of experience in the hospital but not necessarily as an RN will probably not help you get an interview--sorry, just won't. Actually, it's my suspicion that these hospitals prefer the unexperienced, typical new BSN graduate (around 22 years of age). Long résumés don't help either---a former Nurse Recruiter and current professor at our school gave one of my older friends some advice to trim her résumé as it was too long and would likely be passed over on a Recruiter's desk. If given an interview, you'd better come with your best face AND best business clothes on--physical factors like obesity can't be changed in a matter of weeks, but for God's sake do your best to be enthusiastic and ultra-positive without seeming fake, even if the job you are interviewing for isn't your first, second, or third choice. If you're like me, student loan repayments are coming due soon and it's time to pay bills.

I'm blessed---got a job on a great unit with a supportive staff and an involved director--start orientation this coming week. For those of you out there still searching, stay positive. I know it's difficult to not take any rejection personally even if it is strictly professional (and it can't be anything but if the HR department has only seen your résumé right?). If you are given the opportunity to interview, Recruiter and Director will pick up on vibes telling them that this particular job isn't what you really want to do (if that's the case). Don't over-reheorifice, but make sure to know your selling points when you walk in. Good luck :).

[Primeranurse]

I'm an experienced nurse and can't get anyone to call me back! So I'm there with you all. I would recommend for the new grads to try to remember which hospitals and units you worked on as students, actually go to those units, ask to speak with any nurse who remembers you and felt you did a great job, try to get to speak with the manager and go in through the back way to get an interview. They can always call HR and ask them to pull your resume and tell them they want to interview you. =) I think a lot of these hospitals are using outsourcing to review resumes and the recruiters don't even see your information unless there are key words that trigger them to their desk.... When I graduated in 1989, we all had jobs because we got to know the nurses on the floors we did clinicals on and told them we wanted to work there. It' worth a shot to try it. I mean, at least it shows you are motivated and really want a job.

[shouse81502]

I was just accepted to nursing school but it makes me very nervous reading that it's so difficult to get a job. Here in the Harrisburg, pa area there are soooooo many RN openings right now at the two local hospitals...just hope they are still there when I am done.

Best of luck to everyone!

[hope3]

I was in the same boat for two years after passing the NCLEX and want to share my experience in the hope it will open opportunities for others. Every state has different compensation rates but here in Wisconsin there is decent compensation (around $31/hour) and plenty of openings for private duty nurses in a residence of persons needing nursing under the Medicaid program. Even if this is not your ideal nursing job it may give you a chance to gain that first experience, and about a week after I started working in this area a hospital recruiter called me and I was pleasantly surprised that she said she would consider this work as nursing experience and said I should call her back in 6 months since I'd just started out. There are absolutely no benefits at all, and one downside is that because you are self-employed you have to pay not only your share of social security and Medicare but also the equal amount that an employer would be paying on your behalf. But, if you are looking for experience and/or some cash coming in it is a good opportunity. I was reluctant to do this work since I had zero experience, but after 2 years of unemployment and beating the pavement to death, I decided to look for a case where the nurse case manager would be available by phone should I need advice. It has worked out beautifully for me, and since we get health insurance through my husband's employer I have the luxury of being able to continue on in this type of work and decided to not even seek any other type of nursing job even though I have a year's experience there now. The lower stress level and chance to work one on one with a patient are worth it to me!!

Unfortunately some states' compensation levels are less than Wisconsin, but if you are hitting a wall due to "lack of experience" it may be worth doing. To find out how to be certified in your state to do this, contact your state's Medicaid program to ask how to be certified to work as an independent nurse for clients under the Medicaid program. Getting certified in Wisconsin is not difficult but since it is a government process it takes time. Here in Wisconsin Childrens' Hospital posts a list of families needing nursing services and you can get in touch with the families that way. There are also lots of clients across the spectrum of age and disability, and here we have group of nurses who have an organization of such independent home duty nurses who among other things posts a list online of persons wanting to find a home duty nurse. (professionalhomecareproviders.com). We go to a single client's home, unlike the home health nurses who visit several clients in a day). You can work PT or full time, and interview directly with the client or their family. A clinical instructor told me about this type of nursing and since you never hear about it I wanted to share the info. You can also go to an agency that provides such nursing services but the compensation is less (tho there are some benefits offered.) Also under the "Specialty" heading of this allnurses.com website there is a relevant heading for this type of nursing. I'm sorry if I'm just duplicating information others have posted, but just wanted to share this as I remember very well the frustration of absolutely no positions being offered despite my working very hard to apply for almost any and all jobs. I wish you all the best in this difficult time!

[momandstudent]

I just saw a post on AN about the California BON sending a survey out to the grads in that state. This survey appears to be in regards to the OVERsaturation of nurses in Cali. Would be nice if MN BON would take a look at this and send it out to their nurses...the constant advertising of the so-called "Nursing Shortage" is merely an attempt by schools to make $$$-and LOTS of it! I happened to go through the MN BON a few weeks ago and noticed they granted one of the schools in my area a 2 yer ADN program. This school already hosts an LPN program and LPN to ADN and now they are going to start a direct ADN program. Within a 50 mile radius of my hometown, I have 5 schools of nursing. Now, if I were to roughly figure the numbers, this gives us about 180 RNs (about is the key word)...and yes, I know, not all will graduate but this number is astonishing because we live in rural southern MN. Anyone who wants to preach about the nursing shortage (because of baby-boomers reaching retirement, nurses who are going to/are retiring, and nurses who no longer work within the profession), should take a walk in our shoes...please, I know I would LOVE to be able to wear a pair of nursing shoes-let alone, have the money to buy them.