Will I Ever Get A Hospital Job?

Nurses Job Hunt

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Happy new year everyone! I graduated Dec 2012 and passed my boards April 1st. Because I was an international student with OPT employers would not hire me. I went for two hospital job interviews and one of them told me they don't sponsor and that's why they did not hire me. So at the end of the day I could not get a job because I do not have the proper working papers to work in America (Green Card). So you can imagine the heartbreak and tears and setback that I have had to deal with. I had started to lose hope.

Finally this December I found a homecare agency that is willing to sponsor me. My OPT is about to expire but I will try and work with an attorney. Now I am about to have my first client this week and it is an "easy" case (no trachs, vents, suctioning, PEG). My question if I ever obtain a green card will I be able to transition into a hospital? Will employers condemn my "home care" experience and see the "gaps in unemployment"? Or will they understand my situation, that I could not find a hospital sponsor? I am 23 years old by the way. I also had plans to go to grad school for NP but only if a hospital would eventually give me a chance.

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

If you did not have a job, which is a primary condition of OPT you might want to check with USCIS that you have a valid immigration status. Failure to obtain employment in a short period of time automatically invalidates your OPT status & you are expected to leave the country for your home nation. You don't want this new employer to file with USCIS on your behalf and find out that you are ineligible and out of status (and thus subject to deportation). It happened to a college classmate of mine who misread the deadlines on his opt & student visa and was forced to return home. He lost the great job offer but at least wasn't barred from returning to the US.

That said not working for an extended period of time post graduation whether because you needed sponsorship, joined the peace corps or took an extended vacation to Tahiti will adversely affect your ability to obtain hospital employment in much of the US where there is no nursing shortage and high unemployment of recent new grads and experienced nurses also.

In many areas of the country (like California) and agencies that bill Medicare, home health agencies are required to hire nurses with 1-2 years clinical experience and not inexperienced new grads. Ensure that the home health agency is well respected (not all agencies participate in Medicare ) and offers sufficient orientation and training for you to be successful. It's VERY rare for a home health agency to offer full time employment to inexperienced new grads. Another internationally educated nurse recently posted that she finally secured employment with what she thought was full time home health. The work was intake for non-medical senior home care, on call, sporadic, not routine and ultimately low hourly pay with assignments up to an hour away with last minute notice (and late cancellations). Definitely not the job she thought she agreed to. Be wary as you know there are not many full time Nursing Jobs that offer sponsorship. Make sure you are walking in with eyes wide open.

I hope you have a legitimate job offer that in fact is qualified to offer the sponsorship you seek.

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If you did not have a job, which is a primary condition of OPT you might want to check with USCIS that you have a valid immigration status. Failure to obtain employment in a short period of time automatically invalidates your OPT status & you are expected to leave the country for your home nation. You don't want this new employer to file with USCIS on your behalf and find out that you are ineligible and out of status (and thus subject to deportation). It happened to a college classmate of mine who misread the deadlines on his opt & student visa and was forced to return home. He lost the great job offer but at least wasn't barred from returning to the US.

That said not working for an extended period of time post graduation whether because you needed sponsorship, joined the peace corps or took an extended vacation to Tahiti will adversely affect your ability to obtain hospital employment in much of the US where there is no nursing shortage and high unemployment of recent new grads and experienced nurses also.

In many areas of the country (like California) and agencies that bill Medicare, home health agencies are required to hire nurses with 1-2 years clinical experience and not inexperienced new grads. Ensure that the home health agency is well respected (not all agencies participate in Medicare ) and offers sufficient orientation and training for you to be successful. It's VERY rare for a home health agency to offer full time employment to inexperienced new grads. Another internationally educated nurse recently posted that she finally secured employment with what she thought was full time home health. The work was intake for non-medical senior home care, on call, sporadic, not routine and ultimately low hourly pay with assignments up to an hour away with last minute notice (and late cancellations). Definitely not the job she thought she agreed to. Be wary as you know there are not many full time nursing jobs that offer sponsorship. Make sure you are walking in with eyes wide open.

I hope you have a legitimate job offer that in fact is qualified to offer the sponsorship you seek.

I know someone whose visa expired while she was in college (Physician's assistant). It was expired for 3 years then she found an employer sponsor. I also know another person who is working in a store and came to the US on an tourist visa (which expired). It has expired for 10 years and her employer filed her green card for her.

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
I know someone whose visa expired while she was in college (Physician's assistant). It was expired for 3 years then she found an employer sponsor. I also know another person who is working in a store and came to the US on an tourist visa (which expired). It has expired for 10 years and her employer filed her green card for her.

Don't assume if others are fine you will be too. Do your due diligence to ensure you are covered and protected. Things change in the world, and today could be the day the assigned agent decides to enforce the law rather than make an exception.

You said you are consulting an attorney, just make certain they are a qualified immigration & employment attorney working on YOUR behalf not your potential employer's. (Not all attorneys are qualified in both immigration & employment/work visa issues.) That way YOUR interests are primary. And also the attorney can explain your rights & responsibilities.

Remember depending on your country of birth, retrogression is in effect for most employment based visas & green cards. So even with a sponsor you may have a long wait for status adjustment, depending on your birth country.

Good luck.

Once you have legal status that permits you to work for any employer, you can investigate other facilities like ambulatory care linked to a hospital ( this may be the easiest to get established and notice to secure work in an acute care hospital as many facilities prefer to transfer from within) or even a hospital affiliated home care agency, long term acute care hospital or sub acute facility.

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