I Was not prepared for how difficult it is to get an entry level RN position

[SFRN225]

Hi HiringManager, I just tried emailing you for a second time and it bounces back. Has your email changed? Thanks!

I am a hiring manager with many years of experience. I see thousands of resumes per month. I personally like to hire new graduates so I am able to train them the way that I want to. The biggest issue that I see with new graduates is their resume. I see many issues with grammatical errors and formatting issues. Remember that you are getting into the medical field which requires tremendous attention to detail. If you would like, I can take a look at your resume and tell you what I think. healthcarehiringmanager@yahoo.com

[scotttyna]

I am a new grad with a BSN and i am so frustrated that most jobs are hiring experienced nurses instead of new grads. I mean, how are we gonna become experienced nurses if no one gives us a chance? I am getting burnt out just job hunting. Any advice anyone???

You are right at your point but thing are difficult at the starting of career but with the time thing changes. Don't worry you will get the job.

[HAB2010]

Hello Everyone,

I am an RN who graduated in 2010. I LOOKED FOR 18 MONTHS AS A NEW GRAD applying to anything and everything. then got recruited by a health insurance company to do health fairs which lasted a few months then I did life insurance exams then I got hired at the American Red Cross which lasted 6 months. I have no acute care experience either. I have had problems with depression throughout this experience and was hospitalized three times since I graduated because of the emotional rollercoaster of looking for a job. I have considered doing a refresher course but I don't know if I would be better off after doing this and would be better marketable or not. I must admit that I am not as enthusiastic as I was when I first graduated and my husband supports me. Does anyone have any ideas of how and where to get a job if you have been away from nursing since 2010? I am no longer considered a new graduate and I am afraid that my skills are non-existent at this point since I have not used them and I am still getting rejection letters left and right, have multiple loans too.If I do decide to do the refresher course then that is more money and is it even worth it. At this point I am considering getting a job doing anything just to keep busy and keep my mental health ok but I am also afraid that people who are hiring will see the RN on my resume and ask me why I didn't get a job as a nurse. Why? Because no one would hire me without any experience. I am fresh out of ideas and am so disappointed I went to school for 4 years and can't even get a job to pay off loans, be a productive member of society, stay busy and be who I thought I would be. My reserve is waning... I have applied to clinics, hospitals, nursing homes, insurance companies, etc. I need help.
Any suggestions?

[amygarside]

Have you ever tried to apply for home care services? I think it can help you since you will only take care of one patient at a time although I have no previous experience with this, I have read about this in nursing articles. I have also seen some forums here about travel nursing, would you like to consider that? Hope this suggestions help you.

[Frankreich]

Do you live in an urban setting? The reason I ask is that many urban settings are saturated with nurses. Rural areas and small towns have more difficulty recruiting RN's. You may need to look outside of your locality for work. Only you can decide what is good for you and your family. I started out working part-time nights in a hospital many years ago. I took what was available at the time. Best decision I ever made. Good luck!

[atlnurse477]

This is a very helpful thread,,so thanks for the post everyone! I think the hardest part in getting a job as a nurse will be the entry level, but after gaining experience, it will be a whole lot easier...hopefully more employers will also give a chance to new grad nurses

[oldntiredRN]

It's not easy for a RN with 30 years of acute care bedside hospital experience( being very descriptive here so there is no mistake about my length or kind of experience) to get a job either. Officially I have been looking since 2008- when I had my last full time permanent postion. I have taken what ever temp position has come my way. Employed for 6 months, 3 weeks you name it. I worked agency- they don't want us. They gave me LTC nursing supervisor assigments/I have never been a LTC nurse! I took the assigments because it was money to pay the bills, they gave me a 2 month assignment helping a Occupational nurse clean up the medical records( It was a well paid clerk's job) They assigned me to a "IV infusion pump training"job- went from one end of my state to the other inservicing LTC facilities on this IVPump- 15 hr/week, the drive time to the assigments was longer than than the nightmare assignment. Took a per diem job in the hospital- the hospital was in financial trouble, it would work 2 shift in one month- the pay is not that good where it supports a month of household bills( $33/hr time 24hrs/ month!!) And then had the audacity to terminate me because I had found a temp fill-in fulltime 6 month position- I was not sitting by the phone waiting for them to call or not call@ 5:30 AM. I will never get myself involved with another per deim position again!! I have applied to insurance companies- most say they want experience in the insurance world or Utilization review or workman's comp., I have and currently am on Unemployment My last position was a 9 month contract position( they are essentially a Staffing agency that does temp positions with the governement) with a government facility. The government did not award the agency their previous contracts- they went with the lowest bidder/ Commodities council. So I was able to collect unemployment. The government and government contractors play by the rules but unfortunately- they are subject to bidding wars/Commodities council and the whims on the jerks in Congress. The contract agency issued WARN letters to 450 of us. A WARN letter is a reduction in force letter announcing a mass lay off, giving the workers the heads up to look for other work Some bimbo - the HR nurse recruiter /the gatekeeper to nursing employment, in a very well know 'civillian' home care agency(BAYADA) asked me "What were you disciplined for?" I almost laughed in her face. The WARN documentation is posted on the web site of the US department of labor www.dol.gov; So as it stands now- I am collecting unemployment. I told my story to unemployment- I have the 30 yrs experience and only an RN diploma, so I now receive state money/aide to complete my BSN. Now tell me what's going on in this country and with this disgrace called the "Nursing Profession" This profession would rather rack up more bills in tax payer money, more government spending. more federal debt( sending me to school on the government's dime and paying me unemployment to do so) than to giving me a job!! Nursing shoots their mouth off about cost reduction and bottom line but they haven't a clue. That seems to be Nursing forte"haven't a clue". Nursing likes to expound on trendy phrases with out understanding the concepts or the process. It's like the newest trend of PINK suit jackets. I don't encourage anyone I come in contact to go into Nursing. Tthe profession is a disgrace and making an royal A*** of themselves and the rest of us. They stand up in these press conferences with the President of the US, stumbling over their words, zero self conviction or confidence acting like shrinking violets at a garden party, stating"I am a Nurse and we are so wonderful!!" and this is what is representing a profession?? embarassing, totally crawl under the table, embarassing- tell that woman to sit down and shut up!! The Emotional Intelligence of the Power that be in nursing and in nursing managment is non existant. The EI concept is taught in the BSN programs but they just mouth the words for a test and move on to the next course, never comprehending what the material is all about.
The Dept of labor posts updates on the jobless rate and announced last week Jan 2013- "new jobs were posted ,150,000 of them" well that really nice, BUT, what about the action verb that goes along with that- hiring people INTO those new posted jobs! 78,000 were supposed to be in healthcare, really!!! How nice that they took the time to POST new jobs, what are they doing about HIRING people into those jobs. The unemployment rate in this country is 12 MILLION!!! Those are the ones the Dept of Labor is aware of- there are those who have stopped looking, those who are no longer eligible for unemployment, and those who are living in homeless shelters and dumpster diving to stay alive, and going into the free public health clinics for healthcare- Nursing doesn't have any kind of a handle on the scope of any of these problems!!! Pink jackers, stellitos and shriking violets making fools of them selves playing Sally timid, letting bimbos in the HR dept keeping the employment gates closed. But we have jobs posted!!
And who cares how many times a candidate has applied to you institution for a position- Of what relevance is it to pay someone to keep dibs on this foolishness. Call the person in for an interview- do your freeking job YOU are getting paid to do!!
I forgot to add- the HR bimbo at Bayada- the first words out of her mouth- She was not a nurse. She just wanted to clarify that with me. So here she is, in an HR recruter position and doesn't know what a government, a federal Department of Labor WARN letter is. Something that is posted on a public web site for every one in America to read and aquaint themselves with and an HR person doesn't know her own HR subject matter and she is the 'gate keeper' to NURSING employment!!! Interesting!!! Makes you wonder doesn't it!!!

[NurseEducator]

Dear Not Prepared,
This time of year try signing up for flu clinics with companies like Maxim, Mullen and others as well as staffing agencies for these kind of entry level prn positions use this and every opportunity possible to network. Look for military bases, city and county clinics, large clinic operations for opportunities, as well as indigent clinics even if volunteering on part-time basis. Again, networking and using skills, as well as giving back. Look outside your geographical area to more needy areas, for example BSN are more rare in rural areas, poorer areas of town, reservations,etc. Take a class like EKG or ACLS that adds to your skill set and look for one at facilities again to network. Join your local nursing organization and go to meetings. Use networking resources and request a shadown day to see if that area right for you. Call or visit your school for job postings.
Good luck to you,

[oldntiredRN]

I am done applying for nursing positions. I have applied to unit secretary, front office greeter/receptionist. Retail store manager trainee. Oh and a project assistant- making out pamphlets. I am going to complete my BSN and tell everyone I meet- I have a BSN and this is where my profession has forced me to find a job. I am going to embarass the living daylights out of nursing- Nursing truely deserves it for all this mess over the past 4 years. It IS their fault, it IS their blame for being so dumb, and so mellie mouthed and spineless for not sticking up for it's nurses. They were so seduced by the wearing of fancy suits and expensive shoes, and coach bags and the latest hair and make up, and being tooted as "business" they let Business walk all over nursing, take over nursing until it has no VOICE, no convictions or ethics left. No say over their own profession or professional licenses or standards or duty to patient care. and it's too late for them to turn back. They have gone along with every coc-a-mammey scam and suggestion of the business world- they let unit clerks triage patients, give health information over the phone including medication advisement, give patient lab results over the phone, let clerks and receptionists engage in critical thinking so they don't have to, let blatant disrespect and refusal to perform job functions in the nursing assistant population just so they don't have to do it. They have essentially given( excuse me - delegated) the nursing practice away to high school diploma's and the business entites are eating this up. A Cheaper workforce in "? Nursing" More money in a CEO 's pocket with all the CMS cuts to reimbursements. They have done a very, very very poor job of managing and leading. I wouldn't let a nursing managment person coordinate a birthday party- they are imcompetent.
For years nursing has been whinning about a fantom" Nursing shortage" that they are so concerned about coming in 2016-2020. What has nursing done in their hiring practices since 2008? How about- Not hire their new grads and not hire nurses with over 20 years experience and not hire nurses without a BSN.!!!! That doesn't sound like an impending nursing shortage to me- It sounds like creating one!! and given the fact that patients today have more co morbidies than they ever had, more complicated patients with less staff- excluding some groups of nurses just doesn't make for too much common sense aka CRITICAL THINKING. Sounds like a bunch of chicken littles that just like to hear themself talk, sitting around waiting time all day to just collect a big fat paycheck.
Where is the report card on the job performance of nursing management and nursing administration??
Perhaps nursing administration and nursing executives need to change their thinking and re-evaluate their past performance. The state of the Nursing profession is criminal.

[caringnurse123]

I recently graduated in March 2012 and passed the Boards in May 2012. I have several years as an LPN working in Nursing Homes and would really like to join the acute care settting. Are you still able to review resumes???

Thanks You

[oldntiredRN]

I have been debating to tell all about my nursing interview today for a Utilization manager- Full time position at Cooper Health, Camden NJ. Requirements- 1 year case managment, utilization managment or discharge planning, 3-5 years recent clinical experience, RN licensure, BSN preferred. Experience with population health preferred.( I have all but not yet completed my BSN- July 2013) I was thrilled to get the call to schedule an interview. Cooper is an very large Urban academic medical center. I spent the day yesterday scowering Talbots sale racks in their stores for the perfiect shirt and a pair of nice pants. I got up this AM got ready for my nterview- perfect hair, deep breaths, left 1 hr early ( only a 30 min ride) got there 15 min early - no problem.
Went to the desk, told them I was there, extremely nervous sat down and chatted with this other lady also waiting for an interview. The HR person comes out and calls my name and walks over to the other lady who was African American( thinking it was me). When she realized her mistake, she regrettabley showed me to her office and asks me if I will need any special accomodations for the job- wheelchair, cane- I want to say 'NO- not yet'. but I restrained myself. She hands me "your job description marked "Per deim" ( i did not apply for a per deim position) She tell me My resume has my name and contact information not on it. I know my name and contact information is on it- it's bigger than life- 18 font. I told her it was her downloading process that cut my name off of it. Then she asks me what I have been doing since my last position( may 2012) I told her "going to school" She asks "Oh what for" I told her"I'm completing my BSN" She tells me she can't hire me because I don't have my BSN- the hosptal is BSN only"!! I tell her "that is not what your online posting stated" and she checked and confirmed I was right and said "Oh, I'm going to have to speak to my assistant about that, This hospital went all BSN 1 year ago" "Well", she said"you certainly do have the experience. I don't know why these nurses coming from the floor think they can just come right nto a UM position" well I have news for mis HR- they do and floor nurses are not as dumb as she thinks they are. I asked her about the "per diem" that I applyed for a Full time. Her response was- you applied for a per deim, until she checked again and again confirmed I was right Oh you di apply for the full time. Well she said I am so sorry, I thought you had your BSN and then looked at the bottom of my resume where it states BSN in progress. and the name of the college. She asked me when my anticipated graduation day was and told me to come back then, that she had my name in her system. I am not going back there, I am not applying for anything there again and I am writting a complant letter to Cooper's VP of Nursing
This is the outrageous crap that is going on in the ever so sacred Nursing"profession" today. Nursing needs to close down, shut its doors, do away with itself because this is a disgrace. An unemployed nurse gets all dresed up to go to an interview to a job they really want, only to get this BS. This is why I want out- I have had too much of this. My family has suffered such undue hardship because of nursing, the next jobs I am applying for will not be in nursing. I reminded this dumb poop,HR person>I applyed for a non nursing position- it was clerical writting educational pamphlets for their URBAN health program. Her response was- oh I just hired someone into that. She told me I wouldn't have liked it, the pay was really low. I told her it was patient education and it would be experience. Her problem was, she was not going to hire any 56 yr old white nurse into the URBAN hospital. I went right to unemloyment and notified them- and gave them her business card. This is discrimination in the ever so sweet, professional nursing world.