New Grads No Jobs

Posts: 1 · Joined: 01 Jan 2006 Posts: 1

Uggghhhh... just graduated December 2nd.... wish they would have told us it would be this hard....
I'VE HEARD IT ALL...
*New Budgets
*Not Hiring
*Can't hire you until you are Licenced
The list goes on and on...I thought things would be a little easier especially since I now have a CERTIFICATE...
My resume...I could kiss it...BEAUTIFUL WORK OF ART (considering my neighbor is the "dean" of human resources.... )
Had a couple job interviews.. YES.. THought they went well... dressed professionally... portfolio and all... have I heard back... NO....
"Shortage" of nurses my ass...Makes you really think they were never New Grads strugling to find a job...

Posts: 112 · Joined: 01 Jan 2006 Posts: 112 Location: Coastal Georgia

Where exactly do you live. I know all the hospitals where I live are looking for nurses. Most hospitals are willing to hire new graduates as long as you do not give the impression that you plan to leave as soon as you have a bit of experience under your belt. My suggestion is to follow up on those interviews. By contacting the hospitals that you interviewed with, you are showing them that you follow through on things that you do and that you want to work for them. Good luck.

Posts: 4 · Joined: 07 Jan 2006 Posts: 4 Location: alabama

Keep your chin up. Some areas of nursing are harder for new grads to get in. For example, labor and delivery, ICU and ER are where, typically, hospitals want more "seasoned" nurses. Maybe, if that is what you are looking for; you could do something else in that area. For example, if you want L&D try Mother/Baby (post partum). For ICU,maybe a step down unit would have something. There are many jobs out there. Please don't get discouraged because we need you!

Posts: 26 · Joined: 16 Sep 2005 Posts: 26 Location: Ohio

It took me 3 months to find a nursing job after graduation. Tons of interviews that I felt went very well, but kept getting pushed aside for nurses with more experience (which I totally understand). Everything I was offered was PRN or part time and I need benefits. I finally got into a facility, AKA hell on earth, and worked there for a month, and got a lot of good experience, including experience on how nasty some nurses can be to new grads. Then I moved on and love where I work now. Yes they hired me as PRN, but I don't pick and choose the days I work--they schedule me for full time hours every week, just like regular full timers get. I need the benefits, but I'm going to suck it up and prove myself and hope to be hired regular full time within a few months. I may not have benefits there, but at least while I wait I can make a higher rate of pay, get full time hours and OT, and even when I get hired in it will be $3/hour more than I made in hell on earth.

Keep at it, and somethign will come up. But don't settle for anyplace you get a bad vibe about as soon as you walk in teh door. That's what I did and I sure regretted it, although I did get a lot of good experience there.

Posts: 43 · Joined: 17 Jan 2006 Posts: 43 Location: alabama

They hire prn, contract, part-time, etc. instead of regular, full-time so that they don't have to provide you with health insurance, which is expensive for them. Most institutions want to hire new grads because they can pay them less than nurses with experience, but they don't want to give benefits if they can get out of it.

Posts: 1 · Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2006 7:06 pm

I have been an LPN for 8 years and I am having trouble finding full time work. It seems that the hospitals only want RN's and the doctors offices want the medical assistants. I am worried they are trying to phase out the LPN program. If they do I will be sad. I am not finacially able to go back to school right now. Nursing is my passion. I feel your frustration. Just dont give up. Good luck in your search. Crying or Very sad

Posts: 46 · Joined: 14 Nov 2005 Posts: 46 Location: Jacksonville FL

Move to FL. Plenty of jobs.

Posts: 82 · Joined: 04 Mar 2006 Posts: 82 Location: florida

there are plenty of hospitals looking for nurses. Try looking in larger cities and expand your search outside of your immediate borders. Most hospitals will pay moving expenses if you take a job for them. As the other nurse said, Florida has plenty of jobs, especially during the winter when all of the snow birds are there, you could work 7-12's and they would be begging you for more time. I am currently at Riverside Community Hospital in Riverside California, I know they are looking for nurses. Florida may be slow now that the season is over. Make yourself a little resume and mail it out to all of the big hospitals in your state first and then to other big cities and see who calls. If you travel for an interview, keep reciepts, its a tax right off. I hear things are slow in the north during the winter, but very busy in the south--everyone heads south to avoid the cold. Things pick up in the north usually about this time because everyone is heading for home. San Diego is very busy during the winter. LA is busy all year round. Good Luck