Seven years ago, I found myself out of a job.  I spent 6 months looking and finally decided to seek an education.  I choose Nursing.  I spent 5 years in school.  Three preparing for my Nursing education and two in actual Nursing.  I recieved my degree in May 08.  I passed boards in July 08 on my first try with only 75 questions.  I choose to take some time off for personal and family reasons before persuing my career.  However, In Jan, six months after being licensed, I began to search for employement in earnest.  I am a mom.  My Husband works extreme and irratic hours at his two jobs.  THis has put me in a position of not being able to work the traditional 12 hr shifts offered by hospitals.  When I applied to the program, I went and discussed this with the counselors, instructors and head of dept.  I was assured of the  numerous and varied options for new grads.  Now in May, despite appling to many many jobs, I am still jobless.  My Licence is due for renewal in Sept.  I am frustrated beyond beleif.  I want to work.  But no one other than hospitals seem to be willing to hire new grads.  And they only offer 12 hr shifts with weekends.  I can not leave my child to fend for himself.  I am facing the realization that something I have worked so hard for and achieved the education and license for is still out of my reach.  To make matters worse, I will soon have to take a job other than nursing due to finacial difficulties in this plumeting economy.  I feel as if I wased 5 years of my life.  And everytime I hear "we are in a Nursing shortage", well I want to scream.  I understand the economy has hit us all.....but why perpetuate the cycle of nursing shortages by forcing new grads out before they can even begin.  At this time, I can't tell you if I will even be a nurse for much longer.  No one seems to want me.  ANd I am beyond understanding why!  I had good grades.  I excelled in clinic.  Why run off what this nation is in sore need of.....?

 

If anyone has any advice on what to do....please help!  Or there will soon be one more Nurse out of the system that is growing smaller everyday.  I am begining to see why.

Unfortunately your employment struggle is not uncommon.  I graduated from nursing school in May (ADN/ASN) and while I have found a job on a tele/dou floor, more than half my graduating class has not.  And these are not the ones you'd expect - many of them are strong students in both lecture and clinical, with years of healthcare experience behind them.

I really think we find ourselves in extraordinary times at the moment.  One of the largest healthcare systems in the San Diego, CA area hired approximately 25% of the new grads for their June/July 2009 programs that they have hired in recent years.  One of their larger hospitals (in the 400-bed range) hired zero external new grads, and in fact could not place all their current employees who graduated from nursing school.

Some of my unemployed classmates are pursuing their BSN while they continue to pursue employment.  There is still a nursing shortage, and you will eventually find a job.

I am so sorry to hear about your frustrating experience with nursing.   Now that Flu season is here, you can get a job giving flu shots... not ideal I'll admit, but is does give you patient contact and may help you network.  It certainly will help give you confidence to go on looking.   Believe me, with millions of doses of H1N1 out there to be delivered, they need nurses now more than ever.      GOOD LUCK !