I am excited! I got accepted into the nursing program! Through many years of studying and getting my pre-requisites completed, and applying for a spot in the nursing program that only accepts 150 students each year, I finally have the chance to work toward my all time career goal – to become a nurse!
This is it! I walk into orientation with my head held high. I am confident. Not everyone gets into nursing school! I AM SPECIAL! I order my student nurse uniform, my stethoscope, my carpuject. I buy my books. The shopping bag rips because those books weigh at least a ton. (I’m going to have to remember this when I am diagnosed later on with having scoliosis.) I buy new white shoes for clinicals. They’re blindingly white. We are all instructed to where polo shirts under our smock – white, with no visual labels. And we are told to remember this day because this is the last day of freedom. Uh oh.
First day of class. I walk in nervously. Most of us are new to this. We don’t know what to expect from our new professors, from our new classmates, from our clinical instructors. The Dean of Nursing for the first-year students enters the classroom and everyone is quiet. Someone from the back coughs. A chair squeaks. And then nursing school begins.
The first semester goes by fast. By the time it’s Christmas, I realize that my friends have stopped inviting me to hang out with them. Instead, I am being invited to study sessions. I look in the mirror and find that I have bags under my eyes. My hair is a mess and just will not cooperate. My shoulders and back hurt from lugging the heavy textbooks around, from helping patients in and out of bed, from slouching over my computer keyboard when I review my slides.
The second semester flies by. My shoulders and back hurt even more. I have now diagnosed myself with “Acute pain related to injury, secondary to heavy backpack syndrome as evidenced by “10” on pain scale 0-10. Aside from the pain, I am more confident as I walk into patients’ rooms to introduce myself, but more nervous when I find out we are passing medications this semester.
The third semester is more difficult. We are assigned more patients to take care of. I observe the more specialized areas like the operating room, wound care, lactation. We do a rotation in psychiatry where we are instructed to interview the patient assigned to us. My patient is catatonic. Go figure.
Fourth and final semester. I’ve made it this far. Nothing can bring me down! This semester will go by just as fast as the first three. I apply for a preceptorship. I get accepted! Better yet, I get accepted at the nearest hospital from my home! Coronary Critical Care! My shift is 12 hours, twice a week. Add that to my classes and study time along with the full-time job that I just can’t afford to leave. I learn so much during this rotation. The only student in my class to perform after life care. Before I can even blink an eye, it’s all over. We walk on stage for our pinning ceremony. We walk down the aisle a couple of days later to receive our diploma. We let out a big sigh of relief!
It’s not over yet. I still have to pass the state board exam, or NCLEX. One day after I graduate, I am hitting the books again. I have to pass this exam to become a registered nurse. To add the “R.N.” at the end of my name. To officially have the right to help the sick, the injured. I keep reminding myself, “As soon as I pass this exam and get that RN, I will land myself a job!”
I turn in my application to sit for the board exam. The only schedule I can get is 4 months away. I study. I work. I want to pass the exam. Four months later, I sit for my exam. I fail. NOOOOO! That’s ok, they tell me. Study harder and try again. I study harder. I sign up for a nursing board exam six week study class. I turn in my application to sit for the board exam again. Five months later, I sit for my exam again. I PASSED!!!
I’m going to start searching for a job! I’m going to be working as a nurse in NO time! There’s a new hospital that just opened and it’s only 2 miles away from my house! I submit my application with fingers crossed! One week later, I receive a letter in the mail which reads, “Thank you for your interest in working at our hospital. Unfortunately, we have no entry-level nursing opportunities at this time. Please keep checking our website for more job opportunities!”
Deep breath. Ok.
It’s hardly likely that you land the first job you apply to. Right?
I submit my application for other job openings, other hospitals, other states! “Unfortunately, we have no entry-level nursing opportunities at this time.” What?!?! What about all those times during nursing school when the professors told us that nurses are in high demand?!?!
Ok. Deep, deep breath. I’m calm. There has got to be something out there.
There are relatives that work in hospitals all over the U.S. They offer to help me get a job. It’s been months since I passed my board exam. I volunteer at a free clinic to keep my skills up to date. I finally get a call to come in for an interview! I buy a new outfit, I practice everything I’m going to say, I drive there the day before to find out where it is. It turns out the clinic is an hour away. But, that’s ok! I am willing to commute or even move to work there. I need the job!
The interview goes great! She shows me the clinic and introduces me to some of the employees. She says, “We are looking forward to seeing you again!” I am EXCITED! I call to follow-up a week later. No answer. I call a couple of days after that. No answer. I email the interviewer to ask how the interview process is going. No reply. I get a call a week later. “Unfortunately, we think that you live too far away.” WHAT?!?! It’s northern Virginia! Everyone that lives near the District of Columbia commute to work!
Everything goes downhill. I receive an email from my current employer. “We are downsizing. Unfortunately, due to the economy, we no longer have the funds to keep you on board. As of today, you are no longer employed with us. Thank you for your commitment in helping us build our company.” WHAT?!?! But I have rent to pay. I have other bills that were acquired during nursing school. There is food to put on my table. I have electricity bills, credit card bills, vehicle maintenance! I went on business trips 4 weeks a stretch because you told me that it will make me a more valuable employee! Now you’re laying me off?!?!
I start diving into my savings account. I cut down my spending to the bare minimum. There is hope that 2010 will open up more opportunities to new graduate nurses. I hold out hope. It is now February 2010. I have applied to over 200 job openings. Long, endless applications asking for the same information. I receive more letters in the mail with the same beginning and the same ending, “Unfortunately … good luck!” I read forums from other new graduate nurses who are dealing with the same problems. There are responses that say, “Keep applying! Someone is bound to hire you!” A couple of people respond back with, “I finally got a job!” and it brings on new hope.
It’s been 6 months and I am still unemployed. It’s been 6 months and others have been applying for longer and are still unemployed. Since I’ve started job hunting, I have received many rejection letters. Now, some of them are saying that I graduated too long ago and they are hoping to find someone who has more recent clinical experience.
All of that hard work for nothing.
