Are new graduate RN's being hired in Orange County, CA?

U.S.A. California

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Lcr1714

23 Posts

Thank you NickiLaughs. Why is it so hard for new grads to find jobs??

Specializes in Emergency, Trauma, Critical Care.
Thank you NickiLaughs. Why is it so hard for new grads to find jobs??

Because a significant proportion of the medical community would love to live here. Why hire new grads when there are plenty of experienced in the area? New grads cost a lot of money to train and typically leave their first job within a year or two of getting it. According to how much you invest in a new grad, it takes close to two years to recuperate your money's worth on them and they don't even often stay at the position that long.

Additionally, everyone has cutbacks right now, expensive things such as new grad programs get cut first. Don't be fooled by a nursing shortage, there isn't one. There is still a need for nurses, you just really have to be very dilligent and a little luck can help too.

nihaojailan

79 Posts

a bunch of my friends applied to Hoag's new grad program only to find it cancelled a week before. And then the Nurse recruiter actually emailed them an application, it's a program funded by California Workforce called the RN Transition Program, lo and behold, Hoag was one of the "host" hospital. They eventually got in. It's an unpaid 12-week experience for new grad nurses to actually work as an RN in a floor. I don't know if it's going to be the trend right now for hospitals to off set the expenses in training new grads. They are soon ending their Transition Program and a bunch of them are being hired by the hospital because they're already trained.

so I don't know.... is this what we're coming into? is it THAT bad for new grads right now?

Lcr1714

23 Posts

It's crazy.. I am such a compassionate person and just want to help people. Hopefully next summer when I graduate it will get better!

Sara1211B

3 Posts

Orange County hospitals that have new grad programs are pretty limited. CHOC just had their applications, and I got a position as a new grad in their PICU. St. Joes and Hoag aren't hiring new grads right now, and UCI has very limited positions but no official program. All of the smaller hospitals don't have programs but some do take new grads once you have your license. I found the most information by calling recuriters at pretty much every hospital in Southern California. Good luck to you all!

Lcr1714

23 Posts

Thanks Sara

BellsRNBSN

174 Posts

Specializes in LDRP.

Though they are limited and hard to come by, there ARE available new grad positions at OC hospitals. I graduated in August and students from my class and from the class after ours are getting hired at Mission, Saddleback, UCI, Anaheim Regional, CHOC, etc. Some of them were even hired before graduating and passing the NCLEX. However, most of us had to put in a couple months time of applying to any and every new grad program and position we knew of before we even got interviews.

I know the OP posted a year ago, but I don't see any problem in starting to look for jobs before graduating, as long as you don't let it consume you or distract you from your schoolwork. I say this because, as I mentioned above, some students DO get hired before graduation, even in OC.

My recommendations are:

- Study hard and get good grades in nursing school (GPA DOES matter; if you have a high GPA, include it on your resume)

- Take on leadership opportunities in school, if you get the chance (Again, looks good on the resume)

- After you graduate from nursing school, find something worthwhile and constructive to do with your time in addition to applying for jobs, such as volunteering at a hospital or clinic (The most common question I was asked by nursing recruiters was what have I been doing since graduation)

- Get as many certifications as you can (ACLS, NRP, PALS, etc.), especially the ones that are relevant to the field you want to get into

- MAKE CONNECTIONS with the nurses you work with during your clinical rotations and with your clinical instructors (The reason that I got the interview that led to me getting a job was because my clinical instructor notified me about a job opening before it was posted online. I had made a good impression on her during nursing school and stayed in touch with her after graduation.)

- Get as many letters of recommendation as you can from your nursing school professors and clinical instructors. Do this SOON after graduation, before they begin to forget who you are and what you have to offer! Not only are letters of rec often required for new grad residency apps, but you should also include them in your portfolio for any position you end up applying for.

- Lastly, and most importantly, NEVER give up! It may take several months before you get a job, but keep applying, stay focused, and persevere.

Good luck, fellow new grads! :nurse:

CRNA2b-2017

1 Article; 66 Posts

Though they are limited and hard to come by, there ARE available new grad positions at OC hospitals. I graduated in August and students from my class and from the class after ours are getting hired at Mission, Saddleback, UCI, Anaheim Regional, CHOC, etc. Some of them were even hired before graduating and passing the NCLEX. However, most of us had to put in a couple months time of applying to any and every new grad program and position we knew of before we even got interviews.

I know the OP posted a year ago, but I don't see any problem in starting to look for jobs before graduating, as long as you don't let it consume you or distract you from your schoolwork. I say this because, as I mentioned above, some students DO get hired before graduation, even in OC.

My recommendations are:

- Study hard and get good grades in nursing school (GPA DOES matter; if you have a high GPA, include it on your resume)

- Take on leadership opportunities in school, if you get the chance (Again, looks good on the resume)

- After you graduate from nursing school, find something worthwhile and constructive to do with your time in addition to applying for jobs, such as volunteering at a hospital or clinic (The most common question I was asked by nursing recruiters was what have I been doing since graduation)

- Get as many certifications as you can (ACLS, NRP, PALS, etc.), especially the ones that are relevant to the field you want to get into

- MAKE CONNECTIONS with the nurses you work with during your clinical rotations and with your clinical instructors (The reason that I got the interview that led to me getting a job was because my clinical instructor notified me about a job opening before it was posted online. I had made a good impression on her during nursing school and stayed in touch with her after graduation.)

- Get as many letters of recommendation as you can from your nursing school professors and clinical instructors. Do this SOON after graduation, before they begin to forget who you are and what you have to offer! Not only are letters of rec often required for new grad residency apps, but you should also include them in your portfolio for any position you end up applying for.

- Lastly, and most importantly, NEVER give up! It may take several months before you get a job, but keep applying, stay focused, and persevere.

Good luck, fellow new grads! :nurse:

You are awesome! Thank you for the great advice :)

To those who just graduated from Saddlebacks nursing program. Were you able to get a job at UCI without a BSN degree?

amvqh8

4 Posts

Hi Marion,

I would love to talk to you about your experience moving to CA as a new grad, but can't message you. Can you send me a message at [email protected]? Thanks!

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