VA Palo Alto New Graduate Program 2012 - Page 4

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  1. Feb 13, '12 by
    i just got my rejection email ten minutes ago =/ it hurts.
    sighh on to the next one.
    congratulations to all that are moving on and i'm wishing you the best of luck! =)
  2. Feb 13, '12 by
    Yeah, I just got my rejection, too. Congratulations to everyone who got job offers! And for those of us that didn't, I think we're just meant for something else.
    rrockstar88, Bella2004, and bayareastudent0711 like this.
  3. Feb 13, '12 by
    i got a rejection email too! love your positive attitude SeptemberRN.
  4. Feb 13, '12 by
    I'm waiting for my rejection email...I just need the confirmtion although I'm sure everyone has been contacted by now.
  5. Feb 14, '12 by
    Hi everyone, I'm catching this thread a little late, but I just read all your comments and thought I would chime in. I had a great interview last week in PA and felt really confident. Have been super depressed since I received my rejection letter yesterday. It's so difficult to even get an interview these days that I was really hopeful. Oh, well. Nothing to do but keep on keeping on!

    So, where are y'all applying next!? I'm just about out of ideas!

    Congratulations to all who were chosen. And Happy Valentine's Day! :redpinkhe
    Bella2004 and patteRN like this.
  6. Feb 14, '12 by
    I accepted a job at the Toledo Hospital in Toledo, Ohio. They have a critical care new graduate program that accepts about 20 students. I was also offered a job at a mental health facility (the night shift) in Fargo, North Dakota, and I got a call back from a hospital that accepted new grads (McKennan Hospital) in Sioux Falls, South Dakota (but didn't get that position).

    Everyday for weeks I applied to at least three jobs (some new grad, some that did not specify experience required) a day. I aimed my cover letter to each hospital, and would mention their vision, mission, etc.

    There are jobs in places (with snow during winter, usually) in towns people normally don't flock to, and I think this was my key to getting my foot in the door. Good luck everybody!
  7. Feb 14, '12 by
    So September, did you do phone interviews for all of these positions? Did they seem very competitive?
  8. Feb 14, '12 by
    I did phone interviews (with speaker phone with a panel of people). I don't know how competitive it was, but you look up any of those hospitals on this website and you won't find much information on them. So, the competition is not like it is for UCLA, Palo Alto VA, Stanford, etc. The mental health position and McKennan Hospital position were not part of new grad programs, but just places that said "new grads encouraged to apply". I hope that helps! I see you live in Oakland (like me!). I love the Bay Area, but I feel there are few positions available for new grad nurses when you consider the number of nursing schools around and the high pay rate.
  9. Feb 15, '12 by
    You live in Oakland too? What school did you go to? Did you have to apply for the out of state endorsements before applying, or...? Have you explored the salary range? I would imagine they are much less than Bay Area... some of my cohorts/friends got hired here starting at $50/hr. (Makes me kind of sick to think of what we will probably have to accept in "the sticks.")

    So when do you move?!
  10. Feb 15, '12 by
    I went to Samuel Merritt University (their ABSN program). I applied for out of state endorsement after accepting the job. The salary range is considerably lower than $50 (the most that I know any of my fellow students starting out with is $40, but I agree, the discrepancy does not seem fair). However, the cost of living in Toledo is also considerably less than the Bay Area. Places like UCLA typically start at $29 or so, though I think UC Davis was starting at $40.

    The way I see it, I want a good acute care setting experience, and I think moving to Toledo will be good for me. I have lived in the Bay Area my entire life, and it's time for a change. I start driving over there this upcoming Saturday!