Centura's new grad phone conference

brewsbrother · Mar 4, 2012

I did the conference call a couple of weeks ago. They explained the online application process and talked a bit about how new graduates would be hired at their facilities. They then opened up for questions for about 40 minutes. I learned plenty from the call. The primary point they made was, they hire BSN, RNs after they have a minimum of 1 year experience. There are plenty of more qualified experienced nurses applying and taking jobs that they don't have to hire and train new graduates. They suggested many times to take a job out of state and then start to apply when you approach the 1 year mark in your career.

KRomney · Apr 23, 2012

I participated in the New Grad Conference Call last Friday and here is what I wrote down..

Everything is electronic, post everything centura.org

Apply after you have taken NCLEX

Create a Centura online account

Apply for med/surg, telemetry, cardiovascular, oncology

Apply for Exp. preferred or less than 6 months experience

Do NOT show up on the floor with your resume, only if you are scheduled for an interview

Behavior based interviewing, they will send you an e-mail about the type of questions, panel interview with 3-5 people

You will either hear about the job offer from HR or the floor manager

Upon hire, orientation can be 6 weeks – 6 months, MediTech training

ASCENT Program, you are signed up once you are hired onto the floor. 6 week course work in addition to your floor orientation

They hire more often in summer months (budget changes in July so they can afford us)

Constantly apply to open positions

What do they look for in your resume or what makes you strong? More than page is perfectly fine, not 10 pages, use normal font, cover letter is crucial and tailored exactly to the position, degree and when you graduated, RN license number, certifications (only accept AHA), put very briefly your clinical rotations and the hospital and the hours and clarify that your rotations were in an acute care setting

-Make resume tailored to healthcare, do not make your past experience

-If they don’t respond to your application what do you do? Only 10 recruiters in the whole Centura organization so they can’t talk to anyone.

-BSN preferred

-They do not want you to do a CNA or a Tech position at their hospitals if you have your RN license.

-Every hospital has volunteer services, they want someone to volunteer for at least 6 months

ChinchillaRN · Apr 23, 2012

As a not so new grad anymore employee, I can tell you with 90% confidence that orientation is going to be 6 weeks. Also, I think they tend to hire new grads during certain times of the year because they only offer the ASCENT program during certain times. The other stuff sounds accurate, though I never once saw a position for "less than 6 months experience."

KRomney · May 3, 2012

Hey ChinchillaRN,

Thanks for the information! Do you mind me asking how you went about getting your new grad job through Centura Health? Thanks!

One1, BSN, RN · May 3, 2012

As a not so new grad anymore employee, I can tell you with 90% confidence that orientation is going to be 6 weeks. Also, I think they tend to hire new grads during certain times of the year because they only offer the ASCENT program during certain times."

Actually, they often prefer that you have worked in your department for a few months and have finished orientation before you start the ASCENT program, so it is not really crucial to apply at times that would line up with one of the ASCENT program starts. They have at a minimum 2 program starts a year (summer and late fall) that I know of, maybe another one in the spring?

SummitRN, BSN, RN · May 4, 2012

So they were very explicit on the phone today.

"We hire both, but are focusing primarily on BSNs." Some Centura facilities, like SAH, will only hire BSNs. They might make an exception if already enrolled in a RN->BSN completion program at time of application, but if you don't finish in 3 years, you get fired.