Nursing Job Outlook

U.S.A. Colorado

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I will be graduating this coming August with an ADN in nursing. I have a previous Bachelor's degree in Psychology. I currently work as a Patient Care Technician at a magnet facility in Alabama where I have worked on an Adult Psych unit for 2 years and prior to that 2 years on a GI surgery unit. I have plenty of patient care experience. I plan on obtaining my BSN fairly quick, but I am so ready to move out of state and seriously considering the Denver/Boulder area. I am curious since Psych is not highly sought after if I would have any chance at all at obtaining a position in psych?

If anyone has any insight on the likelihood of me being able to obtain a new grad position at a hospital or if it would be smarter to look into standalone mental health hospitals?

Any and all suggestions would be helpful, thanks!

Colorado's state Mental Health Hospital is in Pueblo Colorado and they hire ADN's. And they are always looking for people. I work in the UCHealth system and I know that their new grad program hires ADNs provided they sign a contract saying they will get their BSN within 3 years. On a side note the UCHealth new grad program is extremely competitive so it will difficult to secure a position with them. The Centura health care system also has stand alone psych facilities and they hire ADNs, I believe you have to sign a contract with them requiring you to get a BSN within a certain time frame.

Thanks for your response! I have looked into the colorado mental health hospital in Denver, which is closer to where I want to be. Pueblo is a little too South. Also, I do really love psych, but I am torn b/c I want to get some medical skills experience and I know I will not do that as much in psych. So I am pretty open to any type of facility/unit. Do any of you know about Kindred or Colorado Long Term Acute Hospital and their friendliness to ADNs or what their facilities are like?

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Sorry Dbsum, I don't know anything about the facilities you mentioned.

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That has changed. When I started there in 2010 (back when they were just UCH) they required all new nurses in their new grad program to have their BSN.

The UCH new grad program does take new grads with their ADN. I'm in the program right now and there are 9 new grads from Pikes Peak Community College (ADN).

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The UCH new grad program does take new grads with their ADN. I'm in the program right now and there are 9 new grads from Pikes Peak Community College (ADN).

Oh neat! and did you or any of the other ADN's have prior healthcare experience? How is the application/interview process? Every forum I've read seems to say it is super hard to get into, like you have to know somebody, but I feel like you and fellow ADNs have something that makes you stand out from the BSN students.

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Oh neat! and did you or any of the other ADN's have prior healthcare experience? How is the application/interview process? Every forum I've read seems to say it is super hard to get into, like you have to know somebody, but I feel like you and fellow ADNs have something that makes you stand out from the BSN students.

Hey dbsum, I have a BSN, but like you said theres a lot of competition for jobs so I got a job as a CNA to get my foot in the door. The interview process was pretty intimidating, 6-8 managers and educators interview candidates one at a time for about 30-40min.

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