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Has anyone been turned down by a hospital nurse recruiter because you work in a long term care (LTC) facility (not an Acute experience)? Also, has anyone been told by a nurse recruiter that you might not be eligible to apply as a newly RN grad anymore because you are currently working at LTC? Or been told that you might not be eligible for the Versant Program because by the next hiring date (assuming feb 2010), it will be past 12 months from your graduation date from nursing school (a program criteria)?

The reason why I am asking is because I had this experience with a nurse recruiter and its really frustrating. I really wanted to work in a hospital setting. The problem is that they wanted experience nurses only. For new grads, they have these criterias which makes it hard for some of us, who have no choice but to work in LTC so that we can pay the bills, to set our foot into their doors.

Please share your experiences.

Thanks for all the response. I understand where all of you guys are coming from. Its just that i'm afraid of putting my 2 months experience in the LTC on my resume because it might not qualify me in the new grad RN program.

You see, the nurse recruiter that I spoke with said that since i'm already working, i'm not considered a new grad anymore. But I am still a new grad because I don't feel confident enough and still lack some clinical experience. So now, even though I work at LTC as part time, whenever I apply to a new grad RN program in some hospitals, I dont put my LTC experience. Also, this nurse recruiter added that by the time they opened their new grad program on feb 2010, it will be past my 12 months from the date of my graduation from nursing school...so it automatically disqualify me into their program according to her. Its not my fault that I couldn't get a job in the hospital. I really wanted to work there but they only wanted experience nurses. And when I told them that I am currently working part time in LTC, she said that its not considered as an experience because its not ACUTE. So I am kinda frustrated with this situation. I don't think I will be applying to that particular hospital anymore and will look at others.

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Specializes in LTC, PCU, Med/Surg, Hospice, OBGYN.

Many hospitals in my area had told me the same thing, when I was looking for hospital work. They said that LTC was not considered acute experience and that I would have to work as a New Grad. Since they were not hiring new grads at that time, I decided to work in a nursing home in the meantime. Well, now that I have gotten a job in PCU at a hospital, my experience as an LTC RN has helped me tremendously. It helps with my assessment, prioritizing, and delegating on the floor. Other nurses have told my preceptor that they were impressed with me and that I am starting strong.

So I don't think working in LTC is something that should be looked at negatively. Keep trying to look for hospital work while you are working even part time or as needed in LTC and maybe they will look at your passion and see that at least you are doing something with your time. It's only my opinion...

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Many nurses, no matter how much experience they have feel like novices when they change specialties. The recruiter forwarned you not to expect an extended orientation and you can use this information to prepare yourself ahead of time. You can try increasing your knowledge about patient conditions, types of surgeries, equipment, medications, anything else you anticipate you may be exposed to in the acute care setting. You can also network by joining a specialty organization and or attending conferences. I think the recruiter is saying it is up to you as a potential employee, to take steps to increase your own comfort level with making the transition from ltc to acute care.

regards

dishes

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LOL.. she always sounds like that in MOST of her posts. i have no idea WHY.. tee hee.

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Hey Thank_You_RN's,

I'm in your boat too since my 1 year mark from graduating is coming up this December.. :cry: I graduated down south and decided to move back here where i'm originally from, which was a BIG MISTAKE!!!! I shoulda stayed but i was too home sick and wasn't really feelin the people or the area i lived in. Anyways, what Versant program will be up in Feb 2010??? I've contacted a lot of hospitals/recruiters and most of them say that the dates are still to be determined. If you can let me know that would be great!!!! Thanks!

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It is a nightmare and very sad to think that all these new grads are not working and treated like they were incompetent.They have their license , educated in an approved nursing school and the hospitals who are hurting for RNs will not hire them just because they are new graduates.They are not IDIOTS,STUPID,MORONS.

If the hospital trains every nurse that they hire for 3 weeks or days or whatever...that training will be the same with the new grads too.If they were able to make it through their nursing school they will have no problem making it here.Those experienced nurses have been new grads too one time in the past haven't they?

so ,this means that they(the experienced nurses) were luckier for being given the chance to start working in a hospital , not BETTER than now new-grads.

It is sad.....

BTW, i am an RN too.

I have a bachelor from overseas but i got my license here right after i came in usa.

I worked for a while as a RN and the experienced nurses where i used to work where incompetent.And i do say this because i was shocked in what a bad condition their knowledge and nursing skills were.YOU WOULD NOT TAKE AN ORAL TEMPERATURE TO A PATIENT WHO IS HAVING SEIZURE, WOULD YOU?

or YOU WOULDN'T LIVE THE PATIENT WITHOUT THE IV BECAUSE YOU HAVE NEVER DONE AN IV BEFORE.What kind of nurse are you then?......ooopssss......EXPERIENCED......THAT WHO YOU ARE.......

SHAME , SHAME ,SHAME,.....

THE LIVE IS PRECIOUS ...YOU HAVE IT ONLY ONE TIME.....AND WE THAT ARE FOLLOWING THE STEPS OF BEING LIFE SAVERS ARE TREATED LIKE INCOMPETENT JUST BECAUSE THE HOSPITAL CARES ABOUT THE TIME AND MONEY SAVING STRATEGIES NOT FOR THEIR PATIENTS LIFE...!!!!

shame ,shame,shame,

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As a new grad here in Cali, the SF bay actually, I thought I'd hit up every hospital.. then if nothing panned out I'd start hitting SNFs. Well I have personally walked into every almost every hospital in the bay area or applied online. I started going city to city everyday dressed up and applying at SNFs. I was shocked at how hard even getting hired at a SNF is right now. In my opinion, I think we should take a job at a SNf or LTC. I would hope that future hospital employers would look at the fact that in this economy we were able to find nursing work no matter where it is as a positive thing. I have many many classmates who are not working or doing various jobs that are in no way related to nursing. While the road to our ideal nursing job might be a longer one I believe we will get there. These are hard times.

I also have an interview tomorrow and a second interview at another facility.. send me some good vibes por favor.

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Specializes in LTC, Medical, Rehab, Psych.

Yeah, I got a job in peds homecare where I get to work with vents/trachs. The pace is pretty slow and in my former career as a non-nursing clinical provider I was pretty used to the faster pace of the hospital. However, the hospital I was working in had a hiring freeze and I unfortunately only applied for peds positions elsewhere, which are pretty popular. Long after I'd figured out that I should've applied everywhere, the jobs were gone. I'm still in contact with a recruiter or two (adult med/surg) but it isn't looking good.

So I'm curious- do you really think the vent/trach experience helps? I am contemplating doing an ADN to BSN program online (maybe Excelsior?) to help my case. I currently have a BS in nutrition and I'm always at a loss as to why this isn't taken seriously, since the degree requires so much more science and has plenty of patient care theory that is applicable around the table. However, it appears that nursing recruiters don't really seem to understand my prior experience; I think they usually assume I ran a trayline in the cafeteria. Or worse- delivered patient trays. I have to explain time and again and I usually run into blank stares. Go figure. Nutritionists work with RNs in every hospital I've ever worked in. And I get that there is a huge culture difference in the work but it's been interesting to me because I've never really felt that the work is well respected and though I hear nurses complain about lack of respect for their own profession, I find that nurses are some of the least respectful in terms of my former trade. Hmmmmmm......

Anyhow, curious if you think the BSN would give me more time (after graduation from that program)? Or is the clinical component the portion that recruiters are most concerned with? And since that part is already completed......?

Good luck to everybody. It's tough out there. And yes, I work with older homecare nurses who've never worked in a hospital. One said she tried but also graduated in a recession that was not quite as bad as this one and was never able to find a way back in. Hard to listen to. I read an article recently (forgive me but I don't remember where) that claimed those who started new careers during a recession historically make less money long-term than those who don't because their initial opportunities are fewer. Funny because part of the reason for my personal decision to become a nurse was to increase my work opportunity. Now I'm clawing my way through to employment and making LESS than before I started school. Times have changed indeed. Not sure what we'll see in the future but I guess I appreciate the positive words, however things go.

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To get through school I am working as a CNA in our local ED. Ultimately, that is where I want to be and hopefully I can just transition into an RN position. For those who may be getting close to new grad status it is one route to look at as far as "foot in the door" is concerned.

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smn2009 is the typical way nurses act and react that entitles "seasoned" nurses to the title of "eating their own young. Constantly snapping, constantly angry although they don't think they are. It's a wonder that they do bedside care! Typing stuff in bold and red. Maybe they're not on the internet enough but generally suggests that they aren't calm, and since red is the color that tends to incite anger and high blood pressure would lead you to believe that her blood pressure has risen! In the general hospital mileu you never see bright read around because it is proven to raise blood pressure. lol. (laugh on line, in case smn2009 doesn't know what that means, since they obviously have no since of online etiquette.)

I'm sorry to be so rude, but I have been a victim of nurse back biting in several institutions. The last institution I left and ended up in a depression because I couldn't get a job with only 8 months experience. And trust me honey, after 6 months many do look at you as seasoned, although by most standards you ARE NOT! I was treated this way in an emergency room coming from a small telemetry unit. After about 6 weeks they started to complain that I was slow! I was thinking, I STILL NEED TRAINING! I'm still unsure of meds to give! I'm still unsure of certain patients, I don't have that 6th sense yet! of course I'm slow! But now it's impossible to get a job even with 1 year experience unless you know someone who can get you in. Being a new grad BLOWS.

I plan on going back to school and hopefully getting into hosptal administration and preventing these backbiting nurses from eating ALL their young and ending up in with more of a shortage of nurses than they ever imagined. The way younger nurses are treated is horrendous! After all my years in college there are many days I regret getting into this field. I don't think it gets any better until after 3 years, or until all the miserable backbiting nurses have retired.

Then again that may never happen because younger nurses after being beat up on by the older nurses are starting to show some of the same characteristics! Look up "i hate nursing" online. You'll see hundreds of new grads and nice people stuck in this mean profession that are sick of it just like I am.

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One of my classmates was in a new grad program that didn't work out for her. While she was looking for a second new grad position she was told that you are no longer a new grad after 12 months out.

I think when this economic downturn is headed back up, the hospitals will be hungry for nurses of any experience again. Right now the nursing shortage is being masked in some places. Hang in there.

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I actually did hear some disturbing news from the hospital I am working at. They say they are only going to hire BSN employees and NOT those who hold an ADN. tsk tsk.

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