? re: starting as a new nurse/$/training etc

Nurses General Nursing

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Hi everyone. I am due to graduate in May but I met a couple days ago with a nurse recruiter at the hospital where I want to work. The meeting went well and she explained all of the policies to me and they made sense but I want to bounce it off the more experienced nurses here to see if it sounds good/normal:

Most floors offer/want D-E-N rotations, with waiting lists as long as 2 years to come off of nights. Does that sound normal? That worries me as I am not exactly a young'un coming into this career at closer to 40 than 30...but I understand that if that's the way it is, then there ain't much use fighting it. Plus she is sending my resume off to the NM's saying that I would welcome 12h day and/or eve shifts but that I am hesitant about nights. (I;m aiming for 3 12's a week and I guess that's about 'normal' here) Plus she said if I get an interview on the floor I will get more info about the scheduling etc and see from there if I like it. She advised me NOT to accept a position that I don't feel good about---they lose nurses who take night shifts and really don't want them.

She said that the first week of hire would be classroom training/orientation including a very comprehensive medication test (she gave me the study guide for reference). The second week is three more days of training/orientation and then two days on the floor, and then on the floor after that.

She said that the scheduling is self-scheduling on most floors. How does that seem to work for people? I am guessing it means there is some trading going on, but probably not as much as if self-scheduling was not allowed at all. I totally expect to work holidays. Not a big deal, I think its part-and-parcel of the type of work we do. The policy is every other holiday, every other weekend. Holidays are double pay.

Base pay is 19.50 (days) (She said that is going up before I graduate but wasn't sure yet exactly what it will go up to) The shift diff is .75 for eves and 1. for nights, but there is another 'incentive' (can't call if a shift diff becuase its only for nurses) so that the 'real' diff is 1./eves during the week, 2./nights during the week, 1.25 for weekend days, 2.25 for weekend eves and 3.25 for weekend nights. I'm in western NY. This is a LARGE teaching hospital--its the University of Rochester/ Strong Memorial Hospital. Does that seem like a good starting rate? Right now I make

Nurses can work up the ranks so to speak with a 2-year degree ( what I am working on).After 6 mos you go from level 1 to level 2, with a resulting pay raise. Level 2 takes on charge. Level 3 comes at 3 years and brings preceptorship abilities, and it goes on up from there. I asked and she said it is as attainable for a 2-year degree as it is for a 4-year degree. (And the starting pay seems to be the same for both anyway.)

benefits: I already work there in another capacity so the retirement/dental is what I need and no big deal. Vacation is 25 days a year, PTO is 5 days a year.

I am excited, I had her send my resume to high-risk OB/GYN, Adolescent psych, and the regular Adolescent floor. I figured, I may as well start with what I am interested in, and then go from there. She said that if the NM's are interested, I will meet with them and then set up a time to shadow. There is a preceptorship but I forgot to ask exactly how long. That I will get upon interview.

Oh, and also, I have the choice of starting the position as a GN or holding off my start date until after I pass boards. If I get a position, they will hold it for me if I want.

Now, its still months before I graduate, so she will be sending my resume around often, and looking for positions for me. but I guess its not unusual for students to find jobs before graduation. And I am trying to get my foot in the door early, before all the hard-core recruitment starts, in the hopes of finding a job on the floors I am most interested in.

So how does this deal sound?

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When I graduated as an RN about 10 years ago, I worked a very similar schedule and HATED it! I mean REALLY HATED IT! I didn't last too long and was miserable. You have to ask yourself if you are prepared to rotate shifts so frequently. We rotated every 2 weeks and also worked a combo of 8s and 12s. In addition, every-other-weekend we worked 12s on Fri, Sat, Sun. I'm gettting a HA just thinking about it. :lol2: If you think you can handle it and are interested in the position, you should accept the offer.

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When I graduated as an RN about 10 years ago, I worked a very similar schedule and HATED it! I mean REALLY HATED IT! I didn't last too long and was miserable. You have to ask yourself if you are prepared to rotate shifts so frequently. We rotated every 2 weeks and also worked a combo of 8s and 12s. In addition, every-other-weekend we worked 12s on Fri, Sat, Sun. I'm gettting a HA just thinking about it. :lol2: If you think you can handle it and are interested in the position, you should accept the offer.

Yeah I hear you. I am worried about having to work night shift. Days and eves are easy, I have no trouble with that. Although having never been on my feet for 12h at a time (at least all in once place lol) I am really not going to know how I handle it til I get there. 8's and 12's wouldn't be so bad but I am obligated to work 36h/week minimum because of the tuition program I am in. I only have to work full time for 9 months to satisfy that requirement and then I plan to go to part time if I can.

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i have a friend who works at a children's hospital, they rotate days and nights, with self-scheduling. she loves it. those shift diffs seem low to me. where i work, night shift diff is over $4 an hour, with 20% of your base for weekends. do what you need to do, and best wishes to you.

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i have a friend who works at a children's hospital, they rotate days and nights, with self-scheduling. she loves it. those shift diffs seem low to me. where i work, night shift diff is over $4 an hour, with 20% of your base for weekends. do what you need to do, and best wishes to you.

thanks for the info. I do want to compare a bit and see what is out there. I am thinking of meeting another recruiter at another hospital locally to get an idea of what its like there.

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