Question for those graduating in May?

Nursing Students General Students

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I just wanted to ask a couple of things, first I know some of you are in the St. Louis area. Have you toured/interviewed at any hospitals yet? Myself and another classmate did a tour at Barnes, they are offering a cardiology internship amongst others and that is why we toured. I wasnt really impressed and actually rather let down. The recruiter was very nice, but not as well informed about the area/internship as she could of been. I'm not sure what I expected honestly, but here is another question. I have likes and some major dislikes are far as areas/specialities, so I know what I am looking into in that case. I am also touring a few other hospitals. How do you know this is where you want to be? Are you looking at the speciality, the facility, the benefits? What helped make your choice?

I was offered an opportunity to shadow also and will be doing that in March. I am amazed that hospitals are interviewing and hiring, already, those who will graduate in May. I guess this is the norm. I just dont want to make any rush judgement but also dont want to be left out in the cold when it comes to getting into an internship of my choice.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated! By the way, I live right across the river from St. Louis and have made the decision that I will not work in IL. I have been at one hospital for almost 4 years now and it is not for me as a new graduate. I have also done clinicals in several of the other hospitals here, by far my choice is to make the small commute to go to MO.

Thanks in advance!

Channa

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I guess when I wrote this post I didnt realize I made it sound like I only wanted to hear responses from those in the St. Louis area. I appreciate all thoughts on this subject :)

So for those of you graduating...what are your thoughts when finding a position and a facility?

Thanks in advance!

Channa :chuckle

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I can definitely understand your preference to work in MO. I live on the IL side too, but there seem to be far better opportunities across the river. I've never really investigated opportunities at Barnes, but I'll be doing my preceptorship there in the ER starting in just a couple of weeks. Right now I work at St. Louis University Hospital in the cardiovascular surgery ICU. I absolutely love it! SLU is a great place to work in my opinion. You get such a great opportunity to learn there, and I really feel like the hospital staff go out of their way to help you. I've chosen to take a position there following my graduation too. The main reason I chose that was because of the facility. Because I'm ultimately aiming for grad school in a nurse anesthesia program, I wanted to make sure I'm at a hospital where I'll get the kind of valuable learning experience I'll need. SLU also has some good benefits, like their future nurse program which pays a $5000 bonus if you sign on with them for a year while you're still in school.

Wherever you decide to go, you're right to start looking now. SLU has already begun hiring for new May grads, and if you wait too long you may not get the choice you want. Good luck to you Channa!:roll

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Louise,

Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts..and advice!

I went yesterday and toured SLU, I liked it from the moment I met the nurse manager that was giving the tour. Her name is Rita and she is the nurse manager from the 8th floor, she was taking Stacey's (the 9S acting manager) place while she is out sick for the rest of the week. I liked the facility and everyone was so friendly! The internship program, benefits are great! I was so excited. I was there touring and interested in the perioperative program, which at this time has no openings, I am also interested in critical care. The recruiter mentioned 9 ICU but said Stacey would be contacting me when she returns. So since I dont work there, but have 2 classmates and a next door neighbor who do,will you give me the scoop about the different ICUs. Is there any particular floor I should avoid? I did tell them I am not interested in Neuro.

I am going to preceptor on the 9S cardiac floor after spring break. I hope this gives me a better idea about what to expect from this type of floor and the hospital too.

A few weeks back I also toured Cardinal Glennons NICU and will be shadowing over spring break. I really havent made any definate decisions but know I need to soon! I am also no longer working at St. E's in Belleville, after almost 4 yrs on their cardiac floor, the PRN policy was revised and with school and precepting I cannot get enough time in to fulfill their needs. I did get some awesome experience though!!

Thank you so much for responding! I am eager to graduate but cautious about jumping into a position I dont feel 100% about!!

Channa :D

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Oh neat! You talked with Rita. Was her last name Wunderlich (sp?)? If so, I know her....she's a really neat person, and very very smart. She used to be an instructor at SIUE (where I go to school) & now she's an instructor at SLU in addition to being a nurse manager at SLUH. Anyway, about the different units and floors, before I worked where I am now (on 7ICU) I was a float, which was really a great experience because I got to really check out a lot of different areas of the hospital and see what really interested me.

It's funny you would mention neuro, because that was actually just about my favorite place to float to. 5ICU is the neuro ICU, and I always enjoyed it there. 5S is a neuro and renal surgery floor, and the NOR is on 5S too. The NOR is a 4 bed stepdown unit from 5ICU. I've worked in there pretty often, and I liked it a lot too. I have friends who work on 8ICU which is the trauma unit, and on 9ICU which is a cardiovascular medicine ICU. I've floated to 9I but not to 8I. My friends that work there really like it though, and say that they're getting great experience where they are too. 9S I believe is the telemetry floor, isn't it? Floated there once, but I don't remember really well. The only area I didn't like was the oncology ward (can't remember what floor that is though off hand). The people there were great and all, but working with oncology patients is just not for me. It is way too heartbreaking for my tender heart. Besides that, everyone is on neutropenic precautions, and it seems like everytime I floated there I had a sore throat so I had to wear one of those duck-bill masks whenever I went in with patients. Hate those things...feel like I'm suffocating in them.

Working on 9S will give you some great experience, and if you have the chance to go for a job on 9ICU I would definitely jump at it!

Cardinal Glennon is great too. I did my peds clinicals there and I have a couple friends who work there too. I was going to take a job there before I went to SLU, but I decided that pediatric experience wasn't really what I need right now. Would be a great place to work though.

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Specializes in medical/telemetry/IR.

You guys might also want to visit the floor/hospital talk to some of the nurses there. ask how they like it, how long they have been there, was the nurse/patient ratio is. If they are all newbies, less than 1-2 years there that should raise a flag for you. If the majority of the stafff have been there a long time , over 5 years then that should tell you something.

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