Nursing Students, prepare to get a job!!!

gerry79 · May 1, 2008

Great advice! For those who are graduating in 09 try to get your foot in the door. Its hard (but not impossible) to get a hospital job without knowing the manager. For those who aspire to work in a Boston teaching hospital it is especially important to have your foot in the door. Good luck to all and congrats to the 08 grads!!!!!!

A_Simp · May 2, 2008

I too, agree with kittens comments. In addition where I work they are not even considering any outside new RN applicants until they find position for their graduating aides, providing they are in good standing.

lei7 · May 9, 2008

I'm a rising senior at a 4 year university program, and I've applied EVERYWHERE (including your hospital) last summer, this past winter, and this spring.. thankfully, someone on this forum suggested an externship program at North Shore Medical Center, or I'd be stuck still being a CNA at an assisted living facility. The only hospital that ever got back to me was Beverly Hospital, but I thought the externship program seemed like a better/more interesting experience.

I want to be a pedi nurse (particularly pediatric oncology) and I'm already freaking out that I won't be able to get an adult health hospital job, nevermind one related to what I actually want to do. I can't even get a job as a CNA anywhere!

ladybugsea · May 9, 2008

Lei, was that me? Did you get it? Beverly Hosp never got back to me.

Yep, I agree. I'm graduating next weekend, great resume with an externship, very high GPA, MS in another field, and no interviews anywhere. Many of my classmates are CNAs and the hospitals in the Merrimack Valley say they are only hiring their own this year. I can't believe it, I expected not to be working in the specialty that I came to nursing for, but I never thought it would be hard to find a med-surg job!!

Promin · May 10, 2008

Working as a nursing aide may or may not be helpful in obtaining a job at the same hospital. It's very very hard to get a job for new grads in Mass these days. My advise would be not to waste time and to go somewhere else to get experience and money (that's right, if you waste your time looking for a job you are not making any money). There are other placed with much better pay rate, lower cost of living and equipped better then many Mass hospitals. Just don't be afraid of changed. After you gen an initial experience you can always get back to Mass.

karma482 · May 10, 2008

Welcome to my hell. I graduated May 2007, and just now got an interview at a hospital in a telemetry unit, and I think I finally got a hospital job. I'm not psyching myself up yet though, b/c there were 20 applicants for 6 positions. I had to get a job in February as a RN in a urgent care clinic. Now that I might have a job coming up in a hospital I'm going to probably cut back or leave the clinic altogether. I feel really bad, b/c i've been there only 3 months. I have no guts to tell them the truth that I really want a hospital job. I didn't work as an aide, and I truly think this is why I had so much trouble. Our economy is pretty rough though too, so I just don't know. I'm praying the hospital I applied to calls me back and gives me an offer. I've waited a year!!!!

Good luck everyone...you'll need it!:redpinkhe

Promin · May 10, 2008

Because you waited this long you lost:

a. about 60K

b. a year of experience

c. you did not meet new interesting people and places

I really encourage all new grads not to be afraid to move somewhere else for a year or so. There are a lot of places in this country where nurses are in demand and the pay rate is better too.

NabiRN, BSN, RN · May 10, 2008

Curious if nursing schools are preparing new grads for the current job market.

Most of us thought there was a nursing shortage (even in Mass) when I started nursing school in 2005. No one in nursing school would tell us otherwise. Many people were expecting big bonuses.

However, 2008 is different. Some of my friends had to apply to hospitals in Connecticut since they would take graduate nurses and my friends were able to start working before they passed the board. Go outside of Mass as someone suggested here.

karma482 · May 10, 2008

True, but it's not always easy to pick up and leave. Especially when you are married, own a home here, and are pregnant with 1st child...

I think that if you get a degree in this state and pay outrageous tuition, you should have the opportunity to be hired here.

People were so surprised when I told them I couldn't get a job in a hospital...everyone thinks there is a shortage. I think there still is, but only for experienced nurses. Hospitals that wouldn't even call me before, now call and I have only had 3 months experience as a nurse.

gerry79 · May 10, 2008

True, but it's not always easy to pick up and leave. Especially when you are married, own a home here, and are pregnant with 1st child...
I think that if you get a degree in this state and pay outrageous tuition, you should have the opportunity to be hired here.
People were so surprised when I told them I couldn't get a job in a hospital...everyone thinks there is a shortage. I think there still is, but only for experienced nurses. Hospitals that wouldn't even call me before, now call and I have only had 3 months experience as a nurse.

Although I did not have a problem getting a job after graduation (graduated in 07), experience is the key for nurses in the present job market. I have recently turned down offers from other hospitals (Brigham and others), and have been besieged by phone calls from travel agencies with tempting offers. The manager on my floor has 4 positions open but is looking for nurses with a least a year experience. I do believe there is a nursing shortage, but a shortage of experienced nurses.

A few of us asked the manager why she wont hire a pct who just who just graduated and was told that it is not in the budget to hire a new graduate. She did not have it in the budget to pay 2 nurses to do the job of one for close to 6 months. An experienced nurse gets 4 weeks of orientation where as a new nurse gets up to 20 weeks of orientation.

I know its a rough landscape right now for new grads, but hang in there and be persistent. Look for open houses and try to network. I am sure there are some on this forum than can help! Good luck!

PS Beth Israel is opening up a new floor and needs new and experienced nurses. If anyone is interested please feel free to contact me!

Bill E. Rubin · May 11, 2008

Excellent advice from the OP. Like someone else mentioned here, relocation is not an option for me (nor do I want to leave Boston). However, I got a job as an aide a a major Boston teaching hospital and, with a little aggressive networking, got an interview on a unit that had positions opening for new grads and on Friday was offered a job.

I'll add that it may be in your interest to get a job on a specific unit rather than work as an aide in a float pool where you won't be able to make a solid connection with one unit or be able to make a great, lasting impression there. Even if that's not the unit you end up working as a nurse, the people you develop a relationship with on your one unit can be great allies.