How to get into med surg?

Specialties Med-Surg

Published

  • by JZ_RN
    Specializes in Oncology.

Long story short- new grad, couldn't get a job any place but LTC. I HATE my ltc job. I want in a hospital. I got my RN so I could work in a hospital. How can I get from my 8 months on LTC to a hospital job? I am currently getting my BSN as well. No one wants to give me a chance it seems.

tokmom, BSN, RN

4,568 Posts

Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.

Keep applying and applying and applying. Call the manager on the med/surg floor and let them know you exist.

Personally drop off your resume to the manager and make yourself known.

Good luck and keep the faith.

JacAn001, BSN

139 Posts

Specializes in CMSRN.

Would it be possible for you get in by registering with a staffing agency and request a few shifts on a Med Surg Ward? Giving you experience as well as possible contacts?

RNLady115

15 Posts

Long story short- new grad, couldn't get a job any place but LTC. I HATE my ltc job. I want in a hospital. I got my RN so I could work in a hospital. How can I get from my 8 months on LTC to a hospital job? I am currently getting my BSN as well. No one wants to give me a chance it seems.

I've got about 2 years of Med/Surg experience on me, and I was lucky in that I went to a hospital-based diploma school so finding jobs was a part of the perk upon licensure. My best advice to you is to contact the nurse manager directly. If you really want to work on a unit, you could always call the unit you are interested in, and get the nurse manager's telephone # or email (you could always make up a story saying you wanted to write the NM an email praising the quality of care your grandma got or something to get it if they don't want to give it out willingly). Better yet, just walk up on the unit looking super nice and professional, see them face to face, and hand them your resume.

I'm currently looking at other areas of nursing (I'm somewhat satisfied doing what I'm doing now, just ready for a career advancement into something either informatics or critical care). Anyway, my lesson learned the past month is that recruiters are for the most part worthless and they take forever to get back to you, if they even do at all.

Would you be willing to move away from your area? Is your RN-BS an online thing where you have some freedom to move further away? Try looking at not-for-profit health systems as opposed to universities. It's like pulling teeth for me to get a response from major universities right now (which is surprising, b/c I'm in an RN-BS program too).

Best of luck to you! Give us an update when you hear something!

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