New grad and rural nursing? How do I go about it?

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Like a lot of new grads, I am having a hard time finding a job. I've applied to over 100 job postings from HFO and no luck. Some people have recommended that I join a nursing agency, but I have read some horror stories where new grads (who somehow managed to get into an agency) make mistakes because they did not get proper orientation.

I heard rural areas are looking for nurses, but I was wondering if they are willing to accept new grads? I tried applying to Health Canada, and in their website, it said it would find placements for nurses in rural communities. I received an email back saying I did not meet the requirements (no experience). This confused me because I thought they needed nurses in rural communities. I have tried applying to many smaller hospitals in rural Ontario, but so far, I have not received any responses.

I don't want to wait forever for a nursing job because I have also heard that employers are less impressed by huge gaps in resumes. How long is too long to wait for a job?

What should my next step be? Continue applying? Are there any other options for me? Relocate?

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

An agency is probably not a good idea for a new grad. You need to be able to hit the ground running with minimal orientation. You need experience so you have your own judgement to fall back on. They do need nurses in rural communities but generally they want experience. What area are you currently in? You may need to relocate .

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I am a new grad, so I don't have any nursing experience (excluding my clinical experience from when I was in school). Is it a good idea to relocate and then find a job in that area? Or is it better to find a job and then move?

Also, I was wondering if working in long term care decreases your chance of getting a position in the hospital? In one of my clinical placements, a lot of the nurses there told me to try getting a hospital position first because a lot of hospitals don't value the skills you obtain in long-term care and don't think the skills could transfer over to the hospital. One of my nurses said all she could ever get were long-term care positions because that is her only experience.

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

Get a job before you move. Actually LTC care gives you really good time management and assessment skills. Do not be afraid to go that route. Many of my classmates worked LTC at first and have since moved on to acute care. You actually get to see a wide range of things in LTC.

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I was in same boat as you last year. Found HFO job at LTC after >200 applications, but felt like I was losing the little hands on skills I had to begin with. So I ended up relocating to different province after couple of month. I am now at a rural health centre, learning new things everyday! The size of my hospital is nothing compared to GTA ones but big enough to have proper training and support from senior nurses. So I guess it really depends on how rural you are willing to go. I don't think you want to be the only nurse working during night shift...

I also tried Health Canada before but they told me they are not looking to hire new grads currently and asked me to get few years of experience first... How are we supposed to get some experience if every job requires experience? I was very frustrated back then. I hope you hear back from someone soon. Good luck!

oh, and I got the job before I moved or even applied for their license. So get the job first like loriangel14 says.

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That's amazing! I've been reading through a bunch of forums about rural nursing and it is something that I am very interested in. I also heard that nurses in rural areas are very supportive and that is also what I am looking for. I have been applying everywhere in Ontario for rural nursing but no such luck yet. Some of the job postings for the rural hospitals indicate that they require some experience or certain certifications/skills that I don't have, but I heard I should apply anyways because they may not find their ideal candidate.

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.

The sad truth right now is that there are dozens of unemployed nurses for every vacancy posted. Employers can be very choosy and they can change their applicant criteria behind the scenes. Ontario is probably the hardest province to get a foot in the door, even as an experienced nurse. Even before things got so tough there, a friend of mine with 15 years of pediatric critical care experience as well as several years as a neurosurgery NP found she couldn't even get an interview. Her military spouse was transferred to Ottawa and she struggled for a long time before she got that first interview. Another thing is that Ontario has probably the highest number of non-union facilities in the country, which means they have little protection for employees and few rules for hiring. That can work to the new grad's benefit... BUT... it can also be a serious disadvantage since they have no oversight and don't have to provide proper orientation or support for new employees. Maybe you need to broaden your horizons and look outside of Ontario.

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Specializes in geriatrics.

If you are willing to apply to small towns in virtually ANY Province, you will likely work part time hours, which amounts to full time because rural facilities are often desperate.

Google hospital websites and health authorities. Don't relocate without the offer though.

HFO is not a viable option. There are too many applicants and stale postings. People weren't really finding work through HFO 7 years ago, and it's more competitive now.

I think I applied to 6 postings on HFO and then applied out of Province. I had no time to waste. I took the first offer in LTC (before I graduated, position waiting) and moved with nothing. I've never regretted my decision.

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Long Term Care is not a bad place to start. Its a very different skills and knowledge thats for sure. When I graduated, I started working as a Case Manager 3 months after graduation. But before that I worked as an undergraduate in LTC, Emergency, Orthopedics, Medical/surgical and did my placement in rural hospital. I was lucky to have a job right away because of references given by my previous managers and colleagues. I wasnt lucky to pass my exam but after finding ways to be back again, I was able to go back to the job I really want to do.

Take your time if you end up in LTC. Everytime you see a job posting, keep applying and most of all keep taking courses that you might need in the future when applying that specific job you want.

I remember my manager telling me that you might be a new graduate but you have taken a course before them. They were 20 years plus experience nurse but they cant start the work unlike you, you have taken it and can start next week.

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That's how I've got my first job, full time in a small rural hospital, as a new grad. Relocation paid and all that. Keep in mind that it is a different type of nursing. You have to be jack-of-all-trades and be ready for anything. Doctors are all locums in rural places, without Canadian education, so be ready to question every order and lots of confrontation and advocacy needed. Risking your license every second. No resources, if your patient is deteriorating you don't have a code team, no respiratory therapy, you are it. Mental health resources suck. Lots of social issues that won't ever be addressed. Staffing is terrible. You'll find yourself running back and forth between a code and an active labour. Very sick kids, with doctors waiting for them to crash before they bother to transfer them to a paediatric centre.

Lots of stuff that is different, but it is nice still. Quite rewarding and you get to live in a beautiful and tranquil place.

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