Pre-Grad placement

[relaxingbath]

Today my class was given our assignments for pregrad I have been placed in an ER very excited but also very nervous. This has made me wonder what the role of RPNs (in Ontario) in the ER environment actually is? Can anyone give me an idea of what to expect, what my role will involve and what skills beyond head to toe assessments I should brush up on before I start. I want to give a good impression on my first day and as I've never been a patient in an ER I have no idea what to expect.

Thanks in advance.

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

It's not you. New grads and experienced nurses have been facing a tough market for 7 years. Numerous applicants, few jobs across the country except rural areas where most don't want to be.

Schools need to be honest about the market. But of course, they want your money. And unless you've already applied to a position online, most managers won't see you in person. Unless there's a posting up, they can't hire. It used to be more flexible but that was prior to 2008 and all the cuts.

Keep applying for any nursing position, regardless of specialty or FTE.

[relaxingbath]

Woohoo just been offered a casual pt job in gerontology, not my ideal job but it might open some internal jobs prospects.

[vintage_RN, BSN, RN]

Congrats!!! Hang in there, once you're in the door it is much easier to move around to other areas :)

[UNB_RN]

Woohoo just been offered a casual pt job in gerontology, not my ideal job but it might open some internal jobs prospects.

Congratulations.. Did your visits to HR/Manager made it work?

[relaxingbath]

No this was purely through website application. I have tried to see managers for hospitals in the cambridge/K+W area but they seem to rely on a HR recruiter. K+W recruiter is at the main grand river hospital not Freeport site (mistake I learned the hard way). Cambridge has just changed the person in that position and they are due to start on Monday. Brantford and Hamilton again only really doing hiring through the HR departments just need to talk to right person for the area you want to work in. The few managers that I have been able to talk to have been positive and very nice unfortunately they are not in a position to offer jobs at the moment.

I can't say going to see managers won't help but to me it has felt like I was doing something, instead of sitting around waiting on the daily rejection emails.