Cleveland Clinic, University Hospital or Metro for new grads?

nursingpower · Nov 17, 2010

Hi! I am moving to Cleveland in June as a new grad and want to find a job in an ICU. Does anyone have any advice on these hospitals in regard to new grad orientations or critical care internships? Any thoughts on one hospital over the other for a new grad? Or advice on even getting in the door? There are not many jobs posted at this time. I have heard some people say that I should just walk on the floor with my resume in hand and ask to see the nurse manager, has anyone had any luck with this approach? Thanks for any advice or information that you can offer!

I was a new BSN grad and I was hired into the CVICU at CCF. I had no connections. Matter of fact I worked for UH. I posted my resume online at CCF website, a week later I had an interview with 2 managers. ICU and SDU. I figure if I could not get into the ICU I would settle for SDU and reapply/transfer to an ICU after a year of experience but at least I would have my foot in the door. I hired a week after my interview. I had only been out of school for two months at that point. That was back in 2009.

I think with the economy jobs are hard to get because 1. layoffs/budget cuts 2. people know this so they hold onto their jobs 3. its easier to offer xtra hrs than to hire a new person with perks and benefits. (since many RN's work 12-36 hrs).

Walking in with a resume in hand and up to a manager isn't really realistic. Most managers are in meetings, are patrolling the units doing audits, staffing, handling issues etc. They are not even readily available to us which is why they carry pagers and cell phones. This is why they have the HR hiring process because they MAKE TIME for that.

My advice is to have a good resume. List relevant experience and skills (i.e. hospital, nursing, nurse tech, hospital unit secretary, nursing home etc). If you have a good work history that is helpful. Apply for every new grad or ICU position you qualify for. Meaning don't bother applying if it specifically states "at least 1yr exp". If you want ICU keep that at the top of your list but also keep #2 and #3 in mind just in case. Step down units are a good way to learn as a bridge to ICU if that is where you want to go eventually.

Finally don't listen to people saying that you can't get into ICU as a new grad. CCF has a wonderful orientation specifically for NEW GRADS all led by the NURSING EDUCATION DEPARTMENT. If I would have listened to these types of people I would have never made it to where I am now. Been working in the CVICU for almost 2 years and is very efficient at my job. Thousands of people have done it before me and you so don't be discouraged. Just know that it is a learning process that you must be dedicated to.

Good luck.

nursingpower · Nov 17, 2010

It is almost unheard of to get into an ICU as a new grad without doing an internship first. You should broaden your options and honestly take whatever full-time RN job you can get! You can always get a year of experience in and look at transferring later. It is always easiest to just get your foot in the door first.

Unheard of??

I did an ICU rotation (critical care) during my BSN program. Most ADN/BSN INCLUDE internships during the last semester. I did my internship/practicum on a medsurg transplant unit. Not even the ICU!!

I never worked for CCF and don't have any family or close friends there. I just had a great GPA, hospital & pt care experience prior to becoming an RN and I listed my ICU skills, and experience (from practicum) on my resume.

My supervisor hired me because of my presentation of myself during my interview, my work history, my positive attitude and determination to work/learn/excel in the ICU setting.

I do agree with the broadening options. I did apply for ICU and SDU as back up because I also wanted to get my foot in the door. Hell I would have taken a med/surg job if I had to. Luckily I was determined and got what I wanted.

nursingpower · Nov 17, 2010

Are they looking at BSN specifically or for bachelor's degree prepared nurses? My bachelor's degree in psychology afforded me the ability to do substantial health care related research, including writing over 20 papers and participating in multiple clinical studies. Do hospitals consider things liek that when comparing ADN vs BSN graduatse to hire? Would I be looked at higher because of the bachelor's degree in a non-nursing area or would I be looked at the same as a regular ADN grad without a bachelor's degree?
I picked ADN over BSN because it was substantially cheaper and I need an income and a job that provides benefits and so thus I had to get a full-time job and I couldn't do that while doing a 2nd degree BSN.

There are A LOT of ADN RN's in the ICU's. I will say it is more competitive becasue BSN RN's help maintain magnet status. I will say that you can sell yourself by presentation during the interview, experience and resume. And it depends on what you did with you last bachelors degree. In the ICU what they care about it how you treat people (patients/families/coworkers & conflict resolution), your leadership capabilities, ability to used machines/computers and willingness to learn as a new RN grad. If you emphasize on those things I think you will de well.

creativemom, BSN, RN · Nov 17, 2010

Depends on the floor. In many buildings it is realistic to see a Nurse Manager and hand them your resume. I freelance on a lot of floors to get OT since my floor won't offer OT and all of the nurse managers make sure to take time out for anyone that visits them no matter what they are doing. Part of the CCF "Experience".

Of course you still need to go the route of going online to file for the job at the CCF website (and I encourage you to do this if you haven't already) and just keep posting for jobs.

It's a great place to work. I love coming in (even on the hardest days) and I hope you do too!

nursingpower · Nov 17, 2010

Cleveland Clinic (Main Campus) hired me, a new graduate BSN-RN, into an ICU. It is not true that they don't hire new grads into ICUs, in fact, during my interviewing/shadowing process, most people I came across were new grads or were hired into the ICU as a new grad. Nursing is a second career/degree, so that may have helped my case. As for hiring BSNs over ADN, I don't think that's a huge deal. When I was shadowing there were diploma and ADN students also shadowing/being interviewed. I'm pretty sure some of them will get offers as well--the ICU is expanding.
My advice is to check the Cleveland Clinic website, specifically search under "Critical Care" nurses for ICU jobs. Apply for everything. It helps to have done your senior leadership in an ICU (but isn't mandatory--the nurse I shadowed with didn't step foot into an ICU until her interview/shadowing experience, and she was hired as a new grad). Keep your head up and remember--they don't seem to give you a second thought until you've graduated/can put your NCLEX test date on your application. I probably applied there 20 times before I got called. I only got called once I graduated.

I was a week away from testing on my NCLEX before my interview. They had extended me the job offer as a Nurse Associate (lower starting salary) in which I accepted but still had to wait until the next orientation rotation. I took my NCLEX and sent them the info and they changed the offer to RN with new pay changes. I heard that they are really supportive of Nurse Associates until they pass their NCLEX. I had a buddy who I met in orientation (with a non nursing bachelors degree/nursing certification??) who failed her NCLEX the first time around and they continued to work with her, providing her with resources etc. She was there for 2-4 months i think before she finally passed and she was also upgraded to staff rn. She learned a lot as a Nurse associate during that time that made her transition easier.

2126 · Nov 28, 2010

I was a week away from testing on my NCLEX before my interview. They had extended me the job offer as a Nurse Associate (lower starting salary) in which I accepted but still had to wait until the next orientation rotation. I took my NCLEX and sent them the info and they changed the offer to RN with new pay changes. I heard that they are really supportive of Nurse Associates until they pass their NCLEX. I had a buddy who I met in orientation (with a non nursing bachelors degree/nursing certification??) who failed her NCLEX the first time around and they continued to work with her, providing her with resources etc. She was there for 2-4 months i think before she finally passed and she was also upgraded to staff rn. She learned a lot as a Nurse associate during that time that made her transition easier.

Did you already work for Cleveland Clinic? I was told they do 90% of their hiring internally first before they look at outsiders. I was told the same of UH and I don't work for either one of them.

creativemom, BSN, RN · Nov 29, 2010

Like any company, if you work there prior to becoming an RN they will consider you for the position if you apply. But then again if you are a poor worker I've seen SNA's being let go so an outside candidate can be hired.

But what I have learned is that when you are in nursing school you really need to get some type of experience in order to be hired in a hospital setting. The more experience you have the better. Then you can apply for ER, med-surg floor, ICU, NICU, etc.

However I will say that I've also seen RN's with zero experience get hired out of nursing school too.

Sometimes luck plays into it. Sending in your resume when they are actively seeking new RN's to fill the floors.