Peds Hospitals Hiring?

its very difficult, damn near impossible to work in peds as a new grad even here in NJ. i hate med-surg but it looks like i'll have no other choice. hopefully i get into peds in the future,,my passion

there was another thread about this.. search for it and there are plenty of people offering advice on who is hiring.

I know where I work in RI they hire new grads for pedi positions but it's a float position and you are only guaranteed 8 hours a week... they say typical week would be 24 hours but they could cancel you for a shift if they don't need you. Most of the new nurses haven't had much of a problem lately with hours.

My hospital (a children's hospital) is starting to hire again -- not expanding the staff, but replacing people who leave. However, there are lots of applicants for those few available positions. We have the luxury of being able to limit our hiring to those with peds experience and those new grads who have peds experience as a CNA, extern, etc., or who did an extensive senior year preceptorship in peds.

In fact, we are making a few phone calls to our former externs to whom we could not promise a job back in March or April and asking them if they are still available to start in July or August. We know them and view such people as "low-risk hires." They will probably not have any special orientation needs, are known to be good employees, and have already demonstrated an interest in and committment to our hospital. So they are at the top of the list of applicants.

Seattle Children's is Hiring for PACU, PICU, OR and some clinic positions.

I don't know for sure where you are looking, but unless you go to a specialty children's hospital, most standard hospitials have a mixed unit on pediatrics. I work on a floor called pediatrics, but we get overflow. We try to keep it a women's and children's unit. Post partums, gyn surgerys and that kind of thing, but we actually get overflow from all over the hospital.
I have cared for a 3 day old and a geriatric patient in the same day. It is not uncommon. Hospitals are going to put patients where ever there is a bed. The only problem is we are the only floor that takes pediatrics.
I guess my point is that to get experience on med/surg or somewhere else would probably do you some good. Get your feet wet, so to speak.
It would also get you established in a hospital then you could transfer when a position came open. Most pediatric nurses are there because they like it and they stay a long time.
Good luck

My Children's Hospital (Pittsburgh) is only hiring new grads for the ICU's and ER this year.