Working for Indian Health Service and Travel Nursing

Specialties Travel

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Hi everyone. I am a graduate Registered Nurse and I have been trying to get that first year of hospital experience bc I plan to travel nurse. Unfortunately I live in NY and the hospitals here are not taking new grads at all. I have looked into Indian Health Service because they take new grads, but I'm a little concerned that it won't be enough for the agencies to consider me for a travel nurse position in another yr or so. Should I not waste my time and just keep looking for a regular hospital job in a specialty? Any feed back is appreciated! Thank you!

depends on what type of job you will have with them. In NM they had hosp far removed from the cities that doctors and nurses would work at, and they would have ERs, and inpt floors-although big surgeries would be referred out to us.

Usually they will only refer you out to the area that you have your one year experience in-so if you work med-surg for that year, then you could only travel doing med surg, etc.

by far the most demand and highest paid for travel has been OR and L&D as far as I have seen.

good luck

NedRN

1 Article; 5,773 Posts

I don't know what the IHS offers new grads, but nothing really tops a couple years at a teaching hospital for learning most specialties. Looks better on the resume/work history too.

eve1385

4 Posts

Thank you guys for the replies. I would prob be doing the four corners regional center in Teec Nos Pos. The place includes ambulatory care services like family medicine, internal medicine, mental health, diabetes education, health promotion/disease prevention, etc.. I think they also have an ED too. I'm not sure if that would really count towards good experience.

Nedrn- Ya I know that would def be the best option! The only problem is its really hard to find a teaching hospital that will take new grads with an associates :(

niteguy65

22 Posts

If you are looking for expirence and not able to find a job I do not know how old you are but there is an options that many new grads have not considered and that is the Military on a military base you will get all the expirence that you could want and it is not as bad as people make it out to be, but if you pick the right branch you can be out of harm's way and you get to work with some of the areas that you would not as a new grad. As for the working for IHS it is a very nice job and it depends where you work at, some have some very nice hospitals and the expirence is expirence and that is what the hospitals are looking for.

laidback14

5 Posts

experience.

Nurse Maloy

4 Posts

I am also looking at Arizona or NM to help pay Loan Forgiveness. I am presently working at a hospital that does take on new grads although I did have 4 months at a nursing home post graduation. So maybe I will see you down at the Four Corners some day!!! All experience is good in my opinion. I just graduated a little under a year ago.

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