Advice re: applying for new grad position!

dixiemama · Jan 8, 2009

Around where I live, the hospitals have just started to list their graduate nurse positions on their websites. Some say "graduate nurse" and others say "intern". I did find out that several hospitals don't list theirs until Feb. Call the recruiter at each hospital and ask questions - when will jobs be posted, is there a graduate nurse job fair, what is the committment time for internships. Regular jobs without internships I've seen listed as RN-I. Don't know how hard they are to get, what kind of orientation you get, etc but do know you have to pass boards first for these. One hospital system that has 3 hospitals in different cities already has their intern positions listed -- I applied online and then 2 days later checked the status and it had a "no thanks, have selected other applicants...." Totally bummed. I am applying to multiple positions this weekend online with another hospital - they have a grad nurse job fair at end of Feb but since jobs are posted already, I'm submitting resumes. I keep reading all these posts about it being 6 months after graduation and people still haven't found a job. I am so worried because we have about 8 schools in my area - that is a lot of nursing grads all scrambling for a job at the same time. I was trying to decide what department I wanted to work in but now, I am past that. I will apply for all positions except for the ones I absolutely hate. I NEED a job and can always move into another department that I want more after I have working experience to put on my resume.

Your best bet is just to spend the day on the phone talking to recruiters. I am soooo worried about not getting a job right away!

smile123 · Jan 10, 2009

Hello all!
A lot of people I know are starting to apply for positions now for after graduation (May 2009). However, I'm a bit confused as what to do.
I've looked at the job openings at a number of hospitals in the area, but RN positions all ask for 1-2 years of experience. Should I submit my cover letter/resume with the option not for a specific position, and put new grad RN position as my objective on my resume?
I'm getting very stressed out about applying for jobs - our university does not give us any guidance in this area.
I'm doing my senior practicum at a Children's Hospital in the area, which I am so excited about - working there has been my dream since high school, and the reason I went into nursing in the first place. I'm hoping that I will be able to get a position there after graduation/NCLEX, but it's quite prestigious and a lot of the hospitals in the area are having or have had hiring freezes recently, so I'm not holding my breath.
Any insight or advice would be greatly appreciated, thank you!

Welcome to the world of nursing and the current economy. You are looking for a New Grad Nurse position. Those are usually posted under a different section entirely from the experienced nurse jobs (those ask for 1 to 2 years of experience). New grad nurses have specific programs where they take in new applicants 2 or 3 times a year. Go online and look for "new grad nurse". You can also call up the nurse recruiter and ask (sometimes, they don't list them online but do have those programs). They are usually 10 to 26 weeks in length (depending on the program). You'll be part of a cohort where you meet for 3 or 5 days at the beginning and then once a week for several weeks.

It's great you are doing your senior practicum at the Children's Hospital in your area. Talk to the nurses there on your unit. Find out who the nursing manager or unit supervisor is. Ask them about the possibility of taking a new grad nurse on their unit. You have an "in" because they know you from your practicum vs. someone who has never worked there before. It doesn't hurt to ask and it often pays big dividends (a job!), so be confident in yourself and go for it.

Usually toward the end of the practicum or other student rotation, some of the experienced nurses would meet with us for "lunch" and tell us about the unit and the hospital. Then the nurse recruiter would give her/his pitch of why it would be great to work there. Essentially, they told us we could have a job there on the unit if we wanted it. I'm not sure where you are located, but you can promote yourself and let people know how much you really want to work at that hospital and in that unit.

The other thing is to diversify. Seek out several jobs at different hospitals or different units. Sometimes, there are no openings in a particular dept at the time you want to apply. But they have an opening in a different dept, which may be your second or third choice. If you are really interested in that hospital, take the 2nd or 3rd choice job. It's far easier to transfer after you are in the hospital system (by that time you'll be experienced) than it is to transfer between hospitals (yes, seniority counts in most hospitals).

One of my friends wanted to work in the NICU. But there were no openings in his state. He said he was willing to move and found a position as a new grad nurse in the NICU. It wasn't ideal because he really wanted to be in his home state, but he figured once he had enough experience, he could transfer back. In this case, the NICU area was more important to him than the location. In another case, a woman wanted to stay in the area because her boyfriend was there. She could not find a position in her desired field so she took a position in med/surg (that's usually where the greatest number of positions are). She will need to build up her network in the hospital to transfer to another unit, but she was willing to do that because she wanted to stay in the area.

What I'm saying is that in this economy, you are competing with a lot of new grads for a limited number of positions. You've got to be more assertive and expand your network. Ask your instructors (the ones where you have done well in their classes or clinicals) whether they have any contacts at the local hospitals. Would they be willing to put in a good word for you? Make an introduction for you?

Since you are graduating in May 2009, I would recommend you make a trip during spring break (March?) and set up some times to visit prospective hospitals (especially if you are moving to another area). Then they can put a face with your online application (yes, apply now to get into the system at several hospitals). You can tell them you are going to be out in the area and would they able to arrange an interview? You would be surprised how responsive they will be if they know you are coming to visit them. Good luck! As Obama would say "You can do it!"

Smile123