ATTN: bay area RN new grads.. Were you able to land a new grad job?

CityKat, BSN, RN · Dec 11, 2008

I don't think we can blame the governor, though--I'm sure his advisors have just been telling him "we need more nurses, more nursing professors"--it's like a big secret that new grads can't get jobs. Even in nursing publications, there's hardly ever a mention of the situation. I think everyone wants to believe that nursing is a recession-proof job; the story about the "nursing shortage" is a lot more interesting to report on than a story about a lot of unemployed nurses.

No No, not blaming him. He's seen the power of the united nursing voice. But sadly, he did overlook what the outcome might be if he did what he did. Either that, or he turned the other cheek to it.

I totally agree with you, this is the story most people don't hear about. When I was searching for a job, my friends couldn't figure out why I was unemployed; there was a nursing shortage and it's a recession proof job.

I don't know if I believe that after searching for one year for something, ANYTHING to get my experience.....

CalNevaMimi, LPN, LVN · Dec 11, 2008

Hang in there, CityKat! I'm rooting for you. Check Camino Medical Group. Seems like I see their ads frequently and they don't list a minimum experience level.

CityKat, BSN, RN · Dec 11, 2008

Hang in there, CityKat! I'm rooting for you. Check Camino Medical Group. Seems like I see their ads frequently and they don't list a minimum experience level.

Thank you! I recently found a job with a level 1 trauma center here in the city, but not in the area that I wanted. Do I care? No way! I'll get the experience I need and even more. I love my unit and the nurses and doctors I work with and I'm very excited. I know how hard it is and I only hope that everyone here in the bay area who is searching will hang in there and keep going. It pays off, but it takes time and perseverence. At this time I feel very blessed to have something. I know times will turn around for everyone and this thread will become "old news". Until then....keep going and keep your chins up!! It took me a stitch over a year to find something!!

I hope you have found yourself something, are excited and will do well:)

shodobe · Dec 12, 2008

Thank you! I recently found a job with a level 1 trauma center here in the city, but not in the area that I wanted. Do I care? No way! I'll get the experience I need and even more. I love my unit and the nurses and doctors I work with and I'm very excited. I know how hard it is and I only hope that everyone here in the bay area who is searching will hang in there and keep going. It pays off, but it takes time and perseverence. At this time I feel very blessed to have something. I know times will turn around for everyone and this thread will become "old news". Until then....keep going and keep your chins up!! It took me a stitch over a year to find something!!
I hope you have found yourself something, are excited and will do well:)

Good attitude! This is how everyone that is a new grad should view nursing and have that open mind.

dmskoka · Dec 14, 2008

Wow, so everyone has me super nervous now. I am only completing my pre-reqs to enter into the ABSN program at Sammuel Merritt. But for $50K and not being able to work for a year during school....and then forever apparently after I finish school I am starting to second guess my decision. I have a great paying job now that I like, but my heart is in nursing...but I have responsibilities and bills to pay. I was hoping to pay those much easier when I became a nurse...apparently not. Scary posts!!! I wouldn't be finished with my schooling until Nov of 2010 so maybe by then things will look up. HOPEFULLY!!!

It is scary. I am 42 and have been taking pre reqs since the summer of 2004 and been volunteering since then.. My company att offered us a buyout. I took it taking a leap of faith that I would get in school somewhere in the summer of 2009. I Spoke to Samuel Merritt and they said that I had a good shot.. I have applied to 7 schools ..in and out of California.. after I left my job I saw these posts.. I went to an info session at Samuel Merritt and was thinking the same as you... I think there are jobs but it isn't like I thought it was going to be.. Sounds like the more pushy, flexible the better... With the Samuel Merritt program we cannot do internships it doesn't sound so have to make a good impression in the clinicals.. I have also applied to Arizona.. they have an accelerated program where the tuition is paid and then you work for 1 of 4 hospitals for 3 years.. yes the pay is less but then one could come back to the bay area and then have experience.. It looks like if you have experience and aren't applying to new grad programs then that is a whole different story.. The scary thing is as you said.. getting into so much debt.. With those monthly payments you pretty much want bay area salaries.. The public schools are flooded here.. of course that would be a lot cheaper route.. do what feels best and like all say-- think positive....

liali · Dec 30, 2008

Hi Romantic! I'm sorry to hear that you weren't able to get the Kaiser job:( I'm sure there will be something out there...It's good that you are doing volunteer work though...
I did find something in a good hospital(at least from what I've heard) and in a medsurg dept...the only catch is it's 3 hours away from the Bay Area...and does not pay as much as the hospitals in the Bay Area...but, I reexamined my intentions and why I decided to get into nursing -- to help people. I'm pretty grateful for the opportunity that I was given... I will be back in the Bay though -- my husband isn't happy about the move at all:(
If you are willing to relocate, even for a year or 2 years -- look into hospitals in the Central Valley, or even L.A. It's hard to actually move (I get sad about it sometimes) but, it would be a great learning experience! Try Coalinga State Hospital, Mercy Hospital in Bakersfield, San Joaquin Community Hospital in Bakersfield, Good Sam in L.A...
You will get that dream job! Hang on in there:)

Whatever you do in your search, do NOT apply at Mercy hospital in Bakersfield. This environment is toxic and detrimental to any nurse growth. Any traveler nurse will tell you the same thing. Nurses are paid the lowest in the whole state of california. I do know that travelers do talk and have told their recruiter that they will not return back to this toxic place.

No call off pay. Not in the contract. So when they do not need you, you do not get paid. The pay in Mercy is 27/hour as of January 2009. Yuk. the pay is same for catholic healthcare west sister hospitals in bakersfield(Mercy truxton, Mercy southwest, Bakersfield memorial). Any nurse working there have second jobs in

other hospitals to make ends meet. I am not kidding about this. Sometimes the census is low, they call you off 3 scheduled days off, you get paid 0. Can't live like that. A whole week of 0 salary.

romantic, BSN, RN · Dec 30, 2008

It is scary. I am 42 and have been taking pre reqs since the summer of 2004 and been volunteering since then.. My company att offered us a buyout. I took it taking a leap of faith that I would get in school somewhere in the summer of 2009. I Spoke to Samuel Merritt and they said that I had a good shot.. I have applied to 7 schools ..in and out of California.. after I left my job I saw these posts.. I went to an info session at Samuel Merritt and was thinking the same as you... I think there are jobs but it isn't like I thought it was going to be.. Sounds like the more pushy, flexible the better... With the Samuel Merritt program we cannot do internships it doesn't sound so have to make a good impression in the clinicals.. I have also applied to Arizona.. they have an accelerated program where the tuition is paid and then you work for 1 of 4 hospitals for 3 years.. yes the pay is less but then one could come back to the bay area and then have experience.. It looks like if you have experience and aren't applying to new grad programs then that is a whole different story.. The scary thing is as you said.. getting into so much debt.. With those monthly payments you pretty much want bay area salaries.. The public schools are flooded here.. of course that would be a lot cheaper route.. do what feels best and like all say-- think positive....

You may try to apply for SFSU-Sequoia BSN accelerated nursing program. Though, I think the last date for applications is November 30th.

romantic, BSN, RN · Dec 30, 2008

Whatever you do in your search, do NOT apply at Mercy hospital in Bakersfield. This environment is toxic and detrimental to any nurse growth. Any traveler nurse will tell you the same thing. Nurses are paid the lowest in the whole state of california. I do know that travelers do talk and have told their recruiter that they will not return back to this toxic place.
No call off pay. Not in the contract. So when they do not need you, you do not get paid. The pay in Mercy is 27/hour as of January 2009. Yuk. the pay is same for catholic healthcare west sister hospitals in bakersfield(Mercy truxton, Mercy southwest, Bakersfield memorial). Any nurse working there have second jobs in
other hospitals to make ends meet. I am not kidding about this. Sometimes the census is low, they call you off 3 scheduled days off, you get paid 0. Can't live like that. A whole week of 0 salary.

:heartbeatDear Liali,

Thank you very much for this warning. Unfortunately for some of us, it's quite late. One of my friends has been already made her decision. I can only wish her the best and hope that one day she will come back to Bay Area.

sunray12 · Dec 31, 2008

Whatever you do in your search, do NOT apply at Mercy hospital in Bakersfield. This environment is toxic and detrimental to any nurse growth. Any traveler nurse will tell you the same thing. Nurses are paid the lowest in the whole state of california. I do know that travelers do talk and have told their recruiter that they will not return back to this toxic place.
No call off pay. Not in the contract. So when they do not need you, you do not get paid. The pay in Mercy is 27/hour as of January 2009. Yuk. the pay is same for catholic healthcare west sister hospitals in bakersfield(Mercy truxton, Mercy southwest, Bakersfield memorial). Any nurse working there have second jobs in
other hospitals to make ends meet. I am not kidding about this. Sometimes the census is low, they call you off 3 scheduled days off, you get paid 0. Can't live like that. A whole week of 0 salary.

I don't understand this post given the overall gist of this thread. The call off policy is not a good thing but if nursing jobs are scarce isn't any nursing job better than no nursing job until something better comes along?

blueberrimuffins · Dec 31, 2008

Still in the job search process and it's a little disheartening since many great Bay Area hospitals are canceling their Winter New Grad Training Programs at the last minute due to budget issues. Kaiser has cancelled many of theirs as well as California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. Let's hope this economy picks up soon so that Winter New Grad programs will be back for future December grads!

romantic, BSN, RN · Dec 31, 2008

I don't understand this post given the overall gist of this thread. The call off policy is not a good thing but if nursing jobs are scarce isn't any nursing job better than no nursing job until something better comes along?

You are right, of course. In our situation any nursing job is better than nothing. However, there are cases when this information can be valuable for some of us. Like in the following situation when a person decided to change her part-time job to full time job and later discovers that it is not what she expected or was promised: she was promised a full time job and pay, but the reality barely meets her expectations. Now if you add to this situation that the person had to move from one place to another (SF vs Bakersfield), make arrangements relating to her house, family, -- you would ask yourself a question: Was it worth it?

liali · Dec 31, 2008

You are right, of course. In our situation any nursing job is better than nothing. However, there are cases when this information can be valuable for some of us. Like in the following situation when a person decided to change her part-time job to full time job and later discovers that it is not what she expected or was promised: she was promised a full time job and pay, but the reality barely meets her expectations. Now if you add to this situation that the person had to move from one place to another (SF vs Bakersfield), make arrangements relating to her house, family, -- you would ask yourself a question: Was it worth it?

Originally Posted by sunray12

I don't understand this post given the overall gist of this thread. The call off policy is not a good thing but if nursing jobs are scarce isn't any nursing job better than no nursing job until something better comes along?

I hope you take a look at this with a different perspective. From your comment, you do sound desperate "any nursing jobs is better than nothing". Reality, you have to live and make choices in hard times. If a hospital have a no pay on off-call policy, it is to the hospital advantage. It is not for your advantage. If you are scheduled for 3 days or 4 days a week and they call you off those 4 days a week, are you gaining any thing from this. Hospital wins, you gain zip, o, nothing. You have just given your hours and availability at their disposal. You could have been doing other things for yourself/ your family. But when you are so desperate, hospitals knows this and they can use this to their advantage.

Don't throw your life away so you can just have a job that uses your time with no pay. If that mentality becomes prominent in nursing,

the hospital wins. They control your schedule for their use and at their disposal, and you have nothing.

In the end, retention becomes an issue in the hospital because there are just too many nurses who are just hanging there until something better as you said comes along. Hospital does not pay you, nurses becomes frustrated and patient care suffers. Ask yourself this, do you want to be a patient there in that hospital.