Becoming a more appealing MedSurg RN

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Hi everyone,

So I have been trying to get a medsurg position for a couple of months now and I feel like it is impossible. So it seems that you can get into the medsurg field through a new grad residency or through applying after you have worked a while to a normal medsurg position. However, hiring managers usually want medsurg experience before hiring you. Am I missing something or does it seem that once you're inelligable for a residency, you can't get into medsurg?

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get into the medsurg field?

I have a BSN and have 1 year working as a Psych RN.

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical/Float Pool/Stepdown.

Can you relocate?

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I'm sorry you're having trouble finding a med/surg job?

Around heres its kind of like:

1: do you have a pulse?

2: do you have a current liscense?

3: you seriouslY want to work medsurg?

alright you're hired.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

Yep, ^^^^^ that's the way it is in my part of the world also. MedSurg is normally the highest turnover area in any hospital - they're used to orienting and training new staff. Not hard for an experienced RN to land a MS job.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

Welcome to Allnurses.com! We have moved your thread to the Medical/Surgical Nursing specialty forum with the ultimate goal of accruing more replies. Good luck!

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Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.

Are you only looking in Seattle proper? That may be part of the problem. Try branching out to other hospitals if you already haven't. We have openings all the time, but we aren't close to Seattle and many people don't even know we exist!

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Specializes in CVICU CCRN.

I work with several nurses from the Seattle area with BSNs who had a terrible time trying to get in to acute care over there. Both ended up in SNFs/long term care for the first few years of their careers. They relocated out of the major metro areas and are now in with a good hospital network doing med surg and OR. I know that a couple of hospitals in Seattle have "new to specialty" programs for med surg that are open to experienced nurses as well as new grads. Swedish and Virginia Mason come to mind but I'm not sure what their hiring timelines are like.

Prior to accepting my current position, I had a lot of communication with recruiters at Virginia Mason. They seemed very willing to help and were great about follow up. Also, I've heard hospitals in the south end (Puyallup, Tacoma) are more welcoming to nurses trying to get acute care experience. Franciscan comes to mind. If you can relocate, the hospitals in Eastern Wa seem to always have med surg openings. Best of luck to you!

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Good to know thank you

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