Clinicals, and Job Offers

loriangel14, RN · Dec 4, 2011

It happened to me. I did my final 3 month consolidation at a hospital and was hired to work there about 3 weeks before I was done consolidation.

If it's where you want to work then doing a clinical placement there is a great way to make connections and make a favorable impression.

mindlor · Dec 4, 2011

yes I have known many cases where this is true

sj73201, BSN, RN · Dec 4, 2011

thanks for replying...

how were you able to make connections? was it through your preceptor, or did you have some contact with the nurse manager?

our last clinical (leadership) is only 120 hrs and 5 weeks! wish it was as long as yours!

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Dec 4, 2011

It is definitely true. I got my job because I completed 2 clinicals on my floor and the other people I started with did as well. The 2 people we hired this year either did clinical with us or worked in aide positions. Almost all the nurses I work with (especially the ones who've been hired in the past few years) had some connection to the floor before being hired as an RN.

sj73201, BSN, RN · Dec 4, 2011

thanks guys, that's good to know.

the hospital i am talking about i've done ob, peds, & psych there. thing is, it is a part of a nurse residency program so i would still have to compete with hundreds of others! & they keep their own people....there are a couple of aides from that hospital, who've done their nurse externship as well....so they basically have job offers after graduation!

netglow, ASN, RN · Dec 4, 2011

It doesn't hurt to try. In my area hospitals this does not happen. It may have used to years and years ago, but the hospitals don't follow through now.

Two clinical rotation hospitals told the students in my class that they would not consider new graduates (on the last day of clinical at a little pizza party ...how nice. Have a slice and don 't come back)

A third actually had RNs precepting tell students to just call once licensed and they would be rec for jobs, many were even told to pre-apply. Not a soul was hired. One fellow student told me she called the Manager and the RN who told her to call (they gave her their phone numbers, she didn't even ask for the numbers) and both abruptly acted like they didn't know her, even after reminding them, and stated they knew of no opportunities and hung up. Boy, all of the students at that clinical site were floored, I remember being jealous that they practically had offers the last week of school! But, really, that was by far the crappiest thing to do to a student in a down economy.

Cuddleswithpuddles · Dec 4, 2011

Yes, absolutely true for my class and I am hoping will be true for me in a week's time.

I recently interviewed with the hospital I did my preceptorship in. Every person in my clinical group who has applied has been hired very quickly, and the director and managers have given very favorable signs that I will join them. Fingers crossed.

Even without my personal anecdote, it just makes sense to do this. Between two equally qualified new grad candidates, it makes sense to prefer someone who is already familiar with the hospital, knows their way around the charting system and may even be commended by a staff nurse.

Cuddleswithpuddles · Dec 4, 2011

It doesn't hurt to try. In my area hospitals this does not happen. It may have used to years and years ago, but the hospitals don't follow through now.
Two clinical rotation hospitals told the students in my class that they would not consider new graduates (on the last day of clinical at a little pizza party ...how nice. Have a slice and don 't come back)
A third actually had RNs precepting tell students to just call once licensed and they would be rec for jobs, many were even told to pre-apply. Not a soul was hired. One fellow student told me she called the Manager and the RN who told her to call (they gave her their phone numbers, she didn't even ask for the numbers) and both abruptly acted like they didn't know her, even after reminding them, and stated they knew of no opportunities and hung up. Boy, all of the students at that clinical site were floored, I remember being jealous that they practically had offers the last week of school! But, really, that was by far the crappiest thing to do to a student in a down economy.

Damn! Ouch. :eek:

Do you have any idea why the preceptorship hospital did that? Did the hospital stop hiring new graduates altogether?

netglow, ASN, RN · Dec 4, 2011

I figure it's that so many favors to be returned, so few new grad positions. It's all who you know here, it's the mafia.

Oh, and i should say that several schools had clinicals at these hospitals. So, I cannot speak for every student who had a clinical there. But, I can say those that worked as techs at these places were passed over as well.

Double-Helix, BSN, RN · Dec 4, 2011

It's definately true, IF the nurse did an excellent job during clinicals. Hospitals like to hire people that they have observed working in clinicals. It gives them a better idea of what kind of employee they will be. If you were a manager, who would you rather hire? The applicant from an unknown school you have never met before, or the applicant from a school you are familiar with, whose clinical performance, attendance, and professionalism you have witnessed as a student?

The opposite of this is a student that goofs off, is lazy or disrespectful during clinicals. It works both ways, and these students are hurting their chances of being hired.

allnurses Guide · Dec 4, 2011

Not so much true around here. One girl is getting hired at the place we had clinicals at. The rest of the class getting hired (about half of us have at this point) either got interviews based on working in an acute care setting during nursing school, having an externship there or based on knowing someone on the inside/connections. Very few getting hired at the actual clinical sites due to having clinicals there. I think it probably just depends on the facility and what is available in terms of new grad openings.