UCH New Grad RN residency program?

U.S.A. Colorado

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I just got hired into this program and was wondering if anyone else out here will be starting October 20th - I'm in day surgery!:nurse:

Hi! I'm also starting the UCH new grad in October. I will be working on L&D on their birthing center. Nice to meet you :)

If you don't mind me asking...how was the interview process for the UCH new grad RN residency program. Anything unexpected? What was the starting pay for the program and how are you liking it so far??

Well, I think I had a very atypical interview in comparison to some of my friends, so I'm afraid I can't really help you out there. I interviewed with my would-be manager and educator, although I was technically interviewing for another unit (but still the OR) as well (but the manager wasn't there).

My friends tell me that they interviewed with several charge nurses, managers, and educators from the different units to which they applied.

Does anyone know what the pay rate/benefits look like for the UCH new grad residency program?

I applied to the new grad residency program at UCH that starts this summer. Do they typically hire the techs/aides that finished nursing school and have been working on the units? I know it is extremely competitive. Please let me know your experience with it so far and anything I might need to know :) What was your starting salary, etc.? Thanks so much!! I'm crossing my fingers!

Specializes in None.

Question, even though I wont graduate for another year, I am from Denver, but I am doing a nursing program in another state. Do you guys know if its hard for students from out of state programs to get into this program. Well I should ask what have you heard if you can share its pretty oh pretty please?!??!?!

Specializes in CCRN-CSC.

I interviewed at UCH in May 2009 for the new grad program and will start on July 27. The interview was pretty straightforward. I strongly recommend googling nursing interview questions and practicing your answers beforehand. Come up with some stories you can tell about your nursing experiences that illustrate the kinds of things you want the interviewers to know about you. My panel consisted of a nurse manager, a nurse educator, and an RN. It lasted about 45 minutes. I also suggest that you think about your 'elevator speech' -- what could you say about yourself in a two-minute introduction? What would you say about yourself if they didn't ask you any questions at all? What would stand out? I found these exercises to be very helpful.

UCH starts (as of now) new grads at $22.50/hr with all the normal shift differentials, plus an extremely competitive benefits program. As far as I know, this starting rate is not negotiable. It is one of the strongest nurse residency programs out there, in my opinion, and to me that makes up for any dollar-or-two difference in pay that may exist among UCH and various local hospitals.

I also suggest to anyone who's trying to get into a specific hospital that you pursue an ACP/CA type position within the hospital before you graduate. (This is the terminology used by UCH and TCH, but basically it's just that limbo position between being a CNA and an RN that hospitals often use for students. There are a number of people in my class of new grads who were already working for UCH in this capacity before applying, and it is my sense that it gave them a real leg up.)

Best of luck!

Specializes in public health.

How do you get a ACP/CA position? They don't advertise that on their website....

I interviewed at UCH in May 2009 for the new grad program and will start on July 27. The interview was pretty straightforward. I strongly recommend googling nursing interview questions and practicing your answers beforehand. Come up with some stories you can tell about your nursing experiences that illustrate the kinds of things you want the interviewers to know about you. My panel consisted of a nurse manager, a nurse educator, and an RN. It lasted about 45 minutes. I also suggest that you think about your 'elevator speech' -- what could you say about yourself in a two-minute introduction? What would you say about yourself if they didn't ask you any questions at all? What would stand out? I found these exercises to be very helpful.

UCH starts (as of now) new grads at $22.50/hr with all the normal shift differentials, plus an extremely competitive benefits program. As far as I know, this starting rate is not negotiable. It is one of the strongest nurse residency programs out there, in my opinion, and to me that makes up for any dollar-or-two difference in pay that may exist among UCH and various local hospitals.

I also suggest to anyone who's trying to get into a specific hospital that you pursue an ACP/CA type position within the hospital before you graduate. (This is the terminology used by UCH and TCH, but basically it's just that limbo position between being a CNA and an RN that hospitals often use for students. There are a number of people in my class of new grads who were already working for UCH in this capacity before applying, and it is my sense that it gave them a real leg up.)

Best of luck!

I also suggest to anyone who's trying to get into a specific hospital that you pursue an ACP/CA type position within the hospital before you graduate. (This is the terminology used by UCH and TCH, but basically it's just that limbo position between being a CNA and an RN that hospitals often use for students. There are a number of people in my class of new grads who were already working for UCH in this capacity before applying, and it is my sense that it gave them a real leg up.)

I'll add that you need to do this about a year or more before you are graduating. My program kept telling us "don't work, don't work" so I didn't. By the time I started getting advice on how helpful it would be to be in a hospital, it was 5-6 months to graduation and I couldn't get anything, even after getting my CNA license. I had a classmate who interviewed for the UCH ACP program about 6 months before graduation and she's pretty sure she lost the job when they asked when she was graduating.

Specializes in public health.

so apply after med/surg 1?

Yes, as soon as you can.

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