Considered a "new grad" until US experienced?!

misswoosie · Feb 15, 2009

I have been offered a co-ordinator post at CMC Northeast in Concord and didn't get told this, although it was before they were part of CMC and almost 3 years ago.

Ginger's Mom, MSN, RN · Feb 16, 2009

You are considered a new graduate for the first year or two depending on the market. This is depends on the economics. Taking an inexperienced nurse is expensive.

suzanne4, RN · Feb 16, 2009

You only qualified less than 6 months ago, so you would be a new grad. And if you did not do your training in the US, then you would be considered a new grad when you returned.

Someone that has years of experience such as the 20 that you have mentioned would not be considered a new grad, but usually they are not brought in at the pay scale for someone with that many years to start off with.

If you have not worked in the role of the RN, then whatever you have done in the hospital setting does not count towards anything when determining experience in an area.

And most of the NICUs in the US are more towards the Level III category, and therefore you would be a new grad just based on that since you do not have experience in that level of nursing.

The other item that you need to be aware of, you did your training out of the US, therefore you will always be considered a foreign grad. With the economy the way that it is right now, even new grads that are American are having problems getting hired for new grad programs in many areas. Licensure and immigration are two very different things.

Have you actually gone thru the licensing process for this state as well? You will have to meet all of the additional requirements as that of someone that trained out of the US. Not sure if you are aware of this as well.

allnurses Guide · Feb 16, 2009

I had 11 years of experience when I left Australia for the US, and I earn about the same as I did in Australia. I was definitely not treated as a new grad. I did do my CCRN exam as soon as I got here to validate my experience and knowledge with a local certification.

suzanne4, RN · Feb 16, 2009

The nurse above is speaking of the world of the NICU, even with two years of experience in that area, one is almost a new grad. It usually takes about five years in that area to feel really comfortable with things. Even in the world of travel nursing, do not know of one facility that will accept a travel nurse with less than five years of experience in this field.

This is where the differences come in.

As well as the fact that the markets are tight all over the country for new grads. And eleven years is not the same as a year or two in any specialty area.

allnurses Guide · Feb 16, 2009

Actually, the OP asked "Did you experienced nurses get treated as new grads upon moving to the US?", which is the post I answered.

suzanne4, RN · Feb 16, 2009

And I did not have a chance to post this until now; you were given credit for each year that you worked in Oz by your facility. But this is routinely not the case in most facilities. The majority are going to start the nurse at pay that is for 1/2 of the years that they have completed work in other countries; even at union hospitals since the work was out of the US.

suzanne4, RN · Feb 16, 2009

One to two years of experience out of the US is always going to be treated as a new grad until they are fully assessed, etc. once they begin to work. They still get the same orientation that a new grad from the US gets.

MandaAnda · Feb 16, 2009

Fair enough, I suppose. However, I think it's a bit silly to try to get my clinical instructors to fill in references after I will have been working as a RN for around two years. Certainly, getting a couple of the senior nurses on my unit to give me references makes much more sense.

As for the Level III stuff, I'm (hopefully) taking my neonatal course in September, which is taught at Level III (before the neonatal networks were organised in the UK, my unit was a Level III - it is now classified as a Level II, but we still occasionally "do" Level III things).

As for licensure with the particular State, I have started the CES process and am waiting for that to be completed so that I know whether I can take the N-CLEX straight away.

And of course I'm aware that I'm considered a foreign graduate and that licensure and immigration are two different things. I think that was evident in my original post (I was asking for personal experience, not advice on licensure [which I've already got the ball rolling myself] or immigration [which is not an issue for me]).

suzanne4, RN · Feb 16, 2009

I have worked in the NICU arena for years as well as did transport. Anyone coming to the unit that trained and worked out of the country went thru the new grad program in the unit. And this was anyone with even two years of experience. And this happened in various Level III units in multiple states thru the years.

That is why I am trying to give you specifics as to what I have seen as well as done. NICUs are also in a world of their own as well and very different from other types of critical care areas.

Best of luck to you.

And yes, you are going to be expected to get references from your manager as well as supervisors; that is not a problem and what will be expected. We are speaking of new grad in terms of hospita orientation as well as orientation as to how things will be done in that unit. Your pay will normally begin at the new grad level or at 1/2 of the years worked until you havre completed your orientation at least and they determine your skill level. This is what I have been trying to explain to you, it has nothing to do with references from your school.

MandaAnda · Feb 16, 2009

Thank you. It's frustrating when someone just starts giving information but doesn't give their background as to how they know that specific information, so thank you for clearing up that you have worked in this area of nursing.

And the reason why I mentioned the references from my school is because that is what I was told I'd need (as said in my original post) - they'd actually e-mailed me back with an attachment for clinical instructors to fill in. I'm happy to be considered a new grad in terms of new to the US and for them to assess my skill level, but I did think that them asking that a clinical instructor fill in a clinical reference well after me qualifying was a bit OTT. Getting them from current managers/senior nurses only makes sense.