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Discussion

Crazy Agency New Grad Program

Please help!! I'm a new grad with the strangest placement.

So first a little background...After graduating nursing school I had some difficulty finding a job in nyc. I interviewed at A very reputable hospital but was placed on a wait list. Soon after I was contacted by an agency who is partnered with the hospital and offered me a chance to participate in a residency there and work and be trained by the hospital for 14 months. I interviewed for a cardiac step down position. Where I had done my preceptorship in school and where I really wanted to work. The pay was low (18 /hr :banghead: ) but as far as I could tell that was really the only downside. I was hired in November for the cardiac position and was set to start the middle of January.

This is where the trouble starts.. Two weeks into orientation I was pulled out of class and told to call the agency. Surprise actually there is no spot for you on cardiac you are going to work in the Nicu. I told them that I don't have any experience and didn't want to work in peds. But it was clear that this wasn't really my choice. The Agency rep said "I would come to love it". So trying to stay positive I went to the floor for my scheduled shift. They had NO IDEA I WAS COMING. Worse no one wanted to precept me. So I was bounced around from person to person. Switched to nights.. and now finally halfway through orientation I have a preceptor. The hospital is a bit upset because they were promised someone who was interviewed for the nicu. I'm upset because I feel SO OVER MY HEAD and like I have no control over my work. It's not that I hate the NICU. But I know in the last group of Orientees 3 were fired because they couldn't keep up and I'm worried the same will happen to me. I feel like this is the one area where I know absolutely nothing. All that cardiac stuff I spent so much time studying is pretty much useless. I'm progressing, but slowly. Im still kinda uncomfortable holding the kids.

I don't know what to do because it took me so long to find a job as a new grad and I wanted to work for this hospital so badly. I don't blame them it was all the agency's fault. Also I want to take my acute care experience to be transferable to other areas down the line. What can I do with nicu experience? Become an nnp? I called multiple people at the agency but they said that they can't move me. What the heck do I do?

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    Even if NICU is not your long term goal, you have a job, a paycheck, health insurance, and the ability to attend continuing education at this facility and build a work history.

    Do not be afraid to say I need more orientation. Be a sponge and try to learn NICU even if it is not your cup of tea. A year from now you can apply to transfer to another unit, peds or OB would be a related field Please tell me that your are making more than 18/hr now because it is an insult to pay such a low wage to a nurse who is responsible for critically ill premature babies.

    What happenned to you is not unusual anymore. It all changed during the economic down turn in 2008. One hospital had a hiring freeze and therefore no positions for their new grads (former nurse extern scholarship students). So the management put them all in the float pool which was a mess, no one knew what to do with them.

    . Another hospital just put the new grads in every open position without any regard to what they wanted or were best suited to do. I had a new grad who was placed in the CICU who cried every day, hyperventilated, and just wanted to be in ortho or surgical. It progressed to full blown panic attacks, and the management was unconcerned except to hand her written warnings for absenteeism. She is okay now and in a job that suits her.

    These abusive hiring practices are really nothing new, but the low hourly wage certainly is.

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    • Experts

    In short, you go to work each day and do the best you can while being thankful that you have a job. A new opportunity will more easily present itself in the future since you are now chalking up nursing experience, instead of resume-mailing experience.

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    Wow - sounds like you got caught up in an organizational SNAFU. In my part of the world, it's not that unusual for a hospital to hire new grads into a "Float Pool-ish" position if they don't have any department openings. They participate in some sort of transition program and eventually end up in a permanent position when one opens up. Maybe that's what your employer is trying to do. Most of the time, this method actually works very well but is is a pretty complex process that requires close collaboration from a lot of of different folks. If communication and planning isn't done very well, it results in problems like the ones you are experiencing.

    As for the value of NICU experience? There is a convincing amount of evidence in the literature that NICU nurses are among the 'most satisfied' of any specialty. There is much less turnover than other specialties. So, you may end up really liking it & decide that this is your clinical 'home'. If not, critical care skills are very transferable - even if you have to apply them to much bigger patients. The underlying physiology is slightly different in neonates, but all the principles are the same.

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    Im in NYC and I have two years experience in hospital in maternity inpatient. I applied to many hospitals NICU positions...and HR either said I have no experience or had me interview with NICU nurse manager and they told me that I have no experience or that they are considering internal candidates first. I would like to trade positions with you. Obviously these hospitals hire new grads with no experience but a nurse with hospital experience not in NICU also has "no experience" and does not qualify. NYC sucks!

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    • Author

    Aw I feel for you, I hope that you are able to break into the NICU soon. Just a tip check out nyp Cornell, I got moved from the NICU they are gonna have an opening. The people on the floor were amazingly nice it just wasn't for me. Best of luck

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    • Author

    Thanks for the kind words! :) that's very true it was not too long ago that I remember freaking out over not hearing back from anyone. Things have gotten better for sure. Just gotta get that first year.

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    • Author
    Even if NICU is not your long term goal, you have a job, a paycheck, health insurance, and the ability to attend continuing education at this facility and build a work history.

    Please tell me that your are making more than 18/hr now because it is an insult to pay such a low wage to a nurse who is responsible for critically ill premature babies

    These abusive hiring practices are really nothing new, but the low hourly wage certainly is.

    I wish I was offered benifits or health insurance, unfortunately part of the program is forgoing those for the privilege to have a job. I do have an update though! The hospital contacted the head of the agency and bumped me to a renal transplant floor. Again not what I wanted but at least it's adults. I feel like that might be a better spot for a new grad. Still the same salary though.. And now I have to start orientation all over again. :/ what a mess.

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