Did you start at a nursing home?

suzanne4, RN · Jul 21, 2006

If you sign a contract for a nursing home, you are there for minimum of two years. Remember that the time for starting the contract only goes into effect when you have passed the NCLEX exam. Many nursing homes will bring you over after you have passed CGFNS exam, but then you find out that they did not even register you with the state for licensure. So then, you will need to add about six months plus on to the actual contract.

And the LTC is not considered acute care experience, so you will be starting over as essentially a new grad if you decide to change over to a hospital after your contract is completed.

loved · Jul 21, 2006

Thank you Suzanne4.

It seems this year's market is not as good as last year. I went to a job fair and I found that most of the hospitals did not sponsor (they used to sponsor but not any more). I found a nursing home did sponsor and it did not ask for a contract. So I figure that might be a reliable place to go (I am thinking that since it is not as big as a hospital, it might be more efficient in terms of handling paper work.)

suzanne4, RN · Jul 21, 2006

Wrong. The paperwork is done by an immigration attorney and not the facility. They only have to submit a couple of things to the attorney.

Where do you live, or I should say, where do you want to work?

Not all facilities advertise at each and every job fair. They have to pay a fee to do so, and there are more fairs coming out each year. Do not rely on what you were told at one fair.

And what is the patient ratio that you will be responsible for?

loved · Jul 22, 2006

i live in new york area. the ratio is about 1:22. i have not seriouly engaged in job searching yet, but the general picture is not so optimistic.

starbin, BSN, RN · Jul 23, 2006

i live in new york area. the ratio is about 1:22. i have not seriouly engaged in job searching yet, but the general picture is not so optimistic.

I started my job in a nursing home(as a foreign graduate RN). I went to the nursing home because it was close to my home, it sponsored me and I thought probably it will be easier to adjust in work..but........

The first two weeks I was assigned with an LPN and the third week I was on my own, responsible for 31 patients. The workload is overwhelming, you hardly have time to think about food, forget about eating. If I distribute my time equally, I will have 15 minutes for one patient (we call them resident) in my whole 8 hours long shift.

In addition to your nursing asessment, analysis, planning, intervention and evaluation you will do...alot of paperwork and non nursing things.

Please PM me if you want to know in detail about the works you are supposed to do in Nursing homes.

loved · Jul 25, 2006

Oh...my.

How about your green application process? Did they give you hard time about that? How about contract? How long had you been working there? When you later moved to an acute setting, were you able to adjust fast?

suzanne4, RN · Jul 25, 2006

I started my job in a nursing home(as a foreign graduate RN). I went to the nursing home because it was close to my home, it sponsored me and I thought probably it will be easier to adjust in work..but........
The first two weeks I was assigned with an LPN and the third week I was on my own, responsible for 31 patients. The workload is overwhelming, you hardly have time to think about food, forget about eating. If I distribute my time equally, I will have 15 minutes for one patient (we call them resident) in my whole 8 hours long shift.
In addition to your nursing asessment, analysis, planning, intervention and evaluation you will do...alot of paperwork and non nursing things.
Please PM me if you want to know in detail about the works you are supposed to do in Nursing homes.

Thanks for sharing what it is really like. When it comes from someone that actually has to do what I have been saying, it may dig into someone's brain.

loved · Jul 26, 2006

It is not like people have choices all the time. I am sure that if there is a chance, a lot of people would rather start at an acute setting. But many times, the reality is not so ideal.

suzanne4, RN · Jul 26, 2006

It is not like people have choices all the time. I am sure that if there is a chance, a lot of people would rather start at an acute setting. But many times, the reality is not so ideal.

Sorry, but they do have choices all of the time, and so do you. You will be getting a green card, which gives you permanent resident status, rmember that. And do not settle for less.

And if you really look, you can start in an acute care setting.

starbin, BSN, RN · Jul 26, 2006

Oh...my.
How about your green application process? Did they give you hard time about that? How about contract? How long had you been working there? When you later moved to an acute setting, were you able to adjust fast?

Fortunately, my DON is very nice and co-operative. They didn't give me hard time with the petitioning. They just had to put a notice of job availability for 10 business days. Other than that my lawyer had prepared everything they just signed it. I had to pay for the lawyer and the USCIS fees but in exchange I got no contract. I started there 3 months ago, so eventhough i don't have contract I don't feel comfortable leaving that employer at this time. I want to continue for at least six months...it will make my CV good.

I have many friends who had worked in the nursing home before and switched to the hospital after two years(2 years because they had contract with the facility). They said they were doing fine in the hospital....I think it won't be difficult to adjust in the hospital..but probably you will have to go through the same orientation process as new grads.

loved · Aug 3, 2006

That is great. Did you try to look for jobs at hospitals? I will be taking my NCLEX in two months. I got a list of hospitals in my area. I am thinking about starting call these hospitals sometime next months and just get a general idea of what hospitals will petition international nurses. Then when I pass my NCLEX I will just send my resume to those hospitals. What do you think?