Difficulty landing hospital job as New Grad RN

[MuasRN]

I am a new grad nurse in Minnesota who graduated in Dec 2019, passing my boards. Currently, I hold an ADN and I am enrolled in an RN to BSN program, starting this fall. I did not come from a healthcare background before nursing school. My past work experience is in mortgage/banking, accounting/billing, and laboratory specimen testing. I felt a calling for nursing after my wife and I had our first child. As such, my instructors recommended I work as a CNA in the hospital while in school to secure an RN job once I graduate. But sadly, after many CNA applications, I was denied time and time again. Trying to get a foot in the door, I took a 0.2 FTE housekeeping job at a hospital in town. After graduating, I applied to as many RN jobs I could within the organization as an internal applicant. With COVID-19, it would seem the hospital units are only half full since people are discouraged to come to the ER unless critically ill. Being so, the RNs within the organization are being encouraged to take PTO and some are being furloughed. This translated to a surplus of RNs now and after 3 months of applying and no luck, I decided to accept an offer from a local TCU/LTC facility, and I have been working for 1 month. I still want to work in the hospital (acute care) since I wish to attend graduate school in the future.

Currently, I am working as a housekeeper at the hospital and RN at the TCU/LTC. Is it even worth me keeping my housekeeping job just to have the edge of being an internal applicant? Should I just quit the housekeeping job and focus as much as I can on nursing?

Should I just count my blessings and continue to work both jobs until something opens at the hospital?

How many months of nursing experience at a TCU/LTC will make an applicant more favorable?

Moreover, I sort of lost hope when I applied for a NOC RN position in unit I usually clean as a housekeeper. Though I am more introverted than others, I did talk to the charge nurse regarding the position and coordinated with my manager to recommend me to the nursing manager, but still no luck.

[Jedrnurse, BSN, RN]

Honestly, I'd keep the housekeeping job just for the extra cash, as long as you're not getting too tired to think at the nursing job. (It's also not bad to be in their system if you luck into a nursing job there.)

The old conventional wisdom was to get one year of new grad experience in med-surg before branching out, but that's become 2 years in a lot of places.

It also depends on the things you do in TCU. Nowadays, TCU can be like the med-surg of old, with a lot of different technical skills being used. That can help you overcome the LTC prejudice that you may bump up against when trying to get into a hospital. What level of acuity patients do you deal with?

[Sour Lemon]

I would focus on nursing work and ditch the housekeeping gig. I think it's bizarre that they even hired you as a housekeeper.

You're likely to have a tough road ahead with regard to breaking into acute care, no matter what you do. It may take quite a while for things to return to "normal", and acute care experience will be preferred for acute care positions. If moving is a possibility down the line, that might be something to try if your home market is saturated ...just to get a foot in the door. Until then, I say focus on the LTC position.

[MuasRN]

The residents at the TCU/LTC are a mix of rehabilitative acute and chronic. On the TCU, the majority of the clients are people recovering from surgery, mainly hip surgery. Most days I pass meds, perform wound care, skin assessments, glucose checks, and vitals. Oh, and since the mental health unit is converted into a COVID unit, the TCU is getting new mental health residents also. Moreover, I am an overnight RN and usually the only nurse on staff for two floors, consisting of 35-40 residents. I do get 2 TMAs and 4-5 CNAs to help, but it has been a lot to take and I've been feeling nervous. I feel I am putting my license on the line with so many residents. Thanks for the responses and I will try my best to keep trucking and continue to look. While in nursing school, it seemed it'll be all flowers and rainbows after graduating. Seems another battlefield is in order. HAHA.

[Subee2, BSN, MSN, CRNA]

You are learning good time management skills in LTC which will be a great asset for you I acute care. But you must have not been on AN if you thought you would get a acute care job. Employers want men (they don't get pregnant) and I believe you will have an edge. It's not you. It's the times we live in and too many people competing for th best jobs.

[Queen Tiye, RN]

Go to talent acquisition at your housekeeping job and tell them you are an RN now and would really like the opportunity to join them in realizing their mission. You’ll be in like Flynn. Read about their missions and values and tell them how you’ll help them meet there goals. Tell them that you are a great candidate and site ways in which you wil prove to be an asset.

[speedynurse, ADN, BSN, RN, EMT-P]

Honestly, you sound like a really hard worker if you are willing to work as a housekeeper while licensed as an RN. Before quitting that job, why don’t you try talking to a nurse recruiter at that system?

I agree that getting an acute care job is not easy right now but it sounds like you are willing to start at any acute care job- a lot of nurse recruiters love the fact that a nurse is willing to do any form of acute care. A lot of new grads want only ER or only want ICU....etc.

Don’t give up because again - you sound like a really hard worker and not above doing anything which is a fantastic trait.

[harvestmoon, RN]

I just graduated also (from a MANE program) and our instructors told us to seriously consider working as nursing assistants until the RN jobs roll in. I don't know where in MN you are but there are some Twin City hospitals hiring - Fairview (UofM) has a number of nursing assistant jobs open - and Allina at United Hospital (yuck). Health Partners and HCMC seem to be in freezes right now but Regions everyonceandawhile will have something open. Every single TC hospital has furloughed experienced RNs but LTCs seem to be begging for RNs.