Experienced Nurses please need advice for a GN RN on Job Choice

If jobs are slim, working as a nurse in anyway tops getting a job doing something else. A PRN job that you only get 1 shift every 2 weeks would be better than nothing. Working in home care or in a clinic all counts towards something. I have worked many jobs in nursing and some were truly horrible, but in the end, it has sorted itself out. When I started out 10 years ago, they were cutting back on RNs and moving in LPNs. I did home care, agency, retirement home, whatever I could find. You gain experience no matter where you work. Getting a job at Walmart will not do anything for your career advancement. So take what you can get and learn from it. This will help keep you in the loop. If you get to a dead end take an 8 week course in something that you want to do in nursing. This will increase your connections in your field of choice and increase the chance of being hired. Some people get an easy ticket to their career of choice, but not as many as you think. Taking the long way around gives you a better idea of what you do what to do. And what you don't.

All the best on this wonderful trip.

Morning-glory,

Thanks so much for your supportive and thoughful response!

Just like many other new graduate RN's, I am having trouble getting my first hospital job. I have only had 2 hospital interviews in 6 months and have not secured either jobs. However, I did get hired to work as an RN at surgical care center as well as an RN as a private duty nurse. Also, no luck getting a job in nursing home and/or long-term care center so far.

What do all you experienced nurses think? My question is; is it a bad career move to work in an ambulatory center or as a private duty nurse until this economy gets better? I am just nervous and any career advice would be great! Thanks to all nurses in advance for your input!

I don't think it could possibly be a bad career move to take a job at all, rather than not?

I would be inclined to think that the surgical care center is going to give you more "hospital-similar" experience than private duty nursing would. You'll see several patients in a day rather than one (depending on the type of private duty it is, my understanding is that it is caring for one particular patient in a home setting, I could be wrong though?). Not sure exactly what the position at the surgical center entails, there could be several different types of positions, but there is the possibility of starting IV's, giving meds, post op care, etc etc....that, I think, would be more beneficial should a hospital job eventually come your way.

Best of luck!

Not sure why anyone would consider an ambulatory surgical center a 'bad' career move...? You can gain excellent experience in pre-op, post-op and PACU (not to mention the OR if you choose that route). Most ASC's are fast-paced and require a high level of skill and experience to keep up with the rapid patient flow. You may end up enjoying that position so much that you don't want to move on when another 'better' opportunity comes along. After all, there's alot to be said for no week-ends or holidays!

ASC's are not a bad place to get a foothold. A good OR/PACU nurse is worth her weight in gold.

Think real hard about private duty, though...you have a license to protect, and not enough experience to know what trouble looks like in its earliest warning signs. Not said to be ugly, but you just don't have the depth of judgement that 2 or 3 years in patient care will give you. You're liable if anything happens to them and it can be shown that signs and symptoms were present long before you picked up on it.

Good luck.