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Discussion

Finding the perfect job?!?

I am a new nurse graduate that is re-locating to Carrollton, Texas within the next month. I have a 7-month-old daughter and am wanting to maximize my time with her and avoid childcare. In order to make this happen, I want to work Saturday and Sunday nights only. I also have my heart set on working in any type of ICU. I am aware of the Baylor Medical Center TDA positions, but I was wondering if I might also be able to find these same working hours at other hospitals?

Can anyone give me advice? What is the likelihood that I will find something soon that meets these goals? Thank you!

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    • Featured Replies

    • Experts

    Carrollton is located in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) area. Jobs in this area are becoming increasingly harder for new grads to find because of several factors.

    First of all, many nurses are moving to the DFW area from out of state, which is saturating the local job market with too many nurses. Secondly, there are many nursing schools in and around the DFW area that churn new graduate nurses into the local job market every few months. Third, hospital census is down because less people are opting to have elective procedures performed, more people are unemployed and uninsured due to the economy, and people are generally shying away from healthcare facilities unless it is an absolute emergency. Lastly, there are plenty of experienced nurses in the area who can hit the ground running without orientation or expensive training.

    It is not about finding the perfect job in this slumping economy. It is about finding any nursing job.

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    As a new grad, you will need extensive training in order to be fully functional, particularly in an ICU. Part time positions do not allow sufficient time for this to happen. Therefore, hospitals generally reserve those types of positions to their more valuable, seasoned nurses. In many instances, there is a waiting list for them.

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    • Experts

    Few people step right out of school and into their ideal "dream job." Most people have to develop their careers over time. We do things we don't want to do in order to develop the opportunities to do what we really want to do.

    I'm thinking of making that my new tag line as there are so many people who don't seem to realize that.

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    I'm gonna be really honest with you.

    As a NEW GRAD nurse, you simply don't know what you don't know. And you are setting yourself up for failure going straight to an ICU (on a weekend option no less) straight out of nursing school.

    More and more hospitals are starting to realize this. There is no longer a nursing shortage and hospitals are having their pick of applicants. Instead of focusing on the "dream job", maybe you should focus on just getting a nursing job period that will allow you to grow as a nurse.

    Maybe, in a couple of years, you will be prepared for an ICU and you can get that weekend option. I doubt very seriously you will be able to land such a position straight out of nursing school.

    And this is coming from someone who started off in an ICU STRAIGHT OUT OF NURSING SCHOOL! And guess what? I lasted all of 6 months before I opted to transfer to the ER and get that weekend alt position.

    And this by far is not my "dream" job. Still got a couple more years before I see it.

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    • Author

    Thank you for the feedback about the competition for nursing jobs in the Dallas/FtWorth area. This does make me nervous.

    I may have left the impression that I am a recent college grad looking for my dream job as a 22-year-old right out of school. This is not the case. I received my first bachelor's degree in Biology, my Master's degree in Nutritional Sciences, am a Registered Dietitian, and went back through the Accelerated Bachelor's of Nursing program as a "second career." I have worked in the healthcare field and as a nutrition professor for years. I do realize that there is a lot I do not know about nursing. However, I have also been through the rodeo of "take the first job that comes, just to get a job" type mentality and that landed me in a miserable position. In my second career, I do not want this kind of job and I am frankly determined not to get it. Working in the ICU is not my "dream nursing job," either. It is where I want to start. My dream job is to work as a Nurse Practitioner in the field of Geriatrics. I want to start getting experience with nursing skills in the ICU. I do take to heart the comments that sometimes an ICU position may not be available, especially with the hours I am looking for. I appreciate the fact that I might have to settle for working in another specialty nursing area for the hours I want - - - and I am willing to do that if it means more time with my daughter. I have found a new "dream job" as a mother. Does anyone else have working schedules that worked great for being a mom as well?

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    • Guides

    You might try a PRN or on-call position if you can get one as a new grad. The job market really is very stiff. A lot of the hospitals are not even opening new grad positions to those outside of the hospital. Meaning, they employ students already working there as patient care techs or externs for the new grad positions.

    Internships open up twice a year. The next round will begin around September. But internship positions are most definitely full time.

    Best of luck to you. It is hard out there right now for all new grads.

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