First job as a new grad RN

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So I got my RN license back in beginning of December and have since been looking for a nursing job. I didn't start getting interviews until this month and have been getting rejections left and right from all of the hospitals I applied to. Too much competition from the recent new grads I guess /:

So I started branching out and applying for any nursing position I saw that wasn't a specialized position. I even applied to a LTC facility for a charge nurse position that I actually interviewed for today. I'm guessing that they're offering the job to me since they took a urine sample and sent me an email for references. At this point I'm just willing to take whatever I can get, especially when I've been getting rejections from all the new grad programs in my area. My grandmother doesn't support this (she was an lpn) and thinks I should hold out for a hospital position, especially when this is supposed to be a job even associate RNs don't want to do. Thing is, my uncle is a radiologist at a hospital about 30 minutes away and I asked for his help in possibly getting a job there. As much pull as he may have, Im not sure that I'll get a job there. I haven't gotten any calls for an interview for them so far. Ive been out of a job for about two weeks now and am really hurting for money so I don't know if I should hold out and see if I even get an interview or if I should go ahead and proceed with this LTC place.

A prof told us never to settle but at this point do I really have a choice?

Any tips or suggestions?

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I say take the job. It's experience and a paycheck. In 6 months to a year start applying to the hospitals again. I have been working LTC/skilled rehab for the past 6 months and just started applying again to the hospitals. I got hired and start at a hospital position in 2 weeks. I can't tell you how much I have learned in the past 6 months. Way more than I would have imagined and it's helped my confidence tons with applying for the hospital positions.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
I say take the job. It's experience and a paycheck. In 6 months to a year start applying to the hospitals again. I have been working LTC/skilled rehab for the past 6 months and just started applying again to the hospitals. I got hired and start at a hospital position in 2 weeks. I can't tell you how much I have learned in the past 6 months. Way more than I would have imagined and it's helped my confidence tons with applying for the hospital positions.

Congrats...I remember your posts-I'm glad you got the base you need to be successful! :D

I agree with this-LTC gives you a knowledge on how to assess, organize, and handle sifts skills such as handing pts with co-morbidities, and dealing with challenging pts and families, and writing nursing notes and care plans using the nursing process.

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Specializes in Emergency.

Agreed with tsm007 and take the LTC job. It may not be in your preferred setting at this point, but you will gain valuable experience and allow you to support yourself while continuing to search for your preferred nursing position. I would also recommend that you obtain certifications that your new grad peers may or may not have such as acls and pals. When I was a new grad hired into the ED, they liked the fact that I had already completed acls and had emt experience.

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Specializes in Hospice.

Except for one thing. The LTC sounds desperate to have a body filling a charge slot. New grads don't have the experience to be in charge; you don't even know how to be a nurse yet.

Take it if you really feel you have to, but go into it with your eyes open. It's a lot of responsibility for a new grad.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
Except for one thing. The LTC sounds desperate to have a body filling a charge slot. New grads don't have the experience to be in charge; you don't even know how to be a nurse yet.

Take it if you really feel you have to, but go into it with your eyes open. It's a lot of responsibility for a new grad.

"Charge Nurse" is a title of all nurses in LTC who have to manage the med carts; when I was a unit supervisor in LTC, I was a desk nurse; when I supervised the house at another LTC, my title was Nursing Supervisor.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

I also want to state that when asking questions during the interview to find out how long orientation will be, see if you can talk to the staff as well, to get a feel of what happens in LTC.

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Specializes in Hospice.
"Charge Nurse" is a title of all nurses in LTC who have to manage the med carts; when I was a unit supervisor in LTC, I was a desk nurse; when I supervised the house at another LTC, my title was Nursing Supervisor.

Interesting. I know of an LTC facility where any nurse who manages a med cart is a Nursing Supervisor.

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Except for one thing. The LTC sounds desperate to have a body filling a charge slot. New grads don't have the experience to be in charge; you don't even know how to be a nurse yet.

Take it if you really feel you have to, but go into it with your eyes open. It's a lot of responsibility for a new grad.

Yeah I definitely thought it was weird that I was being considered for "charge nurse" but it makes sense that titles kind of mean different things in LTC. I did have a feeling they were a bit desperate for an RN though.

I did take the job coz for me any experience is going to help me with my confidence and just learning how to function as a nurse on my own. Not being in any medical setting for over half a year definitely has set me back a bit.

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