Follow up????

I usually try to call HR to follow up, it's hard to actually get a person on the phone and sometimes once you do they want nothing to do with you, but it can't hurt. If you know the nurse manager's information of the unit you applied to you can send them an email or a phone call stating that you're very interested in the position and you thank them for taking the time to review your application. Usually there are so many applications for every position that just getting your name out there again might be the difference between them paying attention to your application and just quickly looking it over.

Have you tried to shadow the floor you applied for? Make sure you meet the manager and tell her how interested you are and you have an application on file. How about networking? If you have friends working there they can enquire for you too

I usually try to call HR to follow up, it's hard to actually get a person on the phone and sometimes once you do they want nothing to do with you, but it can't hurt. If you know the nurse manager's information of the unit you applied to you can send them an email or a phone call stating that you're very interested in the position and you thank them for taking the time to review your application. Usually there are so many applications for every position that just getting your name out there again might be the difference between them paying attention to your application and just quickly looking it over.

That was my experience when I tried. They won't talk with me and told me that my application would be reviewed....Have no idea who the nurse manager's are or how to find out such information.

Have you tried to shadow the floor you applied for? Make sure you meet the manager and tell her how interested you are and you have an application on file. How about networking? If you have friends working there they can enquire for you too

Wouldn't even know who to approach about shadowing on the floor. I've never ever have heard that done before. And how do you go about meeting a nurse manager at a particular hospital? First how do you find out who this person is? Networking hasn't worked out. And places I have applications I don't know anybody who works there.

Very frustrating in my area.

The majority of online systems have a way to check the status of your application. Did you try this? I would avoid trying to contact any hiring managers- it would probably only irritate them and leave the impression that you feel your're "entitled" to jump line and avoid the usual hiring process... never a good thing. Everyone should have a basic understanding of what the hiring process actually means.

The normal process is - online applications go through a screening process first. This may be semi-automatic, if the system is sophisticated enough. Applications with missing information are thrown out - the applicant may or may not be informed. Applications are reviewed to see if they actually qualify for the job based on pre-determined criteria (license, citizenship, experience, background, etc.). Then the best/most likely applicants for each job are passed on to the person who will make the hiring decision for that position. S/He decides which ones should be interviewed & may also be responsible for scheduling interviews (HR does this sometimes).

If there is any offer of "shadowing", this is usually the time that it is made - so you can get a good idea of how the department operates. After interviewing, the hiring manager decides who to hire & notifies HR to "make the official offer"... in nearly all organizations, this is strictly limited to HR.

HR then generates a written "offer" that is contingent on passing the background check, drug screen, physical and any other pre-hire stuff they need. They communicate with the applicant to schedule everything and make sure that everything is OK. Then - (whew!) they finally notify you of your start date & other details about actually starting the job.

The hiring process for US healthcare is complex - Lots of legal requirements have to be met with NO exceptions. It's expensive also - just the in-depth background check can cost $400; drug screen can be another $200 or so.

So - knowing all this is probably not going to make you feel any better or less frustrated, but you need to know that there is a reason for all the "rules" and that they apply to everyone.

Thank you HouTx for your detailed information.