Getting a job at a hospital with just LTC experience

[Nerdy Nurse]

Just wondering how difficult would it be to get a job at a hospital with just a few months or even weeks of nursing experience in LTC/SNF or rehab? I know many say that "experience is better than no experience," but what if that experience is measly? It is not impossible, I just wonder how hard the road will be and what to do to get a hospital job with no previous acute care experience and just a few months worth of LTC experience...

Any advice?

[ILUVERNSG, MSN, RN]

Just go for it girl!

[ivyleaf]

as the old adage goes, snf/ltc experience= nursing experience

no job= no nursing experience

apply! write cover letters and edit them based on the specific job.

[caffeinatednurse, BSN, RN]

I just accepted a job offer in acute care after working in LTC for one year. It really depends on the hospital, and the nurse manager. I applied to multiple hospitals, but the nurse recruiter for this particular hospital was the only one that reached out to me. I do think 6 months or 1 year of experience is preferable to a few weeks or months. Once you've been somewhere for a year, future employers lose their fear of you walking out the door during orientation or just after. They're more willing to invest in you, and quite frankly, they know that you have some experience to rely on.

Are you a new grad? If so, then just let the nurse manager or nurse recruiter know that you needed a job and that while LTC was kind enough to offer you one, that you're number one goal is still to work in acute care on whatever unit you interview for. Most new grad programs will still take new grads who have