Getting Pigeon-holed

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Specializes in being a Credible Source.

As new grads we often hear, "Get any job you can, anywhere you can, just to get some experience. Med-surg is preferred and even LTC is a great place to start. After you get a year or two of experience, you can move into something else."

My question is, "Is that really true?"

The reason I ask is that nearly all of the jobs that I see posted in specialty areas state that they require experience in that specialty. Those same specialties seem to hire a few new grads to groom for long-term goals but mostly seem to recruit experienced folks from within the specialty.

If I'm correct in my observation then it seems likely that a new grad who goes the clinic/LTC/med-surg route is unlikely to ever get into the area that they really want.

Thoughts or comments?

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

Depends on the supply and demand. Time was this was most definitely true. It's a different time now and experienced nurses in that speciality obviously would take precidence, but if there are open positions and no nurses to fill them, then the "one year experience" in whatever area counts for a lot.

Not a definitive answer I know, but things are a little different right now, with areas of the country with a surplus of nurses and not enough jobs. Employers are more picky. Things are probably going to swing the other direction soon, nursing surpluses don't have a history of lasting very long.

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The other thing to do is to use your capstone experience as a networking/recruiting tool. The student who is following me this month is just starting to job hunt.

I have made it a point to introduce her to every supervisor I know as a means of helping her get her foot in the door.

I literally sat her down last night and gave her clinical time to fill out her job application.

In a tough job environment I believe that it is the responsibility of mentoring nurses to really teach and sponsor their students. I am putting her through as much preservice as I can manage to help her overcome objections to coming aboard our hospital.

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Specializes in rehab.

hmsvikingrn

i wish i had a mentor like you:specs:

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The other thing to do is to use your capstone experience as a networking/recruiting tool. The student who is following me this month is just starting to job hunt.

I have made it a point to introduce her to every supervisor I know as a means of helping her get her foot in the door.

I literally sat her down last night and gave her clinical time to fill out her job application.

In a tough job environment I believe that it is the responsibility of mentoring nurses to really teach and sponsor their students. I am putting her through as much preservice as I can manage to help her overcome objections to coming aboard our hospital.

You're wonderful.. Obviously you think highly of her skills or you wouldn't be wasting you time trying to help her out. I wish more mentors would be as helpful..:yeah:

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Depends on the supply and demand. Time was this was most definitely true. It's a different time now and experienced nurses in that speciality obviously would take precidence, but if there are open positions and no nurses to fill them, then the "one year experience" in whatever area counts for a lot.

Not a definitive answer I know, but things are a little different right now, with areas of the country with a surplus of nurses and not enough jobs. Employers are more picky. Things are probably going to swing the other direction soon, nursing surpluses don't have a history of lasting very long.

"specialty"

"precedence"

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Specializes in Med-Surg.
"specialty"

"precedence"

groan

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