GN looking for jobs

I think that working at Select Specialty would provide a great experience without overwhelming you. If you're not familiar with these facilities, I'll explain breifly. They are considered LTAC (long-term acute care) and they usually rent out a floor at a hospital and become "a hospital within a hospital" They usually have patients that need more time in a hospital but don't have the money (maybe their insurance has run out or whatever). I worked at the one at Montifiore hospital in Oakland (agency) and on daylight shift the nurse/patient ratio was 1:3 or 1:4, and on night shift, it was around 1:6. They work 12 hr shifts. I got a ton of experience with ventilators, IV's of all sort, major dressing changes, cardiac monitoring, and so much more. They pay well too. There is a Select Specialty hospital at Montifiore in Pittsburgh, one at Latrobe Area Hospital (Excela Latrobe), and one at the old Lee hospital in Johnstown PA. Some of the Select Specialty Hosps. are even going as far as to have "mini ICUs" within them. The one at Excella Latrobe has 10 critical care beds (I think) and the Johnstown also has an intensive care area. The last time I was at Montifiore (about 2 years ago) they did not have any specific critical care beds, but they had a lot of patients on various drips like propofol, amioderone, and levophed. I think it's a great place to start with the low pt ratios, and a great place to gain experience for future nursing positions.

The sky is your limit around Pittsburgh. I would say...see what you are interested in and look around in an area you are willing to drive to. There are tons of hospitals normally within a short drive, nursing homes that are small and large and a few with sub acute and then the LTCAH that the PP mentioned.

I'm a new GN in Pgh, and I believe that any of the big chains (UPMC, West Penn, AGH, etc) hire GN's. I work for UPMC, as do most of my classmates without any difficulty. I got a job at Children's where I have a 6 month orientation, to work on a pediatric adolescent medical floor (1-4 nurse to pt ratio). So far, I really like their orientation. Where ever you go, since you aren't an RN yet, you might look for someplace that includes an NCLEX review class in your orientation.

I'm a new GN in Pgh, and I believe that any of the big chains (UPMC, West Penn, AGH, etc) hire GN's. I work for UPMC, as do most of my classmates without any difficulty. I got a job at Children's where I have a 6 month orientation, to work on a pediatric adolescent medical floor (1-4 nurse to pt ratio). So far, I really like their orientation. Where ever you go, since you aren't an RN yet, you might look for someplace that includes an NCLEX review class in your orientation.

i just applied to UPMC..do they usually hire alot of GN's. Do u need a BSN bc i will be graduating from a diploma program.

I will have a diploma when I graduate in June. I just interwiewed at montifiore and two of my friends who are in the same program just got hired at montifiore. The job descriptions will say if you have to be a licensed RN or if you can be a GN. Some say BSN preferred but it's not necessary.

Any Luck yet? I'm looking and have been since Dec. 2008 with no luck. I getting concerned no one is hiring new nurses in this area? Any words of wisdom?

Additionally, I am newly licensed with my RN as of end of 2008, however, all the places are telling me that they have no GN positions or they have taken on very few compared to recent years. I'm being told that is the position I should be looking for because I am a newbie... help!