Has anyone went from ltc to hospital RN

thekid · Mar 21, 2009

one thing to consider, with travel nursing, at least with the agency I have spoken with here in Hawaii is that there are frequently shifts available for ltc. For hospital assignments they want a lot of hospital experience in many different areas, which could take some time to get that experience. And then it's competitive to try to travel to Hawaii on assignment, for example. I'm like you, I would prefer to not do ltc but my experience is with ltc and it's very easy to get shifts in ltc facilities. Work a few days a week then enjoy Hawaii or wherever else you plan to travel and enjoy..

PeachPie · Mar 21, 2009

I could not find a job as a new grad, so I started out LTAC. It wasn't a bad start. If nothing, it was cold hard time at nursing. After 6 months there, I upgraded to a hospital. I too want to travel, and am frustrated that I need a year more after finally getting into a hospital. I admit that at my level of experience, I can only get hired at places desperate enough to hire a newbie.

I live in Houston, TX. Not only do they have several nursing schools that crank out tons of new grads, but they also have the displaced UTMB nurses who lost their jobs to Hurricane Ike. What I did, and what I advise others to do, is to drive out of the area where there is less competition. Apply to smaller, less advertised places. Good luck!

Sarcolemma · Mar 21, 2009

there should be plenty of jobs in hospitals. i was getting offers from clinical sites i was at before i even graduated. i don't know of a single med-surg floor thats overstaffed.

if you're an RN, just go to your nearest hospital and apply. you'll get a job.

expo4u · Mar 21, 2009

I have applied and applied and applied. I believe I am being blackballed by a supervisor whom has never seen me work. I have placed over 50 applications at one hospital that is not counting the other hospitals in my area. This supervisor whom I believe is blackballing me once told me "I don't like male nurses".

MelodyRNurse · Mar 21, 2009

Could you list someone you work with, like an immediate supervisor that has actually worked with you, as your reference? I have worked in LTC for two years and it has been tough because its not what I want to do, but I really do love the residents. Anyway I have actually been offered two jobs in hospitals. The first one I turned down because of location and the scheduling. The second I will find out about this week. So, if you see me in other posts, I might have been one of those people saying how hard it is to get into a hospital after LTC, but I am starting to see it differently. A nurse manager recently told me that people that have worked in LTC usually do better then a new grad. which makes more sense.

Everyone has to eat so if you are desperate enough you will take a job there, but you will not be happy because of your already formed opinion about nursing homes. If you do chose to do it keep an open mind.

If you can hold off, maybe try having a professional look at your resume and cover letters and make sure your references are good ones. It might just be the economy and the area your in. Oh another thing that may help is-if you've interviewed and been turned down and your pretty sure its your reference, you can always call the hospital and ask them.

CapeCodMermaid, RN · Mar 21, 2009

Perhaps it's your bad grammar that's keeping you from being hired. I'm not trying to be funny or fresh but if I had the choice of 2 nurses, I'd pick the one who could compose a sentence with good grammar.

expo4u · Mar 21, 2009

Oh, I am asking for opinions or help. SO, mermaid if you are so interested in sentence composition, perhaps this is not the website for you. Thank you for your opinion, but no thanks.

CapeCodMermaid, RN · Mar 21, 2009

I gave my opinion and offered help...it's up to you if you take it, but I am free to speak my mind on here as is everyone and anyone else. And since I do all the hiring for my company, you might want to take my advice about your bad grammar. Working in LTC is not the end of the line for people...many go from LTC to the hospital especially if they've worked on a short term or sub acute floor.

caliotter3 · Mar 21, 2009

I would tackle the attitude as well as the English usage if I were the OP. Even LTC facilities have standards for nurses. It is a fact of life that many new grads work at LTC facilities if they want to work, hospitals can't accommodate everyone. Seems to me this has been discussed before in another thread by the same person.

caliotter3 · Mar 21, 2009

If I were the DON of a LTC facility, I would want someone there who wanted a job and who cared about my residents.

JB2007, ASN, RN · Mar 21, 2009

I have been offered two hospital jobs in the last couple of months and I have been working in LTC for two years now. I did not take either due to they were night shift jobs and I would be nuts to leave a day shift jobs for nights.

Personally, I would say take what you can get in the job department. Yes, it may not be your dream job, but very few are once you work there a while. Be nice to your co-workers, show up to work on time and with a good attitude so that you have a lot of good references when you next apply for that hospital job.

Learn all that you can while you are working LTC because there is a lot for you to learn that will apply to hospital nursing. Believe me there will be a lot of confused little old ladies/men on most hospital units that you work on and knowing how to work with this population will only benifit you in the long run. Also, you will learn time management and prioritization in LTC. If you can take care of 30 + demanding residents and their some times crazy family members and still get out of there on time, well you have time management skills that few can top.

All I can say is that going into LTC is not a career breaker. However, having a bad attitude about it might be. Good luck in whatever you decide to do.