Health First in Brevard County

cyram81APRN, MSN · Jun 15, 2011

I'm hoping someone here can help or give me some advice. I start my nursing core classes at the end of August this year. I most likely will only be able to work part time at that point. My current employer does not offer part time positions. So I have been applying at Health First every month for many months now. I can either work part time starting now(and hopefully get some money saved up), or leave my current job and work full time with the understanding that I have to go to part time in August. I would love to be an ED Tech or HUC, but I am not a CNA or EMT, so I have been applying for mainly clerical positions and clinical transporter positions. I did medical billing in a hospital setting for almost 10 years, and have been working front desk in a doctor's office for 3 years now.
There are always multiple positions open for which I am qualified, but I can't even get a call for an interview. The last round of applications, there were TEN positions that I applied for, most with multiple openings! And those are only the positions that are posted as FT or PT. I didn't apply for any of the ones that wanted FT only. I also already have my CPR for healthcare providers certification.
What am I doing wrong?? Should I omit the fact that I am in school on the application, even though it asks? I have called HR and they say I have to apply through their website, and that any positions listed ARE actual openings.
I really want to work at one of their hospitals, I think it would be a fantastic opportunity, but I am very frustrated!
Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

Usually you can become a Nurse tech after your first semester. Health First will take awhile to contact you...give or take a few months. I recently graduated from KU and I applied that same month I graduated and it took 3 months for them to get back to me. You really have to keep on calling them to find out about open positions because sometimes it is not listed online. Usually they hire within the hospital before it gets out online.

Do not be discourage and type up a résumé and cover letter and hand it to the recruiter personally and introduce yourself.

This may help you with the résumé and cover letter writing

https://allnurses.com/nursing-career-advice/wondering-why-you-84387.html :)

LaraBethRN · Jul 6, 2011

Hi, I am having similar problems trying to get my foot in the door at Health First, mainly Holmes Regional. I have been trying to get a job there as an RN, and I'm a new RN so I guess I have to do some sort of "program" or residency that they only offered a few times per year. They have basically told me that right now they are not hiring any new RNs at all period. I'm stuck and not sure what to do... I really need to move to Melbourne for personal reasons but if I can't get a job then I can't keep turning jobs away here at Shands and North FL in Gainesville. Please let me know if anyone has found any tips or has any advice about how to get your foot in the door at Holmes Regional. Thanks :)

cyram81APRN, MSN · Jul 6, 2011

Hi, I am having similar problems trying to get my foot in the door at Health First, mainly Holmes Regional. I have been trying to get a job there as an RN, and I'm a new RN so I guess I have to do some sort of "program" or residency that they only offered a few times per year. They have basically told me that right now they are not hiring any new RNs at all period. I'm stuck and not sure what to do... I really need to move to Melbourne for personal reasons but if I can't get a job then I can't keep turning jobs away here at Shands and North FL in Gainesville. Please let me know if anyone has found any tips or has any advice about how to get your foot in the door at Holmes Regional. Thanks :)

I know what you mean. I am having a hard time getting the jobs at Health First, their next GN program is in September. If I were you take that job at Shands or where ever you are right now and keep applying at Holmes. I can barely get a job. I just signed up for ACLS class and PALS just to try to add certs to my résumé. All I know is that they are going to take a person with a lot of certifications than the next person over anyone else. I am just lucky to go to Keiser because I am about to meet up with the GN coordinator soon in a few days to see how I can get started on the GN program.

I have been reading ways to get experience as a new nurse and two of the ways are volunteer & job shadowing. People have been just telling me the same thing...have you applied for hospitals or nursing homes. I got turned down for nursing homes because they said I do not have enough experience.

My next option is to wait for my husband to take a field job at another location and for me to take any nursing job there. I am trying to get a hold of a hospice to get volunteer hours.

Join linkedin.com and join a nursing professional group. The docs and nurses are actually giving good advices on how to get more experience.

LaraBethRN · Jul 6, 2011

That's helpful that your school actually arranges for you to meet with the recruiters. I believe I was actually in contact with the specific Holmes recruiter who is in charge of the GN programs. She didn't give me much help, just said no new RNs right now and that they have another upcoming program for fall (September I guess?) but whenever I asked about it I was ignored and didn't get anymore info about it. Another recruiter just told me to reapply again the end of July. Hopefully I should have my ACLS by that point too. Let us know if you find out any good or useful info from the meeting with the GN program recruiter :)

cyram81APRN, MSN · Jul 6, 2011

That's helpful that your school actually arranges for you to meet with the recruiters. I believe I was actually in contact with the specific Holmes recruiter who is in charge of the GN programs. She didn't give me much help, just said no new RNs right now and that they have another upcoming program for fall (September I guess?) but whenever I asked about it I was ignored and didn't get anymore info about it. Another recruiter just told me to reapply again the end of July. Hopefully I should have my ACLS by that point too. Let us know if you find out any good or useful info from the meeting with the GN program recruiter :)

My school doesn't do that, I just keep in touch with my DON of nursing program to find ways to meet up with them. They are considered as guest speakers for the final semester for the nursing program. So I am actually crashing the meeting. =P You are not the only one. They are hard to reach and they returning calls are very slim. I'll try to get the info this thursday on how to get in for the GN program because I REALLY HATE moving and having to pack things up.

LaraBethRN · Jul 10, 2011

:) please let me know if you find out any more info on the new grad positions coming up in September! I was told by the recruiters (who knows how much help they really are) that I needed to reapply in the end of July for the upcoming fall new grad programs. I have no clue how many spots there are and how many they can take. I wish I knew more info but they won't get back to me. This is so frustrating at this point. I have 3 years exp. as a tech in an ICU, did 120+ hrs transition clinical in ICU, and had very good grades at the top of my class. I am also signed up for ACLS later this month. I feel like I should be a strong candidate yet I'm getting nowhere fast! I am considering just showing up at the hospital and trying to go to managers offices in person with resume in hand. It is hard because we don't actually move to Melbourne til end of August and I'm still 3 hours away right now. Shands wants a minimum of two years, so that doesn't look good for me and now I'm back to desperately trying to find a job in Melbourne again. If you find anything else out please let me know and if I do I will do that same. Thanks a good luck :) at least we know we are not alone!

cyram81APRN, MSN · Jul 10, 2011

:) please let me know if you find out any more info on the new grad positions coming up in September! I was told by the recruiters (who knows how much help they really are) that I needed to reapply in the end of July for the upcoming fall new grad programs. I have no clue how many spots there are and how many they can take. I wish I knew more info but they won't get back to me. This is so frustrating at this point. I have 3 years exp. as a tech in an ICU, did 120+ hrs transition clinical in ICU, and had very good grades at the top of my class. I am also signed up for ACLS later this month. I feel like I should be a strong candidate yet I'm getting nowhere fast! I am considering just showing up at the hospital and trying to go to managers offices in person with resume in hand. It is hard because we don't actually move to Melbourne til end of August and I'm still 3 hours away right now. Shands wants a minimum of two years, so that doesn't look good for me and now I'm back to desperately trying to find a job in Melbourne again. If you find anything else out please let me know and if I do I will do that same. Thanks a good luck :) at least we know we are not alone!

The last GN program of the year is this September and then they are going to follow Tampa's model with an orientation floor which is going to be like a rolling admission. The Sept GN program will accept at 50 because that is how much is in the June program as of right now. But I just got a reply from the recruiter last week and she said that to check back during the first week of August and apply online because they are going to review for the GN program for Sept.

Yeah you have more experience than I do. I just have 96 hours on the Respiratory unit, a year of prenatal, BLS, and I signed up for ACLS this September 1-2. Keep your skills up by volunteering or shadowing someone. Also if you do visit Melbourne, make sure you attend one of these luncheons to network with healthcare professionals.

http://www.bahsbuzz.org/home/index.cfm

http://www.bahsbuzz.org/home/pages/JoinUsForm.cfm

=) Free basic membership and also you can post your job wanted on their newsletter. =)

LaraBethRN · Jul 11, 2011

Thanks again Cyram! I know the title of this thread is Health First, but have you tried applying to Wuesthoff? Any luck there at all? I also applied there, and attempted to contact the recruiters. I have heard nothing, however, this was only a few weeks ago so I guess it could just take longer. I'm starting to think I just need to make a trip down and go visit in person to all the hospitals. Somehow figure out how to directly contact managers?! Not sure how I'm gonna work all this out but I feel like I'm starting to get desperate! I am afraid of too much time going by and not starting to work and therefore not keeping up my skills... scary thought after all the hard work to get to where I'm at now. Not to mention, my current salary is seriously lacking haha!

cyram81APRN, MSN · Jul 11, 2011

Thanks again Cyram! I know the title of this thread is Health First, but have you tried applying to Wuesthoff? Any luck there at all? I also applied there, and attempted to contact the recruiters. I have heard nothing, however, this was only a few weeks ago so I guess it could just take longer. I'm starting to think I just need to make a trip down and go visit in person to all the hospitals. Somehow figure out how to directly contact managers?! Not sure how I'm gonna work all this out but I feel like I'm starting to get desperate! I am afraid of too much time going by and not starting to work and therefore not keeping up my skills... scary thought after all the hard work to get to where I'm at now. Not to mention, my current salary is seriously lacking haha!

They are trying to get only about 2-4 GNs per unit. They are in the middle of chaos right now (GN program, new software, etc.) and I did apply there and went to the open house there and it seems like it is not meant to be. I can PM you the name of the recruiter. She is really sweet. I am desperate for a job, but I don't want to get into something that is not for me and then freak out. But I have been applying in Orlando also, no luck there. My husband is waiting to hear for field jobs and we are probably going to move by Sept. if I do not hear from Health First or any of the other healthcare facilities that I have applied to. I have been contacted from jobs outside of this county. But I can't just up and move like that. If we are going to move, we move together. :)

LaraBethRN · Jul 11, 2011

Thanks again for all the info! :) I may look into Wuesthoff in Melbourne (not Rockledge) because I've heard that the Melbourne location is generally better. I am just so afraid of moving to Melbourne and not having a job to start by September. I'd probably be willing to at least do something rather than nothing, even if it isn't ideal! And I totally understand your position, as I am making the move to Melbourne for a significant other and his career. I can't just take my dream job here in Gainesville and be living 3 hours away for 2+ years! He is going to be working for Brevard Anesthesia, which is the group that covers all of Holmes Regional... and you would think that would help me with the job search but up to this point it hasn't gotten me very far! May be in due time though... once he starts there. Good luck with everything and lets keep our fingers crossed for all of us out there who are having difficulties finding jobs as new RNs!

cyram81APRN, MSN · Jul 11, 2011

Thanks again for all the info! :) I may look into Wuesthoff in Melbourne (not Rockledge) because I've heard that the Melbourne location is generally better. I am just so afraid of moving to Melbourne and not having a job to start by September. I'd probably be willing to at least do something rather than nothing, even if it isn't ideal! And I totally understand your position, as I am making the move to Melbourne for a significant other and his career. I can't just take my dream job here in Gainesville and be living 3 hours away for 2+ years! He is going to be working for Brevard Anesthesia, which is the group that covers all of Holmes Regional... and you would think that would help me with the job search but up to this point it hasn't gotten me very far! May be in due time though... once he starts there. Good luck with everything and lets keep our fingers crossed for all of us out there who are having difficulties finding jobs as new RNs!

I know what you mean. Yes MLB location is better, I moved here because of my husband, then boyfriend and finished nursing school here. Two years will go by fast because we had to do long distance relationship and marriage. He moved away for a year when I moved here and that was 12 hours away. Then when we got married, he moved again almost same location for another year about 13 hours away. But it help us build a stronger relationship.

I wanted to do Anesthesia, but later was bored of it when I was stuck in the OR for about 3.5 hours for a C-section. I either want to be a nurse informatic or educator now. Good luck with your endeavors. I will keep you in my prayers.