HELP-- New Grad Planning to Move to St. Louis

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Hi Everyone!!

I just graduated from my nursing school with a BSN and recently decided that I would like to make the move to STL to begin my nursing career. I have not taken the NCLEX yet, but plan to in early June.

I am a current recipient of the HRSA Nursing Scholarship Program, so unfortunately this is severely diminishing my opportunities as far as finding a hospital that fulfills my service obligation to the scholarship. :( :( :(

Two hospitals under BJC health that are approved by the scholarship include: Barnes Jewish Hospital and Children's. Under SSMH is Cardinal Glennon and SLU Hospital. After going through the OB rotation I have realized that my top choices would be to work in

1) newborn "transition nurse"

2)NICU/Special Care Nursery

3) Mother/Baby

I want this so badly and would LOVEEEEEE to work in any of these areas!!!!!!

I have already submitted an application for Graduate Nurses through BJC (have not yet received any calls for an interview), but I have heard that through this application process, graduates are typically hired into oncology, med/surg.

For anyone who is familiar with these hospitals, does anyone know if it is even a possibility for a new grad to be hired into these areas at these particular STL hospitals????

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Specializes in PACU, pre/postoperative, ortho.

I know of a couple new grads that started at the hospitals there in the past couple yrs; I'm thinking it was with Barnes & SLU, both medsurg. Also, had a nurse recruiter from Barnes as a pt a few yrs ago who tried to recruit me from work, lol.

I'm sure you're aware, St. Louis' reputation isn't the best in terms of safety, even before the Ferguson fiasco. One of our surgeons was car-jacked a few months ago there (I believe he was actually on the north side which is usually considered a "better" area), & a couple people who tried to intervene were shot. Be safe.

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Specializes in ICU.
I'm sure you're aware, St. Louis' reputation isn't the best in terms of safety, even before the Ferguson fiasco. One of our surgeons was car-jacked a few months ago there (I believe he was actually on the north side which is usually considered a "better" area), & a couple people who tried to intervene were shot. Be safe.

The north side is most definitely NOT the better area. Yikes. Do you live here?? OP, I own a house in STL city and have zero problems with safety. It's just like anowhere else, there are nice parts and sketchy parts, but the nice, safer parts far outweigh the bad. Children's is hiring in all ICUs including the NICU. PM me with questions as I have lots more info but I'd rather not out my real life self on here.

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Specializes in PACU, pre/postoperative, ortho.
The north side is most definitely NOT the better area. Yikes. Do you live here?? OP, I own a house in STL city and have zero problems with safety. It's just like anowhere else, there are nice parts and sketchy parts, but the nice, safer parts far outweigh the bad. Children's is hiring in all ICUs including the NICU. PM me with questions as I have lots more info but I'd rather not out my real life self on here.

No, I live a couple hrs away; it's where lots of people here like to go for day trips. This was my understanding but definitely could be wrong. Growing up, it was always more E. St. Louis that had a bad reputation.

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I started out as a new grad in St. Louis and a lot of new grads were hired into the NICU at Cardinal Glennon. Have you looked into SSM's Futures Program for new nurses? Feel free to message me with more questions!

As for the safety, I've lived in St. Louis as a college student and now young professional for six years now and have never had an issue. St. Louis is like any urban city with lots of suburbs out in the county. You just have to be smart about it :) The wonderful thing about St. Louis for nursing is there are so many hospitals with different patient populations so you really get a well rounded experience and can easily move into different areas. Good luck!

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Hi OP! I just graduated in december and moved to St Louis and was hired by SSM at St Marys in the ED through the futures program! I am not familiar with the scholarship you have received, but what requirement do you need to fill exactly? The Future's Program as been wonderful and I highly recommend applying to SSM through it when you are near graduating. In all honesty, I think you have a better chance of getting into one of those areas with SSM. One of my classmates really wanted to start in the peds ED at children's or CG and ED, ICU are especially difficult to get it to at Barnes from what she told be about her interview process, and it is only worse if you are an ADN due to Barnes being a magnet Hospital. They apparently take a very limited # into the more specialized areas. What is the specific reason you would have to go to SLU? St Mary's is known as the go to for high risk pregnancy in the ssm system and our OB floors here are phenomenal!

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And I just read you are BSN, so it's great you have that going for you!!

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Rainmom,

That has been my understanding as well.

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The north side is most definitely NOT the better area. Yikes. Do you live here?? OP, I own a house in STL city and have zero problems with safety. It's just like anowhere else, there are nice parts and sketchy parts, but the nice, safer parts far outweigh the bad. Children's is hiring in all ICUs including the NICU. PM me with questions as I have lots more info but I'd rather not out my real life self on here.

Hi, thanks for the reply! I would PM you, but allnurses.com is not allowing me to do that because of their requirement of having 15 topics before having privileges to PM other members. I did have a few questions though. Do I need to have my license before applying to NICU/ICU positions at children's? Also, do they have a residency program for new grads?

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I started out as a new grad in St. Louis and a lot of new grads were hired into the NICU at Cardinal Glennon. Have you looked into SSM's Futures Program for new nurses? Feel free to message me with more questions!

As for the safety, I've lived in St. Louis as a college student and now young professional for six years now and have never had an issue. St. Louis is like any urban city with lots of suburbs out in the county. You just have to be smart about it :) The wonderful thing about St. Louis for nursing is there are so many hospitals with different patient populations so you really get a well rounded experience and can easily move into different areas. Good luck!

Hi etuttle1!

i would PM, but unfortunately as a new member on the site it won't allow me to. I did have a few questions though...

Can you tell me a bit more about the futures program? Are you guaranteed a position through this program? Also, if I were to apply, under my scholarship, I believe that the only hospital that qualifies is cardinal glennon. Would I be able to choose the hospital and specific unit I would like to work in?

Thanks!!

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Hi OP! I just graduated in december and moved to St Louis and was hired by SSM at St Marys in the ED through the futures program! I am not familiar with the scholarship you have received, but what requirement do you need to fill exactly? The Future's Program as been wonderful and I highly recommend applying to SSM through it when you are near graduating. In all honesty, I think you have a better chance of getting into one of those areas with SSM. One of my classmates really wanted to start in the peds ED at children's or CG and ED, ICU are especially difficult to get it to at Barnes from what she told be about her interview process, and it is only worse if you are an ADN due to Barnes being a magnet Hospital. They apparently take a very limited # into the more specialized areas. What is the specific reason you would have to go to SLU? St Mary's is known as the go to for high risk pregnancy in the ssm system and our OB floors here are phenomenal!

hi unifye,

I have looked at St. Mary's before and I would love to apply, but my scholarship prevents me from being able to apply to this facility. As a recipient I am required to work in a facility with an HPSA (health professional shortage area) score of 14 or above for two years, st. Mary's does not fall under this requirement :( :( I am interested in finding out more about this futures program! I believe under ssm, Cardinal glennon is the only one that qualifies as far as my scholarship. :(

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Children's and glennon will both hire new grads. Both excellent facilities by the way. I work at mercy in creve coeur and I know we do, too.

You don't have to live in the city if you don't want. Lots of people commute like 20 minute drive from the county. Especially at 7 in the morning or night shift traffic

is not bad at all.

Good luck :)

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