HELP! News might want to interview me!!!!

[StephieBRn]

Hi Everyone!

I am new to this site and I am so excited that I found it! I am a recent grad that is of course having problems finding a job! Big suprise right :)

Everyone is just amazed that I am not able to find a job they all keep saying but I thought there was a nursing shortage? So I decided to send in a news tip to the local station about what a misconception there is about being a new grad and trying to land a job and how I had an HR person contact me saying that they had 250+ applicants for 1 job and how frustrating it was.

Now they want to potentially interview me and I am wondering what your thoughts are about this? Do you think it is a good idea? I already work for a major hospital system and I am concerned about th ramifications. I will not to mention anything about them because I signed a contract but I am still worried about potentially loosing my job from this(that I have and need). Honestly I never thought that they would want to contact me for an interview. I guess I was naive.

Also do you think that something positive could come from this? Like maybe a job :)?

I have not made any further contact with the producer because I really wanted to go through the pros and cons before I made a decision.

Any input would be super helpful!!!!! Thanks in advance

[caliotter3]

If you have a job that you want to keep then I would just bypass the interview opportunity. Chances are high that you would be harming yourself in the long run. You did your part, up to them to find people willing to go on camera about the subject.

[Zookeeper3]

My facility PROHIBITS any interaction with the media, it is done through the supervisor. If you wish to do this, contact the risk management department as well as your manager first and have them guide you through.

This can turn out to be a bonus "air time" for the hospital, there is no other way to spin this. Be very careful and know your media policies. Be warned. i'm glad you checked here first, you could work your way to the unemployment line if not careful.

[netglow, ASN, RN]

OP, I am going to disagree with most the previous posters.

You already have a job, so what? You went to school to start a new career, and that seems not possible in this economy. You want to let people know about a serious problem facing healthcare today. You are a professional. I see no reason why you cannot be one and be interviewed and make some points of how this is affecting you as well as many (1000s of new grads).

You can also give them info... links to this site, particular threads. You can direct them to interview colleges in the area, to ask what percentage of graduating students have landed Full time, RN positions. You can provide them with your own record of your classmates employment status as RNs. You can also suggest that they focus and have them ask what percentage were able to gain employment, Full time as RNs in hospitals. I do not see how this could affect your job as the discussion has nothing to do with your current job. Stating that ### applicants were considered for one lonely new grad job is not secret information, heck all of this is public information. If you are concerned about your current job, then state that while in school you have gained valuable experience in this one aspect of patient care, but have enhanced your skill and knowledge base to nursing and are unable to pursue nursing. I agree that finding others to interview as well, is a good idea.

If anybody here knows the links of the substantial threads dealing with this topic, give them here to the OP. There was one that really gives a good idea of the national problem.

Go for it.

[netglow, ASN, RN]

Just don't discuss your current employer. I don't know why you would anyway. This is a national problem. You are not speaking as a representative of the hospital, you are speaking as someone who just graduated college and has just become licensed as an RN in this big country without jobs. Frankly, I wouldn't give a rat's you know what about your current employer, hey, you are a tech, I gather that teching is not your lifes work . Remember you are not whistle-blowing here. Don't make more of it than there is.

[bridezillatobe]

Okay, I'll chime in, with my totally different degree (but thinking of going into nursing). I have a BA in Journalism, and have worked in the field. They won't conceal your identity for a story like this, they only will do that if it is a story where the person may be in physical danger, it costs a lot of money to conceal someone, and as other posters have also advised, there are a lot of new grads out of work so they can just interview them.

Also a lot of employers have something in your contract stating that you cannot speak to the media, and that it needs to go through the proper channels (ie, the pr department), and they also can't shoot any footage of the hospital that you'll be working at because it's on private property.

I would highly advise against doing it, because you don't know what they're going to ask you, and say one question takes you by surprise and it takes you a few seconds to answer? They may use that clip and be like "While some intelligent new grads are having a hard time finding work, others are also having a hard time as well" (and cue you fumbling over your words). That is NOT to say you're not smart, but just letting you know how the news can twist news footage.

If it were me, I would not do the interview, as I have been on the other side many times and have been the one looking for the answers, and sadly, any weakness the interviewee shows... because, hey, it makes good news.

---And as an employee stand point, I'd be afraid my coworkers would be jealous. Say you need some help, they may just be like "you're a big tv star, you can do it all on your own'

[313RN, BSN, RN]

Generally the media has it's own agenda, and will spin a story to make it "compelling". That's not always a good thing for the people caught up in the story.

While I was in Nursing school we had a student call a local news stations "investigative reporter" when the school suggested we all get flu shots. The student felt taht they were infringing on our right of self determination.

The way the story came out was that student nurses didn't think the flu shot was safe. Personally I felt that student put people at risk by allowing herslf to be put in the position to let the public hear from a "nurse" that flu shots were a health risk.

On another note, in another industry we had disaster plans fixed to the walls in a number of places The first tab, before fires, floods, earthquakes or bomb threats was "Media Inquiries".

I think I'd pass, or at most offer backgound information off the record. If the station wants the story that badly they can send a reporter out to gather data. It's not like unemployment is a huge secret and I'd bet HR managers would be willig to talk about their situations with the blessing of their organization.

[StephieBRn]

I am for sure going to politly decline their offer... too much to risk, I cannot put my professional reputation on the line and risk being put on a black balled list of DO NOT HIRES because they saw an interview that I did that was totally misconstrewed to be something it was not.....totally not worth it...I would rather continue filling out applications and getting rejection letters

[algebra_demystified]

Let the TV news people throw somebody else under the bus.

[krenee]

Hmm, I guess I don't get this whole thing. If the OP is a new grad, and can't find a job as an RN, what exactly is wrong with her saying that anywhere, including in the media? If her employer won't hire her as an RN, why would they be offended that she says that? And finally, why contact the media in the first place if you don't want an interview? I guess I don't see how this could cause harm to her career . . .

[burnout59]

I've been a nurse for over 30 years and there is no way I would do it. If you really are dead set on doing it, look at your hospital policy regarding media contact.

[LoveMyBugs, BSN, CNA, RN]

Can you direct them to this site with the various threads that show from state to state coast to coast, it is the same thing new grads are posting that they are unable to find jobs, it is not limited to one area in the country it is nation wide that gads are not getting jobs