Highly experienced V.S. A lot of certificates and degrees

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Specializes in Operating Room Nurse.

If you are the employer and you must have to choose only one of the applicants you have. Which will it be? The highly experience one with only RN or the less than a year experience with RN, MSN, EMT and etc on its name? :smokin:

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Specializes in LTC.

I would choose the highly experienced RN. Letters after a persons name does not make them a competent nurse right away. Competency comes with time and experience. Just my 2 cents.

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Specializes in LTC.

Definitely the RN with more experience.

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Specializes in ICU.

Highly experienced.

Sometimes I get discounted because I have only an AAS after 5 years in the ICU.

Sometimes they are willing to take a chance because of my experience.

I have worked with people with about 10 titles after their name. and sometimes I could only say "God help me"

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i would look at more than just the siggy. there are always people with years of experience who are not really a good fit for the position, and people with new and recent education who would be perfect after a breaking-in period. some employers are looking for someone to develop in a role, a unit, whatever. ask.

knee-jerks are for neuro checks.

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

Depends on what the position needs and which candidate can fill it the best.

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All those extras just means they put down the 'ol visa. Means debt. Has no bearing if they know anything or not because of it. How many times have I heard even NGs say, "I took ACLS to look good, but since I am new, nobody will expect me to help in a code or anything, it's not like I'm supposed to know it".

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Specializes in ER.
All those extras just means they put down the 'ol visa. Means debt.

Look, I'm an associate degree nurse and feel I have excellent skills and judgement, but I disagree with this statement. My degrees mean more than I plunked down a credit card. They mean that I studied hard, pushed myself to progress in my career and worked full-time while pursuing an advanced degree. Please don't belittle others in your rush to defend yourself.

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If you re-read the OPs post...

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

I'd look at the qualities of the person. Sometimes, a person with lots of experience but little education is still practicing the way she was taught 20 years ago. She may not have kept up to date and may be reluctant to enter the 21st century (which stated more than a decade ago). You may also get stuck paying for her continued education if she decides to go back to school.

Sometimes, a person right out of school (with a good education) is the better choice because they are more up-to-date. They may also be more "teachable" and less set in their ways. If the support is there to give the new, highly-educated grad a good orientation ... she may be the better choice.

However ... what I just said above is not always the case. The new grad may be a total air-head and the experienced nurse may be wonderful. That's why you need more information than what was given in the OP to make a decision.

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.

It depends which position I am employing them for.

You simply cannot go on a person's experience alone because you cannot judge if the experience is the experience you are looking for.

Plus an experienced RN doesnt mean they are good it could just mean they are seasoned!

On the other hand a person with a lot of qualifications doesn't equate to a good RN it just means they are good at learning.

In the past 8 weeks I employed somebody with zero experience and somebody with 22years experience.

The person with zero experience is the one who I would take 20 of! She has turned out to be wonderful

The person with lots of 'great' ICU experience turned out to be a complete disaster

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Specializes in Operating Room Nurse.
I'd look at the qualities of the person. Sometimes, a person with lots of experience but little education is still practicing the way she was taught 20 years ago. She may not have kept up to date and may be reluctant to enter the 21st century (which stated more than a decade ago). You may also get stuck paying for her continued education if she decides to go back to school.

Sometimes, a person right out of school (with a good education) is the better choice because they are more up-to-date. They may also be more "teachable" and less set in their ways. If the support is there to give the new, highly-educated grad a good orientation ... she may be the better choice.

However ... what I just said above is not always the case. The new grad may be a total air-head and the experienced nurse may be wonderful. That's why you need more information than what was given in the OP to make a decision.

I agree on this one. Almost all experienced nurse I know in the hospital don;t have any interest in doing some CE or even doing their Masters degree. They don't even attend seminars to re sharpen their knowledge and be updated to latest trends because they believe that they knows everything in the hospital setting because of their 10-20 years of being a staff nurse but I just want to remind everyone that skills alone won't give you a license and also SOME of the facilities don't follow the guidelines of safe practice. Peace ;)

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