How do you get that 1 yr RN exp????

SherBearRN · Jun 18, 2006

I think it depends on a couple of things. First, location of the country can dictate whether new grads will go to med/surg or to a specialty unit like L&D. Where I came from (Kansas), med/surg was about my only option because I didn't work as a nurse tech in one of the hospitals during nursing school.

Second, just because they say they are wanting one year of experience doesn't mean it's set in stone. When you get closer to graduating, call recruiters and explain the areas of nursing you are most interested in.

I have to say the area of nursing I wanted to go into is entirely different from what I'm doing now. I originally thought ICU was what I wanted. When I did clinical rotations in ICU, I decided it wasn't for me. The one thing I remember saying before I started nursing school was, "I'll never work on a med/surg floor!" Guess what? I work on a transplant med/surg floor and LOVE it! So, you never know until you get through nursing school. However, you may still love L&D when you're done, too!

The great thing about nursing is you can start in one place and move to a different area of nursing if you don't like it. That's what I love about this profession!

Good luck!

Sherri

EricJRN, MSN, RN · Jun 18, 2006

If it's absolutely required that you have a year of experience, then I'd move on and look elsewhere - either a different unit or a different hospital. May be worth a little bit of a drive to get that foot in the door.

The amazing thing: at least where I live, some of the local, less reputable hospitals will require experience to work on many of their units, while some bigger hospitals with more prominent names will hire new grads either into internship programs or directly into staff nurse positions, even in critical care or highly specialized areas.

smilin_gp · Jun 18, 2006

I've noticed that often the new grad programs are listed separately from the other positions, and they are only posted at certain times per year (corresponding with graduations?).

luvmy3kids · Jun 18, 2006

If it's absolutely required that you have a year of experience, then I'd move on and look elsewhere - either a different unit or a different hospital. May be worth a little bit of a drive to get that foot in the door.
The amazing thing: at least where I live, some of the local, less reputable hospitals will require experience to work on many of their units, while some bigger hospitals with more prominent names will hire new grads either into internship programs or directly into staff nurse positions, even in critical care or highly specialized areas.

Yes! I've noticed that! At the special care nursery here in our little hospital (well, it's big, just not quite as big as....) you have to have the 1 yr exp in the NICU... however at The Children's hospital in Mpls, in the level III nursery, they except new grads....

Why is that? I will do what I have to but I guess I'd feel more comfortable working with less critical patients just starting out...

(((I guess I should have mentioned I'm interested in NICU too...)))

anything related to babies is what I'm focusing on..... I'm crazy about them and I can't have anymore of my own. :no: ... (my husband won't let me) :lol2:

EricJRN, MSN, RN · Jun 18, 2006

My theory: At hospitals which are a little bit bigger, they have more resources for teaching newbies. In our decent-sized Level II/III NICU, we have a unit director, a clinical coordinator/unit educator, a CNS/case manager, and others who can take time out of their day for teaching nurse interns. At a smaller facility, there might not be much in the way of staff other than the unit's RN's. That's why I think smaller hospitals might look for someone to come right in, hit the ground running, and do the work with minimal orientation.

Also, I know that many nurses retreat to smaller units later in their careers. If you like L&D, for example, but you've been running like a chicken with its head cut off for several years in a busy urban hospital, your small local L&D might start looking pretty attractive. If the smaller hospital is attracts lots of applications from highly experienced nurses, there's not much incentive to take on new grads.