How do I get my dream job?

meanmaryjean, DNP, RN · Apr 29, 2017

OP: It is a violation of AllNurses Terms of Service to use 'nurse' in your username if you are not one.

BlueBoxSearcher · Apr 29, 2017

Thank you for the notice.I appreciate your concern and I will change my username immediatly.

Simplistic · Apr 29, 2017

This largely depends on where you live..

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · May 1, 2017

These questions are highly variable. My program only had one clinical shift in the ED, so if that's the case networking might not help much. Re: #4, residency programs are designed to help transition from student to nurse. Many residency positions ARE in med-surg, and med-surg is a specialty in its own right. :)

WookieeRN, BSN, MSN, RN · May 1, 2017

I'll start this by saying that whether or not a hospital hires ADNs into the ED is entirely dependent on the area. Out of the 50 people in my cohort, only one made it into the ED for nurse residency. We are a diploma department with close ties to the hospital system itself, which definitely helped. She also did her preceptorship in that same ED (which also definitely helped).

Networking is important, but it's also important to realize you may have to take the long way if ED is really what you want. You may have to accept a med-surg position and work towards ED. And that's OK. I applied for a ton of ED residencies and got none, so I will be starting in my second choice specialty--PACU--which will help me learn skills that can transfer to the ED should I decide PACU isn't for me. It's all about the big picture. Focus on the biggest part now--finishing nursing school--and all the other cards will fall into their place.

BlueBoxSearcher · May 1, 2017

Thank you for repkying so sincerly.That is exactly what my peers have told me.Focus on obtaining the one thing that stands in my way of becoming an ED nurse:become a nurse.It seems I will have to chart my own path.But what fun would it be if someone did it for you.Thank you.

la_chica_suerte85, BSN, RN · May 1, 2017

I have the goal of becoming an emergency nurse.I am starting my nursing career with an ASN degree.Will this be enough to get me into an emergency department?Is a residency program the best way to get into this field with no expirience?Do hospitals choose ASN nursing students for residency programs?I am wondering whether or not it is logical to assume I will gain a job at a top emergency department.My questions are as follows:
1.Are ASN nurses still hired?Is ASN becoming outdated?
2.When I am in nursing clinicals,is networking that important?Will I be more likely to get a job this way?
3.Will ER departments hire nurses straight from nursing school with no expirience?Is that what residency programs are for?
4.Are residency programs the only way to get into a specialty without going through med-surg?

I was in this same boat when I was pursuing my BSN and decided I wanted to be a pediatric hemonc RN. So, I'll answer your questions as best as I can with the understanding that most residencies are looking for BSN-prepared RNs.

1) Yes, ADN/ASN nurses are still hired. Your school likely has relationships with hospitals that are happy to hire new grads into the departments they have staffing needs for. This could be anywhere in the hospital. Frequently it is on med/surg floors but that's because staffing needs tend to be high here. Is the Associate-level nursing degree becoming outdated? No, not in the sense that the education is up to the accreditation standards required by the regulatory boards your school is accountable to. The main reason for hospitals seeking more BSN-prepared RNs is due to a study that demonstrated better patient outcomes when more BSN RNs were on staff. This study led to many facilities, especially those seeking Magnet accreditation, to require their RN staff to be 80% BSN-prepared. This is why many AS/DN-prepared RNs are getting their BSNs, whether they really want to or not.

2) The main point of clinicals is to network, learn how the work culture is on certain units and at facilities as a whole. In as much as you are networking, each clinical is like an interview. This interview goes both ways. For example, I had RNs at one unit telling me I should apply to their unit during a particularly hellish med/surg rotation. I liked the people working there but the unit itself what a hot mess and made me question whether nursing was for me at all. I would never put myself through that so of course that hospital (even though there were other units that had it much more together) was off my list of potential applications.

3) EDs will hire new grads with no experience. If you wish to go into the ED as your chosen specialty, a true residency program will help you acclimate to that specialty with adequate professional and personal support. I went through a Versant program that is regarded as the standard for residency programs. Many hospitals will advertise they are hiring new grads into a residency program but may be entirely new at it and not using a standardized residency program. This is generally not the best way of going about it as things can be very disjointed, the academic part of the program may not be appropriate for your needs and it can be a generally bad experience as I have seen from my peers who have gone through these so-called residencies. Finally, many hospitals use residencies as part of their Magnet (there it is again!) accreditation process and will only take new grads with their BSNs. Again, the reason is that evidence exists supporting residency programs as a means to increase both patient and new grad outcomes.

4) A residency is not the sole way to get into a specialty without experience. One hospital I worked at took new grads from the ADN program because the school had a good relationship with this facility. So, new grads were hired into whatever unit had the greatest staffing needs. They were hired into all different specialties but this did not mean that they all got into the specialty they wanted. They went through standard new hire orientation. Where I live, a job in a hospital is a job in a hospital so get in, get your experience and keep pushing forward. As a side note, generally, ADNs (or ASNs, same thing) tend to do better with standard orientation because they aren't stuck relearning skills they either never got to do or haven't seen for 3+ years while they were trying to get through leadership class in a BSN program. They're more work-ready, usually.

Hope this helps shed light on your situation. You already know what you want to do so keep orienting yourself in that direction and you will hopefully get where you want to be. But, starting in med/surg and going into the ED is also a good path, too. Good luck!

BlueBoxSearcher · May 2, 2017

The previous comment has helped me greatly.I have a better understanding of the process and see that no two paths in a nurses career are the same.Thank you for replying in a detailed comment.