How much do new grads earn in Boise?

[aubrienora]

Hello! I will be graduating in about a year and I'm just wondering about how much I can expect to earn as a new ADN in the Boise area. How much of a difference is it for working nights/weekends? What places should I be looking at for a first job? Thank You! :)

[grizmama]

I think St Lukes pays the worst. I would start looking at west valley medical center in nampa because they pay much higher. The two main hospitals in Boise are competitive with each other and have plenty of new grads to choose from with three RN programs in the area. Lukes is also more selective in wanting only BSN graduates. Where are you coming from?

[aubrienora]

I am in the Boise area and I am going through the ITT program. I eventually want to get into travel nursing, but I'm sure I will need some experience first so I want to find a good job here for a year or two. I am hoping I can find something that will pay well enough for my boyfriend to stay home with the kids.

What kinds of things do they take into consideration when hiring new grads? Do they consider GPA? How important is work experience? This is a career change for me and I have no previous health care experience. I'm thinking about either challenging the CNA exam and doing that for a few months, or possibly finding a job as a phlebotomist. Would that make any difference?

Thanks :)

[grizmama]

I think it's important to have some healthcare experience but it most likely won't be necessary. GPA will not be considered. There are threads in here that help you write your resume to highlight past jobs that will help you in your new career (leadership, delegation etc) and that doesn't have to be from a healthcare job. If I were you and wanted to have a healthcare job I would find a job at an assisted living because you don't need to be a CNA and you can become med tech certified and pass medications. That way you save time and money and learn pharmacology better. There is a lot of stigma against ITT and Carrington in Boise because they are for profit but I haven't heard of anyone having a difficult time finding a job. I would expect about $22/hr with no shift differential.

[aubrienora]

That's very helpful, thank you. I will look into assisted living for sure. I was somewhat aware of the stigma before I started at ITT, but I have two little ones and was in the middle of a divorce (as a stay-at-home mom) so I really couldn't wait around to get into BSU or NNU. As far as I can tell it doesn't seem to affect getting a job anywhere except St Lukes. I had a round of clinicals at Vibra and there were several ITT grads there. I think $22 an hour will work out just fine. :)