Informational interviews with potential employers?

[vhud]

As part of a scholarship application, I'm required to conduct an informational interview with a nursing employer. Unfortunately, I'm having trouble finding an HR department that will respond! I'm curious if there is anyone here who might have some insight on how to best accomplish this. Or perhaps someone here might have answers to some of the interview questions?

Here are the questions:

What education, skills, and training do you seek in the ideal candidate? Specifically, is there a strong preference for candidates who hold a BSN over those with a ADN? What about candidates with a Bachelor's degree in another field and an ADN?

Are there specific schools or training programs that you would recommend? Is the PCC program respected in the field?

How are direct-entry Master's programs viewed (ie Master's programs that do not require RN experience)?

Are there reasonable opportunities for new graduates in the Portland area?

Thank you for your time.

[LoveMyBugs, BSN, CNA, RN]

I will try to help, but you could find a lot of these answers by looking through the boards or going to hospitals webistes

Pretty much all the hosptials in the Portland area are a BSN required, Providence system requires a BSN by 2018, but wont even consider your application until you are at least in a BSN program, one of their HR screening questions is, do you have a BSN or are you enrolled in a BSN program. And a Bachelors in another field is just that another field, hospitals want BSN.

Schools or training programs? Any school that has a high NCLEX pass rate, is accredited. PCC, I went there for my ADN program, and it is well known as it has been around for awhile, but again what gets you into the hospital is the BSN. And each hospital system has universites they work with. Adventist - Walla Walla, Legacy - Linfield, Providence - U of P, OHSU - OHSU. I have worked in 3 of the hospital systems and they do hire majority from the partnered schools. Maybe because students of those schools do most of their clinicals there in those hospitals, they are able to make more face to face contacts with hiring managers, where when I was in PCC I did clinical all over.

Have no idea how the direct masters programs are viewed, but have seen job postings from OHSU that are for masters preferred for floor nurse positions

New grad opportunities........um with 7 nursing schools in the area, opportunities are pretty slim. Legacy and Adventist have their versant programs. OHSU has some jobs posted for new grads. I know that Legacy for their versant program interviews around 300-500 and only hire about 20-30. 3 years ago when I graduated it took me 9 months to find a full time job and that was across the river in WA, thankfully 3 years later I have worked my way into my chosen specialty

[boogalina, ADN, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN]

Try contacting a smaller employer, such as a long-term care facility, or a community-based health organization. I had to do something similar for a scholarship, and those were the employers I contacted to obtain answers to these questions. From their job postings this spring for new grads, it appeared OHSU would consider PCC graduates who had clinicals in certain areas (periop, etc.), or would consider internal candidates, so perhaps someone in HR could answer how PCC graduates are regarded, as well as how nurses from direct-entry masters programs rank.