Disappointment

healthyone · May 26, 2003

thanks for suggestions and encouragement! while i've been waiting i have taken critical care courses, 1 day stand alone review courses in central lines and pain pump. i'll get something...in the meantime i'm "lowering" my standards (if it even needs to be called that) and will likely go to agency and/or rehab care just to get going.

by the way, mount sinai does have sars!! don't you remember "the runaway-nurse on the GO"? (laugh)

fergus51 · May 26, 2003

Until yesterday they didn't have any SARS patients left in the hospital and the isolation SARS unit is no more. Now I hear they may have one case.

silentmonolith · May 28, 2003

Is anyone familiar with Spectrum Healthcare?. Is it a good agency to work with?

healthyone · Jun 1, 2003

silent,

a friend of mine works at a sars affected hospital part-time, and therefore can't work at her other hospital. so she decided to sign up with an agency that she's worked with before and it was a good experience...SRT

oneLoneNurse · Jun 13, 2003

I can tell you this nursing shortage is very REAL ! Our hospital is offering sign-on bonuses of $5,000 US to nurses who can find nurses to fill our vacancies( as an aside if any of you are willing to move please let me know !!).

I'm a Canadian( from Stirling, Ontario ) nurse living and working in PhiliI love it here! You get fulltime off the bat with great benefits !! My medical plan is a PPO which means its not a HMO or OHIP( I get to see any doc when I want to !! ). The money is pretty good and people treat you well( its more than I would make in Canada ). Plus you get trained in any speciality you want. I have been freely trained over the last 7 years in nursing informatics. I get free tuition for myself and children( if I had any ) at a university the size of the U of T.

For those unemployed in the GTA I would move west or north or to the states. You would get the fulltime experience that is necessary to get a fulltime one in the GTA if at the end of a year or two you decided to move back. Plus you may have the experience of living in another country or at least a different region of the country. I have met many Canadian nurses in TX, but to be honest I think PA is prettier and within a 8-9 hour driving distance of the GTA( Pittsburgh maybe a 4-5 hour drive ). Some of those nurses moved back to the GTA. But the point is they were experienced nurses at the end of their American experience.

I know this suggestion is not a good one for those of you with family and ties in the GTA. However, you may want to consider the move for better medical benefits and the chance for family members to experience a different environment.

Good luck to those unemployed fellow Canadian RNs. I remember graduating in 1984 in AB and only finding part time work . Course I could have waited. But as a RN choices are pretty limitless so I took the plunge. I haven't been sorry.

fergus51 · Jun 13, 2003

Our unit just hired another 14 nurses! The jobs are out there!!!!

cab631 · Jun 14, 2003

Come to Florida!

RN4ev'r · Jun 14, 2003

:) Great idea! I went after I graduated and had a terrific time. Got experience in nursing, met great people, and had a year round tan.

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Jun 18, 2003

as a manager, i've been trying to hire a ft rn for homecare intake office in philadelphia pa area for seven months without luck as homecare wages below hospital and snf in my area. this is what i have learned in dealing with my hr manager.

1. she works part-time 8hrs/3 days a week mon, tue, wed so any calls coming in on thurs-friday wait until following mon or tues to get answered.(gr-rr). don't assume all hr positions are ft within a facility. staff start taking vacations now that summer is here and school is out.

2. often takes two weeks for me to get any resumes mailed into hr but i get emailed applications within 24-48rs after being sent.

2. check out the facilities websites to see if job openings are posted---search for hospital website using :http://www.google.com

should give you website link, check under employment, job openings or hr department.

3. you have ideas where you want to work. call main switchboard and ask for spelling of head nurse/ unit manager on such and such area and phone number. check to see if unit listed on facilities website along with email link.

if mail goes to [email protected], you can try sending application via email to unit manager (usually first letter of first name, followed by last name then org or edu if teaching hospital)

example: [email protected]

4. it takes me an average of 3- 4 weeks from receiving application, contacting individual for phone screen, verifying references, education program, and licensure to calling applicant back to offer position ---and doesn't include criminal background check(done after offer of employment accepted). if an outside agency is used to do application verification, can take as long as 6-8 weeks! (i now verify nursing license online to see if current while conducting phone screen to cut down on time). then a preemployment physical paid by our company is done--another 2 week delay along with there 2-3weeks notice.

5. if an applicant lives greater than 30 min away from my facility, they are last to be phone screened (if multiple applications received same day). no one has accepted a position with greater than 40 minute commute due to suburban traffic snarls ---and of course salary.

6. reference verification: can take me two -three weeks to perform if playing the telephone tag game. very helpful to a manager to know upfront that i can only get in touch with referral source after 6 pm or between 7-9am.

please keep these in mind. persistence pays off.

last hire story:

4/24/03

lpn apply to perform insurance verification---saw she had case management experience at an insurance company that closed, just the experience i was looking for.

however, we had only rn's as intake nurses before. asked vp of nursing if i could hire lpn "i really want rn in your office".

three weeks went by, no rn applicants willing to accept less than $50,000/yr or lived 1 hour away. lpn called to check on application told i had no approval to hire lpn for nursing position and clerkposition filled. no references were submitted with application. i requested references "i will have people call you as i need to see who is still working at company as my dept closed"

5/28/03

verified license, one personal reference called in. needed names at insurance company to verify position held---3 days later got persons names. left messages without answer still.

6/2/03: vp of nursing out on sudden sick leave for two weeks--no on else can approve lpn position. kept up conversation with hr that liked lpn applicant's resume and brief office conversation, poised and articulate but concerned re delay in getting professional and personal references ( ? hiding something in back of my mind). lpn called in this week--confirmed applicant reluctant to accept ft position as minister in her church but three days a week position would be ideal.

6/12/ 03: called insurance company hr after doing internet search for listing---they would only confirm dates of hire, not even position held since 2 yrs ago! lpn again called to check on application.

i really want this lpn now due to her persistence in following up and great telephone manner!

today:

left vm with vp nsg that needed to discuss my open position. due to shortage of rn's interested in homecare and glut of homecare agencies in my area, administration decided to add lpn's to buddy up with an rn for case management approach.

per diem lpn position approved. met with hr and discussed salary.

called back lpn: voice mail message left--even worked late in office since out office tomorrow and called back this evening --left message to call me wed hr also left message to extend job offer.

position is hers if she accepts it!

office staffing has changed from 5 ft staff to 2 ft staff and 4 per diem's filling 4 fte "my new budget" until this fall when we add another homecare agency to manage!

persistence pays off!