Is it just me?

apexsw20trd · Feb 10, 2008

I just graduated in December 2007 from the accelerated program. The program wasn'st as hard as it was portrayed to be. However, having to complete Med/Sur II in a 5 week span was difficult without a doubt.

So did you take your NCLEX yet and do you have a job?

I got offered a job in the trauma unit at Long Beach Memorial, but can't take it because I have joint custody of my daughter. But I eventually want to go to California within the next couple years.
Congrats on graduating at UH...my alma mater (graduated Fall 07)!!

pRNss808 · Feb 12, 2008

I just graduated in December 2007 from the accelerated program. The program wasn'st as hard as it was portrayed to be. However, having to complete Med/Sur II in a 5 week span was difficult without a doubt.
So did you take your NCLEX yet and do you have a job?

I took my NCLEX and passed in September 2007. And I still have no job. I had an interview at Kapiolani and got shut down with that job. My fiance is colleagues (they know each other from Standford) with the RN that interviewed me. And according to him, Kapiolani is trying to hire more physicians than nurses at the moment. I was applying for one of two positions at PICU.

I'm surprised at the responses this thread has had over the past month. I guess I need to go on this forum more frequently than usual. But the overall message that I have gotten from reading these posts is that you gotta be local and KNOW someone. Well, I am LOCAL and know of at least one person in each of the hospitals I had applied for. And still nothing. I was so desperate that I applied at Wahiawa General Hospital (and I promised myself that I would NEVER apply there).

Everyone outside of the medical field is wondering with the shortage, why I do not have a job by now. It's frustrating and despite my current situation with having join custody with my daughter, I really want to leave Hawaii.

Yes, for most people, they get hired from the hospital that they did their last clinicals at. And unfortunately, it didn't happen for me. And you would think that the school would help their new graduates with finding a job. Nooo...They just throw you into the shark pool.

Oh gosh...that's just me venting. Don't mind.

I understand the employer's point of view. But how is this shortage going to be at least somewhat resolved if we are only pushing away our local graduates?

apexsw20trd · Feb 17, 2008

Just recently, my fellow classmates got ajob at kapiolani women and children in teh PICU. There were other classmates of mine, about 2 people, were trying to get a job at kapiolani and never got in.

I actually was offered a job at hmc west in the ER but since I am not staying in hawaii I declined it.

I seriously believe that since there are other nursing schools pumping out many new grad nurses that the hawaii nursing jobs wil be saturated with new grads and nurses who work longer and nurses who have 2-3 jobs. I was surprised that my preceptor had 3 other jobs and talking to other nurses, they also have 2 or more jobs.

I think UH or other schools should have job palcement after graduation.

Have you tried applying at Kuakini, HMC, Queens, Kaiser permanente? I know when I am trying to apply for a job, I apply to several places and i usually receive about 2-3 replies.

I also believe that since hawaii has a laid back attitude that the laid back lazy attitude extends across the numan resource department especially for nursing position. I say this because, when i applied for several jobs on oahu. I hardly ever recieved a reply and if I did receive a reply it would be 4-5 months later. Usually that reply says that they don't have anything for me but will keep my resume on file. Which is totally BS because I applied when they had several openings....I say this because I am currently applying for jobs in san francsico and so far every hospital I contacted in regards to the nursing new grad positions have replied to me within 1-2 week period. and so far it looks good. It seems like hospitals in the san francisco area are wanting new grads to join them. I have also noticed that nurses are needed more in the los angeles SOuthern california areas.

I took my NCLEX and passed in September 2007. And I still have no job. I had an interview at Kapiolani and got shut down with that job. My fiance is colleagues (they know each other from Standford) with the RN that interviewed me. And according to him, Kapiolani is trying to hire more physicians than nurses at the moment. I was applying for one of two positions at PICU.
I'm surprised at the responses this thread has had over the past month. I guess I need to go on this forum more frequently than usual. But the overall message that I have gotten from reading these posts is that you gotta be local and KNOW someone. Well, I am LOCAL and know of at least one person in each of the hospitals I had applied for. And still nothing. I was so desperate that I applied at Wahiawa General Hospital (and I promised myself that I would NEVER apply there).
Everyone outside of the medical field is wondering with the shortage, why I do not have a job by now. It's frustrating and despite my current situation with having join custody with my daughter, I really want to leave Hawaii.
Yes, for most people, they get hired from the hospital that they did their last clinicals at. And unfortunately, it didn't happen for me. And you would think that the school would help their new graduates with finding a job. Nooo...They just throw you into the shark pool.
Oh gosh...that's just me venting. Don't mind.
I understand the employer's point of view. But how is this shortage going to be at least somewhat resolved if we are only pushing away our local graduates?

mcubed45 · Feb 17, 2008

:-/

i haven't even started nursing school yet and this is starting to make me worry about job prospects a couple years from now. job security and career options are some of the major factors influencing my interest in nursing...

pRNss808 · Feb 18, 2008

Just recently, my fellow classmates got ajob at kapiolani women and children in teh PICU. There were other classmates of mine, about 2 people, were trying to get a job at kapiolani and never got in.
I actually was offered a job at hmc west in the ER but since I am not staying in hawaii I declined it.
I seriously believe that since there are other nursing schools pumping out many new grad nurses that the hawaii nursing jobs wil be saturated with new grads and nurses who work longer and nurses who have 2-3 jobs. I was surprised that my preceptor had 3 other jobs and talking to other nurses, they also have 2 or more jobs.
I think UH or other schools should have job palcement after graduation.
Have you tried applying at Kuakini, HMC, Queens, Kaiser permanente? I know when I am trying to apply for a job, I apply to several places and i usually receive about 2-3 replies.
I also believe that since hawaii has a laid back attitude that the laid back lazy attitude extends across the numan resource department especially for nursing position. I say this because, when i applied for several jobs on oahu. I hardly ever recieved a reply and if I did receive a reply it would be 4-5 months later. Usually that reply says that they don't have anything for me but will keep my resume on file. Which is totally BS because I applied when they had several openings....I say this because I am currently applying for jobs in san francsico and so far every hospital I contacted in regards to the nursing new grad positions have replied to me within 1-2 week period. and so far it looks good. It seems like hospitals in the san francisco area are wanting new grads to join them. I have also noticed that nurses are needed more in the los angeles SOuthern california areas.

Well...I got an offer at Long Beach Memorial in the trauma unit. But I can't take it because I have joint custody of my 7 year old. I would have to go back to court.

But anyways...Yes, Southern California hospitals are in desperate need of nurses. I would love to go there. But unfortunately, my only option is to find a job in Hawaii for the time being.

Yes, the laid back attitude is brought into the HR department because I personally spoke to one of the director's of nursing at a hospital and was shocked that they had not received my application/resume from HR.

But yeah, thanks for the heads up on KMCWC.

kcalohagirl · Feb 22, 2008

I don't know anything about the company from personal experience, but I just saw on CareerBuilder that Wilson Homecare is encouraging new grads to apply.

pincush23 · Feb 26, 2008

I took my NCLEX and passed in September 2007. And I still have no job. I had an interview at Kapiolani and got shut down with that job. My fiance is colleagues (they know each other from Standford) with the RN that interviewed me. And according to him, Kapiolani is trying to hire more physicians than nurses at the moment. I was applying for one of two positions at PICU.
I'm surprised at the responses this thread has had over the past month. I guess I need to go on this forum more frequently than usual. But the overall message that I have gotten from reading these posts is that you gotta be local and KNOW someone. Well, I am LOCAL and know of at least one person in each of the hospitals I had applied for. And still nothing. I was so desperate that I applied at Wahiawa General Hospital (and I promised myself that I would NEVER apply there).
Everyone outside of the medical field is wondering with the shortage, why I do not have a job by now. It's frustrating and despite my current situation with having join custody with my daughter, I really want to leave Hawaii.
Yes, for most people, they get hired from the hospital that they did their last clinicals at. And unfortunately, it didn't happen for me. And you would think that the school would help their new graduates with finding a job. Nooo...They just throw you into the shark pool.
Oh gosh...that's just me venting. Don't mind.
I understand the employer's point of view. But how is this shortage going to be at least somewhat resolved if we are only pushing away our local graduates?

Aloha~Send KHNL (channel news something) an email cause they have been reporting on the nursing shortage from the standpoint that it is a problem with turning people away from nursing schools and not the hospitals. Thats what I did, and I got a reply. I also spoke with a VIP of the BON, and that person said that there is a problem with the current system.

Good luck!!!

Aloha

You might be a nurse if you firmly believe that "too stupid to live" should be a diagnosis. ~Author Unknown

WindwardOahuRN, RN · Feb 26, 2008

Aloha~Send KHNL (channel news something) an email cause they have been reporting on the nursing shortage from the standpoint that it is a problem with turning people away from nursing schools and not the hospitals.

One might also note that the hospitals in the Islands are shooting themselves in their collective foot as far as nurse retention goes.

When they hire a new grad that new grad is often paid at a rate that is substantially lower than new grads are being paid in other areas of the country with COL's similar to Hawaii. At one of the largest hospitals here a reduced pay rate continues for 18 months until the nurse reaches "job rate." The job rate is approximately $10-14 more per hour than what the new grad makes for 18 months after hire. That is pretty disgraceful, IMHO.

Even more sad is how low census days are handled here. The lowest in seniority is put "on call" and receives about seven dollars per hour. They schedule so tightly that you may be put on call for the very next admission. Heaven forbid they should have an "extra" nurse. One cannot even grab a shift somewhere else or take an agency assignment because you must be on call and available. For seven dollars an hour....

And the nurses with lowest seniority are repeatedly placed on call. I've seen new hires lose entire weeks of pay due to low census. I've also seen new hires head to the mainland after they've had enough.

For all the talk about how nurses are so very valued by our hospitals one cannot help but think we are nothing but numbers and chess pieces.

Why not head somewhere else for the money and the experience?

I'm nearing the end of the tunnel as far as nursing goes but I really feel for those who are just starting out in Hawaii. Hard to watch, sometimes. :angryfire

pincush23 · Feb 27, 2008

One might also note that the hospitals in the Islands are shooting themselves in their collective foot as far as nurse retention goes.
When they hire a new grad that new grad is often paid at a rate that is substantially lower than new grads are being paid in other areas of the country with COL's similar to Hawaii. At one of the largest hospitals here a reduced pay rate continues for 18 months until the nurse reaches "job rate." The job rate is approximately $10-14 more per hour than what the new grad makes for 18 months after hire. That is pretty disgraceful, IMHO.
Even more sad is how low census days are handled here. The lowest in seniority is put "on call" and receives about seven dollars per hour. They schedule so tightly that you may be put on call for the very next admission. Heaven forbid they should have an "extra" nurse. One cannot even grab a shift somewhere else or take an agency assignment because you must be on call and available. For seven dollars an hour....
And the nurses with lowest seniority are repeatedly placed on call. I've seen new hires lose entire weeks of pay due to low census. I've also seen new hires head to the mainland after they've had enough.
For all the talk about how nurses are so very valued by our hospitals one cannot help but think we are nothing but numbers and chess pieces.
Why not head somewhere else for the money and the experience?
I'm nearing the end of the tunnel as far as nursing goes but I really feel for those who are just starting out in Hawaii. Hard to watch, sometimes. :angryfire

As always, thanks for what you bring to the boards!!! Sounds like you know your stuff and have compassion for those of us that had/is having a rough time getting started...

Mahalo nui loa! :onbch:

pRNss808 · Mar 1, 2008

I finally got a job, but it's only on-call. Hey, it's better than nothing right? But yeah, I'll keep trying. And thanks to everybody for the posts. At least i know that it isn't just me...

mcubed45 · Mar 1, 2008

Even more sad is how low census days are handled here. The lowest in seniority is put "on call" and receives about seven dollars per hour. They schedule so tightly that you may be put on call for the very next admission. Heaven forbid they should have an "extra" nurse. One cannot even grab a shift somewhere else or take an agency assignment because you must be on call and available. For seven dollars an hour....
And the nurses with lowest seniority are repeatedly placed on call. I've seen new hires lose entire weeks of pay due to low census. I've also seen new hires head to the mainland after they've had enough.

ouch wow that's pretty harsh. would you mind sharing which hospital was doing this?

WindwardOahuRN, RN · Mar 1, 2008

ouch wow that's pretty harsh. would you mind sharing which hospital was doing this?

All of them, dear. I've worked in two of the "Big Five." I would take an educated guess and say that all of the hospitals follow the practice of "low census, dump the nurses."

I would bet that the CEO's secretary never loses a day's pay when the phones aren't ringing. Priorities rule. @@