Is it out of the norm to apply to multiple hospitals?

JeanettePNP, MSN, RN, NP · May 5, 2011

Sure give advice if you really have any to give. But when you are also interviewing for the same jobs potentially (unless it doesn't matter to you if you work or not) you just are giving away your chance at the same.

No such thing. If you both apply to the same job and she gets hired and you don't, she didn't take YOUR job. And there's no guarantee that if you keep word of all job openings a secret, that a) nobody will find out about it regardless and b) that you will definitely get the job.

Trilldayz,RN BSN · May 5, 2011

I always thought it was out of the norm NOT to apply to multiple hospitals...guess i missed that memo lol

itsmejuli · May 5, 2011

Your friend might be jealous of your fearless attitude :) Perhaps she's afraid to leave her comfort zone.

Good luck in your job search and on the NCLEX :)

sa[RN]ah · May 5, 2011

I agree with everyone else, its definitely not out of the norm to apply to multiple hospitals. I personally have applied to probably 10 [if not more] different facilities, some as far as 1+ hours away. With how difficult it is to find nursing positions, especially for a new grad, you can't limit yourself to one single facility. Sometimes we don't have the luxury of being picky and choosey, we need to take an opportunity when its available to us. And you never know, even though this may not be your first choice, ideal hospital.. you may end up really loving it there. Nonetheless, no matter where you end up.. you will learn SO much as long as you head into it with a positive attitude :]

And, best of luck on your interview!!

LoveMyBugs, BSN, CNA, RN · May 6, 2011

haha no! I applied to every facility in a 50 mile radius!

Me too, if I could drive in a reasonable amount of time I applied....still took 8 months to get a job

kmountain212 · May 6, 2011

hahahahah when I was trying to get a job in Savannah area I think I applied at about 20 hospitals. Now-a-days multiple applications at multiple hospitals is must. On top of that, you must be aggressive! Dont leave it at you applied and they didnt respond, oh well. CALL THEM! Email them!!!! annoy the heck out of them... heck, borderline stalk them!!! lol GET IT GIRL!/boy. lol

NurseHopefulInOH · May 6, 2011

Maybe back in the day when nurses were in demand you could "shop around" and apply only to those hospitals you LOVE but these days apply anywhere you can!!

FrogKissingNurse · May 6, 2011

i have applied to hospitals in a few different states, though i've only gotten calls from hospitals that are in my state in more rural areas. that is the cool thing about nursing, you can pick where ever you want to live and there will hopefully be a job near by.

i agree with everyone else, i hope your friend isn't serious about only applying to where she currently works. she maybe very disappointed when they do not hire her. though being in a rural area may increase her chances of being hired...

[color=#483d8b]imo apply where you want and just do lots of research about that hospital before you interview, that way you don't look like you just picked the place randomly. show some interest and do your homework. maybe call and talk to someone to get some background info on the hospital.

[color=#483d8b]good luck!

Otessa, BSN, RN · May 6, 2011

I am about to graduate from an A.A.S. program in nursing. I have begun the application process to multiple hospitals in cities near here. I have applied to about 16 various hospitals in several surrounding cities. The reason I am applying to several cities is begun currently I live in a very, very rural town where I go to school and it is about equal distance from all these cities. Now, about a month after beginning applying, I am called in for an interview at a well-reviewed community hospital on the outskirts of one of these cities. It isn't "ideal." It isn't one of the major teaching hospitals that I've applied to. But it's a well-respected community hospital that is fully accredited and has better than average rankings on US News and World Report.
So I tell my friend about it and she goes "WOW. Are you just sending out random resumes? Shouldnt you think about where you want to work instead of just applying for a job?"
As if it were so easy that I could just send ONE application to the ONE place I want to work most and be assured that I would get hired there? Seriously. I told her that I am applying to many places so that I can fallback on something even if it isn't ideal. Even if it isn't the best place to work in the world. She, on the other hand, is applying to ONE hospital. It's the hospital she is currently a CNA at and she said she isn't applying anywhere else. She goes "I actually know the places that *I* apply at."
Just because I haven't been to the place I have an interview at (its 2 hours away) she thinks I shouldn't even go.
Can anyone comment on this? I didn't know that applying to several hospitals was so out of the norm! She also thinks it's very odd that I'm willing to relocate out of the rural town we live in (middle of nowhere) to take a job in a mid-sized city, which I would like to go to school at anyway for my BSN.

Is this friend a nurse?

It is tough out there-get the interviews and offers and then make a decision. If you are sending out one and banking on it working out-that wouldn't be the smartest thing.

You are doing the right thing by sending multiple resumes out to different hospitals.

Otessa, BSN, RN · May 6, 2011

Thanks guys. I don't know why I let negative people get me down. She acts like I have no morals because I applied to places I only know superficially. She's able to make these statements because she's a rural CNA who knows everyone at the one hospital she's applying at.

Just because she knows everyone does NOT mean she will be hired there.

People apply to jobs across the country and interview over the phone and start working in a hospital they may or may not have visited