Is a nursing home job looked at negatively when applying to hospitals?

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I'm graduating this week with a BSN and as we all know, the job market sucks for new grads right now. Given how competitive all the new grad hospital positions are, I'm looking at the possibility of starting in a nursing home (assuming I can even get a job at one). Is long-term care experience looked at negatively when you apply for hospital jobs later on? Most of the people I've talked to say experience is experience, but the one person who said there is a stigma on it is a manager at a nursing home.

So I'm wondering if I should just focus on hospital jobs even if it takes six months, or should I take a nursing home job if I have the opportunity? My ultimate goal is to work in an ER, which I know I'm not going to get as a first job.

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Specializes in Geriatrics/Alzheimer's.

I am an lpn in a ltc facility. I do believe there is a stigma that nursing home nurses do not have the skills hospital nurses have. This is NOT true! On a day to day basis I do IV therapy, wound care, trach care, gtube care and so on. You will also learn alot about PT, OT, AND RT. I have also worked in a hospital and if you can put an iv in an older person with older veins who is trying to punch you in the mouth, then that is as good as you'll ever be!

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Specializes in ED.

There definatly is a "stigma" about LTC facility nurses. I have worked both in hospital and LTC settings. I would suggest getting a job where you can to start, but keep your eyes on the prize! If you want hospital nursing, continuously pursue it as if you don't have a job and still really need one. I think that LTC experiance is better than none, but I think where you will see a road block with this, is if you stay in LTC for 3,4, or 5 years. Then its been long enough for you to have "forgotten" acute care in managements eyes.

Not that it is true, it really depends on the LTC facility - the one I worked at NEVER had IV's, occasionally had pts with g-tubes, never had trachs - so its hard for someone to say you have experiance if your not doing all those things.

Good Luck!

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Thanks for the replies. My concern is that if I work in LTC for 6 months or a year, the hospitals will say that the experience doesn't count. But if I take an LTC job and leave after just a few months that I'll look bad jumping ship so quickly.

I guess the bottom line question is if I work in LTC for a year, will hopitals consider me to be an "experienced" nurse and consider me for jobs that require experience?

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