June/July OR Opportunities

[metalfaith]

Hello, I am currently in FL and hoping to move to OR once I graduate in June/July. I am currently in school and work as an LPN at an orthopedic rehab. Upon graduation I will have 6 months of experience working at an orthopedic rehab, but that is all my nursing experience. The rest of my job experience is in customer service/sales.

I am very flexible and willing to move anywhere in OR, as long as I can get a job that is full-time. I've been emailing a few hospitals and I understand that it'll be nearly impossible to get a job near Portland, but - given my flexibility, can I expect to at least be able to get a job that is full-time?

I haven't gotten many replies, so I'm a little concerned.

Any advice?

[Ootini95]

Hey, I know that Providence has a great OR nursing residency program, at least at St. Vincent Medical Center. I'd look into that if possible. I don't remember when it starts but you could always give them a call to ask! My wife went through it and she really liked it.

[SnarkRN]

I'm guessing when you say you're graduating soon, it means with your RN. Will you have your BSN too? Most hospitals (that I'm familiar with) want you to have your BSN or at least be in the process of obtaining it.

OHSU (Magnet) and Legacy systems seem to be the most competitive (in Portland) but there's Providence (also Magnet), Adventist, Kaiser, and PeaceHealth (across the river in Vancouver, WA). There's the VA in Portland too (and they hire LPNs [also Magnet]).

If you're truly willing to go anywhere in Oregon many of the rural hospitals (Coastal and Eastern Oregon) are in desperate need of nurses. I'm not familiar with those hospitals though so I can't speak to them.

There's other areas outside of Portland but still not rural.

- Salem (45min south) has Salem Hospital (major ED) and is Magnet

- Corvallis (approx 1 hour south) has Samaritan and maybe something else? (Not sure, Oregon Duck here)

- Eugene has the PeaceHealth system.

Hope this helps! Good luck!

[klone, MSN, RN]

Coos Bay needs nurses desperately. Particularly ED and med/surg.