LTC to hospital

[GHOT-Anes, CRNA]

I just got a job offer with a LTC facility and i was wandering if this is a good area for a new grad to start considering how hard it is to get a hospital position these days. I eventually would like to move onto a hospital after a couple months experience. What would be the best way to land a position in the ER/ ICU or even get my foot in the hospital setting esp in DC area? It has been a nightmare going through the HR and application processes of area hospitals as a new grad.

PS: and for those of u who made the transition from a LTC to a hospital, how was it?

Thank you for your time

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I eventually would like to move onto a hospital after a couple months experience.

Please take my opinion as nothing more than a grain of salt, but I think that it's not really fair to the LTC facility or its elderly residents for you to accept a job with them while knowing that you're going to bail after a couple of months. Nursing homes in this country have employee turnover rates that are close to 100 percent, so the residents are accustomed to seeing staff members come and go after getting to know and personally like them. I can only imagine that it must be dispiriting for grandma to get acclimated to her nurse, only to see the nurses quit month after month. This is just some food for thought.

Anyway, if you are going to accept a job at a LTC facility, I suggest you stick it out for at least one year. After you accrue your magical one year of experience, try to move on. If you job-hop after a couple of months, it might look suspicious to the hospital's human resources department because if you left your first job after a couple of months, they might worry that you'll do the same thing to them after they have invested the time, money, and effort to train you.

Remember that facilities do not really like to hire applicants who display any inclination of "moving on" or having no desire to stick around for the long term.

I have been working in LTC facilities for more than four years. Several of my coworkers have moved on to hospital jobs in specialties such as rehab, med/surg, ICU, psych, and LTAC (long term acute care). Most have successfully made the transition from nursing home to hospital. Good luck to you!

[GHOT-Anes, CRNA]

thanks for your response. My facility requires all new grad RNs to sign a 18 month contract so if i take the job im definitely gonna honor that contract.