Making yourself marketable for higher pay

Nurses New Nurse

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Hello,

I'm a new grad and I am getting ready to start work at a nursing home until the hospitals start opening up again for new grads. I will be making 19/hr on weekdays and 20/hr for weekends. When I do start applying to the hospitals again I want to be more marketable so that I can get higher pay. Does anyone have any suggestions? I plan on getting my BLS and ACLS certification while I'm working at a nursing home as well as following the treatment nurse around on some days I have off so that I can watch what she does. Any other suggestions would be appreciated! Copy%20of%20wink.gif

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Hello Unique8503,

What type of nursing would you like to do when you enter the hospital setting?

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I think med-surge first. I've heard that med-surg is a good start for a new grad who may not know what they want to do. Do you have any suggestions?

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Specializes in Neurology.

You can say that you have worked in a LTC facility therefore you have experience with a wide range of patients with multiple medical conditions. Also that you have your ACLS (thats always a plus) and extra experience working alongside or as a treatment nurse. Does your LTC facility take rehab patients? If so you could say that as well. I don't think you'll have a problem getting on in the hospital, basically its like anywhere else, they want someone who is willing and eager to learn and work! Best of Luck!!

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I think lily anna RN has very good suggestions. It sounds like you and I have different preferences in the specialties that we enter. I think I am in a similar situation though. It is very difficult to land a new grad position in my area, so during my off time I am focusing on becoming marketable for labor and delivery. However if you are interested in L&D as your speciality, I recommend certifications in NRP, ACLS-OB (if you can locate that class, if not ACLS is wonderful too), and Electronic fetal monitoring. AWHONN offers an online intro to EFM, that does not award a certification at the end, but it is a step in the right direction. Good luck to you, and perhaps you will find an interest in LTC!

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Did you get a BSN? If not, you can start taking any general ed classes you would need toward a BSN and then you could tell a prospective employer that you are working on your next degree.

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I currently have my BSN degree and hope to go to grad school one day.

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