Should a New Grad RN consider a staffing agency?

U.S.A. Massachusetts

Published

hi all!!!

its always been my passion :redbeathe to have a career in nursing! i a new grad rn-bsn. i am getting frustrated that i cannot find any jobs. all the places i have applied to require 1 or 2 years experience working as an rn. how can i get experience, when no hospitals/ltc facilities are willing to hire me? i have networked and nobody cannot help get a job :( ! should a new grad consider working at a nursing staffing agency? do they offer ? any advice will be appreciated.

thanks!!

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...No..

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Have you tried psych nursing. I know some new grads in Mass that have gotten psych nursing jobs

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thanks for your responses and suggestions. i have applied to a psych nursing job. i left phone messages and even sent out a resume and a cover letter to the recruiter, i have not heard nothing from them. i think i will just go to a staffing nurse agency nowhere else is hiring new grads.

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Stay away from family lives agency. They will hire new grads and the next thing you know, you will be working with a little sick kid on a vent. Not the. Way you want to start

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Thanks for the advice!! I really appreciate it! I am actually thinking of going into elderly home care.

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I actually disagree with AlvinDudley. I happen to work for Family Lives and they did hire me as a new grad. However, from what I understand, it is not the practice of Family Lives to hire new grads unless they have an "in" for instance, working as a PCA for a family that employs Family Lives nurses and then getting hired upon graduation, or having some other connection to the company.

In addition, they specifically ask what you are/are not comfortable with and will provide more training...in addition, when I took on a child on a ventilator, Family Lives was willing to coordinate a training between me and the vent manufacturer on how it is used, etc. Also, Family Lives is not a staffing agency, it's a pediatric home care company. The one thing I will say is that you need to be very self-motivated to learn the care involved with these children, and I've learned volumes since starting, but much of the responsibility falls on yourself, as the nurse. In addition, I always thought that if the parents of these children, with no prior medical background can figure out all of the in's-and-out's of their children's care, than anyone can. I do recommend additional for ANYONE regardless of what their employer offers, though. Just my two cents.

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I actually disagree with AlvinDudley. I happen to work for Family Lives and they did hire me as a new grad. However, from what I understand, it is not the practice of Family Lives to hire new grads unless they have an "in" for instance, working as a PCA for a family that employs Family Lives nurses and then getting hired upon graduation, or having some other connection to the company.

In addition, they specifically ask what you are/are not comfortable with and will provide more training...in addition, when I took on a child on a ventilator, Family Lives was willing to coordinate a training between me and the vent manufacturer on how it is used, etc. Also, Family Lives is not a staffing agency, it's a pediatric home care company. The one thing I will say is that you need to be very self-motivated to learn the care involved with these children, and I've learned volumes since starting, but much of the responsibility falls on yourself, as the nurse. In addition, I always thought that if the parents of these children, with no prior medical background can figure out all of the in's-and-out's of their children's care, than anyone can. I do recommend additional malpractice insurance for ANYONE regardless of what their employer offers, though. Just my two cents.

I agree 100% with this post above...:up: I just started working for them too. I graduated in June, and also work for another pedi home care agency as well. I have personal pedi experience, which I think helps that all my nursing experience( as a mom)is in the pedi population. I have done alot of work with CVL's and IV meds, hydration, TPN and IVIG, but do not not have alot of experience with vents and trachs, and they are willing to teach me, with other nurses and the family too.

If working with sick kids is not what you want to do, than yes, Family Lives is not the company for you, but I can tell you, I know alot of moms that have nursing for their kids, and they have Family Lives nurses and there is nothing but awesome things they have said about the nurses that come from FL...which is why I am excited and can't wait to start working for this company.

Plus another good thing about them, is they ONLY hire you if they have a case for you...that is huge, the other company I work for, I am grabbing for hours, cause if the child gets sick and they end up inpt, than you loose your hours and they do not replace them...with FL you don't go in there thinking your going to work 40hrs, you know what your hired for.

Don't give up the job search, you will find something...have you looked into home care for the elderly? It is a great way to learn all your skills from admissions to discharge before going into the hospital. Good Luck

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thank you all who shared! working with pediatrics is a challenge. any acute influences can drastically change their vitals- stress, fear, pain i would need extensive training to work in this type of setting. i admire as new grads you feel confident to work with pediatrics in this setting. i am currently searching for an elderly home care agency; so far none are taking new grads.:(

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I have heard good things about family lives company. Other agencies that throw you into a hospital are not a good idea. I have a friend who got an in at the agency and they gave her 3 days training and put her on the floor. Not a way to be a confidence builder as your first RN job.

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have you tried kindred? their posts say "1 year experience is recommended", that is like an open invitation :)

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Is it even possible to work as an RN for a staffing/nursing agency as a new grad RN? Whereas most seem to shun the idea, I would LOVE to be an agency nurse. I doubt I'll find work otherwise in the Boston/Eastern Mass area, when I graduate in '13. It seems like an ideal situation for my personality type, I don't really need benefits at the moment, and I've read the pay is excellent.

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