Moving to Phoenix, new grad frightened by recession

LoveActually · Jan 16, 2009

Just to add a quick addendum to this message. Before the recession began, it seemed there were always nursing positions anytime, anywhere. Is the nursing home RN job market in Phoenix for as dried up as hospital nursing?

Do nursing homes hire new graduates into preceptorships? To work in a nursing home is honestly, not my first choice, but I am certainly willing to work in one and take any experience I can get.

MsBruiser · Jan 16, 2009

The situation is not different in AZ - according to what you wrote in your post about PA. Expect the worst - hope for the best. Things are pretty dire with the hospitals as far as reimbursements. Needless to say, I wouldn't expect much in the area of new grad hiring. Particularly from out of state IMHO.

LoveActually · Jan 17, 2009

Thanks! Lol, yup I try to live my life without expectations these days- I always wind up happier! (especially when I go to the movies! =).

Do you think I will be able to get a job at all? Perhaps even in a nursing home?

silentRN · Jan 17, 2009

I work at UMC in tucson. We hired 7 new grads on my unit. In arizona, there are only 2 times a year that new grads are hired. In the Summer or in the Winter. You just got to be lucky enough to fight off the other new grads for a position.

MsBruiser · Jan 17, 2009

Thanks! Lol, yup I try to live my life without expectations these days- I always wind up happier! (especially when I go to the movies! =).
Do you think I will be able to get a job at all? Perhaps even in a nursing home?

There is always something, in theory, right? How is it in PA - is there some place that will eventually hire you, even a nursing home? No different here. If you are really worried about recession/job - I would not come out here. There are too many locals who are going to be looking.

Jerseygirl573 · Jan 17, 2009

You said you graduate in May, if you are for sure coming out here, my best advice would be to look up Mayo and apply NOW for their new grad positions (if they are open right now) or check every week for when they open. Like another poster said, they hire new grads twice a year with summer being one of them. You might have to fly out for an interview or something, but if you could get on with them they still have a FABULOUS new grad program!!! Other than that it is VERY slim pickings here!!

There is one LTC facility that I know of that still pitches HARD to their clinical students- it is called Promise Hospital in down town Phoenix. Some of my friends who are RN students told me they received a HUGE pitch just this last week, so you might be able to find some info on them and line up a new grad job there now as well. Really, if you have a shot at a job where you are, you would be wise to explore that and get a years experience and then move!! Like many other states the job market in Phoenix is pretty saturated with New Grads! There are a lot of nursing schools here with the JC's the hospital fellowships and the private schools. There is no new grad shortage, but the opportunity is there for experienced RN's (also decreased opportunity from before.. but they are still posting jobs!!)

Good luck

SJ

silentRN · Jan 17, 2009

I remember that being a new grad sucked! I had to relocate 4 hours to find a new grad position. I'm glad those days are over. Once you get your foot in the door it's a great feeling because you know from there you can go anywhere once you gain the experience. Don't give up though. If you really need something quick, try applying at UMC in Tucson. They have a human resource department that is strictly for nursing that is seperated from other human resources. If you apply online, they will call you back that same day or the next to give you an answer. That's what I had to do. Everywhere else I applied it took them awhile to get back to me, but UMC was suprisingly fast in responding to my application!

best of luck.

David

LoveActually · Jan 17, 2009

Thank you for all of your responses. For the time being I'm just to send my resume to as many places as possible.

I have decent grades. I have a year's experience as a nurse assistant. I just found out that I was nominated for (and earned), and academic scholarship by my instructors. I attend SNAP meetings, student-faculty meetings, and I present myself well. These are all things that I feel set me apart from many other new graduates. I'm confident that if I can get an interview, I have a decent shot of being offered a position.

So I think I'll just focus on the positive.

Staying in PA for a little longer is a possibility I'm willing to consider if necessary, but my heart is in moving to AZ. (My fiancee lives there). And I've been waiting my whole life it seems like, to move, so I'm not just going to give up with out a little bit of a fight!

groovy jeff, RN · Jan 18, 2009

Phoenix is tough right now. Mayo has shut down their new grad program. Tuscon, Cottonwood, Flagstaff, and Yuma are better bets. If your close to a VA hospital, go to work for them for a year and then you can transfer anywhere in the system that has an opening.

I graduate in June and I just got a call from a recruiter for the hospital in Flagstaff; shoot me a PM and I give you her contact info.

If you have an outstanding resume, great GPA, lots of letters of reference, winning personality, etc, I think that you will stand a better chance. Are you taking the NCLEX in PA?

siren1 · Jan 20, 2009

Hey groovy jeff, I was hoping to apply to mayo next month. Have they stopped? I recieved an email from the recruiter in December saying that the job posing would take place in February for June placement. Of course i have not heard from her since then, perhaps I should follow up. what have you heard? Are you in the banner program?

dmskoka · Feb 11, 2009

hi do you know if those new grads were through the partnership program at the university of arizona?