need advice about my job option

[Ms.RN]

hi

i need some help because i dont know what to do. i graduated from adn program in may and i could not find a job in the hospital, so i applied for a job in a nursing home and now i"m working full time. i still want to gain some experience in med/surg unit of hospital setting. i'll probably be more confident in applying for a staff nurse job if i worked as graduate nurse in med/surg unit after i graduated from school in which the orientation for the grad nurse program is 3 month. but since i didnt work as grad nurse i'm afraid of applying for a job because i know the orientation will be shorter and i'll be on my own. now i have a rn license i dont know if i can still work as graduate nurse. do you think i should work as graduate nurse or do you think i should apply for a nurse position?

[jlcole45]

Once you are licensed you are on your own and can not go back to being a 'graduate nurse' - which I associate with a new graduate who doesn't have their license yet and works under their preceptor's license. When you apply to the hospital just be clear with them about what you will need from orientation. If it's a good place to work they won't turn you out on your own before you are ready and you might be pleasantly surprised how well you might do in a acute care.

[caliotter3]

Just apply for the jobs that are open no matter what the description is (unless it is for a department that you know you don't want to start in) and any details can be discussed when you interview. Don't worry about whether or not it is a new grad position. Although if it were me, I would apply for new grad orientation type jobs. You can explain yourself at your interviews. If they want to hire you they will offer you appropriate orientation based upon their knowledge that you have been working in long term care. Same thing sort of happened to me when I went to home health full time from long term care. They knew I didn't have med surg experience but I explained about my experience working sub acute in the LTC facilities. I still got hired. Good luck with your job change.