Need a little bit of advice

[turdfurguson]

I just graduated and passed NCLEX.. Today I started the Job Hunt (I already have a job in an entirely unrelated field). The first job I find that has an opening is the very same unit I did my last semester clinicals on, and on top of that, my final preceptorship! So I know this Unit very well. The problem is, I didn't really like the Unit all that much. But it is a great place to learn - it's a step down ICU that gets about every kind of patient. The nurses on this unit are kind of negative and when I was a student (I'm a male) I was taken advantage of a lot in things like patient moves, getting very heavy patients up and ambulating.. that kind of thing.. I didn't mind, but I want to learn and not be work horsed if you know what I mean.

Anyway, I think I'll apply.. but My real question is.. is that this position is "contingent".. can new grads be successful in a contingent position? Do they usually do orientation with a new grad in a contingent position, as if the person were a full time nurse on the unit?

[Always_Learning, BSN, RN]

By "contingent" do you mean temp-to-hire? Or PRN? I'm just not totally familiar with that terminology.

At any rate, I feel a new grad deserves a proper orientation, regardless of how many hours or what schedule they're working. I just finished orientation at my hospital, and we have full and part time as well as PRN folks in there; it was several weeks long, and that's not counting a preceptorship.

I would go ahead and apply, and at the interview, that would be my first question: "Can you tell me about your orientation process/preceptorship?" That way you can make sure it's something you're comfortable with. You can also voice that you'd like to be considered for a part or full-time position, if it !becomes available (and you'd prefer that). Best of luck to you!