-A friend of mine did an employee referral for me to get a job at her hospital
-The referral was not for a specific position
-They emailed me last week and requested I do a personality test
-I did the personality test and passed (thanks to many of you)
-This week, I got a phone call from corporate and they did a mini interview with me via the phone
-At the very end of the phone call, the person said, "by the way, this is a night shift position"
-I was kind of caught off guard, since I never applied to a specific position, and voiced that night shift is not my first choice but explained I am still interested and do not want to pass up an opportunity in this economy
-He replied by saying this is the only new grad opening in the entire hospital
-He ended the phone call by saying he was going to forward my info over to the hospital HR and they would call me next week to set up an interview
Why I ask, "new grad/bad economy, bend over and take it?":
The way he replied by saying, this is the only new grad position in the entire hospital left me feeling like, "okay, I'm a new grad (and this economy sucks), I guess I have to bend over and take what ever they want to give me."
I'm writing to you all because I don't know how to go from here. Do I pretend that I'm all about the night shift and this is my first choice or do I go the open and honest route and express that while the night shift is not my first choice, I'm willing to give it a shot for at least a year (which is true)?
Typically, my philosophy on the employer-employee relationship is that the position should be a good fit for both the employer and the job seeker has the right to express their needs in an interview. However, since there are so little jobs available and new grads are treated like lepers, should I be willing to forfeit my rights and settle on the "bend over and take it" philosophy (and smile as I do so)?
I know there are a bunch of new grads who will say, "yes, I've been looking for a job for a long time don't be an idiot, bend over and take what they are offering and smile, don't forget to smile!" I honestly wouldn't blame anyone for saying this exact quote to me.
I should add, I know the night shift isn't a death sentence and many people really like it but I know myself and I am really sensitize to sleep deprivation and I really need sunlight to feel happy. In the winters, I deal with seasonal affected disorder and it scares me to think what little to no sunlight would do to me. This is my only concern with the night shift but I think it is a substantial one, considering it involves both my health and my happiness.
Insight and constructive criticism are welcome and I thank you all in advance.
I graduated in August 2010, passed the boards in November. I have applied to many staff nurse positions without even a phone call or email most times telling me the status of my application. Needless to say, I am getting very discouraged. Anyway, I was told by a number of people don't expect a day shift position as a new nurse. In this economy you are going to have to take what you can get right now. All you need to do is get your foot in the door, gain experience and hopefully in a year or so you will be able to make the changes you desire. Don't give up the opportunity. If I was in your shoes, I would gladly take the position. Best of luck to you.
I remember my very first job as a new grad was night shift at a cardiac stepdown unit . I remember almost all my graduating class did night shifts as their first job out of school regardless of clinical area and this was in 2003. I liked it it was a somewhat slower pace though the ER sent us chest pain patients all night long it was good experience for me. I still dont work day shifts because I like the off shifts slower pace and lack of management lurking around . :)
I would take it if you dont think you will find another position as a new graduate. I wasnt a night person either at first but I learned to adapt but only you can really decide what is good for you.
You don't mention if you have any previous hospital experience...but if not, take what is offered. I watched as my classmates who had previous experience get hired right of school (me included) and I have watched as those with no previous experience struggle to get in the door.
I know on my floor, a whole bunch of changes just took place and people went from evenings to day, evenings to nights, and nights to days. You never know what option will come along for you!
I say take it if they offer you the position! Your foot is in the door & you can go from there.
The opportunity to interview for this night shift position is no longer available to me because they needed someone who could start Feb 1st. I don't take the NCLEX until the 17th of Feb. So, HR said they would call me for the next new grad position that opens up.
I still appreciate all the replies here saying, "take the night shift position!" If they call to interview for the next new grad position and it turns out to be a night shift position, I can go forth enthusiastically and not be a wishy/washy noyesno (talking in third person, ooops). :)
Bad news---Since graduating in 1972, I've worked with many new grads and they, like myself at one time, started out on the crappiest shifts available (nights!). In my first job out of nursing school, in an ICU and before 12-hr shifts were invented, it was common to work all 3 shifts in one week's time. I did it for 2 years, but what an inhumane schedule!
Good news: A day shift will eventually open up, and through your diligence, you will be there to take it. Hang in there, friend, it does happen!
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
ok. this makes sense to me.
1. it's expensive to train a new grad and money is short right now.
though i think this can be remedied by a lower starting salary.
normal new grad starting salary - projected cost to train and hire= beginning salary offered.
2. the worry that a new grad is just going to work their contract and then leave and find something they want to do. basically i'm using the position to better ones career.
well yeah. this "movement" to a better position happens all the time in all in all businesses at all experience levels. it's called upward mobility.
3. some units do require i high degree of skill and experience and newbie maybe too overwhelmed and just may quit soon after hire, costing the hospital/unit x amount of dollars and loss manpower hours.
totally understand this. personally that's way i don't apply for icu jobs. i think that would be too much for me to start with. though i have met other rn's that said they actually started off in icu and enjoyed it and some still are working in those units now. so i don't know how hard and fast this "experience" level rule really is.
ok i understand these reasons and the reasoning behind them.
but....this is what get my goat.....i just keep seeing the same jobs go unfilled day after day, week after week, and sometimes month after month. jobs that i think most new grads could handle....provided they put in the hard work to learn the position. basically the crash course scenario. which mind you i understand can jeopardize patient safety. but.....i would like to point out to you on the flip-side that being short/understaffed creates a unsafe environment for patients. that can eventually cost the hospital, ltcs, etc. alot money. so.....damn if you do, damn if you don't. personally as a consumer of the healthcare system i rather see do.
so to wrap-up. look. i don't feel i as a new grad deserve anything. but it is very frustrating to me (and i'm sure others) to be denied a chance to meet opportunities/needs in the nursing field that are out there. especially when i think most new grad can handle the responsibility of alot those positions.
lowering salaries isn't going to do much to alleviate the cost of training new grads -- unless you're advocating lowering it right down to cna level or below. i'm not sure anyone would stand for that.
those jobs that you see posted month after month -- it's not that they're not filling them. it's just that it's easier and possibly less costly for the hospital to post an ad for nurses without specifying shift or specialty and then just leave it up forever. job seekers initiate contact and from there hr can funnel them where they need them. some hospitals and even some units within hospitals are always hiring, so those ads never go away either.
Bad news---Since graduating in 1972, I've worked with many new grads and they, like myself at one time, started out on the crappiest shifts available (nights!). In my first job out of nursing school, in an ICU and before 12-hr shifts were invented, it was common to work all 3 shifts in one week's time. I did it for 2 years, but what an inhumane schedule!
Good news: A day shift will eventually open up, and through your diligence, you will be there to take it. Hang in there, friend, it does happen!
Vicki29,
Thank you so much for the good and the bad news.
For some reason, I was under the impression that new grads had a equal shot at getting a day position as they did at getting a night position. I thought 50% of the people preferred days and 50% preferred nights. Total delusional/wishful thinking on my part.
Wow, working all three shifts in one weeks time is an inhuman schedule. Those two years must have been rough!
I'm glad there is a light at the end of the night shift tunnel (loved canesdukegirl's pun on page 8 of the thread). I haven't even enter the tunnel but when/if I do, I will be diligent and hang in there. :)
Night shift usually gets out at 7am. Perfect time for someone with seasonal affectIVE disorder to get some sunlight before "bedtime." Or get up at 1-2pm and enjoy the afternoon sunlight. Plus I imagine there's a shift differential that is great for paying off those new debts you may have incurred during school.
Thanks for pointing out the spelling error and the sunlight tips. :)
I have one of those lights for light therapy, it works pretty well. Random sidebar: In college, I used to rub pledge on my hardwood floors in my bedroom (floor was slanted and I had a rollie chair, fun times) and if I had the light on, people from the down the hall said it looked like my floor was glowing.
They told you in Nursing school that you had an equal shot @ days??? Take the job and if you can get a compressed 12 hr nite schedule-- jump @ it. You will have more days off, don't have to scramble for personal appointments, hair/nails, you can golf right after work when nobody is on the course (they are all working) and they cannot work you more than 4-12 in a row without safety issues. I did one 5-12hr (paybacks for vacation leave) ;needed days to recover and I was young, seasoned, but young. If you don't like the nite you can leave, but there is no political nonsense to put up with from the day shift, the pace is less frantic, you get to be with your patients and actually do some teaching in the nite time hours. Have fun with it.
One of these days you will no longer be the New Grad regardless of the shift worked. Have fun with it The nurses are great folks..
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scoobysnax
23 Posts
Everyone that graduated with me two years ago took a night shift. I still can't find a nursing job. Appreciate it.