New grad. How to land my first job? Please help

chitownbound · Dec 16, 2012

During your pediatric clinical rotation, did you establish a relationship with the nurse managers on your floor? I am a recent graduate in the US and was able to obtain a position in the field I wanted within 2 months. I think the key to my success was actually going to hospitals armed with my resume and recommendation letters and introduced myself to nurse managers in person. They appreciated the extra effort that I was taking above and beyond just sitting at the computer and applying online. I ended up getting hired on a floor that didnt even have an open position. Going to hospitals in person, dressed professionally, may help you get your ideal position.

peterm2 · Dec 16, 2012

Our program was a little different. We were not guaranteed a pediatric position. During the final year, it was a hit or miss on getting what we really wanted. We were assigned our locations. We did not get a choice in it. As a result, i did not get any pediatric rotation

chitownbound · Dec 16, 2012

In school, you didnt rotate to different areas in the hospital like med/surg, labor and delivery, psych, etc? If you didnt have at least a pediatric rotation, it may be difficult to reason to a nurse manager why you want to work in pediatrics and why you would be a good fit. Have you worked with pediatric patients at all in the past? Its extremely challenging and taxing, it takes a special nurse with a very special skill set. Did you have any clinical rotations at a hospital? If you developed a good relationship with the facility, perhaps you can shadow a pediatric nurse for a shift? When it came to finding a positiin after graduation, my clinical instructors were very supportive in assisting me. Have you reached out to them for help? Have you done any networking to meet people in pediatrics? Meeting nurse managers, visiting them on the floor, making yourself known will be a big help. When they are thinking about hiring for a position in which a fresh grad would be accepted, you will the first person that comes into their mind. Good luck!

peterm2 · Dec 17, 2012

My placement consisted of med/surg, mental health, LTC and we also did public health nursing at non- hospital facilities. None of the locations had any relation to pediatrics, and I know that a Pediactric position would be challenging. None of my instructors and preceptors had any affiliations with the pediatric field. I have always liked caring for the sick and caring for the younger population. Is there anything that I could do that could help me get a position with that specific population. I was looking to volunteer for the SickKids Hospital but there are currently none available. Is there any tips that you could give me?

chitownbound · Dec 17, 2012

I believe I already mentioned in my above posts multiple times that I found success in obtaining an RN position by actually going to hospitals, dressed professionally and with multiple copies of my resume, and introducing myself to nurse managers on floors I wanted to work on. Sometimes I was met with skepticism but all it takes is confidence and being able to think on your feet in order to make a good first impression. And, as nurses, these should be some of our most finely honed skills. If there is only one hospital that you have to pursue a pediatrics position, you may want to consider expanding your search. You graduated in June, you dont want to be out of the game too long.

chitownbound · Dec 17, 2012

Is your childrens hospital really named "Sick Kids Hospital"??? That's, well, kind of weird!

peterm2 · Dec 17, 2012

It is officially termed The Hospital for Sick Children but it has been shortened as SickKids.

azcna · Dec 17, 2012

Isn't that the hospital where multiple infants died of suspicious digoxin overdoses?

peterm2 · Dec 17, 2012

This was back in 1980, and you cannot base the hospital's reputation on the acts of one nurse. That was definitely tragic and hopefully will never occur anywhere ever again. But, overall, this hospital is well renowned and gives excellent care to the pediatric population.

joanna73, BSN, RN · Dec 17, 2012

Is your childrens hospital really named "Sick Kids Hospital"??? That's, well, kind of weird!

It's not weird at all. Sick Kids is a world renowned pediatric hospital in Canada. Toronto, to be exact. Officially, the facility is called The Hospital For Sick Children aka Sick Kids, to many Canadians.

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Dec 17, 2012

Is your childrens hospital really named "Sick Kids Hospital"??? That's, well, kind of weird!

I don't find it weird perhaps because I've been familiar with this hospital for a while. I had a patient who was treated there once while on vacation in Canada and received excellent care per his family. I certainly don't think it's any more weird than naming a Children's Hospital after a toy company, bank or former first lady (Hasbro Children's Hospital in RI, Mattel Children's Hospital in LA, Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital in NY, Barbara Bush Children's Hospital in Maine). The weirdest name of all for a children's hospital to me, though, is Cleveland's "Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital." It's certainly more accurate to call a hospital what it is- a hospital for sick kids.

To the OP- I agree that not having a pediatric rotation will make it more difficult to secure a job in pediatrics. Do you have any experience working with kids at all... like in other areas? I think I definitely had an advantage when I was applying for jobs because every job I'd ever had since I was 14 years old was with children... I started as a teacher's aide in a preschool summer school program, then became a substitute teacher when I was in college and also volunteered at 3 separate camps for children with various illnesses (epilepsy, HIV and cancer) and did a year as a 1:1 bus monitor for a child with severe autism. If you have any experience like this, capitalize on it! Otherwise, I'm not sure I have much advice for you... a lot of people go into nursing thinking they want peds and then run in the other direction after their peds rotation so a manager might be skeptical to take on a new hire who has no experience with children.