New grad jobs anywhere?

[BonnieSc]

I'm interested in moving to Alaska, but I just read an article from the Anchorage Daily News that made it sound like you all have all the new grads you need. Is that true? Everywhere, or just Anchorage? Is there anywhere where you'd think they'd still be interested in hiring a new nurse from Outside, into an acute-care position?

[SweetLemon]

Lots of jobs in Alaska advertising can be deceiving. This is not always the case. Please be careful moving to Alaska before you have a job "secured". Many of the hospitals will post numerous available job openings but with the constant influx of new grads only a few are chosen. The other component with one of the hospitals in particular is that they have all of their new grads go through an long nursing internship program in which you have to be selected for. Which I am sure is also the case in the lower 48 but from my experience they make the process a lot harder and frustrating then it needs to be. Some of these internships ask you to go to 2-3 interviews before they will let you know if you are EVEN chosen to be in their program. I waited 6 weeks (for an internship I REALLY wanted only to be told they had chosen someone else). They also discourage you signing up for multiple internships at a time because it shows you are not really committed to one or the other . I can understand this but going 6 weeks without working is a little ridiculous if you ask me. Anyways, none of this is at all to discourage you from coming to Alaska its an incredible state and the hospitals here are really great its just getting a job that can be tricky...and coming up here without something in writing (in my opinion) would be really risky. GOOD LUCK!

[meg816]

Hi, I am in the Nursing program in Fairbanks, AK through UAA and will graduate in December. OMG Alaska needs nurses. We only graduate maximum 16 RN's per year in Fairbanks. 15 out of the 16 students who just graduated got hired at FMH and there is still a shortage. And they were hired in all units-ER, PEDI, MED/SURG- with the exception of ICU (they don't make it a point to hire new grads). The medical floor is almost always hiring because it has a fairly high turn over. Alot of new grads go to that unit for the experience and move on to something else after six months or a year. The women's center is struggling for good help right now too. I can't speak for Anchorage, because they graduate alot more RN's a year because they have a BSN program as well as the AAS RN, but all I have been hearing for the past year and a half is how desperate Alaska is for nurses. The only unfortunate thing is that there are only 4 major hospitals in the entire state and depending on where you go, you may be limited to what you get see. Fairbanks sends alot of people to Anchorage and Anchorage sends alot of people to Seattle. Alaska is a unique and amazing place and I don't think you will have a hard time finding a job at all. Nurses are truly in demand wherever you go. Good Luck!