New Grad Nurse wanting to move to Saint Louis

[sm06902]

Hi, I graduate in May and have CNA experience in a nursing home and in home health. I have a 3.4 GPA and am part of the national honors society of nursing. I feel like I have a good resume, but I'm still really worried about finding a job outside of the nursing home I'm currently at. I'm in the Chicago area, which seems to have no need for new grads.

To make matters worse, my fiance was just transfered to Saint Louis. We wanted to move there, but now I'm really worried about getting a job there with no hospital experience. I don't want to begin my career in a nursing home, as I feel it really isn't considered acute care and hospitals won't count it as experience (I'll just be racking up years out of nursing school with no acute experience...).

So my question is, how do you all feel about new nurses beginning at nursing homes? Its a long term care/rehabilitation facility....sub acute care. And how is the job market for new grads in the saint louis area? Of course I'm open to some travel to work...so if its better an hour out from saint louis that would be reassuring as well.

[canchaser, BSN, RN]

STL is saturated. Are you going to be living in I'LL or Mo? I can give u some leads for areas to go to. A hospital in a small town 45 minutes from Stl is looking for a full time OB nurse. They are not afraid to hire new grads, it's a really small town and people would rather drive to Stl. I can inbox u the name and contact number if u would like.

[xandarosa]

I would love this information. OB is my first love.

[canchaser, BSN, RN]

Sent u a pm

[dirtyhippiegirl, BSN, RN]

Huh. I have several friends (new grads with and without prior experience) who moved from KC/MO area to STL because of better job prospects. All got jobs.

[canchaser, BSN, RN]

Hospital jobs or other jobs? I have a friend who had no experience could not get in a hospital, finally settled on LTAC job a year ago. I also had a friend with Ed experience who I was able to pull into the hospital 6 months ago.

[dirtyhippiegirl, BSN, RN]

No, hospital jobs. Like. ICU hospital jobs, even. But I graduated in May of last year so maybe things have changed in the last few months?

[canchaser, BSN, RN]

I wonder if it matters the time of year, she graduated the december before you. Maybe in may they " up" their hiring budgets. I know in April/ may our Icu seems to have a lot of turn over as marriages and graduations happen.

[sm06902]

Hi, if you could please message me the name and contact number. What hospital is it for? Thank you for any information.

[sm06902]

Thank you everyone for your input. That was reassuring that people are getting jobs there, they seem a lot more friendly to new grads (more friendly in general than Chicago area people! haha)