I just applied for a job that looked very promising!
Oh, but then the computer sent me an e-mail saying, "no new grads." So, I walked my résumé in by hand to at least get by the screening. I was, however, told that they're looking for experienced nurses -- you know, "it's so expensive to train new grads."
So, I was thinking about contacting them and offering to work for minimum wage for 3-6 months in order to help offset the expense. (This is a non-union place so there's nothing to stop them from paying a training wage.)
I know several new grads who are working as unpaid interns (actually, they're doing it through a nursing school so they're actually paying to be med-surg nurses... good gig for the hospital, huh?) and it seems like this would be a step up from that.
Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.
If that happens, not all experienced people will leave, because most cannot find jobs right away. Even if they leave, if other hospitals are doing the same, where they are going to?
I think it's all about supply & demand in the labor market. If the bad economy continues, eventually it will hit the market for experienced nurses. It happens in job markets in many professions, the salaries going down for experienced due to high demand for scarce job opportunities. Nursing is a bit different since it has strong labor union and can protect its members.
And don't try to downgrade new nurse training to flipping burgers in McDonald's. It's all about "getting in the door". Flipping burgers for two years will lead one to nowhere except couple of free burgers a day. While two years work will turn a new grad nurse to experienced one and make her much more marketable.
I was just offered a clinician position at a sister hospital for $5.00 more an hour. I did not look for this job. It came to me.
One of the physicians I work with went to the VP and asked that I stay. I can go anywhere, at anytime even in this economy.
Experienced nurses will always be in demand because you can't make an experienced nurse stay anymore. People find it hard to believe that I've been bedside for all of this time. Why? I really like it. Everyone else? thinks bedside is too good for them and after ONE YEAR go to their master's degree.
Hospitals have smartened up and don't want that. Right now my system is offering $7500.00 sign on bonuses for OR nurses. Same in TX. I expect that they will be making the new grads who do have jobs sign contracts where I work so that they don't leave for at least 5 years. Just to get a return on the money spent on training them. I think THAT's the new way....
So you don't think other new graduates are trying all this?
Im asking what would you do if you couldn't find a job?
I think that new graduates are doing the best they can to find a job. If I would not have found a job I would have increased my search area, but never would I have accepted minimum wage for nursing work.
I would have taken the time to canvas the country, knocking on doors, emailing, calling, until someone got tired of hearing from me and gave me a job. And before you go there, this is with kids to feed, and a house to pay for the same as everyone else. If you lower your standards and take a nursing job for minimum wage, you are devaluing yourself. What respect would you earn at that job? You would have already shown them that you will work for whatever they say and just deal with it.
I think that new graduates are doing the best they can to find a job. If I would not have found a job I would have increased my search area, but never would I have accepted minimum wage for nursing work.
I would have taken the time to canvas the country, knocking on doors, emailing, calling, until someone got tired of hearing from me and gave me a job. And before you go there, this is with kids to feed, and a house to pay for the same as everyone else. If you lower your standards and take a nursing job for minimum wage, you are devaluing yourself. What respect would you earn at that job? You would have already shown them that you will work for whatever they say and just deal with it.
Do you also feel that finance/comm/enginering major who take unpaid internships the year after they graduate college are devaluing themselves?
Im really just trying to understand this logic.
I just dont understand no job vs. job with training wage for 6month- 1year...it seems so simple
Hospitals have smartened up and don't want that. Right now my system is offering $7500.00 sign on bonuses for OR nurses. Same in TX. I expect that they will be making the new grads who do have jobs sign contracts where I work so that they don't leave for at least 5 years. Just to get a return on the money spent on training them. I think THAT's the new way....
I have been at my job since I graduated and passed my NCLEX-RN in May. I was given a sign on bonus, I get a retention bonus every 6 months, and I since I live out in the desert and travel 60 miles one way to work, I get a fuel allowance every 3 months. I had to sign a 2 year contract for these benefits, and that was fine with me. If I decide to buy a house in that town, I will also get $5k towards closing, for an additional year contract.
I think in my area, contracts of 2 years or so are the norm for new nurses.
Do you also feel that finance/comm/enginering major who take unpaid internships the year after they graduate college are devaluing themselves?
Im really just trying to understand this logic.
I just dont understand no job vs. job with training wage for 6month- 1year...it seems so simple
I know nothing of those majors, but if it is the "norm" for their job market, then no, they are not devaluing themselves. In nursing, however, this is not the norm, and for them to even ask you to settle for this is ridiculous. To me it sounds as if they are happy to have you over a barrel, and happy to have you for low wages. Is that really an organization you want to work for? One that has already devalued you? If you take it, you play into their hands. Again ,as I stated before, it sets a bad precedent.
I know nothing of those majors, but if it is the "norm" for their job market, then no, they are not devaluing themselves. In nursing, however, this is not the norm, and for them to even ask you to settle for this is ridiculous. To me it sounds as if they are happy to have you over a barrel, and happy to have you for low wages. Is that really an organization you want to work for? One that has already devalued you? If you take it, you play into their hands. Again ,as I stated before, it sets a bad precedent.
It is the norm for these majors because like nurses they require extensive training upon graduation and the supply>demand.
And this isn't the organizations..this is new graduate nurses who want this. I would rather work for 7.50/hr for 6 months and shed the new grad label then be unemployed.
In 6 months you will no longer be a new grad and costing the hospital money, you then qualify for the higher wage.
A 50 cent increase is a raise to them. I completely understand your rationale for wanting to do this to get rid of the "newby" issue. I just don't want you to sell yourself short, because new or not, you are worth more. Once you are out there working for your proposed wage you will come to resent the work you do for that money, and you may lose sight of the greater picture. I would hate to see that happen too. I am glad that you are trying to take things in to your own hands and get working, but try to keep your big picture in mind.
I think you are very out of touch with the new graduate situation in some parts of the country by the description of your current position.
No, I am not. I have friends and family all over the country that are nurses, graduate nurses, or brand new nurses. I myself travel as far as I do every day because I could not get in at my local hospital. The hospital I work at has 2 university's that graduate at least 100 new nurses every semester, and yes, some of them are out of work, but I am not. I know I am lucky, but I also know I did a lot of work to get my job. The proof? I get paid what I am worth.
I just have to put my two cents in. I don't see what the problem is with a low paying 6 month to 1 year "nurse residency". The government, state and federal, I have worked for both does this all the time in a little different way. They hire you contractual. If they like you as soon as an FTE comes up you will get an offer. If they dont like you your contact will not be renewed.
When I worked for the Fed I took what would be consideres a low paying job for what I was doing, less than half a normal salary. After two years, right before my contract ran out, I got an offer for for a position as a GS14 part way accross the salary range for that. Previous to that, for the first two years I was at a GS9, first step, at approximately half the salary.
Most everyone I saw that was trying to get an upper level position was either someone that worked their way up through the ranks, someone with a masive amount of experience or a new person like me that was taken on at a low salary and then if things worked out transfer into a higher level position.
Every physician I ever saw that did not have a great deal of experience in the field came in this way too. They came in lwo on the totem pole civil service wise but had a little adjustment bump while they were in this capacity. Then after two or sometimes three years for them, came in at i think gs15 with an adjustment specially made for physicians, at that time that was like 20 thousand.
I have to say that I think there are quite aq few nurses out there that have little understanding of how a business works or is run and many of them do not want to know or learn and that is fine.
I myself am not a fan of for profit healthcare and think its akin to having to have insurance in case your house catches fire and you need someone to put it out! Sorry no insurance, your houses is going to burn to the ground. Seems highly unethical. I suspect history books of the future will really have something to say about how ethical it is for people that have no medical background making medical decisions but that is besides the point.
Even if every healthcare business in the US was a nonprofit the money involved still has to be managed. Residencies for nurses would not only make sense from a business standpoint, theh eat your young thing would likely take a nosedive to with this format as newbies would expect to know little abot the real world. Heck maybe they could even hire people to be dedicated to teaching said newbies so that the new people would not be a pain in the neck for everyone.
I can go anywhere, at anytime even in this economy.
Experienced nurses will always be in demand because you can't make an experienced nurse stay anymore. People find it hard to believe that I've been bedside for all of this time.
Experienced nurses may be in demand, but it also depends on how much experience you have. With the economy the way it is, hospitals are hiring experienced nurses with a couple years under their belt instead of the experienced nurses with 10, 15, 20 years experience.(I'm not saying experienced nurses can't get a job. It's just harder than it use to be.) Why? It's cheaper to hire someone with less experience.
As far as being able to go anywhere, at anytime even in this economy, I think you will find a lot of people begging to differ.
As far as the OP wanting to work for minimum wage, I agree with some of the other posters that said it would set a precedent for hospitals. If one hospital starts doing it and it is successful, next thing you know, every hospital will be doing it.
PostOpPrincess, BSN, RN
2,211 Posts
I was just offered a clinician position at a sister hospital for $5.00 more an hour. I did not look for this job. It came to me.
One of the physicians I work with went to the VP and asked that I stay. I can go anywhere, at anytime even in this economy.
Experienced nurses will always be in demand because you can't make an experienced nurse stay anymore. People find it hard to believe that I've been bedside for all of this time. Why? I really like it. Everyone else? thinks bedside is too good for them and after ONE YEAR go to their master's degree.
Hospitals have smartened up and don't want that. Right now my system is offering $7500.00 sign on bonuses for OR nurses. Same in TX. I expect that they will be making the new grads who do have jobs sign contracts where I work so that they don't leave for at least 5 years. Just to get a return on the money spent on training them. I think THAT's the new way....