New Grad starting out at SNF?

[violet_violet]

I'm a new grad with no jobs but was told that I would be better off starting a position at a hospital rather than at a SNF. If I started at a SNF, it would be difficult for me to get my foot in the door at a hospital job since I would have no experience and I wouldn't be considered as a new grad anymore. True?

I'm just so broke and desperately need a job. It's been so hard living like this... I don't know what to do. It's like should I just apply to jobs for now as caregivers? And even just part time jobs? OR should I wait for the RN positions?

[annaw05]

I worked in homecare as a PCA for 9 months before I got my job - although I wasn't working as an RN I was still learning about the conditions of clients and payed attention to their medications and would look them up when I got home to see how it worked with their condition and reasons for taking it. Take it in stride - it totally stinks being unemployed but any experience is good experience. =)

[Bauvil2003]

I am surprised that you can't find a Job after you have passed your nclex exam.That is scary, I have been told that you will always get a job on Nursing.That's should make someone think twice.

[ParvulusPuella]

My instructors always said that any experience is better than no experience. I would think that at least in a SNF, you are using clinical nursing skills, and learning all of the organization and prioritizing you would need if you were in a hospital setting.

And Bauvil, it is very hard to find nursing positions especially for new grads in many parts of the country. With the economy being so bad, many nurses who had retired or had been part time are going back to work full time, leaving less openings. However, it is supposedly expected that as the baby-boomers retire, thats when we will have a shortage. But we still have quite a few years to go before that happens, I wager.

[amflvn]

I worked at a SNF as a new grad. And it was pretty rough, it still is. I just took whatever I could because I know they don't hire new grads at hospitals anymore. My teacher told me that get experience for a year at a SNF and then move to something else. Another teacher of mine said you lose your skills at a SNF, which I can see what she means. But with the economy now I say.. take what you can get. I have about a year experience and I'm looking for a second or another job. And I'm having a hard time.

[cwhitebn]

I am surprised that you can't find a Job after you have passed your nclex exam.That is scary, I have been told that you will always get a job on Nursing.That's should make someone think twice.

I find it scary too! I thought the US was plentiful with jobs for RNs (new and experienced)...it's that way in Canada anyway! Come find a job here! We're crying for nurses!

[LoveMyBugs, BSN, CNA, RN]

Some hospitals consider a SNF to be experience. When I was in school we had "recruiters" come and speak to us. It was a joke as these places were all BSN preferred, and we were a ADN program. However the rep from Kasier said that they would hire someone with at least 9 months experience and that they considered a SNF to be experience.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I am surprised that you can't find a Job after you have passed your nclex exam.That is scary, I have been told that you will always get a job on Nursing.That's should make someone think twice.

There are people who have passed NCLEX in 2008 and 2009 who are still jobless. A slumping economy affects the local nursing job markets in many regions.

[mochamocha]

sry... what is SNF?

[Journey_On, BSN, RN]

sry... what is SNF?

SNF = Skilled Nursing Facility. :)

[Dorito, ASN, RN]

Get a job wherever you can. You'll appreciate the experience (and paycheck) when something opens up in a hospital.

[netglow, ASN, RN]

I have a friend who works in a SNF as a new grad. Her patients are 80% acute. She started with 6 and now can be at 22. These are patients for whom Medicare will no longer pay for hospital care. Many are just a moment away from transport back to the hospital. She has little orientation, but she likes the staff who, she says will help if asked. She is using every last skill she owns and more and stays 3 hours after shift (she's paid) because, yes it is that much care to be done. I'd say much tougher than most hospital medsurg jobs will be in the future.

I think SNF will be the intense job of the future. For profit hospitals will dump patients as soon as they have one set of clean vitals these days. And we all know that the **** can often fly after a few days... Hospitals work hard to get everybody out before they need to deal with another round... Medicare will not pay past that it seems and these facilities in it for the money honey! Hospitals live by the GMLOS/LOS.