New grads and Jobs

sunrock · May 10, 2010

This is a new link i joined from EC connection. There is a job listing for texas of 25 jobs, Peds 49.00/hr, just started looking around, i do not know yet but it is worth a try. see what happens

Sarahlynn · May 12, 2010

It a vicious cycle!! I agree with you. Its like we cant get experience if no one gives us a chance.

sunrock · May 12, 2010

It a vicious cycle!! I agree with you. Its like we cant get experience if no one gives us a chance.

I have a recruiter that keep sending me jobs, then the caption says 2 yrs. experience, so i replied yesterday, something like this, i have been an lpn for X yrs, been charge nurse, vents, traches, suprapubics, foleys insertion and all, phlebotomy(i am a hema. tech), ivs, fresh post ops, hiv pts, home care, etc. etc., so if this experience does not count, for anything, let me know and discontinue sending me stuff about jobs, well, response, we can work around that. HMM!!!!,

pers · May 16, 2010

I realize the OP is partially venting but the trend at my facility is to hire new grads who precept on the unit (not just clinical, but do a preceptorship that is one on one with a floor nurse working what she works). It's got nothing to do with the new grad being experienced since there is only one program in this area that offers a preceptorship program and even that is only 150 hours. The reason they tend to get hired is because the staff and manager have spent a bit of time with them and know if they'll be a good fit and worth the investment. We've had a few apply that didn't get hired but most who want a job get one.

The 150 hours on the unit is experience for them as far as school is concerned but from the facilities point of view, that's not even long enough to qualify as an orientation much less work experience. Once hired, they will get the same minimum of 240 hours of orientation all new grads get.

School experience is not work experience and honestly, orientation isn't really work experience either. Work experience is when you are on your own without someone else (an instructor, preceptor or other nurse) to remind you of what you need to do, correct your mistakes, catch you up when you fall behind or serve as your personal fountain of nursing knowledge. This is why the first year is considered such a difficult one, the adjustment isn't easy.

fullofenergy · May 16, 2010

Yes, I would like to hear more from new grads in Southern California in particular. How difficult is it to find your first job as an RN? Which hospitals are hiring new grads at this point?

Heinz beans · May 16, 2010

I realize the OP is partially venting but the trend at my facility is to hire new grads who precept on the unit (not just clinical, but do a preceptorship that is one on one with a floor nurse working what she works). It's got nothing to do with the new grad being experienced since there is only one program in this area that offers a preceptorship program and even that is only 150 hours. The reason they tend to get hired is because the staff and manager have spent a bit of time with them and know if they'll be a good fit and worth the investment. We've had a few apply that didn't get hired but most who want a job get one.
The 150 hours on the unit is experience for them as far as school is concerned but from the facilities point of view, that's not even long enough to qualify as an orientation much less work experience. Once hired, they will get the same minimum of 240 hours of orientation all new grads get.
School experience is not work experience and honestly, orientation isn't really work experience either. Work experience is when you are on your own without someone else (an instructor, preceptor or other nurse) to remind you of what you need to do, correct your mistakes, catch you up when you fall behind or serve as your personal fountain of nursing knowledge. This is why the first year is considered such a difficult one, the adjustment isn't easy.

150 hours of preceptored work is rubbish, I get it if thats all the work that a grad has had. I have had 7 months preceptored over my degree and it still accounts for nothing. 7 months in real nursing is nothing really but it is not possible to work at the level of an RN without supervision and grads don't end up completely alone. So their policy of needing work experience is still BS. I agree wholehearted with the last statement though :nurse:

Music in My Heart · May 16, 2010

I think Hospitals especially the ones that students go for rotation should be REQUIRED by some nursing regulation to hire a cetain number of new graduates. It is ridiculous that The students spend time to help the hospitals during their preceptorship and at the end they are left with nothing. I know they are giving us an oppurtunity to gain experience, but I just think it is unfair that one will spend their time, gas money, wake up that early to go help them and at the end they say "sorry you don't have experience" well i just did by shadowing a nurse in that unit. what do you mean i don't have experence?
What do you guys think?

I think it's completely fair and that the notion of REQUIRING them to hire new graduates is absurd... Encouraging, sure... requiring? Preposterous.

fullofenergy · May 17, 2010

I think hospitals should be required to hire some new grads also. This will help out with new nurses getting their first experience and the hospitals could probably pay a little less for them. After some experiences, these new grads would definitely be an asset to the hospital and everyone would be happy.

pers · May 17, 2010

150 hours of preceptored work is rubbish, I get it if thats all the work that a grad has had. I have had 7 months preceptored over my degree and it still accounts for nothing. 7 months in real nursing is nothing really but it is not possible to work at the level of an RN without supervision and grads don't end up completely alone. So their policy of needing work experience is still BS. I agree wholehearted with the last statement though

That varies so much by where you live though! As I said, of the four programs that have done clinicals on my unit only one of them even has a preceptor program. You had 7 months of preceptorship and didn't get any leads from that? Was it with the same nurse and unit or was this your total time in various settings?

I'm not sure what you mean by not being able to work at the level of an RN without supervision though, do you mean as a student? If so, of course not since the whole point is for them to learn in a safe environment with a nurse who can help them. However, that's also why it's not considered work experience but rather school experience.

And where you live a new grad may not have to work alone but I've seen it enough to know that it certainly does happen. I declined the first position offered to me even though it would have been a better floor in terms of learning experiences because I knew I'd be expected to work as the only RN at times and that's not something I was willing to do. Even on my floor, once I'm off orientation I will be expected to function solo. Sure, there will be two other nurses around but they'll have their own full load of patients and won't be there to help me out the way the nurse I'm paired with for orientation does.