New grads 2011, Northern Virginia/DC, who is hiring?

puffi77 · Feb 23, 2011

Hi, did you come up with any info on your job search?I live in Dallas and am thinking about relocating to Mclean, VA? If you have found out the potential employers and the starting salary please let me know, I would appreciate it greatly...

nurse2B444 · Mar 29, 2011

I have the same question! Moving up to the DC area at the start of 2012, as a new grad. It seems like INOVA pretty much is not hiring new grads at this point. Anyone working up there have an idea what the starting salary is for a new grad?

vwde · Mar 30, 2011

Sort of outside of the DC area but Culpeper Hospital and UVA are hiring new grads. I work for Inova and they are not hiring new grads... but that's also what they said when I was hired (as a new grad). My advice would be to not limit your search (geographically) and go for UVA - they are attached to a medical school and can offer great experience. Also, see if you can make contacts in the area. Knowing someone seems to go a long way.

MissIt · Mar 31, 2011

I read yesterday that the University of Maryland new grad program is still active.

0402 · Mar 31, 2011

I believe the low end for new grads is around $24/hr (found in NoVA and DC), and the highest is up in DC, though not much higher, at around $27.50 (plus more for shift differentials)- I don't know about other parts of VA. Is it really that hard to Google hospitals in Northern VA and DC and then start calling around? I moved here shortly after graduation (not by choice), so as soon as we had orders in hand (military) stating we were coming here for sure, I started searching and pretty much found all of the hospitals, though info on new grad programs located online vary from hospital to hospital. I called around and asked about dates for new grad programs, whether they anticipated having any new grad openings and when the jobs would be posted. Even searching this website, which I didn't know about before I moved, will yield a significant list. Let's see, off the top of my head:

VA-

Virginia Hospital Center

INOVA (several within their system)

Reston Hospital Center

Potomac Hospital

Stafford Hospital

Mary Washington Hospital

DC-

Washington Hospital Center

Georgetown (already selected their July new grads)

George Washington

Howard University Hospital

National Rehab Hospital

DC VA

Children's

Providence

Sibley

I don't know that all of them have new grad programs (or if they're hiring new grads), but I know that many of them do. Good luck.

Pokytrokyt · Apr 21, 2011

WHC is hiring new grads for July and October. Interviews start in May.

George Washington has suspended their new grad program till December 2012.

sKris · May 5, 2011

Do you know if new grad hospital programs usually take ADN and BSN RNs or are most only accepting BSN? I've talked to several people and searched and searched online, but keep getting conflicting information. Thanks!

Pokytrokyt · May 5, 2011

I think it's a supply and demand issue. Right now, there are more new RN's (ADN and BSN) entering the market in this area, than there are hospital jobs for them to fill. In a tight job market, I think hospital recruiters will take the best qualified candidates they can get. If you can get someone with a 4-year BSN instead of a 2-year ADN for often the same starting salary, which would you choose?

The only hospital I know of in the area that is hiring large numbers of new grads this summer is WHC. I believe their hiring will give priority to students graduating from Georgetown U with a WHC scholarship (guaranteed employment upon graduation), then other BSN applicants, then ADNs.

I have a job interview there next week, and will let you know whatever I find out.

sKris · May 6, 2011

Thank you for your response Pokytrokyt. I understand that a new grad with a BSN will likely get placed before an ADN, but I wasn't sure if some of the programs were strictly for BSN. I saw the WHC program while I was researching and it looks like a great opportunity for new grads, but who knows how many spots get taken up by Georgetown grads.

I am not to the job hunting stage yet, but am hoping to enter a program next year and I am having the hardest time deciding between an ADN program and a BSN program. I have 4 little boys and the BSN program is super intense so I'm afraid it may be too much. The local ADN program would be a much better pace, but I'm worried I'd go through all the work and then not be able to find a hospital job. Sighh, I wish there was a normal paced BSN program close to me.

Good luck with your job interview! I'd love to hear any insights.

MissIt · May 6, 2011

Do you have your prereqs? Honestly, I think you're going to find that the ADN program is almost as challenging as the BSN program. IMHO, the hardest classes are the ones the ADN and BSN programs share. And then you have your BSN and don't have to figure out the logistics of going back again. Just a thought.

sKris · May 6, 2011

I have a non-nursing BA and I'm almost finished with my nursing prereqs. The BSN program is 3 semesters with 20, 18, 9 credits in the fall, spring, and summer respectively. the ADN program is 4 semesters with no summers. Because I don't need any gen Ed classes I would only have 10-12 credits a semester. Some days I lean toward the ADN, but most of the time I think the BSN would be better in the long run, but man that will be such a hard year! I'm just worried it will be too hard on my kids.