New Grads Welcome!!! St. Alexius- Bismarck, ND

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I have been reading alot of posts from new grads struggleing to find thier first job. Some have made statements like..."I dont care where I work or what kind of environment I just want a job!" That is scary...the location doesnt always matter but the environment certainly does!

I graduated from nursing school expecting the job offers to come rolling in with the current nursing shortage. Like most of you I quickly learned that was not the case. I wanted women's health and I wasnt going to settle for less! In five months, I filled out over 50 applications...had 3 interviews and finally got 2 job offers (one PRN and one full time).

The best offer came from a state completly off my radar...North Dakota. They offered me a position in the specialty I wanted, a very comprehensive orientation process and a competative wage for the region. I packed my bags and moved 2 weeks later. When I arrived I didnt know a soul, I signed a 1 year lease on an apartment I have never seen and looking back it was the BEST decision I ever made!!

I have been at St. Alexius for almost 3 years now and I can honestly say I LOVE where I work. When I graduated I had an idea of the nurse I wanted to become and St. Alexius created that nurse in me! St. A's has an environment that fosters growth and learning. As corny as it sounds I feel like I am apart of somthing larger than myself and that I am really making a difference in peoples lives!

St. Alexius hires new grads into all areas of specialty (with the exception of the ER), based on the current unit openings. For those of you looking for a great job...this is the place to go!

Bismarck is a great place to live, it has a small town feel but with the growth from the oil boom we have a lot of big city ameneties and even more on the way! Single ladies out there, the ratio of men to women in the state of North Dakota is 1:70! I fell in love with a farmer and I will forever be in North Dakota, and frankly I couldn't imagine living anywhere else!

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Hi tmbeede,

Your post has really encouraged me to consider other options. Sometimes one has to come out of their comfort zone in order to make progress in life. I have been applying to many hospitals in the southern and western part of the US part but I've not really considered ND.

I do not really enjoy the cold weather but I can certainly adjust to it. The good news is my hubby is willing to relocate as well. Please, give more info on that. Otherwise, I would gladly take a job offer in a place that gives you opportunity to grow especially in the nursing career.

Thank you so much sharing your story. It has inspired me.

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icuRNmaggie

Thats great! We would love for you to come join us! As far as I know St. Alexius will help with moving expenses. As far as your husband is concerned, jobs are a dime a dozen out here, our unemployment rate is less than 2%, literally every industry is hiring, so he should have no problem finding something up here! The housing market can be a little tricky at times with all the people moving to the area, but most people find something within a couple weeks of looking. Here is a link to a cost of living calculator so you can see the real numbers: http://www.coli.org/calculator/calculator.asp?guid={AA31D169-F7F6-4B2E-A48B-EAF8055ECE3E}

On average apartments are about $800-$900 a month and most pay heat, water and garabage so you are only responsible for electric which is usually around $65-$70/mo. I know our HR dept has a ton of info on moving! Let me know if you have any other questions!

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Hi there, I just got my Rn this month, are they still hiring new grads at st. Alexius or any other place, nursing home etc? Am looking for a job in minot nd, any suggestion?

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Specializes in Hematology/Oncology.
Hi there, I just got my Rn this month, are they still hiring new grads at st. Alexius or any other place, nursing home etc? Am looking for a job in minot nd, any suggestion?

I believe they are hiring in Bismarck last time I was there(1 month ago).

I would suggest Bismarck over Trinity. St. Alexius is the highest level of care in the state, granted the state has 700k pop. We still get some of the harder cases that the other hospitals cannot handle.

I try to recommend the medical/oncology floor because of the versatility you see on the floor. Sepsis, myasthenia gravis, stroke, neutropenic fever, gi bleed. Honestly.. I think it is some amazing experience after talking to these other med surg nurses when I left. But if you are going to go to ND make sure its a nursing job thats well worth it.

and acute care is the way to go.

I have a giant thread on it.

https://allnurses.com/nursing-first-job/reflection-of-accepting-922705.html

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I would live in North Dakota if I could get into NICU or L&D. I think that would be exciting.

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