New RN in LTC facility

[sistasoul]

Hi all,

I graduated in May and passed the NCLEX in July. After not finding a job in the hospital I applied at a LTC facility and was hired for a position there. It has only been 2 weeks but it seems to be a decent place to work and the residents are taken good care of.

My questions are: Will working at a LTC facility help me to obtain an RN position in a hospital? How much experience should I obtain at this LTC facility before applying for an acute care facility? If I stay too long at the LTC will this negatively effect my chances for obtaining a med surge position in a hospital? If staying less than 6 months at a LTC facility will I still be considered a new grad by the hospital and eligible for their new grad orientation program?

Any advice or suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

[Bellybear]

From my own job hunting experience, around my area ( san jose), it's a must for you to have recent acute care experience (6 months- 1 year) or be fresh out of nursing school to be considered as an eligible Med Surg applicant. Some of the hospitals here don't consider LTC as experience (sad,but it happens) and urge you to apply to a new grad program. It's been suggested, in my case, to go through an RN refresher course (although it's only been 1 year since I graduated)...

I'm not sure if it would be the same around where you live, but it never hurts to try to apply again. Make sure you have a really good cover letter and resume, and practice for the interview. Maybe even ask recruiters what they're looking for in candidates so the next time you apply, you'll be prepared. Good luck and keep me posted!

[jjjoy, LPN]

It may feel wrong but if you really want to get into hospital nursing, I'd suggest to continue applying for hospital positions as a new grad and if you get an offer to go for it. It's not as if you took this job KNOWING that you'd be leaving soon. You don't know if you'll be leaving soon because you don't decide if you get offered a position. It's not your fault that hospitals don't make it easy for LTC experienced nurses to transition there. Maybe after you get established as a nurse, you can work to help improve the opportunities for nurses transitioning between areas.