New RN here. Recently hired at a hospital. What is my next move?

Nurses New Nurse

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Some background. I graduated in January with my BSN and passed my boards in March. I was hired at a hospital to work at the ED way upstate New York. So I moved out of NYC to work there. While I like the hospital it is in a small town and the pay doesn't compare to what I would be making as an RN in NYC.

They already gave me classes in Tele and I have my ACLS and taking TNCC/CATN classes in a few months. I also intend on becoming an ACLS instructor to pad my resume.

I am finishing my 3 months orientation on the med/surg floor in a few weeks then I go work down at the ED. I was wondering if I should do a full year at the ED and start looking after or if I should just go ahead and look for work in NYC once I get my 9 months down in the ED. ( this will make it a whole year of me being there ). I am not sure what my next move should be other than i know I should stay there and get some experience.

Advice from any seasoned nurses is appreciated.

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The hospital took a big chance on you and gave you 3 whole months of Med/Surg and than ED orientation, classes to pad your resume, and you want to leave within a year? This is why nobody wants to hire new grads.

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Seriously...Be glad you have a job. How can you read some of these other posts where new grads are being laid off or people haven't found a job in 2 years and complain about pay? Let me know which hospital you are at because myself and about 50,000 other new grads would like to apply for your spot.

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I dont understand the responses. I know the market is hard right now but why should that stop me from looking ahead in my career?

After a year or so I would be experienced in the eyes of most hospitals. I was just looking to see the opinions of anyone who have gone from a small to a big pond.

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Getting training for one year as a new grad, and it sounds like you are receiving pretty good training, and then hitting the road a year later is another reason why hospitals won't hire new grads.

I don't mean to sound so critical and I can definitely understand wanting to move from a small regional hospital to a large academic research tertiary medical center but I would be careful for several reasons. Your hospital is making an investment in you by hiring you as a new grad and extensively training you. If you hit the road after one year that's not really paying it forward. Also you are making connections and professional relationships that can really serve you well down the road...if you stick around long enough to cultivate them.

I've worked in a large, level one trauma, tertiary center and sometimes its not all its cracked up to be. People can have a chips on their shoulders, no one gives a darn about you, high turnover, and lots of politics in large institutions so I might beware of looking to move from a small pond to a large one. I've learned that sometimes the small ponds are great places to grow and learn for a while. And trust me, hospitals will ask, why only 1 year, especially in NYC with this saturation of nurses right now. I'd look to spend 2 years and then move on, But thats just my two cents.

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Specializes in Med-Tele, Internal Med PCU.

I took this from a former career advisor when comparing competing offers (in my former life) ... "you're gonna be the same size fish, but in a smaller pond you are MUCH bigger."

I may take the reverse approach about politics, I think that we as young RNs are more insulated from the politics at large academic facilities than in smaller- private- community hospitals.

Either way, I agree with sticking around for 18 months or longer, build some alliances and build a solid resume that cries to move to the "next level".

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Specializes in ED.

I have to agree with the above posters concerning your leaving. It costs facilities a *bundle* to train you.

Facilities in my area tend to no longer hire nurses from other states, knowing that it is highly probably that they will have spent that time and money for nothing when the nurses take their training and run back home in a year.

This is a simple fact which cannot be escaped, even if it isn't what you want to hear.

DC

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

Try to stick it out for 2 years if you can. Leaving after just 1 year looks as if you "used" that hospital just for the training and that doesn't look very good in the eyes of your next employer. They would prefer to see "more" than 1 year. Stay long enough to be truly ready to move to the next level.

Your next step is to become a competent staff nurse and that will take AT LEAST a year. Then you should get some experience as a preceptor, charge nurse, unit-level committee member, etc. Then (and only then) will you be ready to move to the next level. That would be a good point to switch hospitals if you still feel that your current employer is not the right one for your long-term career happiness.

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Specializes in ED.

I would stay at least 2 years just to make it look good

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