no reply from nurse manager

[tinybbynurse]

I recently applied to a position I really want ....the unit I have wanted to work on for a year. I applied 4 months ago, got a phone interview, but didn't make it past that. I was told by someone who works at this hospital that it's hard to get a job in this hospital and the way to get your foot in the door is by directly emailing the NM. I applied thru HR like normal and also emailed the NM this time. I'm confident that my message, cover letter, and resume are all great, and I took time to put in effort to all of them and to really think about what I wax saying and what I wanted to highlight etc.

Well ...my app wasn't selected and no reply from the NM! Not even a thank you but sorry! I'm just very discouraged because I moved to this state to be with my significant other but it's very rural and this is the ONLY NICU (unit I want) in the whole state ...it's been my goal to work there or idk what I'll do ... I have been on a med/surg Tele floor for 10 months at a hospital in the same network I applied to. Transfer policy is 6 months so I'm good there. Should I call the NM or leave it alone? Or just keep applying when positions open ....it didn't specify that you need any certain amount of experience in the description either!

Thanks guys for any advice!

[roser13, ASN, RN]

"it's been my goal to work there or idk what I'll do"

" this is the ONLY NICU (unit I want)"​

That all-or-nothing attitude rarely works. Keep applying as often as you want, but if you really want a job, you'll get over your "dream" and apply any- & everywhere you can.

p.s. Nurse managers often have so many apps for any given position that expecting a reply, let alone a "thank you" is futile. Welcome to the real world.

[cayenne06, MSN, CNM]

Yep. I totally sympathize with knowing what you want and remaining focused on your goal. But the reality is, many (most?) nurses are not able to get into their chosen field quickly, especially if you have your eye on a popular and highly technical specialty. You are competing with motivated, intelligent people, most or all of them with more experience than you.

In my experience, I usually get a call back /email within a few days, if they want to offer me a job. But once I was offered a job 3 weeks after my interview, when I called back to thank them for the interview. I'd probably send an email in a few weeks thanking her for her time and asking her to keep your name on file in case something new comes up. That way you keep the doors of communication open without being pushy. If she wants to offer you a job, she will.

This is par for the course and obviously not a reflection of you as a nurse. The market is rough in most parts of the country, especially as a newish grad. Keep trucking along in tele, and apply apply apply.

[tinybbynurse]

Haha I do realize this is the real world ..and this isn't my first nursing job. I plan on reaching out to other units as well in the children's hospital. I was just making the point that it's my goal to get on that floor one way or another, because I've had my eye on it since before I even moved, knowing that if I could get in, I'd be all the more satisfied living here. Otherwise, sooner or later I may have to look at moving. I want more than anything to be as passionate as I can be about job. I have always wanted to work with children or neonates, adults were never my desire ...I do enjoy my job but am I 100% into it? No! I just can't wait to work with the little ones. I'm excited. I'm going to reach out to peds next. If I can just score an in person interview with any of these people I feel confident I'd get it....I have gotten every nursing job I ever went to an in person interview for! I'm not saying it's a given, but I know that I really excel in person, it's just hard making it to that point sometimes.

[tinybbynurse]

Also I really need to find SOMETHING before next winter ....I'm currently driving far away to my current job and where I live we get a lot of snow and harsh winters ...last winter was mild, but even that wasn't mild to ME. I moved here last year from the south.... And I just know I'm not going to feel safe driving in a horrible winter snowstorm all the time ...I was stressed enough this past winter. That's another reason why it's so important to me to get into the children's hospital, because if I leave this job, it needs to be for good reason, it needs to be in the field in desire, otherwise I'd hate to leave for just another adult floor when I lucked up so much with such great coworkers and decent ratios and great mgmt! So if I leave, it really needs to be worth it. And to make it worth leaving, I'd like to secure a position in a children's hospital. I know there's no advice to give me on that, it's more just me rambling! Sorry :)

[momof3lv]

I would try applying for a peds position at the hospital and then you can transfer to nicu when you get some experience. I use to work in pediatrics and while they do hire new grads at times, most of their positions came from internal applicants or people with nicu experience already.

[springchick1, ADN, RN]

Should I call the NM or leave it alone? Or just keep applying when positions open ....it didn't specify that you need any certain amount of experience in the description either!

Thanks guys for any advice!

I would leave it alone. You've already been denied the job once. What makes you think they would hire you a second time around?

[westieluv]

Should I call the NM or leave it alone? Or just keep applying when positions open ....it didn't specify that you need any certain amount of experience in the description either!

Thanks guys for any advice!

I would leave it alone too. The NM obviously knows that you are interested in working on that unit, but if you keep pushing and contacting him/her, you will come across as desperate and pushy, and that never looks good.

I would just watch for future openings and continue to submit that resume, cover letter, etc. each time there is an opening, see if you get an interview, and leave it at that. NMs have enough job pressures without being "nagged", for lack of a better word, by the same nurse over and over. If he/she wants to hire you, he/she will let you know. In the meantime, explore other options, just in case you never get into that unit. You can't spend your entire life waiting for that NM to hire you, because it may never happen.

[nutella, MSN, RN]

Leave it alone.

You compete against nurses who already have some sort of pedicatric, NICU or other ICU experience - you are still pretty "new" all around. I did get one job because the NM knew me and asked HR to send over the application. But NM get so many emails that you can not expect to get a "thank you".

Nowadays you need to be flexible and I think your chances increase after 2 years working as a nurse.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I'm just very discouraged because I moved to this state to be with my significant other but it's very rural and this is the ONLY NICU (unit I want) in the whole state

Sometimes we take a leap of faith when relocating across state lines. It helps to look at the bright side of things...

1. You already have a job, even though it is not the one you want.

2. You have a partner that you liked enough to relocate to be near.

[nurseinthezoo]

Rural areas are tough with a limited marketplace. Hang in there.

[srercg]

if its one of the few NICU units around - then you can imagine there are probably plenty of other nurses who have worked there longer and have been trying to get on that unit as well, or from locations nearby seeking the same thing. Do you know who they hired by chance?

Also, I wouldn't give up. Send a personal note /card thanking the NM for looking at your resume' and you understand there are many applicants - reiterate your desire to work on the unit should another position come available - who knows. This nurse they DID hire may change the dynamic in some way and there may be more opportunities come up soon.

:)