Office job for a new grad? Advice please!!!

netglow, ASN, RN · Jun 11, 2011

Is there another nurse at the practice? Not that that is a deal breaker or anything. If you seem to get along with the doc then I'd give it a try. Who knows this might be the only interview you get for another year! And I am not joking. If the two of you end up working well together, you may learn a few things along the way. I have to say, that just the fact that the doc wanted to interview you personally is a plus.

tokmom, BSN, RN · Jun 11, 2011

Personally, I think it matters on the hospital manager and what they are willing to take. My manager will take office nurses if she thinks they have good potential. But if the office nurse is competing with a hospital trained nurse, then it would be that particular nurse chosen. The simple fact that the hospital trained nurse can be up and running sooner.

If it were me, I would take the office job, because any job is better than no job and you do have to eat. It doesn't mean you can't keep looking in the mean time. I would also take ACLS and other learning opportunities to keep yourself fresh.

LaughingRN · Jun 11, 2011

Take the job.

I could have written your post with exception to the location...

BSN grad, saturated market, etc etc

My first job was a Doctor's office/clinic, since I couldn't manage to even land an interview at the hospital.

To be honest, I used very little of the skills that I learned in school, but I learned so many new ones. (and some really cool ones, like assisting minor surgery, biopsies)

After almost a year, I got the itch and started to look again, expecting it to be a leisure, multi month long process.

I actually received three interview requests at hospitals in the first couple of weeks looking and.....

I am now working in a level 1 ER as of next week (my dream job)

Chin up, it gets easier when you have anything on your resume as experience

JennyRNy · Jun 11, 2011

I agree that the experience may not be what you're really looking for, but take the job. You can always keep looking, and who knows you may really like it and find your calling.

Take it.

young_gun_np · Jun 11, 2011

I say it is a win or lose situation. The positive would be you be doing the work of a medical assistant. The negative is going to be when a job opportunity comes up they might ask if you have experience and working in a medical office is not exactly direct patient care nursing experience.

Amparo Pagan Titmus, MSN, RN · Jun 11, 2011

Talk to the hospital recruiter. Be open about your intentions and ask her what she recommends and if there is anything suitable that will help you achieve your goals.

Explore your options.

STL2008, RN · Jun 11, 2011

Experience is better than no experience.

trooperwifey · Jun 11, 2011

I would take the job too. Any job is better than no job :)

Plus, now that you will have 'experience' you can apply for PRN hospital jobs and get your foot in the door that way too.

rita359 · Jun 11, 2011

I would take the job too. Any job is better than no job :)
Plus, now that you will have 'experience' you can apply for PRN hospital jobs and get your foot in the door that way too.

Word of caution: I don't think office experience will get you a prn hospital job. Usually little orientation with prn

and you have to know hospital nursing to be up and running in a prn position. My 2 cents, take any position offered. A job is better than NO job.

sourapril · Jun 11, 2011

Which school did you graduate from? Did all your classmates find jobs?

Hi everyone!
I graduated from a BSN program and got my license about a month ago, but the job search hasn't been going well (surprising in this economy, I know ). To make a long story short, I did most of my rotations and my practicum at a local hospital, interviewed there for my dream job last week, and the four open positions all went to classmates. The nurse recruiter said it was a close call, but I don't speak Spanish where the other candidates did. sigh.
The good news is I have my second interview with a physician who runs a private practice next week, and during the first interview she indicated that I will get the job. Obviously I don't want to count on it yet, but what do you guys think of an office position as my first job? I would be so grateful to have a job, I am just concerned because:
1. As a private practice, the job pays much less than the hospitals and I have a mountain of student loans. Still, I would be so happy to have a job, and given how saturated the Denver area is, it could be months and months before I find a job.
2. The required skill sets in an office are clearly different from those in a hospital - would it be detrimental not to be acquiring those "med/surg" skills right out of school? And
3. I may end up loving primary care, but at this point I would like to end up in the ED one day. Does anyone know if this office job will count as sufficient experience so that I can apply to hospital positions down the road?
Thanks so much in advance for your opinions/advice, I really appreciate the input!!

studystudy · Jun 28, 2011

Take the job.
I could have written your post with exception to the location...
BSN grad, saturated market, etc etc
My first job was a Doctor's office/clinic, since I couldn't manage to even land an interview at the hospital.
To be honest, I used very little of the skills that I learned in school, but I learned so many new ones. (and some really cool ones, like assisting minor surgery, biopsies)
After almost a year, I got the itch and started to look again, expecting it to be a leisure, multi month long process.
I actually received three interview requests at hospitals in the first couple of weeks looking and.....
I am now working in a level 1 ER as of next week (my dream job)
Chin up, it gets easier when you have anything on your resume as experience

Thanks for this! I just accepted my first job at a doctor's office infusion clinic. I will be administering IV meds, doing dressing changes, blood draws. I am relieved to finally have something, but will still be looking for a part-time or full-time hospital job to get my acute care in. I've been kind of nervous starting out in an office, but some RN experience is better than none... and it's not like people are knocking down my door as a new grad wanting to hire me!

During my interview, the doctor even said, "You graduated in December? It's now June, and still no job?" What, like I didn't just break down last week after about the 700th rejection? Ouch!! I feel fortunate, though, there were some new (old) grads also interviewed that had graduated in 2008 and still no nurse job! Beggars can't really be choosers right now.