office job as a new grad?

greysanatomyfan · Apr 11, 2010

If where you are is anything like my state, you would take the job and continue to look for your "dream" job. I have a job interview Monday at a hospital 1 1/2 hours away from my home with other hospitals 30 minutes from my home, but the closer hospitals haven't called me for an interview. If I'm offered that job, then I am going to take it. The way I see it is that any experience is "experience." Almost all jobs that I have applied for say we are looking for a nurse with more experience. How are we new grads supposed to get experience if no one will give us a chance?!

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Apr 11, 2010

IMO some experience is better than no experience...which is what you'd have if you decided to sit at home waiting for the call from the hospital.

If you have time to decide on the office job, wait on accepting while you apply to hospitals.

If you're in a financial bind or need to decide quickly, take the office job and keep applying to hospitals. Nothing says you have to stay at the office job forever: you can always resign or cut your hours back once you get a hospital job. Or if it turns out the office job really suits you, you can always pick up PRN shifts at a hospital and get the best of both worlds.

Good luck whatever you decide!

goodstudentnowRN · Apr 15, 2010

Take the job. I am a new grad with a license looking for a job for two months now and no luck. I am so frustrated. I will take anything right now as we speak:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

bymysoultosqueezeRN · Apr 15, 2010

take the job, at least you will get familiar with the routines, computer system, insurances and stuff like that. I am working in a prison and it is my first job but I find myself reading doctors' notes a lot to see what they treat with what, Im learning the names of medications and generics etc. Like previous posters said something is better than nothing. good luck! :)

Starfish1 · Apr 15, 2010

YES take the job any experience is great!!!! you'll get your feet wet and then try looking for a hospital position if thats what you want to do- you may just love working in a Dr office...BTW how did you land a Dr office position?

caliotter3 · Apr 15, 2010

A job is a job! Take it! You may find that you love it and the other choices fade into the background. You can continue looking for a hospital job while employed in the office. Heavens, how many nurses would kill to get a job offer to work in an office!

SparkleRN · Apr 15, 2010

Take it! I'm a new grad and struggling to find a job 5 months after graduation. I was seriously thinking about working at a grocery store with a bachelor's degree...I can't find anything. TAKE IT, it may lead you somewhere you never dreamed of. Good luck. Oh, and if you don't take it, PM me and I'll move there! Seriously, it's that bad out here looking for a hospital position :)

LVN-RNhopeful · Apr 16, 2010

I worked in an internal medicine office for a few years before getting a job on a tele floor, and it was a pretty positive experience for me. I gained good insight as to what happens once a pt leaves an acute care setting and some of the challenges that they face. I had ample opportunity to be an advocate for my patients. Also, working closely with a few doctors, I gained the confidence to directly ask the doctors for specifically whatever it was their pt's needed. However, it was A LOT of secretarial work, and a lot of time spent on the phone, but it was still very rewarding - especially when I was able to do something like get my patients enrolled into a drug assistance program so they could afford their monthly meds. As much as I loathe the presence of drug reps in doctors' offices, I was able to get in good with the reps, and have them leave extra samples of meds for my patients who were uninsured or couldn't afford their medications. And from time to time, I still had the opportunity to practive nursing skills (foleys, IV's, etc.) It's definitely a different beast, but the experience gained will be invaluable once you get into an acute care setting. I say go for it, but continue your search for your dream job. Good luck!

WeirdNurseKelly, BSN, RN · Apr 17, 2010

As one of my clinical instructors has put it several times for us "your first job most likely wont be your dream job and your dream job may not even be your dream job later on down the road". I am graduating in June and have been looking for jobs. I got a few nibbles but not much.

I applied to the 2 local area hospitals and the bigger city hospitals (where I want to work). Taking the advice of other nurses and my clinical instructors, I actually went in and dropped off my resume and references to the nurse managers. I let them know I have applied for the available positions and just wanted to say hello so that they could put a face with the name.

I was told by one of the hospitals that they had to post the job for a week and that there were many people who have applied for the 2 positions they had posted. I said great, I just wanted to pop my head in and say hello.

The other hospital, they hired someone for the relief position already. I am doing my preceptorship at this hospital. I mad it a point to let the nurse manager know that I was interested in a job if one were to be available. She sounded very hopeful that one will come up (relief) at the time I qualify for employment (after graduation and take the NCLEX).

So there is hope out there. Lots of frustration though too. I have just hit the tip of the ice berg with my job search but I believe I am getting some good feedback so far. Good luck with the job interview and remember that your first job may not be your dream job and you may come to find out later in your career that your dream job may not be your dream job.

Again, good luck with the job hunting and try to stay positive. It has helped me A LOT!