Peds as a new grad?!

llg, PhD, RN · Dec 18, 2018

My strongest recommendation is to apply to hospitals in communities where you have some connection. Children's hospitals get lots of new grad applications and many of those new grads from outside their region will "take any peds job" ... suck up their educational resources for a year ... then, armed with that experience, move back home where they can now get a peds job because they have major children's hospital experience. The hospital loses tones of money on new grads like that: so, they try to weed those people out of the application process early.

So ... you want to appear as if you are someone who will actually stay there even after you get a year or two of experience. You can stand out in a positive way by being a new grad who will stay and therefore be worth the investment you are asking them to make in you. Anything you can say about having relatives or close friends living in the area will help. If you talk about returning to school in your interview, talk about how you hope to attend one of the schools in their region. Talk about how you are interested in living in that town because it meets your personal needs in some way, etc. Appear to be someone who will stay long term.

abigail_lh · Dec 18, 2018

Thank you so much, I've never thought about it like that. I will definitely keep that in mind moving forward!!

humerusRN, BSN · Dec 19, 2018

Good luck! I was hired into gen peds right out of nursing school and have been here ever since. Anything is possible. :) We train probably 2-4 new grads a year! I will say that the most of our hires come from local programs, and many have either worked for us as a CNA or did their preceptorships with us.

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Dec 19, 2018

Stay in touch with your peds clinical instructor and see if she can get you an interview somewhere in the Children's Hospital.

I got my job as a new grad because I completed both my pediatric clinical and senior practicum on the floor I ended up working on. It was the only job I applied for but, like you, I was willing to go anywhere and everywhere for a peds job. My preceptor for my senior practicum actually asked me right before I was going to start applying elsewhere if I wanted to stay after I graduated, introduced me to the director who asked me to send my resume directly to her and then reached out to HR saying they wanted to interview me.

What I felt made me stand out was that A) every job I ever had since I was 14 years old was with children and B) my volunteer experience. In college, I volunteered at camps for children with epilepsy, HIV/AIDS and cancer. I specifically highlighted my experience volunteering with children with epilepsy and brain tumors on my new grad resume since I was looking to work in peds neuro.

CamMc · Apr 12, 2019

On 12/19/2018 at 2:46 PM, KelRN215 said:
What I felt made me stand out was that A) every job I ever had since I was 14 years old was with children and B) my volunteer experience. In college, I volunteered at camps for children with epilepsy, HIV/AIDS and cancer. I specifically highlighted my experience volunteering with children with epilepsy and brain tumors on my new grad resume since I was looking to work in peds neuro.

I know this post is fairly old, I'm just starting the process of getting into nursing school and was wondering if this would help. I've worked for about 5+ years as a behavior therapist for children with autism and additionally I have been a private behavior therapist/hab provider for a boy with multiple cognitive and physical delays who has recently been suspected to have Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome, so I have a great deal of experience working with kids and more importantly kids with different challenges. Good to know that this could be helpful when I get through with nursing.