Portland and New Grads

U.S.A. Oregon

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Sorry if this is an oft-repeated question--I don't know how to see related threads until one is already posted.

At any rate, I am considering moving to Portland in January 2009 after I graduate with my BSN in Denver. Can anyone speak to the new grad situation there as far as working in the big hospitals? Do they take a lot of new grads, or do they require expereience for all but the least desirable shifts and departments?

I am interested in getting into the ICU as a new grad. While I'm curious to see how the GENERAL new grad RN market is in Portland, anyone who can speak to ICU new grad opportunities would be greatly appreciated (it seems fairly doable in Denver; I will have worked several months as an paid nurse extern on a step down unit at a large hospital, and done my academic practicum in an ICU...what kind of treatment might such a student get in PDX?).

Thank you for your help. Any specifics would be great, whether re: hospitals, departments, experience, pay, shifts, etc.

Specializes in LTC.
I am just curious how you got to the figure of 1500 nursing students that will be graduating? That seems like it may be too high of a number.

OHSU, Linfield, UofP, PCC, Clackamas CC, Mt. Hood CC - Am I missing anyone? Do all of those schools actually add up to 1500?

1500 does sound high...Apollo College and Concorde also have LPN programs but have no clue how many they graduate.

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Specializes in Cardiothoracic Transplant Telemetry.
I am just curious how you got to the figure of 1500 nursing students that will be graduating? That seems like it may be too high of a number.

OHSU, Linfield, UofP, PCC, Clackamas CC, Mt. Hood CC - Am I missing anyone? Do all of those schools actually add up to 1500?

You have to add in Clark CC in Vancouver, and Concordia in PDX. Walla Walla also has a satellite school in Portland at Adventist. There may be one or two more, but I can't remember now

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I meant the total for Oregon not just PDX, sorry for the confusion

Not to be a butt-head about details...but I don't even see how it is possible that there will be 1500 new grads this spring....do you mean ANY general college graduates or just nursing grads?

....because last I checked there are only 7 nursing schools in the portland area all of which accept less than 100 students each year. Or is there some sort of huge influx of new grads from other states? I just don't get it...I'd be curious to know where that number comes from.

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry/PCU, SNF.

I went to school in AZ and tried to get a job in PDX as well, I was moving no matter what, but I wanted to have a job lined up ahead of time. That plan didn't work out so well. But I learned a great many things about the market in PDX, plus as a charge nurse, I have interviewed multiple new grads and can pass along some of that info (at least my perspective...)

1. Apply early and to anything you might want to do. I think there were over 300 applications for Legacy's RN-Internship this Spring.

2. Don't be afraid to use any connection, edge or favor you can. What I found was that it wasn't what you knew, it was who you knew. Try to make a connection, be it with a recruiter, manager, HR person, whatever.

3. Don't put all your eggs in one basket. I only applied to one internship and was turned down. As a result, I had nothing to fall back on.

4. Be willing to work, anywhere. LTC/SNF, Clinics, outpatient, whatever, you may have your sights set on the ICU, but it can be very difficult to get hired straight into an ICU if you didn't work there as a CNA, do your preceptorship there or did a preceptorship in ICU. High-acuity places have to be picky, they literally have lives in the balance. So sometimes settling for a less-than desirable job, while it sucks to have your dreams shattered, at least you're still "nursing". You can still apply and hopefully get the job you want.

5. Try and try, and try some more. The market is somewhat saturated with new grads. It takes at least 6 months for a new grad to get into the flow of actually being a nurse and working on a unit. The break-in period is tough on everyone. So if it seems like they aren't taking many new grads, think about the extra time and resources it takes to get new nurses up to speed. It's economics - supply/demand.

On a positive note, we hired 14(!) new grads this Spring, so there are positions out there. And my story? I moved, took a job at a SNF, bided my time and ended up doing what I wanted to do and have been there over a year and a half, so there can be happy endings.

Good luck!

Tom

Oh yeah, almost forgot - don't take ACLS before you're hired. Any unit that requires it will pay you to take it and you'll have a better context of the information when you're working the floor than before you are.

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Spatialized, I totally understand the idea of "who you know" but what if you don't know anyone. How do you make a connection if none of these HR and recruiters want to talk to you...Is there a secret society of PDX nurses? How do I get in?!

BTW I was born and raised in the City of Roses and I am moving back 2 years after I graduate, so not until 2012. I don't know anyone and I wasn't popular in high school so what do I do!!?

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