JoycMarr

For Labor & Delivery I would go with Baylor Frisco. 2nd choice would be Presby Plano. Both Baylor and Presby rank high as treating their nurses well.

it does vary some, but average is about $23 an hour base

well, it sounds like you're doing all the right things. I think even though you have experience in another country, some Recruiters may not take that into account and treat you almost like a new grad, so look for those type positions. Also, is your native language Spanish or something else?? I would keep taking the English classes and really market yourself as a bi-lingual nurse on your resume, which should be a big positive, especially for certain positions. Good luck, times are bad for everyone right now, especially new grads, and I really think they may be viewing you just from the time you passed your NCLEX over here.

I've seen rooms posted on Craigslist, I would just be very careful, and probably would see if there's someone at the hospital who will let you crash (maybe someone who works an opposite shift as you) and give them a little cash as a courtesy. Good luck and congrats on your position!

Speaking from prior HR experience, look closely at your application and make sure you've explained gaps of employment (have you lived in AZ 1.6 years with no work at all?), make sure your references are excellent and can be reached (I've seen applications tossed before because they could not get in touch with any of the references) and I'm assuming you do not have a flagged license? If you do, most hospitals would not consider you. Now, on the other end, if you're actually making it in to the interview, and then not offered a position, then look closely (or study) on behavioral type interviews. Do you speak clear English also? And like the poster above mentioned, apply at places other than hospitals, but I would imagine if you have ER experience there would be hospitals that would love to have you.

Have you tried at clinics, nursing homes, and retirement homes?? Also, look in the newspaper job classifieds if you're not already, because there are sometimes jobs in there you can't find on-line easily.

If you're willing to move to AR, there are several hospitals that will hire new grads. You cannot have bad references, flagged licenses, gaps in employment (that can't be justified), so just be aware of that. Try these two that are in Jonesboro, AR (close to Memphis TN): http://www.baptistonline.org/careers/search/search.asp http://www.stbernards.info/html_careerop/jobs.php I've heard the Little Rock hospitals were flooded with new grad applicants from May, so they may not be hiring right now, but I bet it will pick up again in the Spring. Good luck!

Is Methodist the only one that does the $40+ Weekend option?

Did you ever get a call? It's odd for either facility not to call and at least ask you a few questions over the phone when there are so many openings.

I would choose the CNA route, because PCT is really just a job description that usually requires you to be a CNA first, or be eligible to test for it. The PCT job description will vary from place to place (some don't perform lab draws for example) and in some hospitals they basically take vital signs, and provide ADLs. Usually the pay scale is exactly the same, but going the CNA route will make you eligible for more jobs in the long run. You might want to check with some of the nursing homes, they sometimes offer free CNA courses in exchange for your employment.

We are relocating too. It's been months since I applied, and my application flew immediately from HR to the Director within 2 days, but then it's stopped there. She has not called me. I have extensive experience. Not sure what to do since they don't seem to be in any hurry to hire. It's just not like that in AR and TX where there are jobs for the picking!

Was this hospital not hiring LPNs, or not hiring nurses at all? It's not uncommon for hospitals to replace LPN positions with RN as they open up, etc. Many hospitals are trying to go toward this trend.

Why are you applying for jobs 300 miles from where you live? Have you also applied for places like nursing homes? Anything to gain some type of experience. Hospitals can afford to be a little more picky in some areas and nationwide new graduates are having more difficulty finding jobs. Some of this is due to the economy and the fact that older nurses are not retiring as planned, or some are reentering the work force due to spouse being laid off, etc. Is there a particular reason why you need to live/work in this one area? If not, you might consider relocating to a state where there is a need for new grads!

The Acc. BSN program at ASU is very fast-paced and it is difficult to work while attending, because of the amount of clinical time and study time, but for someone who already has a degree and needs to get through something fast, this is ideal. It is very competitive to get in, and not many spots (I think they are accepting around 15 students each year) and the average GPA is around 3.5. I hope in the future they interview students also, because sometimes the highest GPA don't always make the best nurses, and I think ASU is finally realizing that, both for their traditional BSN and the accelerated. Just my 2 cents.

wow, that's not much for being a nurse for 14 years! I made 48,000 my first year I graduated from RN school in Arkansas as a staff nurse. Definitely time for you to have a raise

The minimum would be a year in an area such as ICU or ER. To be honest with you, I think you need 3-5 years experience before transitioning to traveling, unless you are already comfortable in a hospital environment. Remember, when traveling you will be expected to work on a minimum orientation (sometimes as little as one precepted shift) before being tossed out on your own. You must be very comfortable and competent! Good luck, and I think traveling is a great career, especially if you don't have small children!

Do you have any experience at all since you graduated? As the poster above said, you might need to apply for areas outside your initial interest to help build up good references. Don't give up, keep applying!

I work in the Hiring process and would not expect you to answer "yes" in that case

before throwing in your hat, why don't you try something outside of the hospital setting? There are lots of options

I disagree--the DON title is used quite frequently. In our facility we have floor Managers, then above them are the DONs, then we have the CNO, or Chief Nursing Officer. I saw job opportunities all the time for DONs

an ability to negotiate, counsel, and be a strong patient advocate. You have to have personality and charm and be able to mingle with a variety of cultures, ages, socioeconomic backgrounds, levels within the organization, etc You should also be educated and keep yourself up to date with the latest in evidence based practice, what other facilities are doing (and is working for them), trends in nursing recruitment, etc. Basically, the list goes on and on.....

ICU --always 1:2 ratio, or 1:1 if it's a very "busy" pt (such as fresh post-op CABG), all RN staff Stepdown Unit (this unit has cardiac drips, insulin drips, and long-term vent pts)--always 1:4 or 1:3 if pt team includes vent pt, all RN staff Med-Surg--1:6 on days, 1:7 on nights CNA ratio for all units--1:10 on day shift, 1:15 on nights

There is requirement from our State Health Department to keep this info on file for 3 years.

I personally think there are more options with a MSN. I can teach, be an APN, Nurse executive, etc. but if I had just a MBA I would not be able to have all those options.

I'm a bit late in responding, so this probably won't help you, but I wanted to add as a floor manager I did essentially the same as the Director above listed, which makes me wonder what OUR Directors do, LOL :)