DisneybearRN

I am a relatively new nurse who has done six months in a long term acute facility after working as a CNA in a hospital for a year. I had to leave the LTAC facility due to family illness and have been looking for a job since. I have my bachelor's in Psychology, an associates in Nursing, and will be getting my BSN later this year on my way to a degree in Nursing Education. The job market here is brutal for a new RN. There are no jobs. I recently interviewed with top medical software company for a position as a clinical training specialist. Basically the job requires traveling around the U.S. and being the contact and trainer to the IT and Nursing department when implementing new software. The job is really appealing to me as I am a total computer geek, have a great desire to teach and really would love the ultimate position in a hospital as a nurse imformaticist. I am having zero luck finding a job as an RN in an acute setting where I live and relocating is not an option at this time. The new position is really appealing to me with great benefits. My problem is that I am afraid that if I start work there without having had a lot of clinical experience as an RN, I would never be able to leave the software company to work as an informaticist in a hospital, because my resume does not have a lot of clinical hours. I think it would be even harder for me to get a clinical position after a few years with the software company if i wanted to gain hours. I am 48 so planning is crucial if I want to become a Nurse Informaticist in a hospital. Even thought the job is right up my alley, I would hate to ruin my chances for future growth. Granted, it is the only job that I might be able to get right now, but I will hang out for clinical nursing if I can determine that this would be a dead end for me. I suppose it is also possible that I would never want to leave the vendor as it might be the best spot to stay. I just want to be able to grow in the field. Any thoughts would be appreciated, especially those that hire in the field. Thank You.

I love CPRWorld in Canton. ****** the instructor rocks!

Well just as I had predicted, this has now become a trend. UMASS in Worcester recently stated, " We have recently made the decision to follow other distinguished academic medical centers by creating a “New Graduate Registered Nurse Residency” program as the sole training opportunity for new grad nurses" While there is no mention of salery, the "program" is only open to new grads, is full time for 6 months, rotating shifts, with no benefits and no guarantee of a job at the end. The only way a new grad is going to get a job at a hospital is to sign on for 6 months with a hope of employment. Qualified new grads who are second career nurses who need to work and receive benefits will not be able to get hospital jobs in the future unless this economy puts the power back to the employee. As I stated in many posts, this is NOT good for nursing, but good for hospitals. If you are independently wealthy, can work full-time with no set hours, and devote 6 months of your life on the chance of employment, by all means consider nursing as a career. All others need not apply. This is now the future and the reality. Do I think it is good for the nursing profession, absolutely not.

I am so sorry for your loss. Your mom was so lucky to have had you as caregiver. I am starting WGU in May for RN to MSN and so far my experience has been excellent with my enrollment councilor. If she is not available when I call I talk to a live person and set up a time for her to call me back, and she has always done so at the scheduled time. I recommend you try again and speak with someone live in enrollment services to find out your next step.

Congrats! That gives us new grads so me hope as well!

Firstly, I am so sorry for your loss. Your Mom was so lucky to have such a caring daughter! It takes a special person to take care of the ill and not all family members are always up to it. You are not too old to do whatever interests you and the healthcare system would benefit so much from your caring attitude and ability to perform. Hey I just became a nurse at 47! It is not too late!

Hang in there, things are bound to change. It is just awful out here right now. And remember there is no shame in working at something else to pay the bills!

Thanks Pexx. I know how lucky I am. I don't think I would have a shot if I wasn't already working at my hospital. It has become a real "who you know" game out there which is really tough. Keep the faith!

I have never questioned whether this could be a good opportunity for learning. I have ONLY questioned the pay scale. I cannot afford, have the time, nor have any desire to volunteer for 40 hour weeks. I have always worked and will continue to do so. I have a new grad position lined up so I am not interested in this anyway. No one wants to discuss the pay, which almost everyone says its low, and then goes off on a why it is such a good opportunity, what a great experience, new grads are basically losers, whatever. The intent of this thread was never about questioning that. If they offered a measly 6 dollars more I wouldn't have even created this thread! We have covered a lot here, most of it off topic, but I have enjoyed reading everyone's responses. It has turned into quite a hot topic, so something is definitely interesting about this offer. For me, I need to make a decent wage now, not in six months. if I couldn't find a nursing job, I would do something else until something came up, or if nothing did, I wouldn't work in nursing! No big deal. As I said, I will be starting a job at more than 11.44, so I am covered. I can tell you that if my only option was to start at 11.44, or if that becomes the norm I wouldn't have considered nursing. I am sure that many new grads and potential people considering nursing will feel the same way. Remember I said many, I know all positions are filled before I get told that again. While I value the wisdom of those that have been in nursing a longer time, I was always focused on the impact of 11.44 on new grads and those that might be considering nursing. That is the discussion that I wanted to have, but so few really want to have it. For those that want to take "advantage" of it, good for them. I just think that a new precedent might be starting here, and it may or may not be a good thing in the long run. Time will tell, because no one on here, including myself can predict the future. I just wanted to discuss its possible impact and the fact that the program really could have offered a little more cash. I think it is time I began another topic! Keep the passion and dialog going, and never forget that we were all new grads at one time! Peace Out!

Don't forget to use the PearsonVue trick( Do a search on here to find out how). I have never known it not to be accurate for most!

This was supposed to be the whole focus of the discussion! Thank you!

THANK YOU!

I am going to try to be brief as you all know how long winded I can be. No one is saying that internships are not good! And again it is not promoted as an internship, but a residency with a "salary" of 11.44. let's not forget that point. I totally agree that nursing education is really a mess and needs to be revamped. There should be an established curriculum that is the path for all nurses. 11.44 is an arbitrary figure..things could have been tweaked to raise that figure! No one is condemning the program itself, just critiquing the price tag which the majority say is low! It doesn't really have to get any deeper than that. It is an opportunity that isn't open to anyone anyway. You really can't have been a working RN to apply, and BSN only. BSN cuts out the majority of out of work new grads so most don't even have the option to take advantage. I am fascinated by those that think this could not have been implemented without absolutely any improvements. Again, reread all your own posts and see if you didn't think that the rate was even a little low. You can say it, we won't think any less of you! That is all I am interested in people acknowledging. "The rate is too damn low!"

I also thought that nurses would have stood together on this issue. I unfortunately am sadly disappointed. Wouldn't it benefit nursing if we all strove for more money? I have read things like "they could have offered nothing, too bad..go do something else, stop whining, and if you don't think this is a great opportunity you are basically a fool!" All this from mostly people that are not new grads who are not affected by it. It might be an odd concept for us as nurses, but perhaps some empathy, or at least sympathy might be more useful. Don't we want nurses old and new to be happy? Doesn't that help us all out in the long run? Shouldn't we be constantly striving to make things better for us all? New grads are struggling, we need your support, as do we need to make sure that nursing stays attractive if the upcoming shortage is true. I also can't get my head around the argument that hospitals shouldn't pay for training their nurses. With the average cost of a college education for many hitting over the 40,000 dollar mark, it is unreasonable to think that new nurses can afford, nor are excited to take on unpaid or below prevailing wage internships. If that becomes the norm, I can really see a catastrophic nursing shortage in the future with hospitals having to close their doors. Like it or not, people are entering nursing for it's perceived prestige and financial rewards, in addition to wanting to "help people". The days of everyone entering because they have a "calling" I think are long gone. There will be plenty other ways to "help people" that will become more attractive and far less of a financial burden in the future should nursing lose its competitiveness. I really don't think that defending that wage endears anyone to nursing, especially suffering new grads right now. It may be an economic reality, but I really can't see how anyone can be happy with it! Those that are complaining about it, are either appalled or as I said could use a little sympathy. Those that are defending it I believe are not helping most of us who have to deal with this new reality. Please don't eat us! We are more to be pitied than censured!

Wow! I really had no idea my first post would start such debate! I am really enjoying it. I just reread everything and even those that are defending this program so vehemently usually say the pay is low. Their answer is who cares, take it or leave it, you should be so lucky. My whole point was that the pay is low..we really do all agree if you were to reread this thread! I have also seen the idea that it is better than if they offered you nothing for this "priceless" training. Is it really all that black and white? I wonder. In my opinion, there is absolutely no reason why they could not offer the program to fewer people and pay a little more than a UAP! Why is that such an unreasonable suggestion? Why is it take it or leave it? Couldn't it be tweaked a little bit? I really wasn't going to write anymore on the subject because no amount of brow beating is gonna change my mind. The rate is too low and it can definitely can have repercussions on the nursing profession in my opinion. The most staunchest defenders here for the most part AGREE it is low and there really is no good defense of it in my opinion. Just offer it to a few less people! I am gonna start " The rate is damn low" party and run for office like that "Rent is too damn high" guy! P.S. Passions are definitely running high on this, but I hope we can debate and keep it civil.