ClassyChristina

Thank you for your input... Sadly, I have no desire to continue in Oncology. I ended up accepting an offer at St. John. They were super flexible with me and gave me several interviews for the open day positions so I could find my niche and the unit that worked best for me. I have really been impressed with the professionalism there so far!

Hi there! I will be relocating to Tulsa, Oklahoma in a few months and have a few questions. I have working as an RN for about a year on a busy Oncology/Tele/med-surg floor and definitely have been through my initial learning curve as a nurse. I also worked as an LPN for a few years prior to this. What are the best hospitals to work at in Tulsa? Do you have to have an "in" to get an interview? What is the job market like? Was it hard for you to find a job in the speciality you wanted? I already have my licence endorsed and start applying next month so any help/advice will be greatly appreciated! : ) -Christina

I've worked nights for ten months. Constantly sleep deprived. Worse menstrual cycles of my life. Developed thyroid issues and now have borderline hypothriodism. Constantly depressed - I miss being around people if I am up in the middle of the night on my days off. I have gained 20lbs so far and constantly eating to help myself feel more alert and less groggy. I am the most miserable person on this shift.(and I am NOT prone to depression at all.) In the process of switching shifts now... I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy.

I am three months into my first RN job on an Oncology floor and I am still waiting to feel comfortable. I ask a lot of questions and just have to be patient with myself! You can't know it all! The good thing is that everyone starts out this way. We have good company! : )

6 on nights with 1 tech(if we are lucky!) for 28 beds. So practically total pt care for six.

I have 6 patients most of the time and 1 CNA for 28 beds. No LPNS, so it is basically full care. It is difficult when you have patients who are turners or bedfast and incontinent. I might have an admission to do and then have a patient who is wet in bed, and another who is crying with pain and desperately needs medication... those are fun times!!!! haha, but if you work well with your team and do one thing at a time with a great attitude...it can be done! : )

I applied to 4 positions in Nebraska. Got hired on a med-surg/tele/oncology floor for nights. There are NO new grads that I know of who start on days, so be sure you are applying to night positions if you want a hospital job. : )

Yep! Multiple teachers like that! My only advice is to kill them with kindness... and it is okay to cry/ball on the way home. You'll get through it. : )

Work in a medical setting while in school, it will benefit you and help familiarize yourself with all the terminology. The main thing is to make sure you have good stress management techniques... you are capable of a lot, but only if you know how to adequately handle stress. : )

Honestly, it sounds like he was joking... and ativan jokes before big tests are very common in nursing school.

There are NO good white scrubs... haha. I always got the cheapest I could find so I would be able to not feel bad about throwing them away as soon as finished with school!

Most RN-BSN programs require at least a 2.5 and some are at least a 2.0. I think you should be fine... the acceptance into RN-BSN programs is way less competitive than traditional nursing programs because applicants have already passed the NCLEX and are practicing nurses. :)

Omaha, Nebraska. Graduated in Decemeber and got a job at a large hospital in Oncology fairly quickly. In my orientation class there were three new grads from Co... I guess the job market for new grads is better in Nebraska.

Just keep trying! Remember that a person chooses whether or not they will like you from the minute they see you. First impressions are important! Also be GENUINE!!! A lot of job seekers are so busy writing out thank you cards and cover letters instead of being real. Work on being likable, which means you need to be vulnerable and honest. When I was hired at the hospital in my city I told the manager that I was kicked out of nursing school due to being sick... that I struggled with the idea of going back to a school that had made me withdrawal for missing TWO DAYS. Then I told her that I humbled myself and went back, because nothing was going to stop me from doing what I was meant to do. This made me vulnerable. She knew a secret, she knew something that could work against me.(No one wants to admit they got kicked out of nursing school!) Many people forget about this very important part of human interaction, to make a real connection with someone... you have to make yourself vulnerable. So keep at it! Make sure you are not in a robotic rut of jumping through hoops, but that you are letting employers really get to know you, the real, honest, & raw you! : )

Turns out calling the nurse recruiter and building report with her worked! As well as going through several interviews... : ) I got my first job as an RN in an oncology unit! Couldn't be happier! : )

Can you call the nurse recruiter or HR directly and clarify with them? That is what I would do!

As long as you passed you should be fine! :) Most places won't interview you until you pass... so you are good to go now! Congrats girl!

I went to a community college that was around 110$ per credit hour. I paid as I went, never took out loans. Graduated December 2012 with no debt, passed the NCLEX Jan 10th, and now have multiple job offers!Thankful I did it the debt free way. :)

Degree type: ADN Graduation month/year: Dec 2012 Sex: female Age range: 19-24 Job Setting: Hospital Geographical Location: Nebraska Race/Ethnicity: White How long have you been looking for your first job before being hired? Couple weeks. Did you do any volunteer work before your job? Worked as an LPN and CNA. No need to volunteer for experiences. Did you possess any additional certifications (i.e. ACLS) before you landed your first job? BLS Did a family/friend/clinical instructor or other connection help you land your job? No, complete luck. The nurse recruiter just liked me a lot and wanted me in for an interview. Did you work in the health care setting at all before your job? If so, what field? LPN and CNA. Home health and Rehab center. Did you apply online, in person (at the facility), or other? Online application. Did you participate in any follow-up inquiries after resume submittal of your application or interview? Phone interview, interview with floor manager, and peer interview. How far away do you live from your job site? 20 minutes Did you hold a p/t or f/t job while enrolled in your nursing program. If yes, list whether it was p/t or f/t position: Part-time If you held a job during your nursing program that was not related to the health care field, please report the general field in which you worked (restaurant, retail, educational, business, etc.) Feel free to expand: LPN & CNA Did you receive any scholastic honors while in nursing school (Dean's List, Cum Laude, etc.?) Nope... and that was definitely not an interview question! General comments: I lucked out because I randomly applied to a hospital floor where the manager prefers new grads. A real oddity in the hospital world. :)

Honestly it all depends on whether or not the nurse manager has told the nurse recruiter to call new grads or not. You have no idea of knowing what floors are going to be more open to you... so you just apply to whatever you have a passion for! I am sure the right job will find you. :)

Thanks everyone! I did call back the next day and we just talked a little bit about the interview... she told me she would call me back after she talked to the manager to see if I could come in for a peer interview or not... Well she called! & I am going to a peer interview. :) Hopefully that goes well!

I never used a specific cover letter because I think it comes off as over-the-top and desperate. Simple and to the point is always better in my opinion. I have gotten two job offers this way and only applied for a few jobs... so it has worked for me! :)

Yay! That is awesome! I have my first peer interview this Mon... So I am a little nervous! I have never been through so many interviews for a job! Over the phone, interview with the manager, and now a peer interview... I guess it is good they are selective about the nurses they get. :)

I think if you just make everything private(You should probably do this anyway!) you should be fine. :) Just make sure your profile picture is classy. :)

Hi everyone! I have never applied or interviewed at a hospital before. I applied online. Then the nurse recruiter called me to have a quick over the phone interview. Then a few days later she called me to set up an interview with the nursing manager. The nurse recruiter emailed me the information and then asked me to give her a call to talk about the interview after it happens.... to talk about how it went. Is this normal protocol? Was she just being friendly or do you think calling her back after the interview is a "test"? Maybe I am over thinking and just have nerves... but is this normal? Thanks for reading! My interview is tomorrow, wish me luck! :)