allybear

It depends on your facility. At my hospital only attendings, and sometimes residents, remove the dressing.

The advice about resumes is very good. Additionally, keep applying. At least in my hospital, my manager receives the first 10-20 qualified applications that come through. So it really comes down to who applies for the job first. It stinks but that's how it is. Tailor your cover letter to each specific posting. Yes, it is extra effort but makes the difference. Use your connections, and if you really want to go that extra mile I would spend your time/effort/$$ going to some type of nursing conference or event where CEUs are offered and network there rather than getting lots of different certifications. Look for job fairs. I work in a birthing center (birthing center jobs are among those in higher demand) and my hospital recently had a job fair; my manager was only approached by like 4 people and all of them were hired after they talked to her there. And no, we're not a crappy hospital that no one wants to work at.

Thanks for your responses. We do have central monitoring and great teamwork, but people won't rush in to help unless I call for it or unless the decel lasts longer than, maybe, 2-3 minutes. Maybe it's just the culture of where I work to where the residents are acting annoyed when I call them. Thanks for the feedback, Katie 71275, that absolutely makes sense. I appreciate your responses... those 3 min decels that feel like hours long were stressing me out but I'm learning more and more how to best manage them :)

So I am new to ob nursing in a hospital that cares for pretty high risk pts. I've been doing high risk the last few shifts and am looking for feedback. If you have a decel on a high risk pt such as a pt who srom at 26 weeks and you start all of your intrauterine resuscitation, how long are you having your heart tones down before you call a doc in the room (usually a resident)? I've been giving it a minute, no longer than 2, before I'm calling but I feel like I'm calling them way too often. I just don't want to wait too long to get a resident in the room and then have a bad outcome. Thanks in advance?

You could also look for units that are LDRP, if you want both experiences at once.

I'm in the process of applying for a new position. I haven't told my manager because as I've watched some other coworkers go through this process, she has made things difficult when they try to leave. I have heard stories recently where interviewers have asked for contact information for the prospective employee's current manager. How should I handle this question if I'm asked in an interview? I don't want to ruin my chances of getting a job by refusing to give that information, but I also don't want my current manager to say things that would reflect poorly on me to prospective employers. Thanks in advance!

Have you thought about casting your net a little wider? There are also many health systems in the metro detroit area including Henry Ford, DMC, Karmanos, Beaumont, St. John Providence, Oakwood, and others. I work in one of these health systems and many of my co-workers commute from AA. Otherwise, keep applying. Not sure about the specifics of hiring where you are applying but experience is good, and I've heard the hiring process at U-M can take quite awhile. Good luck!

I was hired onto a bone marrow transplant unit as a new grad. It's been a great experience. BMT pts usually stay anywhere from 2-6 weeks on average and often come back as they experience complications whether it be immediately after the transplant for things like excessive n/v or way down the road for things like graft vs host. If you get into a hospital where they practice primary nursing you will really get the chance to build relationships with your pts. As a patient's primary nurse you will almost always take care of them if you are working and they are on your floor. You get to experience the high's and lows and get to know your patients... like build relationships but also see what they look like on a good day vs when they are not doing well. It's really rewarding and awesome to take care of pts over longer periods of time, but it is also very difficult when you have the more demanding or rude patients. We have a guy who keeps coming back and he treats us all like junk... screams at us, is noncompliant w/ most everything, we have to call security on him all the time.... I wish he would get cured of his disease REAL quick haha

I know this is a couple weeks later, but thanks for your words. Glad to know I"m not alone and even what everyone has said helps me to process the emotions I'm experiencing better. Best wishes to you all!

Just looking to express some feelings and see if anyone has some words of wisdom. I'm a new nurse (less than 6 months in the hospital) working with oncology pts. I love my job, but tonight i came home just feeling like i didn't do enough. I had a relatively heavy assignment and completed all my tasks, but i just feel like i wasn't that great of a nurse. I had one of my favorite patients who is having a rough time going through her treatment... She was trying to talk to me about her life (i totally LOVE opportunities to talk to my pts about non-cancer things!!!!) But i was so busy i feel like i almost blew her off. Another pt threw up a bunch of times unnecessarily bc the docs were in a code and i couldn't get an order for meds for him... That kinda stuff. Nothing life our death, but i just felt like crap going home. I know i probably have super high expectations of myself as a nurse so that's why i feel so bad. Is this common? Anyone ever feel this way?

Check it out... U-M is having a career fair for nurses. Good opportunity to speak to managers I'm sure! Fall Event

Try Karmanos too! (If you're interested in working in oncology) They rent space from the DMC but they're separate.

Have you had any luck? i saw this week U of M had 19 positions open for new grads. So looks like they're truly short on the adult side. One suggestion is that there is a list of most of the managers here: UMHS Nursing So I began tailoring each cover letter to each unit and addressing the specific managers. Not sure if that makes a big difference or not but it might show that you're doing your homework and going the extra mile :) Another thought is to try towards metro Detroit.. alot of those hospitals are hiring (DMC, Karmanos, Henry Ford, Beaumont). Not sure how far you want to drive... I just got hired in at one of the hospitals downtown so there are definitely jobs for new grads! Be persistent!

I would definitely have someone (or a few people) look over your resume. I wasn't getting ANYTHING, but then I had a friend (who looks over resumes/does hiring) help me tweak mine. Within a few weeks I've had 3 interviews (after months of nothing). Also, the advice to call HR departments is good. I know people who have got jobs that way. Call HR or even get ahold of the units you're applying to is possible. If you're like me, you might feel like that's annoying, BUT I think if you are professional and friendly (but persistent) it will pay off. The person I know who got a job that way would just call managers and ask politely, "My name is ________, I was wondering if you are scheduling any interviews for ________ position this week? I would love the opportunity to meet with you." Best of luck! Hopefully we both have jobs soon :)

Hi everyone! I'm a new grad looking for a job in a very competitive metropolis of a major city. I had an externship last summer but never really discussed working with them in the future (I could kick myself now, I was shy to bring up the topic then). I haven't really kept in contact with the manager, but I know they liked me. My question is... Is it appropriate to send a cover letter with my resume requesting an interview for a position on the floor directly to the manager? I have her contact info and have applied to jobs on the floor but am afraid my application got lost in the sea of applications hospitals around here get for each position. What would you do... mail, email, phone call? Thanks in advance :)

I don't have any tips for you, but I just wanted to say I'm in the same boat. I've read on here that many people apply for 100-200+ jobs before getting interviews... just didn't think I'd be one of them! I've even had a friend help my fix up my resume (he does a lot of hiring so knows exactly what should be in a resume) and that hasn't even helped so far. Sigh:unsure:

I think it's around 50 people accepted, and I think around 200 apply? Give or take a few. Doesn't hurt to apply, and volunteer experience is something they definitely look for, fyi.

Hello everyone! I am going to begin applying for jobs as a new nurse soon, and I was wondering if anyone could offer insight into how early is too early to start applying? Many of my classmates have already received job offers, but this is in another state. It seems that Metro Detroit doesn't work quite the same. I'm taking the NCLEX this summer (July, probably). I know the job market stinks right now, but I'm from the Detroit area, as well as the rest of my family, so it has always been my plan to start my life there after graduating with my BSN. I have some hospital experience which should hopefully help my chances a bit. Thanks!

I've participated in the extern program at U-M. It was a fantastic experience. They described it as "at the beginning of the externship, you will be observing your preceptor. Throughout the program, you will take on more responsibilities until at the end where your preceptor is observing you providing care to a team of patients." You can do many things that graduate nurses can do, with the exception of administering meds (and some other things, but you can be right there with your preceptor as he/she does it). They expect you to act independently and it kind of becomes an experience similar to a new hire orientation. One of the only drawbacks I can think of to learning at a big teaching hospital like UM is that nurses aren't expected to do certain "nursey" things, like putting in NG tubes, or even sometimes starting IVs. Sometimes that can be a bummer when you're trying to learn as much as possible, but hey if a doctor wants to put in an NG tube then by all means they can go for it The members of the healthcare team at U-M including MDs and their students, nurses, techs, PT, etc., are all fantastic to work with. It is obvious that the level of excellence UM professes carries over into how staff interact and are treated. They do accept students from out of state. As I have not yet pursued any jobs at UM (it is a far commute from my current home), I cannot speak to how valuable it is in obtaining employment but I can say that any externship looks great on a resume, as well as a job at UM. We worked closely with people in recruitment and retention, and they updated us on job opportunities, even offering us the first shots at certain positions. They really want their externs to work in the health system. Additionally, they told us that they would help us to find jobs at UM if we desired and would recommend us to managers. I hope to go back to UM in the future, if my externship is any indication of what it is like to have a career there, I couldn't ask for much better as a nurse.

This is the sequence I took in getting money for college: First of all, try and apply for all of the scholarships you can through the school. Also, fill out the FAFSA to see if you qualify for grants/federal loans/etc. Don't accept loans until you know that you cannot receive any more scholarship money or grant money. The federal loans will have lower interest rates and some of them are even fixed. AFTER you are sure you cannot receive money from scholarships or federal aid, apply for a private loan. In my case, the scholarships, grants, and federal loans have never covered my full cost of tuition, so I've had to do private loans. But I also go to a private school. You can borrow somewhat more than what your school will cost (for books and things like that) but I wouldn't borrow very much more! For me, on my school's website it estimates that tuition + room & board & other fees is about 21,000 . I usually end up needing to take out 8000 in private loans, and I add about 1000 for books. I've never had any problems getting a loan, and the money I don't spend is left in my student account for future semesters! I hope this helps!

I am a third generation nurse (still in school) and my mother and grandmother both loved their jobs. However, both decided to continue on to a master's degree not because of how much money they would make, but because the job was so physically taxing on their bodies. That speaks volumes to me that not only is nursing a job that is worth all of that hard work (they are still doing it even with that physical toll), but it is never something that I can enter into for just the money. Also, I believe that nursing can be a calling on people's lives because there are some nurses who have an innate ability for the job. That being said, you may be surprised with nursing. My mom went into nursing for the money because she needed to take care of me when I was born. After 15 or so years working as a nurse, she has found that she loves her job, is a completely different person while working (more outgoing, etc), and is an excellent nurse. She has even been nominated for awards in our county for nursing. But she still doesn't make that $100,000+ a year that you're talking about Lastly, I'm not sure if this EXACTLY applies to nursing because it's hard work, but it is a good quote to consider. "Find a job that you love, and you'll never have to work a day of your life"