SFBayAreaRN

I highly encourage you to continue to seek out externship programs! A nurse recruiter at an East Bay hospital said they give preference to new grads who have gone through an externship program. USF has a New RN Transition Program, and Samuel Merritt and DeAnza have similar programs. Good luck to you!

It’s always best to personalize the letter by addressing it to the person who will be reading your cover letter. Call HR and find out if your resume will get screened by the nurse recruiter, in which case you’d want to address it to them, or if it will get sent directly to the hiring manager of the unit you’re applying to, then you would need to address it to them. Go the extra mile to find the names. If HR won’t pick up, call the hospital’s direct line and ask for the name of the nurse recruiter, or ask to get transferred to the unit that is hiring, then ask the unit secretary for the manager’s name.

i can relate to your experience on so many levels, and it is very frustrating. i commend you for taking the initiative to introduce yourself to the nurse managers, and i'm glad that you've received such a positive response! one piece of advice that i’ve received is to be persistent, persistent, persistent, so don’t give up on the nurse recruiter just yet. you almost have to be borderline annoying to get noticed these days. have you tried making an appointment with the hr rep? if they like you they might speak to the nr on your behalf, which may incline the nr to finally meet you. just a thought. i would like to ask you about the feedback you’ve received on your resume. what specifically makes your resume stand out? i only ask because i’m considering paying for a professional to re-write mine because it lacks some “oomph”. i wish you the best of luck, and please keep us updated! wow, 22 new grad positions, that is unheard of in san francisco. i consider 13 spots to be a “large” new grad program.

In the San Francisco Bay Area (the East Bay) new grads start at $47/hour. The night differential is $7/hour.

If I were you, I'd take the position! The job market is tight right now for any new grad, so if you can get your foot in the door, do it! Besides, once you're in you can try to transfer to another unit if you feel you're not cut out for the ER. LunahRN brings up a great point about asking for orientation details - I've heard that the learning curve is steep for new grads starting out in the ER. You want to make sure you'll have support when you need it most. Good Luck!