iridium54

Hi all, Looking for some insight on Penn Medicine, specifically Pennsylvania Hospital...and even more specifically Labor and Delivery. But am interested in hearing about the organization in general or L&D experience at HUP. Does anyone work there? Do you enjoy it, how is the culture? I have more questions but not even sure if anyone will reply to this. If you're out there and willing to share, I'd love to hear from you! Thank you. (I'm currently working in Philadelphia at another hospital, not Labor and Delivery).

Thanks, I'll look into this book. I've been doing Mom-Baby nursing for almost 5 years, so hopefully I don't need another 2 years of prep work! lol

How long did you prepare for the test for in terms of formal studying? Did you buy a book? The test is expensive but I'd like to be certified.

I'd say normal is around $27/hour + any differentials. I believe in NJ some places pay more than that, upwards of $30. I have been hired at a hospital in Philadelphia and the pay is higher than I was told at the few other hospitals I applied at. It will be $29.37/hour + 10% differential for evenings and another 10% on that for weekends.

Congrats on the offer but definitely take the interview (you may have already gone by now)!

You certainly will not be able to do a traditional summer externship, but you can still get hired as an "extern" at Jefferson, for example, during other times of the year. You just need to have had your Med-Surge Clinical, which you will do over the summer in FACT, and then can try to get in some where. CHOP offers a "sitter" position that offers no patient care but a potential way to get in there. Even that is no guarantee for a job, though. My impression of the job market in the South Jersey/Philly area is tight. I was mostly applying in the area. I could have gotten a job in Wilkes-Barre, but I did not want to move there. If the situation became that dire, though, I would have moved though. I'd love to move to NYC, Cali, Miami, but again, those are considered by many to be desirable places to live and thus hard for new RNs to get jobs. Maybe when I get some experience I'll try that. My advice is to network. I wouldn't say that's exactly how I got my job, though, but it seems to work for many people!

Wow, a sticker price of almost $100k for Penn??? That seems incredibly outrageous and went up significantly since I applied (applied for May 2011). It was something like a little over $60k + COL. Penn was my dream school and I got waitlisted to ultimately be denied. I just wanted to question the statistic regarding Jefferson about a 100% job placement rate within 5 months? I'm not sure where you got that from but as a 2012 FACT grad I don't think that's true. I don't know anything about job placement and know many classmates still looking for work. Not trying to dissuade you, just curious as to where that info came from. Also, there is time for externships, but not a ton. I already had a non-hospital part-time job so I did not make the time for an externship, though I wish I had because maybe it would have helped me find a job sooner (I have secured employment finally but have not started yet)>

I don't know the exact date for the 2013 cohort. I started May 2011 and graduated May 2012. We started May 16, 2011, so expect it to be some time around then.

Thanks to all for advice. I had to give the employer a decision and I had not heard back from the other one. I decided to check on online status at the other employer and the position now said "filled." It was a but of a huge blow, and I am a little hurt I could not get an email at least...I imagine I'll get a standardized rejection email at some point from HR. So, seeing that, I called and verbally accepted the part-time job that was "in my hand" (as my boyfriend kept saying, "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush"). I also said that I had some thing planned and Feb looks like best option for me and she said that is fine. I was prepared to start in Jan, though, just in case. It all has seemingly worked out. The other employer is on my dream list, and I hope to one day work for them still. That door may be closed, but who knows, maybe they will call me another time. Maybe I will fall in love with this job and forget about the other place. All I know is I am thankful for this opportunity, despite some disorganization, and I look forward to starting. And again, thanks to all of you who have helped answer any and all of my questions, whether it was this post or another.

Thank you. And I hear what you are saying but if this other job does not decide in time, which at this point I guess they won't, then I really do not see how I can turn down this job. BUT the disorganization feels like I can at least have the right to say I want to know about the benefits and start in Feb. like I said, if they REALLY needed me I guess they would have insisted on Jan!

Would love to hear about any updates. Anyone interview? Anyone get offered a job?

I got a verbal offer over the phone. HR lady did not tell me about benefits, so I emailed her today asking for some info. Have not hard back from her yet. I asked for time until Tomorrow to make a decision. I did interview for that other job and. Contacted them saying I have an offer somewhere else. I know they were planning on doing interviews for another week or so, so I am being pessimistic and figuring I won't get it or be able to get them to make a decision so rapidly. Not sure why I am posting this or where I am going with this, but figured I would give an update. I am also frustrated because the verbal offer I got is still not giving me a start date, "either jan 7 or feb 4." Honestly at this point I need to tell my job, give the, 2 weeks, etc. So I feel frustrated with it being so vague. I figure if they REALLY needed me they would say Jan for sure. So in that case,I feel it is reasonable to say I cannot stay until Feb now. I am appreciative to have these potential opportunities, but it is stressing me out more than exciting me!

Yup, from 30th st station I believe.

Have either of you tried Lancaster? They have a great hospital and you can even take a train there....

Go to "Consumer Information," then "Know Your Board." I fiddled around with some email addresses...like doh.nj.gov, for example.