paulahill

Last week I accepted and signed an offer with a starting date of April 24 (for hospital orientation) for a specialty training program that starts May 8. The following cohorts begin May 29 then June 26. I am having issues with childcare and I want to negotiate the start date to June cohort. I feel like it is so far out but it would make my life so much easier with childcare. My mom was slated to retire at the end of March but they haggled her into staying until May to continue training her replacement. Which of course happened after I already accepted and signed the offer. She was my childcare plan! I'm sure I could find hired help but these are my kids and I don't trust anybody like my mom. How can I approach requesting an extension on the start date? Do I go to the recruiter? HR? Am I going to blow this opportunity by asking this? I need advice so bad.

It is not StaRN, which is for new grads. It's its own program designed for experienced nurses to transition to ICU. The official name of it is ICU RN Plus Nurse Specialty Training Program.

Thank you so much for the feedback. Seems like I hit it off well with the recruiter because she was able to get me the interview with the director. That happened yesterday! I don't think I was that nervous even for my very first nursing job interview but I did my best. I actually "studied" via YouTube in preparation for some clinical questions but they never came up. Like you mentioned, the director focused mostly on behavior, personality, and character based questions. To be honest it is all kind of a blur. She gave me honest and transparent feedback about what the unit is like, what the culture is like, and what her expectations are for her nurses. Even what her apprehensions were about hiring me, which is commuting distance. It's an hour away from my house but I do live in a semi-rural neighborhood; the next closest major hospital is 45-50 minutes away so commuting is something that is normal for living where I do. Thank you for your positive feedback and keep your fingers crossed for me that things work out.

I am a school nurse in WPB. It is expensive for a single person just starting out. You'll likely be looking at mid to high 20's hourly pay rate depending on the unit. You will not find decent housing for less than $1500 for an apartment or town home situation. You might be a bit tight for the first year or two but it's very doable. Central Florida has a lot to offer too (not just theme parks!) and rent rates are a bit lower. Go for it. I'm a Florida native, born in Miami, so I may be biased. I know the rest of the country sometimes laughs and makes jokes about us but I love it here. I met a few travelers who gained their year or two of experience in their home state and used traveling as a way to afford their move to South Florida. Good Luck!

I've been a peds/PICU nurse for 10 years and I want to change specialties to ICU. The last 2.5 years I have been a school nurse and it's just not for me. I have been wanting to make this change for several years; back in 2017/2018 I tried and applied my little heart out to several ICU's with no success. Then life happened. Now I am re-visiting this dream of mine. I applied to an HCA ICU training program that is supposed to be designed for experienced nurses to transition to ICU. There is a contract involved. I landed a phone interview with a recruiter and just waiting (and praying!) for a call back. Anybody out there have any experience with this particular program through HCA? Feedback? Advice? How can I ace the interview?

Hello! I have been a pediatric nurse all of my nursing career, 6.5 years now. It was kind of an accident; it took me 9 months after graduation to land my first job. Don't get me wrong, I've loved every minute of it but at this point in my life and career I'm ready to make the next move. I would love to see myself in a critical care area since I've had this long standing dream of going to nurse anthesiology school. The problem is, I'm having a very hard time even getting my resume looked at, much less land interviews. I started by applying to the PICU at the children's hospital I currently work at. I actually submitted 2! The first time around I was beat out by a new grad. The second time, by an oncology nurse with lots of experience. I also managed to land an interview at a different PICU in a hospital in another county. I showed up in a suit, had clean fresh copies of my resumes and all my documents. The minute I sat down for the interview, the interviewer didn't even ask me any questions and basically told me she already had a candidate and it was too late to cancel the interview (honestly I was blown away by this response I didn't even know how to react.) I haven't just limited myself to PICU applications either. I have submitted applications to numerous other critical care units both in my current hospital and other facilities as well. No call backs. A couple of them sent me declination emails the very next day. I've sent follow up emails and get no responses or letters of declination. What do I need to do to get my foot in the door in critical care? It's been over a year now and I'm losing hope. I'm willing to take extra courses to boost my resume, but most programs require experience. Is there something out there I don't know about? I've tried befriending critical care nurses but it doesn't seem to help. My license and work record are squeaky clean and I've always gotten great feedback from managers and supervisors on my reviews. I'm confident in my skills and I'm ready and willing to learn. Please, any advice or feedback is very much appreciated.

Thanks guys for your responses! Student Forever... Unfortunately, that costs money, but I have given that some thought. Gaga4googoos... I have been networking; one girl's mother works for a prison, but as desperate as I am, I just don't feel that I'm cut out for that kind of work. The good news is that I found a connection to a pediatric extended care facility and I actually have an interview coming up Tuesday the 15th :-) THE KAT... I am not one to go clubbing, lol! I always wear a suit and mild amount of body splash at interviews. I'm actually concerned that I may be too underdressed at times. I don't normally wear nail polish or make up, so when I do I'm concerned that I may not be applying it correctly. This time around, I'm having my mother (a businesswoman) and a friend (a school teacher) help me choose an outfit and apply makeup and accessories :-) Thanks again everyone for your replies

I graduated from a very well known LPN school in my area, passed with flying colors, one of the higest grades in my class, excelled in clinicals. i took my nclex just 6 weeks after graduation in July of LAST YEAR and I still have not been able to find a single job! nothing! nada! zilch! i feel like i've filled out hundreds of applications. been to two interviews. had countless phone interviews and they all tell me the same thing... "the position requires someone with a minimum of one year experience"... I'm luckily attending RN school and hopefully graduating next December, but I still want/need a part time job. I got so desperate for work I went back to work as a veterinary technician part time. I spent all kinds of money, took out loans, stressed my life, got a nursing license and now I have nothing to show for it. It seems like most of the other LPN's in my RN program are employed or have been employed at some point as an LPN. Could it just be me??? It also seems like those who got jobs have a family member in the biz. I don't. How can I get experience if no one is willing to give a new grad a chance! I even tried applying as a PCA or CNA to get my foot in the door and because i dont have THAT particular certificate, i've been turned down:eek: i thought an LPN lisence would trump that. I'm wondering if finding an RN position is going to be this way...?? I'm Begining to second guess my career move. I love nursing, i really do:redpinkhe, and i really want it to work. is it a possibility????

amen to that. I did an LPN program and for the year i spent waiting to get into an RN program, I couldnt find a single job even though there were openings everywhere!! I am optimistic about finding a job as an RN but it's hard to see the glass half full when it seems like all new grads are on the same boat. how are we supposed to get experience if you don't give us a job?! It's like if you don't have family or close friends in the biz then you just gotta get lucky, which is exactly what I am hoping for. best of luck to you, i hope you find what you are looking for =)

I did a clinical rotation in an OR and I had a conversation with the nurse manager who basically told me he wouldn't hire a nurse without at least 2 years of med-surg experience. Of course, criteria varies from facility to facility, but this seems like a trend in specialities. They all seem to want that 1 to 2 years of med-surg experience. Now, how are we supposed to get any experience if we aren't given the chance! I graduated last year from an LPN program and applied to every open LPN position I could find. Nothing. I just began an RN program so hopefully I will get more luck as an RN Good Luck!