NCPDX

I just moved back to Portland with one year experience and got several offers about six weeks after I started applying. We have been really short at Providence Portland and have hired five new RNs on my floor alone since I started this winter. I don't think you're going to have trouble finding something. Good luck!

I'd lived in Portland for a pretty long time but moved away to go to school and ended up working for a year out on the east coast right after passing the NCLEX. I wanted to move back to Portland, but all my friends and all these message boards said DON'T DO IT, YOU'LL NEVER FIND A JOB, THE SKY IS FALLING!!! I almost didn't move back because of it. So... just to give some encouragement to RNs looking for jobs in Portland - I got 5 interviews within a month and 4 job offers. Now, granted, they were mostly night shift med/surg type floors, but they pay as much as any other floor... The last HR rep I had to decline an offer for actually asked me if I knew anyone looking for a job because they were having a difficult time finding candidates. So get a year's experience somewhere else, move back to Portland and you shouldn't have too much trouble getting an offer if you pound the pavement a little bit. And don't be afraid to hunt down the HR's email/phone # and contact them directly, because the recruiter I talked to said even THEY don't understand the mysterious algorithm that sends one resume through the system and rejects another. Good luck everybody!

Thanks BTDT! I was starting to worry about being pigeonholed in rehab by accepting this fellowship. I appreciate your reply.

Hello everyone! I got my BSN a year ago and accepted the only New Grad offer I could get at the time in Acute Rehab at a major hospital. I'm moving back to Oregon and felt pretty good about having my one year of experience hiring managers look for, but now I keep reading that this doesn't count as true experience. The acuity on my floor is quite high. We routinely have trachs, tube feeds, IV meds, hang blood, wound care, rapid responses, code blues, etc. In fact, float pool nurses who cover on our floor frequently talk about how much harder our unit is because so much is going on, PLUS you've got patient's up and out of bed and TBIs trying to escape, etc. If this year truly doesn't count as acute experience, how can I make the transition from rehab to acute? I'm not looking to go straight to the ICU - a med/surge unit would be just fine. I took ACLS and PALS on my own time to beef up my resume, but am not sure what else I can do proactively. If anyone has made the transition from rehab, I'd love any advice you might have. And if any of you are managers, in your opinion, is one year of acute rehab "less" than a year on a med/surge floor? Thanks in advance!

Hi, I also took Ethics in America to fulfill that requirement. It's pretty much the only way to CLEP out of that class - I didn't see any others. It satisfied the requirement and I'm starting in two weeks. It's pretty tough as far as CLEPs go, so make sure you pay for those practice tests. It was actually DSST I believe. Good luck!

Hi All - I'm also moving for the Spring 2012 ACE program. I don't know Philly at all and am moving from the west coast. Does anyone have any suggestions for neighborhoods to consider? I will have a car, but something within walking distance of classes would be great. I'm flying out in February for a few days to apartment hunt and want to know which neighborhoods to consider first. Thank you!

I am taking Ethics in America, Intro to Sociology and Intro to Computing through DSST/CLEP. I think they would take CLEP scores for most of the prereqs, save for the sciences. Just give them a ring, they are really helpful and get back to you quickly.

Hi Everyone - I applied to the Spring 2012 ACE program about a month ago and was accepted last week. The process was incredibly easy compared to the west coast, where even the community colleges demand upwards of a 4.0 and loads of CNA experience. Everyone at Drexel has been super friendly and helpful so far. Now I just have to get through Chemistry and CLEP out of a few classes and my pre-reqs will be complete.