KellyRN2011

It was a hospital in Virginia. It was only 150 beds, and didn't accept severe cardiac patients/balloon pumps. I figure I won't really get the best ICU experience there. They interviewed me for both the ICU/PCU unit, and the ER. They said I would most likely work on PCU most of the time, and that the nurse to patient ratio on PCU is routinely 5:1. I couldn't imagine! That's like a med-surg ratio. I hope you love your job! :)

It went well, and I think they may offer me a position, but I'm not sure I'm going to take it. The town is 4 hours from where I am now, and I was going to relocate, but I absolutely hate the town. It's extremely small and rundown. Thankfully, I have another interview on Monday for an ER position in a much closer hospital, so I'm hoping I get that. Thanks for all your help!

Thank you for the advice! I'm trying to research questions and brainstorm answers, so I won't respond with "uhhh...." when they ask. Problem is the interview is tomorrow (just found out today), and I don't feel I have enough time to prepare for this interview!

Thank you, thank you!! I will take all of this into consideration. Thanks for the well wishes! I'll update after the interview.

Hello! I am a recent grad (graduated in January 2012) and I have an interview for an ICU/PCU position tomorrow. I have one year of experience at a skilled nursing facility, but I have no hospital experience. Can anyone give me an idea of what the interview may be like/what questions they may ask? It's an extremely small hospital (only 150 beds total) and the ICU is only 10 beds. Obviously this is something I will ask them, but they do plan of training me like a new grad if I get the position, correct? Because although I have some experience, like I said, I do not have hospital experience.

Thanks! Any specific hospital you would recommend? My goal is eventually to work in the NICU.

I am an ADN RN with 1 year of experience in a SNF. I am looking for a job in an acute care hospital. I am willing to relocate if need be. Can anyone recommend an area with hospitals that I can apply to who would at least give me an interview? Thanks!

Can anyone give me advice on how to break into NICU nursing? I currently work at a LTC/rehab center, as it is hard for new grads to get a hospital job in my city. My dream has always been to work in the NICU though. However, every time I see a job posting for the NICU, they want experience. It's understandable, but also discouraging. So any advice, suggestions, comments on how to get my foot in the door? Also, I am interested in learning all there is to know about NICU nursing. Does anyone have recommendations for books that I could read in my spare time?

Hi! Just looking for some advice. I'm a new grad currently working at a long term care/rehab center full time. I'm honestly just not loving it. The pay is wonderful, benefits are great, I'm gaining experience and I do love the residents, but I never had a real desire to work with the elderly. I took this job because it was difficult to get a job in a hospital as a new grad. But now a lot of my nursing school friends have managed to get hospital jobs, and I feel that I would be happier at a hospital. I've always dreamed of being a NICU nurse. Does anyone have some suggestions for how to get there? A lot of job openings require that you have experience for the NICU, and I'm not sure that anyone would really even consider me for the job considering I only have LTC experience. Yet it's what I've always wanted to do, and what I feel I would be happy doing. I like working with babies (as I'm sure many new grads have said before me). I just want to work in a field of nursing that I'm passionate about. I have no real desire to learn more about LTC/rehab nursing, but I think I would be much more excited about NICU nursing. Any experience, comments, suggestions, anything?

I recently got my first nursing job at a LTC/SNF. When I interviewed, they said it was a one day a week position. I said fine, because I had no other offers, and I figured I may be able to get full-time eventually. When I went for orientation, it had been changed to one day a week and every other weekend. I was happy with that, as I need more hours. On the first day, I was waiting for the nursing supervisor at the nurses station, and the staffing coordinator came up. She introduced me to everyone as the "weekend supervisor". I had not been told I was going to be a supervisor. Granted, the money is awesome for a new grad ($28/hr), so I'm trying to tough it out. However, I can't help but wonder what they were thinking, hiring a new grad as a supervisor. I also feel that they don't really want to spend the time training me. I worked 5 days (8 hours shifts each) last week, and four of those days they spent training me to be supervisor. On the last day, they trained me as a floor nurse. It's almost as though the staffing coordinator only expected me to need one day of training. The supervisor had to tell her I would not be able to work on my own next week, and that I would need additional training. They also tried to make me work 7 days in a row. I had told them on Thursday that I would need to find out what I was working next week, and the staffing coordinator commented "Oh, this is your weekend to work", after I had worked Monday-Friday full time. I told her I would not be able to work that weekend (my grandma had just died, and I explained that). My first taste of floor nursing was also not what I expected. There is soooo much to do in a 8 hour period, and I just feel like a pill pusher. I do not feel that I can properly assess all of my patients. And if you get an admission, forget it. There's so much paperwork to do that it takes up pretty much all of your time. Am I just a new nurse experiencing the realities of nursing, or do I have legitimate concerns about this place?

I was just curious if you ever heard back after your interviews, and which facility you chose? I am a new graduate nurse from Maryland, and am looking into applying at a psychiatric facility. Which do you recommend? Are they both hiring new grads? Thanks for any help!

Just needed some advice/thoughts. I have my first interview tomorrow, and I'm pretty excited! It's for a long-term care and rehabilitation center. I had been applying absolutely everywhere for the past three months, and this is the first interview I have gotten, so I really do not want to mess this up. They called me literally hours after I applied, so I'm hoping they're as desperate for a nurse as I am for a job =] I just graduated with my ADN in December, and have passed my NCLEX. I have no prior hospital experience, but I did independently care for two older ladies with dementia over the summer. However, they have my resume, so they know I have no prior experience. I just have a few questions. Can anyone tell me what I should expect at the interview? I have two cousins who are nurses and one said they'll ask me more nursing type questions (such as priority) while my other cousin said it'll be more focused on me and why I'm a good fit for the facility. I know no one can say for certain what they will ask, but what has been your experience? Any key questions I should ask? Anyone know what the average salary/pay per hour is for a long-term care nurse in Maryland? What should I ask for? On the application, I put 24.00 an hour, but I'm not sure if that's asking for too much? Anyone know what the usual schedule is for a long term care nurse? Obviously it depends on what they're looking for, but how many weekends a month do long term care nurses usually work? Any other advice? Thanks for any help in advance!