Moochini M

It is going mostly well, Sandra, thank you! There are still times when I am used as staff, but they've really limited the occurrences and I definitely feel much more confident in what I can do. I've moved on from general surgery to vascular now, but I still get thrown in to general once in a while when there is a big open belly case, which I don't mind at all! What I find a tad bit worrisome is that I am slated to have 3 more months on orientation when I still have neuro, ortho, and possibly have some cardiac to get through. I'm not sure if ENT gets it's own little time or if it is lumped with general. I guess there is no sense in worry about 3 months from now. I'll just have to see how things are then. Thank you guys =)

I wish our educator was like yours. She is new to the role, so I don't hold it against her. But she has no idea what cases I've circulated on or scrubbed on. I am thankful that she does have the assignment changed when I bring up it being way outside my skill level, ie, scrubbing alone when I've scrubbed on a handful of cases. I forgot to mention that we get approximately 1-2 cases done per shift, so it's not like I'm learning a lot each day. I don't get exposed to many cases, sometimes as little as 5 a week. Our OR wastes an incredible amount of money, and it worries me a bit. But that is an entirely different topic! So while I may have the time of a few months behind me, I don't necessarily have the exposure or experience. I can't say I'm in favor of the "see one, do one, teach one" mentality. Even our gallbladders are complicated and high risk, as I work in a level 1 trauma center, and I will be working evenings - the time when resources are much less than the day shift. I don't expect to feel 100% comfortable or confident once I'm off orientation, I know that takes time to build, and even then I think it rare for someone to feel 100% confident, but I want to at least be functional and a bit comfortable. Thank you for your replies. =)

Hello all! I work in a Hudson Valley NY level 1 trauma center OR. I recently transferred in from a med-surg/tele unit after 1.5 years there - I'm still in the same hospital. I've been in the OR now since the beginning of May. My first 2 weeks, I just shadowed since we didn't have an "official" educator yet - her first official day as educator was June 1st. Up until then, she was still acting as head nurse of the children's OR. Mid may is when I began Periop 101. To make a long story short, I only just recently begun scrubbing and circulating. I have had 1 week scrubbing with a preceptor, and almost 2 weeks now circulating with a preceptor. All in general cases, mostly lap chole and hernia repair procedures. My issue is this... This past Monday, there were many call ins and I was scheduled to scrub in a gastric sleeve case alone - with NO preceptor and only a circulator in the room. I told them I was uncomfortable scrubbing alone with this particular surgeon, so they switched me to a thyroidectomy and had me scrub with the educator. Now I see tomorrow I am scheduled to scrub in another thyroidectomy ALONE. Is this right?? Is this how it works in other hospitals? I feel like I am being used as staff and haven't even gotten half of an orientation (I was initially told orientation would be a year... a month into it, and they are telling me orientation will be 6 months...).... Am I just being a big baby? I am curious how it works in other hospitals. Do they have new to OR nurses learn scrubbing and circulating and put them to each role alone after a week of scrubbing? Or is it this way in my hospital because we are so short staffed with so many call ins?

With only an associates, I got hired 3 months after passing NCLEX. I had a professor from Pace University with her gaggle of student nurses tell me that I must have an angel looking out for me because she has students that were 1+ year out with still no job when I came across them during my orientation. She asked what my secret was. 1- Expand your application radius. I work in Westchester County, and I live on Long Island in Suffolk County. 2- Follow up, but maintain respectfulness. Don't become a stalker, but do make your interest known. 3- Apply, apply, apply. During school I didn't like med-surg. Guess where I started out? On a med-surg/tele floor. =) Good Luck to you all out there. I remember that time after passing the NCLEX and looking for a job, and the utter despair sinking in as time passed. Persevere through it. It is worth it.

NW, it's just as I thought... You are at Montefiore, not Westchester Medical Center. They are 2 distinct hospitals. Montefiore is in the Bronx. Westchester Medical Center is in Westchester County, and the hospital is located in Valhalla.

Technofreak, I am happy with how the hospital is so far. My floor is a bit hectic, lol. I am actually still on orientation. Depending on where you are going, orientation is 12 weeks and up. I know in the different specialties, they tack on so many more classes that are a part of your training. I am sure you received all the info you needed from the HR office, and you probably had your first day of orientation on the 6th of this month, right? =)

NW, Are you sure you are at Westchester Medical Center located in Valhalla, NY? Because after googling it, it seems to be a part of Montefiore, which is in the Bronx. The only branches of WMC are the main tower, Taylor Pavilion, the Behavioral Center, and the Maria Fareri Children's Hospital. Also, your hiring process sounds a bit different than what mine was like, which wasn't that long ago. I didn't watch a video for the N-95 mask fitting. In fact, I don't believe there is any way to watch a video in the health office in the Taylor Pavilion.

You were hired, NW?? Congratulations!! I still know quite a few classmates that still haven't found jobs. What floor were you hired for? Perhaps I'll see you around. =) And technofreak, you were hired as well? Congrats to you too!

NW, Good luck!

I was hired recently and am in preceptorship. The nurses are a part of NYSNA, so they hire once a month on a certain day. In my experience, they took nearly a month from when I applied online to receive a call from someone to come in for an interview. I interviewed and the interviewer instructed me to contact HR to proceed with the next steps. I did not hear anything from HR despite calling. The woman who initially called me in to interview instructed me to go down to HR and tell her who I interviewed with. So I went. When I met with her, she then sent me on an immediate interview with another nurse manager because I was seeking a full time position. From there, a week later I got the call from HR that I had the job. She asked which month I wanted to start, either the start date 3 weeks from that point, or the month after. I was a new grad, just graduated in May, obtained my license in July. They do hire new grads for all sorts of specialties as well, such as NICU, PICU, CTICU, etc. I did not meet with a male HR recruiter, and I did not complete an infection control nor med test prior to hiring. In fact, the med test is a part of orientation. I hope this gives a little help.

NurseKNYC, In my experience, it took them nearly a month to call me in for an interview. Just keep applying and waiting. They are Union, so their hiring is a bit different. It is not a process that gets done on an as needed basis, it gets done on a schedule.

Yes! Thank you both! =) I finally figured it out! There are differences between State run facilities and County run facilities!! The State prisons are like you said, TalldiNY, through NYstate.gov. They only hire those that can be considered Nurse 2. They do have mental health correctional satellite facilities that I do believe hire Nurse 1s. The county facilities, such as Rikers Island, do their hiring through agencies such as corizonhealth.com, or armorcorrectionaljobs.com for other counties. It was quite frustrating trying to figure this all out, and with the confusion between state and separate counties, AND then throw in Federal prisons (Of which there are 2 I believe in the NYC area; Manhattan and Brooklyn - which can be applied to at USAjobs.gov) it takes some sorting through. I post this in case any one else finds they are pulling their hair out in trying to figure out how to become a correctional nurse. =) For now... I will put my year in at the hospital I am working at now... and see where it takes me. =) Thank you both again!!

ECRN143, rennur505, or anyone else, How was the interview? I have an interview on Thursday, and I am so incredibly nervous! Do they ask situation questions? Or standard interview questions? How is it working there?

Apoppyfield, Thank you for replying. =) The point of my post was that I am unsure of which agencies to go through to apply to the various correctional facilities in NY. The only posting I've seen about a job was through PRIDE Health and White Glove agencies, which I know aren't the agencies that hold contracts with the NYC Department of Corrections - for that I am certain Corizon holds the contract. However, the opening is not listed on their site. Which lists do you speak of, poppy? And I am ACLS/BLS certified. I completed that the week after I graduated. =) This may seem a bit wrong, but after speaking with many of my professors and many nurses during my clinical rotations, they all said the same thing: LTC is not considered the same kind of experience, and many places hold it against you. So I've been hesitant about applying to them. Same with physician's offices. I have been applying to State RN openings and hospitals.

First, I would like to apologize if this has been covered before. After a search I did not come across anything recent pertaining to this. Scenario: I am a new grad. Of course I am having extreme difficulty finding a job. I've had one interview so far, for Pilgrim Psychiatric Center. They told me it would take 2 weeks or so to hear back if I was being offered the job. So in the interim, I have continued looking. I noticed an ad placed for a Corrections Nurse in a Bronx facility, posted by PRIDE Health that said New Grads were welcome. So I immediately e-mailed the recruiter my resume and called her since working as a correctional nurse has interested me since before I even graduated! (I have a friend in the NYPD, and I would always try to get him to see the humanity in the people he was arresting.) This was on a Thursday. She said that I seemed like a good fit and that she would mail me out the resume which I should get by Friday. Friday - no application. Saturday - no application. I emailed her on Saturday asking if perhaps a facsimile of application would be acceptable because I did not want to miss out on the next round of interviews which she said she wanted to hurry and get me in for. Late Monday afternoon, I still had not heard from her. So I called her up. The Bronx facility was still looking for nurses, but she would NOT send me the application. I assured her that travelling would not be an issue for me (I live in Suffolk county) and that I was still interested in applying. Instead, she looked up what opportunities are available in my area - she told me about a flu clinic that she doubted I would be hired for because I am a new grad. My heart was broken. I was so excited to be considered for a chance to work as a correctional nurse. I feel she discriminated against me because of where I live. Travelling is not an issue for me. I have my own vehicle. And I do plan on relocating. In my waiting for the application to come, I searched and searched about correctional nursing. And I fell even more in love with it. And now my heart is set on being a correctional nurse. My issue is this: How does one become a correctional nurse? Through this site I found that Corizon does the hiring for Rikers Island Correctional Facilities. And I found the BOP site, which I applied to. But back to Corizon... The only opening they have for RNs is for the Coxsackie Correctional Facility. Yet, PRIDE Health and White Glove are looking for correctional nurses in the Bronx. Is that for a temporary need? But if it is temporary, why would new grads be welcome? Any help would be greatly appreciated!!! Honestly!