San Francisco New Grad Job Prospects????

Published

Specializes in ER.

Hello!

I will be starting an Accelerated BSN program at the University of Florida this May, and I'll be done in 13 months. (VERY VERY excited!)

So here's my situation: I plan on moving to San Francisco right away. I know what to do to get my license endorsement, but what I'm wondering is how easy is it for a new grad to find a good job in the San Francisco area? The job doesn't have to be IN San Fran, but it would be nice if it were near the Berkeley area at least (where my boyfriend will be studying).

I know many hospitals only hire new grads in certain months. I will have graduated by May 2008, and I suppose I'll have my NCLEX results by the end of June or so?

Thank you so much for your help!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Hello!

I will be starting an Accelerated BSN program at the University of Florida this May, and I'll be done in 13 months. (VERY VERY excited!)

So here's my situation: I plan on moving to San Francisco right away. I know what to do to get my license endorsement, but what I'm wondering is how easy is it for a new grad to find a good job in the San Francisco area? The job doesn't have to be IN San Fran, but it would be nice if it were near the Berkeley area at least (where my boyfriend will be studying).

I know many hospitals only hire new grads in certain months. I will have graduated by May 2008, and I suppose I'll have my NCLEX results by the end of June or so?

Thank you so much for your help!

The large hospitals around here have new grad programs that start in Feb, July and October. Sometimes they will have an August class. Start looking on the websites in April/May (in 2008 when you are due to graduate) and applying online for new grad programs. They will probably interview in May or June for the July classes. BTW, there are hospitals in the East Bay (Berkeley, Oakland). You can live in Berkeley and take BART over to SF to commute if you want. Good luck!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Psych.
The large hospitals around here have new grad programs that start in Feb, July and October. Sometimes they will have an August class. Start looking on the websites in April/May (in 2008 when you are due to graduate) and applying online for new grad programs. They will probably interview in May or June for the July classes. BTW, there are hospitals in the East Bay (Berkeley, Oakland). You can live in Berkeley and take BART over to SF to commute if you want. Good luck!

I'm also completing an accelerated BSN and then moving to the San F. area with my dh. Any hospitals you would recommend over others? How about areas to live? We are quite open to different areas outside of SF and to using the Bart to commute in. We'd like an affordable (yes, kind of an oxymoron there I know) youngish area to rent, we have dogs, no kids. We are going up there for a friends wedding in May and any suggestions of areas to check out while we are there would be greatly appreciated!!!

Thanks so much, Dee

Up Vote Up Vote ×

There are a lot of hospitals in the SF Bay Area that offer new grad training programs. Here are some of the hospitals that you can check:

1) UCSF - San Francisco

2) Alta Bates Medical Center - Berkeley/Oakland

3) VA SF - San Francisco

4) St Marys - San Francisco

5) St Francis - San Francisco

6) Kaiser Permanente - Oakland/San Francisco/All over the Bay

7) John Muir Medical Center - Walnut Creek

8) Stanford - Palo Alto

9) California Pacific Medical Center - San Francisco

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Another hospital to consider in San Francisco is San Francisco General Hospital - especially if you are interested in trauma nursing and/or working with underserved populations.

As a student graduating from an accelerated program in June, I'm in the midst of a mad rush for jobs right now. The good thing about San Francisco and the Bay Area is that hospitals are familiar with accelerated programs and may be more comfortable hiring students from such programs.

Honestly, most everyone in my program applied in late March/early April, and by now UCSF and SF General have most openings fillled. I would recommend applying at least this early, and offering to fly out for interviews. There are a lot of student graduating around here...

Good luck to you both, and I'd be happy to answer any other questions. :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Womens health, labor and delivery.

I am graduating in a couple of weeks from an ABSN program in SF. Apply early, right after your Christmas break, Feb-March the latest. Our class found out that most programs had filled for the July start session by the beginning of April. Also, San Francisco General does not consider your application complete until you have your license. (or maybe at least your interm) I am doing my senior preceptorship there now, and I spoke to the manager of my dept. and that was the info that I was given. Good luck!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Highland in Oakland is great. It's old but they see everything. Children's Hospital of Oakland is a good pedi center. VA Palo Alto would be a reasonable distance from SF to drive. Stay away from El Camino in Los Gatos, but that's probably too far south for you. Alta Bates is a good hospital but my former sister in law worked there and wasn't happy with how the employees were treated. That was a few years ago so it might be different now. There's a Sutter facility in San Leandro, I believe, and I think they have new grad programs.

In the SF-East Bay area, my first choice would be UCSF.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Highland in Oakland is great. It's old but they see everything. Children's Hospital of Oakland is a good pedi center. VA Palo Alto would be a reasonable distance from SF to drive. Stay away from El Camino in Los Gatos, but that's probably too far south for you. Alta Bates is a good hospital but my former sister in law worked there and wasn't happy with how the employees were treated. That was a few years ago so it might be different now. There's a Sutter facility in San Leandro, I believe, and I think they have new grad programs.

In the SF-East Bay area, my first choice would be UCSF.

Tazzi, the Sutter facility in San Leandro is San Leandro Hospital. The other Sutter facility close by in Castro Valley is Eden Medical Center, which I hear is an excellent place to work.

Vicky ;)

Up Vote Up Vote ×

There is also Doctor's Medical Center in San Pablo, another reverse communte, although financially not doing well, they have a new/large cancer center--I know some Kaiser patients go there for cancer treatment as well.

There is also Summit Med Center in Oakland, right off of I-580, which is a very simple reverse commute from the city ... OK, so no commute is simple here, but that is one of the shorter ones from SF.

I agree that for ER, Highland or SF General would be good places. Children's for peds.

To answer your original question, yes, you should very easily find a place, and you have a lot of options! It may be worth calling the HR departments now and seeing what they are offering new grads and when they start orientations. My friend is a new grad at Stanford and is making very good money ... she basically picked where she wanted to work.

Good luck!

-Berk

Up Vote Up Vote ×

does anyone know of any hospitals in the SF that will allow job shadowing? I contacted ucsf and they said they wouldn't. any others? thanks!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

The Kaiser hospitals have very extensive new grads programs; in med-surg, and specialty areas. Kaiser-Geary (SF) or Kaiser-Oakland are both near Berkeley

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion