Thanks to an awesome nurse recruiter!!! (and preceptor)

[raianne]

Here's my story. I graduated in August from an ABSN program, and began trying to find a job. I absolutely LOVED the floor that I did my transitions on, and my preceptor was amazing. I've read mostly negative stories about preceptors on this site, so I want to add a quick good one to balance them out. My preceptor was nice to me, helpful, supportive, and responsible. She let me learn without hovering over me, yet she was always there when I needed her. When I left, she got me flowers and a card and told me that I was going to be a wonderful nurse and that she was proud to have me as a peer.

Understandably, I really wanted to work on her floor. It's an oncology floor, and I am going to work in oncology. That's the reason I became a nurse. Also, I already work at that hospital as a medical lab tech. Sadly, there were no openings. I began applying to other floors in the hospital, and had one interview, but didn't get the job. I decided to branch out. I began applying to other hospitals within my hospital system. I got an interview on a cardiac step-down unit at another hospital. I went in for the interview, and it was going well, but when they asked me what my future goals are, I told them, "to work in oncology."

After my interview with the unit director, I went back down and talked with the nurse recruiter. She told me that she could tell that I want to work in oncology, and that it really shone through in my interview. At this point I was super depressed, because I thought that I blew my interview by being honest. Then she said that there's no reason I shouldn't be able to have a job in that field, and that she is friends with the unit director of an oncology floor and she was going to shoot her a quick e-mail, and that I should go home and send the unit director my resume. So I did. The next night, I got a call from HR to schedule an interview! I went in, interviewed with the unit director (who seems awesome) on a surgical oncology floor, waited two weeks while they did my background check and credit check and whatever else they do...and I got a call last week that I got the job!!!

I would like to say thank you to all the nurse recruiters out there. My nurse recruiter did not have to go out of her way for me like that...the job that I got was at a completely different hospital than the one she was working for...but she did, and because she did, I get to work in the area that I feel I am meant to work in. She is awesome and I have a job!!!! (as long as I pass the NCLEX...I take it October 6th and start my job October 10th!)

[wanderinrn]

Good luck on your upcoming NCLEX and new job...I hope you have a wonderful career. I think oncology is one of those fields that require a special kind of person. I am afraid I would be too depressed if worked that all the time. I work in a preop/recovery and we see lots of cancer pts coming for port placements, bx, lumpectomies, mastectomies, etc and I have a hard time with that. So I don't think oncology unit would be for me but I'm glad there are nurses like you who excel at it!

[mary_lvn]

I worked with an awesome recruiter too. It was for a travel nurse position and he really went out of his way to prepare me for my interview. I got the job and start next week!!

[CNAmom11]

Congratulations! I hope you have a long and happy career! And good luck on your NCLEX