unemployed New Grad RN with IT background - where do I start?

rninformatics, DNP, RN · Sep 16, 2008

Having past experience working in a Nursing Home/LTC facility should in no way negatively impact your nursing career nor your potential NI career.

Have you applied for any outpt positions? You might try pediatric clinics or family practice/physician office positions. Here in IL. inpt med surg nurse to patient ratios on pm shift range from 5-6patients per nurse. 10 is unheard of here, to my knowledge. Now you might have 10 (or more) if you are working in a LTC facility but you have more nurse aides. Don't panic 23 years ago when I graduated from nursing school I worked for 8 months at a nursing home before landing my first med surg job in a hospital. I'd suggest UR or Quality/PI type positions but I'm pretty sure you need to have had past inpt experience. Oh, what about working for a health insurance company doing claims review??

Take the LTC position until something better comes along. Good Luck!

Hi all,
Am a new BSN-RN (but ehem, a "mature" new grad) and I just received my license last month and live in Central Jersey. Still have a hard time finding work (I guess I missed the hiring cycle?). I am determined to make use of my first career and go into informatics, since I do not think my aging body can handle care for 6-10 patients on a floor in the next two years, and IT is my first love. Am a BS Industrial engineering grad from way back, was a mainframe software developer, with history of designing/implementing software--healthcare related and otherwise. To my surprise, got an email from an Epic recruiter and invited to apply for a clinical project manager position in WI. They found my resume on Monster. I did not apply since I know I need some clinical experience first to be credible and did not want to relocate so soon. I need to work ASAP, so would it be detrimental to my future hospital NI plans if I work at a Nursing home or LTC? Seems that they are the only ones hiring right now. ANy idea of patient ratios in these places? Is there any other kind of RN job I can do relatede to NI with zero real world clinical experience? My GPA is far from stellar (3.1). Loans are due in Nov..... Help!

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Sep 16, 2008

Apply anyway. Surely they saw that you have no clinical experience.

I have a year of LTC and 5 months in med/surg. LPN. No bachelor's. Fell into an IT spot because I had a license, pulse, and extensive systems experience.

I'm another outsourcing victime, if I am correctly reading between the lines.

Apply! The worst thing that happens is you don't get the job.

mercermom_rn · Sep 17, 2008

Hi. Rninformatics. That is amazing the the nurse-pt ratio at night is not more than 1:6 in IL! As a student here in NJ, I saw nurses get 6 pts days, and 8-10 at night. Caramba! I have a family, so relocating to to either IL or WI is not an option right now.

Suesquatch, you are right indeed. My IT job ended in the post 9/11 job market in 2002 and never even landed a single interview during the jobhunt aftermath. So in 2004, I went back to another 4 yrs of school for nursing. If I knew I could get my foot in the door of NI as an LPN (and my extensive systems experience as well), then I would have gone that route and saved me all that time and money (borrowed) of school. But, I will the make the most of things, and apply at any position/facility as long as it is within an hour drive. I realize too that some of the sub-acute care or LTC facilities belong to bigger companies that have their own IT department. The position at Epic in WI would have been perfect if I had no kids (the position required travel time at least 50% of the time). Thanks guys for responding. Now if only somebody will call me back for a job interview....

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Sep 18, 2008

mercermom, I only got in here as an LPN because this is a rural environment - my last corporate employer had more employees than this entire county. You can if you're in a rural area.

I really don't think that with your credentials you shuold have ANY trouble getting your foot in the door at a magnet hospital.

tiskatt · Oct 12, 2008

Mercermom,

Check-out VNS in New york, they are right outside of Penn Station. I got a call from them for a Mainframe Systems analyst position few years ago, when I only had my LPN

tiskatt · Nov 1, 2008

Mercermom,

Just this week I came across an ad from Atlanticare in Egg Harbor, they are looking for RN for Informatics job.

mercermom_rn · Nov 5, 2008

Hi tiskatt, thanks for the info. I have decided however to accept a med/surg position at a regional medical center with trauma II status, I just have to pass their physical before orientation starts. I think med/surg is the best place to start for new grads anyway. They do not have RN informaticists, but just pull out nurses as consultants for any software implementation/evaluation needs. They are expanding, so hopefully, I'll find my niche as they grow. I am a both nervous and excited, since it has been a year since my last med/surg student rotation, and orientation lasts only 8 weeks as opposed to 12 weeks for other new grad programs.

Thanks everyone!!!!

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Nov 5, 2008

Good luck to you!