What Do Hospitals Look At For New Grads?

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Question: What do hospitals look at for New Grad RNs?

I'm looking for/at Medical New Grad positions that don't want you to have any experience in order to get into their residency program. My professors also stated not to put where you did your clinicals or what you did IN clinicals, but if that's the case, what are they looking for? What should I put in my resume???

I'm in a Nurse Externship, I have some volunteer activities/ experiences, should I put my non-relevant places of work?

Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.

You have to list your clinical skills or externship! That is where all your nursing experience lies right now. As you progress and you develop more experience working, then you can get rid of it. I dont see why a New Nurse residency would count clinicals as experience? It is required to pass school. Maybe they were afraid of the hospital name being on there instead? Who knows but it seems silly to me.

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

I'm fresh from reviewing resumes and interviews for open positions in my department this week, so offering my wisdom.

Experiened nurses after first year of work: Please do not list student clinical expereinces AFTER you have work experience from your first RN position

because.

a. It is not paid work exerience which has different level of responsibility and accountability.

b. Appears to be padding resume.

c. Want to avoid appearnce of being "Novice new grad".

New Grads:

a. Please do not label student clinicals as "work experience". Instead list as " Clinical Rotations" or " Clinical Experiences".

List facility name, Type unit and dates or # hours. Recruiters and HR are well versed in what skills learned in mandatory clinical rotations: Med Surg, OB, Psych, Pediatrics, Community health --we really don't want to read for the 100th time today.

b. DO LIST externships, extra credit rotations and any research conducted beyond program basic requirements.

c. List volunteer experiences in separate section when more than just one day and unrelated to clinical requirements....include being home room mom--lots of organization with that position.

d. Computer Experience -separate section list computer applications and level of proficiency

e. Language experience: include if spoken/written

Today I was asked if we had staff that spoke Bangladesh or would our Language Line service have interpreter.... they do have Bengali (actual language) interpreter.

f. Prior work experience: agree with One1: highlight any additional experience you have and emphasize skills and strengths that you had in a previous career that can be applied to the nursing environment

Waitress / Fast Food Attendant/ Guest Service Team Lead: positions should have helped you to "provide great customer experience", "focused on resolving customer service complaints/resolution", "Provided service recovery" --along with slinging that hamburger into a bag. :)

My sticked thread at bottom of career section hosts more information:

2012 Tips: Perfecting Nursing Resume, Cover Letter + Online Nursing Job Applications

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Specializes in geriatrics.

On my resume, I have indicated that I was a student nurse at the 2 facilities I've listed. I'm leaving them on there, because I work LTC, which is actually very dlfferent, and I have many other nursing skills.

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stickied! thanks!

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I'm fresh from reviewing resumes and interviews for open positions in my department this week, so offering my wisdom.

Experiened nurses after first year of work: Please do not list student clinical expereinces AFTER you have work experience from your first RN position

because.

a. It is not paid work exerience which has different level of responsibility and accountability.

b. Appears to be padding resume.

c. Want to avoid appearnce of being "Novice new grad".

New Grads:

a. Please do not label student clinicals as "work experience". Instead list as " Clinical Rotations" or " Clinical Experiences".

List facility name, Type unit and dates or # hours. Recruiters and HR are well versed in what skills learned in mandatory clinical rotations: Med Surg, OB, Psych, Pediatrics, Community health --we really don't want to read for the 100th time today.

b. DO LIST externships, extra credit rotations and any research conducted beyond program basic requirements.

c. List volunteer experiences in separate section when more than just one day and unrelated to clinical requirements....include being home room mom--lots of organization with that position.

d. Computer Experience -separate section list computer applications and level of proficiency

e. Language experience: include if spoken/written

Today I was asked if we had staff that spoke Bangladesh or would our Language Line service have interpreter.... they do have Bengali (actual language) interpreter.

f. Prior work experience: agree with One1: highlight any additional experience you have and emphasize skills and strengths that you had in a previous career that can be applied to the nursing environment

Waitress / Fast Food Attendant/ Guest Service Team Lead: positions should have helped you to "provide great customer experience", "focused on resolving customer service complaints/resolution", "Provided service recovery" --along with slinging that hamburger into a bag. :)

My sticked thread at bottom of career section hosts more information:

2012 Tips: Perfecting Nursing Resume, Cover Letter + Online Nursing Job Applications

I'm going to hold onto this as well. This is good stuff.

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#1 thing employers look at is - is this a good FIT for us/you. Personality, attitude, teamwork, etc.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
Is it okay to exceed a page? I put in my Externship and the recent (last 4 years) of volunteer experience I had. But for work, I omitted things like Administrative Ass't and Working in the Drama Department at my school because I didn't feel it was relevant...without all of that it came up to a page.

Two pages are OK -- IF you have a lot of experience. Since you don't have experience, you shouldn't be exceeding one page.

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.

One hospital I work for has a nurse residency program. The biggest thing they look for is ties to the local community. They look for people who they think will stay at the hospital for the long run. I advise you do not list clinicals on resume as work experience. It is expected and assumed that you did clinical in nursing school. Seperate them under "clinical experience" and a brief list of facilities and units would be plenty. An internship should be listed.

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Two pages are OK -- IF you have a lot of experience. Since you don't have experience, you shouldn't be exceeding one page.

That's where I'm getting confused. If I leave out my clinicals and only put in the externship, relevant education, certifications (CPR BLS, PALS), Computer skills, and volunteering, all of that comes up to a page if I pack everything in with no spacing. If I space it out, it'll exceed a page. If I include clinicals, 2 full pages.

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

My 40years healthcare career fits into 2 pages...

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I'm fresh from reviewing resumes and interviews for open positions in my department this week, so offering my wisdom.

Experiened nurses after first year of work: Please do not list student clinical expereinces AFTER you have work experience from your first RN position

because.

a. It is not paid work exerience which has different level of responsibility and accountability.

b. Appears to be padding resume.

c. Want to avoid appearnce of being "Novice new grad".

New Grads:

a. Please do not label student clinicals as "work experience". Instead list as " Clinical Rotations" or " Clinical Experiences".

List facility name, Type unit and dates or # hours. Recruiters and HR are well versed in what skills learned in mandatory clinical rotations: Med Surg, OB, Psych, Pediatrics, Community health --we really don't want to read for the 100th time today.

b. DO LIST externships, extra credit rotations and any research conducted beyond program basic requirements.

c. List volunteer experiences in separate section when more than just one day and unrelated to clinical requirements....include being home room mom--lots of organization with that position.

d. Computer Experience -separate section list computer applications and level of proficiency

e. Language experience: include if spoken/written

Today I was asked if we had staff that spoke Bangladesh or would our Language Line service have interpreter.... they do have Bengali (actual language) interpreter.

f. Prior work experience: agree with One1: highlight any additional experience you have and emphasize skills and strengths that you had in a previous career that can be applied to the nursing environment

Waitress / Fast Food Attendant/ Guest Service Team Lead: positions should have helped you to "provide great customer experience", "focused on resolving customer service complaints/resolution", "Provided service recovery" --along with slinging that hamburger into a bag. :)

My sticked thread at bottom of career section hosts more information:

2012 Tips: Perfecting Nursing Resume, Cover Letter + Online Nursing Job Applications

Thanks you so much for this info.

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My 40years healthcare career fits into 2 pages...

You're kidding. I took out the breakdown of what I did IN each clinical rotation trying to condense it and that took it down to a page and a half. Here's my system so far:

Name, Address, Contact Info

Objective

Education

Affiliations

Skills and Qualifications

Computer Skills

Clinical Experiences

Work Experience

Volunteer Experience

It's not wordy. I tried to keep everything really brief.

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