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So I graduated from nursing school last semester and have been looking for jobs and received a job offer in long term care. The base rate is on par with the area, but the differentials and benefits are lacking.
I also had an interview for a dream position. The manager emailed me and said that they would be happy for me to the join the team, but she has to make sure that there is a spot available for HR. I know for a fact that if there isn't one available now (though there is a job application in review status) there will be one within a month as I talked with a staff member who is leaving the area in a few weeks. I emailed her today for a follow-up and am just waiting to hear from her.
I also have another interview coming up for a new grad residency program at a small hospital on Tuesday.
At this point, I don't know what to do. Should I just accept the nursing position at the LTC? Wait to hear back from my dream job? Interview for the new grad residency program?
I feel overwhelmed, angry, depressed and desperate. Nursing homes have a bad reputation of poor staffing, high burn out rates and lack of career advancement. I'm also afraid that it will severely limit my career opportunities in the future as I would have no acute care experience.
Im not in the health care profession, but I have lived my life...and based on your situation my advice is pretty simple advice. I'll assume your on the younger side of life, and so...You have the rest of your adult life to toil away, making money to pay the bills! This said, I present several options. A. Hold out for that "dream job" and if wanted interview for the new grad residency! Reason: Life is so very short, really...honest. It is. Ask them...or them...or anyone 20 yrs older than you. The opposite school of thought may tell you, "just go with the job you know you have, in this economy you can't be picky!" However, yes this is partly true but...life is to short to put your life's work into a career your likely to burn out in, with little chance of opportunity of upward mobility. Sounds like the typical American mantra these days, "take what you can get", Uhg! B. Take the job you have been offered and definitely do the Interview for the new grad residency. This way if you find the new job to be all that you expect it to be you can scram and hit the residency! Downside? What if you don't, for whatever reason...get accepted for the grad residency? (that wouldn't be to kosher would it?!) You would then join the millions of other Americans locked into that chore they call "a job!" Fun!!! And, it sounds to me like you already have preconceptions, likely based on real life knowledge of this not being such a hot way to go, which kinda' puts you down before you even start. Think about this, did you spend the time, hard work & money learning your skill set to not love what you do? Good luck & remember...it's probably a bummer to live with regret!
PS: If this is really what you feel is a dream job, hold out...wait if you can. If you have "insider knowledge" that indicates all of the above mentioned I say take the hit, live off Ramen Noodles & Pay Day bars for a month...it'll pay dividends far greater than 40 hours a week, a massive head ache and 2 Xanax every night. BE WELL- Ian
A "dream job" just out of nursing school w/ no experience is unrealistic. Not to say you shouldn't strive for it, but make do w/ what you do have at the moment. I'd say the new grad residency program in a hospital would be a good place to start. It'll give you confidence and many positions want a nurse w/ a foundation in hospital nursing, if even only for 1 year. Nursing is a saturated profession at this point, in many cities/states, so you're lucky at least you have several options.
Last edited by Nanny Goat; 04-11-2015 at 03:25 PM..
The base rate is on par with the area, but the differentials and benefits are lacking.
So what's the problem? It's on par with the area, it isn't like you have the experience to command a lot of negotiating points
Is there a reason you won't take up a job that pays on par in area and work a few years to get experience then move on? You could wait for a dream job, but until you actually work, you're dreaming up what a "dream" job is. You eventually find a dream job by working long enough to know what you want in a job. It isn't all about how it looks on paper.
Quote:
I'm also afraid that it will severely limit my career opportunities in the future as I would have no acute care experience.
don't you currently have "no experience" if you are newly graduated and haven't worked yet? Not just acute care, but any kind. I'm saying this outside of the clinical experience you get as a student.
So I graduated from nursing school last semester and have been looking for jobs and received a job offer in long term care. The base rate is on par with the area, but the differentials and benefits are lacking.
I also had an interview for a dream position. The manager emailed me and said that they would be happy for me to the join the team, but she has to make sure that there is a spot available for HR. I know for a fact that if there isn't one available now (though there is a job application in review status) there will be one within a month as I talked with a staff member who is leaving the area in a few weeks. I emailed her today for a follow-up and am just waiting to hear from her.
I also have another interview coming up for a new grad residency program at a small hospital on Tuesday.
At this point, I don't know what to do. Should I just accept the nursing position at the LTC? Wait to hear back from my dream job? Interview for the new grad residency program?
I feel overwhelmed, angry, depressed and desperate. Nursing homes have a bad reputation of poor staffing, high burn out rates and lack of career advancement. I'm also afraid that it will severely limit my career opportunities in the future as I would have no acute care experience.
Maybe you're not sure what you really should do because you are overwhelmed, angry, depressed and desperate and eager to begin work. But I think you definitely know what you shouldn't go after, it will depress you, imho!
Don't let it get to you, hang in there, it will work out for you!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nanny Goat
A "dream job" just out of nursing school w/ no experience is unrealistic. Not to say you shouldn't strive for it, but make do w/ what you do have at the moment. I'd say the new grad residency program in a hospital would be a good place to start. It'll give you confidence and many positions want a nurse w/ a foundation in hospital nursing, if even only for 1 year. Nursing is a saturated profession at this point, in many cities/states, so you're lucky at least you have several options.
A "dream job" just out of nursing school w/ no experience is unrealistic. Not to say you shouldn't strive for it, but make do w/ what you do have at the moment. I'd say the new grad residency program in a hospital would be a good place to start. It'll give you confidence and many positions want a nurse w/ a foundation in hospital nursing, if even only for 1 year. Nursing is a saturated profession at this point, in many cities/states, so you're lucky at least you have several options.
Quite a few of my classmates have gotten dream jobs. The dream job wants me to join them but they need to make sure a position is available first.
I do agree that nursing is very saturated, and I am interviewing at the new grad residency program on Tuesday. Should I turn down the nursing home position? That is the only place that has given me a job offer, but it seems to have high turnover rate.
So what's the problem? It's on par with the area, it isn't like you have the experience to command a lot of negotiating points
Is there a reason you won't take up a job that pays on par in area and work a few years to get experience then move on? You could wait for a dream job, but until you actually work, you're dreaming up what a "dream" job is. You eventually find a dream job by working long enough to know what you want in a job. It isn't all about how it looks on paper.
don't you currently have "no experience" if you are newly graduated and haven't worked yet? Not just acute care, but any kind. I'm saying this outside of the clinical experience you get as a student.
If it was an acute care job, I would have taken it already. But it isn't. It is at a nursing home with high turnover rates. Most hospital jobs want acute care experience.
I do have some experience as a nursing assistant in the acute care setting. I also have a BSN (which shocked the nursing home).
I am just afraid that if I take the nursing home job that I will never be able to get into the acute care setting and advance in my career.
You have already said the nursing home is a terrible choice. Strike it off the list. Focus on acute care, but don't put all your eggs in the one company waiting for somebody to move. What if the nurse doesn't move, because she couldn't line up a job in the new city?
You need to explore multiple opportunities. If the manager from the other company comes back, it's another fishing line. Did you connect to the hiring manager on LinkedIn? You need to build out the acute care network. If people are impressed with you, connect with them. When they are looking for another replacement, hiring managers will check through their contacts to see who is interested.
If it was an acute care job, I would have taken it already. But it isn't. It is at a nursing home with high turnover rates. Most hospital jobs want acute care experience.
I do have some experience as a nursing assistant in the acute care setting. I also have a BSN (which shocked the nursing home).
I am just afraid that if I take the nursing home job that I will never be able to get into the acute care setting and advance in my career.
And yes, I know what my dream job is.
And why is this? What's to prevent you from PRNing somewhere with acute care later on? Or switching jobs later
I fail to understand how taking one job excludes your future jobs. And having a BSN isn't exactly "work experience" because anyone else with a BSN has a similar experience
But if you're in a fairly large city, 1 million or more, it shouldn't be that hard to find hospitals that need nurses. Just take a PRN spot on the off shift for a year or so and you'll be able to tick off the experience box
And why is this? What's to prevent you from PRNing somewhere with acute care later on? Or switching jobs later
I fail to understand how taking one job excludes your future jobs. And having a BSN isn't exactly "work experience" because anyone else with a BSN has a similar experience
But if you're in a fairly large city, 1 million or more, it shouldn't be that hard to find hospitals that need nurses. Just take a PRN spot on the off shift for a year or so and you'll be able to tick off the experience box
I live in a fairly large city that has a lot of hospitals but a lot of competition.
It is hard to switch into acute care if you started your nursing career in community health. That is the problem.
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Just an opinion, probably the wrong one but?! :)
BE WELL- Ian
