I'll be graduating in May from College of DuPage and the process of applying to hospitals is beginning. What do I look for when choosing which hospital to apply to and work for? There are SO many choices out there! I want to work for a hospital that will give me the best overall wide range of experience, yet is not so huge that I'll get lost in the shuffle.
-Should I look for a hospital that has a New Grad Program?
-Do I really need to start out in Med-Surg, or are there other options that would suffice just as well?
-What length should the orientation be?
-Is magnet status really all it's cracked up to be or are non-magnet hospitals just as good?
-What are some good hospitals in the SW Chicago suburbs?
-Would a rehabilitation hospital be a good choice when starting out, or would I benefit more from a more acute care setting?
-What should I look for in terms of pay, scheduling, RN:PT ratios?
-Any other advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
-Shelby
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December 22nd, 2007 at 9:50 am
One thing to ask during an interview is the rate of nurse turnover. If there is high turnover, ask the interviewer why that is. As far as orientation, ask about how flexible they are in terms of length of time.
Magnet status is a big plus for a hospital to have. Some non-Magnet hospitals may be just as good, but having the Magnet seal shows that the hospital worked hard to meet the criteria & are committed to maintaining that status.
Benefits can be a huge source of satisfaction. If you have several hospitals that are basically the same in other areas, go for the one that offers the best benefits! And I really like it when vacation time is accrued on an “hours worked” basis.
Also, ask about areas for nurses to take on leadership roles within the hospital organization. Having room to move up is a sign that the hospital values nursing input & takes it seriously. Good luck in your search!
January 9th, 2008 at 11:17 pm
If you have nursing debt there are some hospitals out there that will pay back, tuition reimbursement if you agree to 2 years or something.
You want a pretty long orientation 8 weeks at least, and I think it really helps if you have an orientation with the same nurse throughout the entire time so they learn your strengths and weaknesses.
I work at Elmhurst Hospital and I love it there, it has a wonderful small feel and there are nurses that have worked there for ever, that says a lot about the hospital.
Hope that helps
January 10th, 2008 at 5:25 am
A new Grad programme is good, but try and find out just how good. Some places still just throw you in at the deep end.
Where did you spend you last big clinical? When I trained nurses often spent their last major clinical in an area they liked and quite often ended up getting a job there.
You can’t go wrong with med/surg, although some opinions do vary, some say do the specialist thing straight away if you get the chance. I prefer the med/surg background, and you certainly won’t be harming your future by sticking with it.
To be honest, a rehab hospital would have put me off nursing for life, good basic skills, but you get that in the medical ward anyway.
As for patient ratio, 6/1 RN was our max. It was less if you have heavy patients.