You just graduated with a two- or four-year degree in nursing and you’re ready to hit the pavement looking for a job. If you have your nursing license, so much the better.
But the fact remains, in this economy, you’ll have to compete with thousands of other nursing grads who are just as eager to land that first job. That said, you don’t want to end up in a hospital or medical facility that works you to death. Some employers will use the bad economy to exploit young nurses.
One of the first things you can do is find out as much as you can about the hospital or medical facility you hope to work for. You can go online for some of this information. You can also ask your school counselor for some background on the employer. And if you’re lucky enough to know someone who already works there, mine them for information.
Besides learning what the employer expects from its new-hire nurses, you’ll want to know such things as their nurse-to-patient ratio; the length of each shift; the duty schedules; and the level of support staff they provide for their nurses. You may want to know if the employer welcomes policy and management suggestions from its nurses. Are specialists or educators available to support nurses? Are nurses fairly represented in the different committees of the hospital or medical facility? Do nurses have a voice on issues related to the nursing practice and patient care? You also need to consider your long-term career goals. Does the hospital or medical facility offer continuing education to keep you updated with current trends?
It’s important to know these things before you rush headlong into a position that, while it may pay the bills, leaves you too exhausted and frustrated to enjoy your time off.
For an added perspective, check out this video:
If you have any thoughts on landing that first nursing job, feel free to share them in the comments section.
Alex A. Kecskes has written hundreds of published articles on health/fitness, "green" issues, TV/film entertainment, restaurant reviews and many other topics. As a former Andy/Belding/One Show ad agency copywriter, he also writes web content, ads, brochures, sales letters, mailers and scripts for national B2B and B2C clients. Please see more of his blogs and view additional job postings on Beyond.com.
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