JOB SEARCH - Applying

"A foot in the door"

- every single person when asked about how to get into the system

Here are some tips for when you start applying to nursing jobs:

Know where you're applying!

➖ Do your research & understand what you're signing up for.

✻ Teaching: Some units bring on students, & even as a new nurse, there's a good chance you could end up with one.

✻ Even as a float, you could end up with students.

➤Do NOT apply to teaching units if you aren't receptive to the possibility of having a student.

Remember that external hiring freeze I mentioned? The goal is to just get into the internal system. As soon as you do that, you can access the internal job board - & from there, your options expand tremendously.

Don't limit yourself

➖ Applying to only full-time/permanent positions are hard to get when applying externally & as a new grad? OOF. Tall order.

➖ Casual/float is your best bet, & it's precisely the foot in the door that everyone talks about.

✻ Negatives

➤nights, evenings, weekends, & holidays

➤not necessarily a set schedule

➤employee benefits are usually limited to part-time/full-time

✻ Positives

➤flexibility

➤build your own schedule (a lot of casuals/floats end up working full-time hours & more)

➤taste-test different units/nursing styles

➤so many new connections

➤access to the internal job board

It's a fine line you have to walk between setting goals & not pushing off the opportunities available.

But if you have a goal - keep it in mind

If (like me) your passion is in acute care, things get a bit complicated.

➖ Medical/surgical hiring managers (even floats) want to know you:

✻ Can keep up with the pace

✻ Handle the acuity

✻ Manage the patient load

✻ Think critically

So They Look to Hire

➖Fresh grads, mouldable to fit what they need

➖Nurses with the most recent acute care experience

What that means is that (while definitely not impossible), transitioning from a long-term/home care/clinic nurse to acute care is significantly more difficult.

Making the jump from LTC/HC/Clinics to acute care

➖Utilize your contacts - ask around for leads.

➖Have someone review your resume - maybe some tweaks need to be made.

➖Look for urgent care/small hospital positions more rurally.

➖Keep applying to float pools & temporary positions.

➖Get additional certifications to help stand out.

➖Practice answering interview questions - it raises confidence & helps you work through answers.

➖ask nurses currently employed where you're employed about their interview experience.