Terry Said:

Will a Misdemeanor Charge affect/ show on a background check for a registered nursing job?

We Answered:

Yes, that will typically show on a Background Check if you were actually charged for the crime.

Get a good lawyer and have it removed from your record if possible.

Ricky Said:

New Grad Registered Nursing and jobs??? Difficulty getting a job?

We Answered:

When I graduated a few years ago, there was no problem getting a job. I had 4 interviews, 4 job offers. 3 of those jobs listed in the job posting that they wanted an experienced RN. Always apply regardless of what their ad says in terms of wanting experience. The fact is, they can't always hold out for an experienced RN and might be willing to train a new grad.

As for the new grad programs, they are regular nursing positions that pay the same as any other RN. You just get more education and support, they often hook you up with a mentor, have meetings with the other new grads every couple of months to have presentations and stuff. It's different than an internship - an internship is usually done while you are in school before you graduate, and those are paid too, but at a lesser rate because you are not licensed, you are a student nurse.

Where I live now, the job situation is a little different from what it was when I got my first job. Many of the hospitals are on hiring freezes due to the poor economy, and hospitals have been laying off nurses by the hundreds. So it's tougher right now to get a hospital job here. If that's the case where you live, you might have to work in a nursing home or a clinic or get creative and work for the state at a jail / corrections facility, etc. to get a little experience, then move to a hospital once they start hiring again - and they will.

Start applying for jobs about 3 months before graduation. It's not too early. Apply for any job that seems interesting to you regardless if they say they want experience or not - the worst that can happen is you don't get an interview. The best that could happen is you could get a job.

Emma Said:

Where are the best registered nursing jobs?

We Answered:

What works for one does not work for the other. I would have to agree with Jill about starting out in a med-surg unit where cases are diverse. Being a new grad, whatever you've learned in school can easily be applied in the setting. Experience is the key. In the med-surg unit, you can hone your skills and organize your time. Once you've got everything in place, then you're ready to move on to a specialty area where you can focus on one thing. The problem with jumping into a more critical area is that, skills are not too developed yet. You might be overwhelmed and in the long run be thought of as "slow," "unorganized," and in the end be booted out after your probationary period. I have seen this situation a million times. Like I said,"What works for one does not mean it'll work for the other." A gradual transition is the better way. I actually started in a sub-acute facility where I worked for about 5 years. I transitioned to a med-surg progressive care unit specializing in urology where I worked for another 5 years. Went to the open heart unit after and loving it. It was easy transition and less stressful. You don't have to work as long as I had before transitioning but, let it just be an example. The good thing about being in ICU/CVICU is that, when you decide to do traveling assignments, you can be more marketable. You can do practically almost everything. Kinda cool huh? Well, whatever you decide, good luck!

Allan Said:

Why do Registered Nursing jobs require more than one year worth of experience?

We Answered:

Well, the only thing I can suggest is to start using your experience to network for you! With that, I mean that your former nurse manager in the ED where you worked as a tech is probably friends (on the business level) with other ED managers from other hospitals in your city. Ask her/him specifically if you can use her/his name and recommendation to start "cold calling " other ED managers.....for example, calling and saying I'm so and so and Jane Doe, manager at Mercy ED suggested I call you. I have this and that experience and right now, Mercy isn't hiring, but Jane thought you might be having some spots open up. If they are receptive, they will probably tell you to go ahead and fill out the app. If that's the case, be sure to follow up with HR after you submit the app in case the nurse recruiter automatically throws out apps not meeting the 1 year RN experience. While this isn't always smiled on in some fields, it's not a bad thing in healthcare. Those managers usually know each other, so I would use that to my advantage.

Next, I agree that your combat medic experience far surpasses a year or 2 RN experience in the ED. I would go ahead and apply for those ED positions that want experience and expound on all your military medic and EMS experience, regardless if the application or ad wants RN experience. If they are interested in you (and they darn well should be), they'll call you!

Another thought would be to convince your ED manager where you worked as an EMT that even though they need techs, to hire you anyway. She/he has the ability to get new jobs or changes in job needs approved and maybe they'd go ahead and do it for you. Good luck!!

Best wishes!!

Mildred Said:

What is the difference in pay and jobs in registered nursing if...?

We Answered:

You can become an RN with either an Associate Degree ( around 2 1/2 years) or with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). The jobs are the same, you take the same test to become an RN - the NCLEX, whether you've earned an ASN/ADN, a BSN , or the rare "Diploma of Nursing" (a 3 year program from a hospital program).

An RN with a BSN, doing the same job as the ASN/ADN RN, will make a whopping 50 cents to $2 more an hour. That means that as a new grad with a BSN, you might make $25 an hour, but your colleague that just graduated with the Associate Degree would make anywhere from $22-24.50 an hour.

However, there is a strong trend towards making the BSN the minimum requirement for all NEW nurses somewhere in the distant future.

Don't let someone tell you that you cannot work in a certain area if you don't have the BSN.... 2 of our newest nurses orienting to Labor/Delivery and Antepartum care are relatively recent grads of the local community college Associate Degree program and just finished working a year in Mother/Baby where they were hired as new grads after being student nurse externs while in school.

With all that being said, I would encourage you to go straight for the BSN if it's at all feasible.

Edwin Said:

can anyone provide me with info on work from home jobs for registered nurses?

We Answered:

Most of the work from home opportunities that are legitimate offers are not an hourly pay type job. They are business opportunities that help you in starting your own business from your home.

What you should do first is to decide if you are simply looking for an hourly rate type job or if you are looking for more of an opportunity for additional income such as what you would make in your own business being your own boss from home. Many say a JOB stands for Just Over Broker and I have found that to be true as well. I never got anywhere working for others.