Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
RNs/Nurses...
I graduated in 2009 into this horrendous economy. We thought we'd move out of state that summer (which fell through), so I didn't find a job until that October. I've been in home care this entire time and now I feel trapped in a vicious cycle. Too experienced for new grad programs, but not the "right" year+ of RN experience to get me onto an acute care floor. The only hospital that offers a program for new grads AND nurses without acute care experience is North, which is awesome because I spent my senior capstone there. The latest I've heard is that they're trying to get this program running again within the next 6 months.
Sorry for the rambling back story. My question is, what tips do you have to make me stand out in the masses that will be applying? I have connections to a particular floor (my old preceptor and the nurse manager) and I made a detailed LinkedIn account and reached out to the nurse recruiter (as well as phone calls). Is there anything else (besides a perfect resume/cover letter) that might give me an edge? Thank you. 
Re: RNs/Nurses...
I used to work in the recruitment office for a Fairview hospital reviewing Nurse applications. And yes, you graduated at a very tough point in the economy and the nursing field in particular.
Is there a specific sort of patient population you've been working with? Pediatric, geriatric, mental health, cancer care, dementia, diabetic, whatever it may be I would find a unit that has some relation and really stress how your experience would apply to the unit and how you are seeking a more challenging atmosphere/higher work load/collaboration with a care team.
Another option is to seek out smaller hospitals on the outskirts of the cities (especially if they're in the larger systems like Fairview or Allina) to get that hospital experience and then move to a more ideal location from there.
Hope this helps a bit!
Yes- oncology. I worked at a cancer center for 2 years as a nursing assistant, and I did both of my senior clinicals (my entire last semester) in oncology at North and at the cancer center I worked for. Honestly, I can't imagine myself working in anything but medsurg or oncology right now.
I did look into the Monticello hospital as a small town option, but they're tough as well. I'd like to stay on the north end of the metro area because we're looking to settle down into a house in the next year or so.
-Quick question for you...when you received cover letters, what was the best method of addressing them? After some research I found out my "to whom it may concern" should be a last resort. I have the name of the nurse recruiter, but I don't know for sure if he's the one reading the letter. I'm just not sure how to better address it.
ETA: Sorry, I'm going to pick your brain a little!
Do you think LinkedIn is an appropriate way to network to the recruiter? It has been next to impossible to get a hold of the recruiter or HR in general. We spoke directly on the phone about a month and a half ago, and he said to call back in 3 weeks. I did that, with no response. Called 5 days later and left another message, no response. Since then I've just been calling on every day I have off in hopes he'll actually answer. That's when I took the LinkedIn route, requesting the network and stating that might be a good way for us to connect about the acute care program.
Cover letters are a tricky thing. In really large companies, often the cover letter isn't really reviewed -- it's all about the form application and uploading your resume. The electronic record is much easier to share than a fancy paper resume. If you know names/units/emails of any nurse managers, by all means send them your stuff addressing them directly (email is always a good option because they can send it to their recruiter much more quickly). BUT, be sure to mention that you have submitted an application to HR as well so they know you're going through the proper channels.
In your application, resume, cover letter, definitely emphasize your Oncology interest and specialty. Have you thought about oncology clinics? Or an infusion-specific unit?
Absolutely. My long term goal is to work in a cancer center, but I want/need the acute care medsurg/onc (which is the floor I'm trying to get on to) experience first. I know it will open up so many more doors down the road for me if I take this route first. I just want to find my forever home, and transfer within a system like North if that arises someday.
My online profile is completely developed already, but I'll have to try and directly get a hold of the nurse manager. She already tried to get to my application for a position, but the education board said I couldn't be hired unless I was hired into that program first (because of my lack of acute care). I'm trying to stay patient!
Thanks so much for your advice.