I also think this is an excellent opportunity for me to share some of my more interesting adventures. Unfortunately the probability that this will ever amount to something long term or become anything widely read is quite low. However, with a lack of other outlets to creative expression of emotions, I am humoring myself.
As you may notice, I call myself a nurse. That's right. RN. I'm quite proud of that fact, regardless of the lack of any actual hours of clinical practice. Sure, my (beautifully, concise, one-page) resume is dripping with the specifics of all my hours of clinicals and the units tasked with handling the ever eager nursing students, but am frequently reminded that none of those hours was ever passed with my own personal license. I would be the first to say I'd like to correct this personal deficiency. Right now though there aren't really too many opportunities for someone with 0 months of experience on my side of the USA. Sure, sure, whip out the old "pick up and move" argument. I would hope that those out there who are married would understand that dropping everything and moving somewhere is a bit easier to think about if you are single.
Of course I use that as my main excuse, but on a shallower note, I really, really would prefer to not to head to Florida or Texas (some of the most in-need-of-nurses-states, or so they say).
You could say I just don't like the heat. Cause I don't. But beyond that I just don't think I would fit into those cultures very well and I am kind of tired of not having a social life.
In any case, I am solidly in the category of "Unemployed r/t the economy, my geography and lack of experience AEB lack of a job, lack of a set schedule, and an ungodly amount of free time."
I do want to let you all know (because, of course, you all ((you know, all 2 of you at most)) care so much) that I am not just being a lazy bum. I have applied to a good handful of jobs that I actually qualify for and the coveted RN Residency program that has just been started in the area. Even though it is a new program this year I do feel that describing it as "coveted" is justified. No less that 600 people applied for these positions. I know it was more, but needless to say I didn't want to focus on how much competition I have.
I really hope that I get one of these residency positions, because I think I could stand to have a few weeks of training wheels. That's not to say that I doubt myself so much that I believe I need more handholding. I just think that setting a solid foundation for my career and personal confidence is important. I generally back this statement up in conversation with the most recent statistic of new graduate nurse retention rates.
Did you know that approximately 1 in 5 new graduate nurses with quit within the first year of employment and (generally) never return? So if there were around 150 people in my graduating class, around 30 of them aren't going to stay in nursing after the first year. Now I have no doubt that I won't be in that group because of my iron will (I've completed several semesters of school profoundly depressed and unable to make eye contact with people, getting nothing less than a "B" in each of my classes) and because I am a self acclaimed glutton for punishment (If getting married during nursing school isn't an indicator, I don't know what is...), but I don't want to even be walking on the edge of career meltdown.
Anyway, I recently found out that I made it through the first culling in the RN residency application process. *cheering with pom poms* Yay me! I had thought I would be called, but settled for the rather generic email that they sent me inviting me to participate in a "brief interview process". Yeah, they also reminded me that if I didn't show for this interview, I wouldn't be considered for the positions. Seriously? After all the work I put into that application?!? How could I not come?
I suppose I should elaborate on the application process. These days most applications are filled out and submitted online, for employer convenience I assume. The application for this residency program came with a detailed set of directions for us to follow that directed us to apply not only online, but to take a pile of stuff down to the HR department of the hospital system. These directions came with footnotes such as "All documents need to be without folds or staples and stock paper will not be accepted" and "Each of the special referral forms must be placed in a separate large envelope, sealed and signed by the reference on the seal". On one hand I really appreciate the specificity of the directions, however, it did make me wonder if it was all just a part of a first test focusing on following directions. I daresay I put a lot of work into putting it all together.
So after all of that effort (and of course the typical bout of irrational worry about whether I put the papers in the right order or if I spaced the margins right) they pulled a Windows Vista moment with a "Are you really sure you want to do that?" (For those of you that don't know, the newest versions of Windows takes you for an idiot and makes doubly sure that you want to open programs that you just so happened to purposefully double click on...). Of course I freaking want to have an interview!!
(Now I want to make sure again that you all understand that I understand all the reasons for why they do these things. I just have a habit of being hyperbolic and ummm, expressive...)
Sooooo, when I called to schedule an interview time I found that they were doing interviews for a whole 2 days, 8am to 5pm, in 20 minute slots. I ended up getting placed in a 20 minute slot on the Thursday a couple weeks ago. I was stoked regardless of the fact that I would essentially have to make my case in about 15 minutes. I did the math and I thought they were doing like 70 interviews in two days. That seems like a lot right?
I get to the place of the interview around 20 minutes early (as per my habit in nursing school of coming to class around 20 minutes early), giving myself enough time to pace around like an idiot. (In my defense, the interview took place about 45 minutes away, across town, and during the beginning of bad traffic, so leaving early was a good idea.) Even for how nervous I was I didn't fail to notice that there are several rooms full of people that look like they are attired for an interview. Conference right? Wouldn't that be nice. In a few more minutes I learned that I would be interviewing with 11 other people.... at the SAME TIME! (If you redo the math previously, that puts them at just over 500 interviews in 2 days) They said it would be like speed dating. Although I've never been speed dating, I think the simile was accurate.
The set up was like this:
They had a handful of unit managers of all types, 1-2 to a table, and ended up spreading them out in a room. They told us we had to march in and just sit down at whatever table had a chair open in front of it. We could be interested in MedSurg and get interviewed by someone from the OR. We would have about 15-20 minutes to get through the basic interview and after that we would get a score, and those scores would determine whether we will get another interview or not.
I was floored by the massive undertaking that I was a part of. Incidentally, I ended up being the first to enter the room. I tried my best to smile and not look frantic as I looked at all the managers staring back at me. Luckily I was able to chose one of the nearer seats with an older woman who was smiling somewhat serenely back at me. As we introduced ourselves, I came to the quick realization that I could be in deep trouble after she said that she was the manager of a psychiatric unit. Most people that know me well understand that I don't have the deep burning desire to get a job on a psych unit. (I generally tell my friends it's because manic people and I don't get along very well in enclosed spaces.)
My fears were put to rest during the interview. This woman is a model of all I want for myself in the proper method of conversation and active listening. I came in for an interview and received therapy. Therapeutic conversation that is. There were all the standard questions of behavioral interviewing and I think I did as well as I could. I will probably elaborate more on the details of that later...
So, a brief sigh of relief and then several more weeks of anxious waiting. I hope that next week, when I get a call, it'll be good news. You know, good that I get another interview, but bad that I have more cause for the creation of an ulcer.
*sigh*
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