'Entry level' but 3+ years ICU required. What is the recruiter actually saying?

The question

1. RBRiley in the break roomRN, 2 years, ED

   That posting was written by a manager who wants a unicorn and pasted into a template by someone who has never worked a shift. Entry level is a job board category, not a nursing term. Apply anyway. The interview runs both ways, and you are deciding about them too.

2. MNMaya on nightsRN, 8 months in, med surg

   I sent 11 applications the month my license came through. Most of them said experience required and I applied anyway. The requirements section is a wish list. The posting date is the truth. A unit that has been reposting since spring is not holding out for 3 years of ICU.

3. BFBlair reading the fine printRN, 9 months in, tele

   I would not spray all of them though. Look for new grad cohort, residency, or GN in the title, because those are the ones with an orientation budget attached. Check the posting date too. A listing that reposts every 30 days is either a pipeline nobody owns or a unit people keep leaving. Neither one is fatal, and your first job isn't your forever job.

4. Nursing Mastery

   Two mechanics before you skip anything. A license is needed by day one, not at application, so a posting that says RN required is not telling you to wait. When the screening call comes, ask how many weeks orientation runs and how many of those weeks are precepted. Then ask how many nurses on that unit are under a year. Those two answers tell you more than the requirements section ever will.

5. HPHarper past the first codeRN, 10 months in, PCU

   Here is my translation key. Fast paced means short staffed some nights. Self starter means thin orientation. Flexible means you will get floated. None of those are automatic nos, they are just questions, so ask what the ratio is on nights and listen to how long the pause runs before they answer.

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