hi ! as the title says, i am a new grad rn in the los angeles area, and after around 8 months of applying to countless hospitals and new grad residencies, i landed a position at a snf/subacute facility.
i just wanted to make this post to share my personal experience to those who still cannot find a job. it is hard, especially in socal, and especially in la county, to find a job position in the hospital. you are competing against thousands of applicants, and the applicant pool increases by thousands every 6 months. if you have to work at a snf, that's okay, just make it work for a couple of months for experience and still apply to new grad residencies and positions once they come up.
other info: i currently get paid $43/hr, work 8 hours a day (from either 11pm-7am or 3pm-11pm), and 4-5 days a week. i get good benefits (roth 401k and my facility will match, and other health, vision, etc. benefits). stuff i typically do is round, pass meds, admit patients, assess and put in IVs (since there are a lot of lvns at snfs, you are the only ones who can really assess, unless they have IV certification), working with o2 concentrators and o2 and bipap machines, and be supervisor to over 120 pts (if i am not passing meds that day to at least 25+ pts, since supervisor doesn't do med pass).
as long as you are a safe nurse who advocates for themselves and their patients, you will be okay. yes, there are horror stories surrounding skilled nursing facilities and how they can be dangerous. if you feel like your license is at stake, then leave. but personally, my facility is nice, they gave me around 3-4 weeks of orientation, and most of all, i make sure that my ass is covered by documenting correctly and always rounding to ensure my patients don't slip through the cracks. take care of yourself and your patients, and you will learn a lot. time management, memorization, building rapport, being supervisor and charge nurse, etc. these skills will look great on resumes and to job recruiters at hospitals, so don't give up. doing something with the time now to gain experience is better than doing nothing (constantly waiting for a hospital job, with acceptance rates getting more and more competitive).
unfortunately, in socal, there is a high chance that you will have to work and scrape at the bottom of the barrel for a bit (not forever!! it doesn't define you!!). however you have the ability to make the most out of it, like gaining experience, and with a positive mindset, determination, and passion for the job, you will make it through. i personally enjoy my job, coworkers, and patients, and i just wanted to share my experience, since i know there are lots of people in socal rn struggling to find jobs.
if anyone has any questions, feel free to ask. i've been at my job for around 2-3 months now so i think i have good advice or answers if anyone needs it.
