No hospital job after working LTC? True?

I have heard from many sources that once you start out and work in LTC or SNF as an RN, it is impossible to get a hospital job in the future. Not that working in the hospital is my almighty goal, but being a fairly new grad I just don't want to limit myself before I really know what I want to do.

If this is true, why is this so? It seems like working in LTC would be hard work, offering a lot of basic nursing experience and skills. Can anyone enlighten me?
Not true. Nursing experience is experience, regardless of where you are working. You may have to work a little harder to get a hospital job after LTC or rehab, but it is not impossible. One of my friends just got a hospital job a few months ago after doing rehab for a year.

After four years of working in LTC facilities, I interviewed at three acute care hospitals last year and received offers at two of them. However, I declined the offers because the pay was way too low for the acuity of patients and the amount of work that they were wanting me to do.

Don't give up hope! We just hired a nurse after she was working at a LTC facility. She had about a year worth of experience there. It may be harder to get into a hospital, but people are getting in. I won't worry and keep applying!

Well I'm considering taking a job offer I received to be charge RN on weekends at an LTC. I'm just a little skeptical because there is only three days of orientation with another nurse and when I told them that I was not available to immediately start this week due to plans already made of going out of town, they said they would check to see if this was okay and call me back. They had wanted me to start this weekend so I guess that is the deal breaker because they have not called back. Told them I could start next week. Don't know what to think..

Quote from ijuanabhappyI have heard from many sources that once you start out and work in LTC or SNF as an RN, it is impossible to get a hospital job in the future.

I know of a girl that couldn't find a job anywhere and took a LTC job. She's been working for 5 months and last week had an interview at a children's hospital, where on the job description it says, "Peds experienced preferred," and also, "NO NEW GRADS." Any experience is better than none, and it seems like once you actually have a RN job of any sort, it's easier to get the one you really want!

Depending where you live.I started out in a LTC / RCF and Moved in to Psych at our local State Ran Hospital. And all the while i was trying to get in to a hospital. I was tired of being just a babysitter to the people as well as my own aids under me. I have seen many of my Co-workers get pick up at the local hospital and who are now RN's. Speaking to a Nurse Recruiter of the hospital she said i had no acute care under me and it would almost impossible to get in to the hospital. Then in her same breath said Do you know anyone who works there that might help to get you in. The Hospital has a stepping stone program. I would of loved to gotten in to that program. They pay for you to go to school to become a RN and you have to sign a 2 yr contract with them. So depending where you live and how many people you know in the hospital your trying to work at depends weather or not you shot yourself in the foot as far as working in a LTC first... Anthony

Some nurses may say it is harder...but this is not true, especially in this economy. People are taking whatever they can. Also, working LTC, you will develop great assessment, time management, and leadership skills, which are valuable for any unit. I work LTC, and I know of people who left that had no problem finding non-LTC positions.

I was hired as a new grad the same day that RN with one year of LTC experience was hired. Her orientation had to be extended, and a year later she is barely making it. The same with the nurses that they hired with only clinic experience. That's just my experience at my little hospital, but I thank god every time that I work with them that I was fortunate enough to start out in Med Surg.

Quote from missbuttonI was hired as a new grad the same day that RN with one year of LTC experience was hired. Her orientation had to be extended, and a year later she is barely making it. The same with the nurses that they hired with only clinic experience. That's just my experience at my little hospital, but I thank god every time that I work with them that I was fortunate enough to start out in Med Surg.

There is a super double secret book that is rumored to exist that they use to keep track of everyone that has worked in LTC. I've heard that once your name gets into this book that's it. You are done.

Just depends. These days it is about who you know. If you are LTC you may have a chance, depending on who you know. I have had people tell me point blank (recruiters) that they will not take experienced LTC nurses, that, they do not retrain nurses. It's either you are brand spankin new, or have less than a year experience somewhere else... meaning you get out of LTC and into Acute before they consider you "ruined". Pretty brutal. They also "say" that if your experience is only home health as a first job, you will not be considered for acute care. Their reasoning is that the nurse managers tell them HH nurses never make it through acute care orientation, and it's not worth the gamble. If you have been in LTC or Home health for a year you are not eligible for any kind of regular longer acute care orientation anymore on the whole. Working anywhere for a year means you are supposed to be on your own pretty much whereever you work. Lots of assuming going on that seems to pretty much end things for lots of people.If you gain connections in the mean time, of course, you're in. It won't then matter who you are or where you came from. Your connection is what got you in, and that trumps it all.