How strict are employers in screening people with "1 year RN experience?"

People keep talking about how 1 year of experience will open up the job market to you in a huge way. I often do see job postings that ask for 1 year RN experience or 1 year acute care experience. But my question is, how strict is that requirement truly?

What if you you had 10 months of experience, 11 months? It wouldn't truly be 1 year. But if you were full time for those 11 months, you would still have worked more and gained more experience than someone who just was part-time for a full 1 year or even longer than that.

What are your thoughts on this? Use this thread to talk about how strict employers are when screening people who have "1 year RN experience."
Some are strict, some aren't. I had plenty of interviews as a new grad for jobs that required 1-2 years experience. It doesn't hurt to apply to jobs...you never know.

Here is the first thing I would ask "Why are you looking to change positions after only 10 or 11 months?" The answer would then guide the following questions.One word of advice...............don't ever, and I mean ever, trash the institution where you are currently employed. If you trash that institution what would stop you from trashing the one you're interviewing with!

I agree, to be sure. Would never trash a prior place of employment publically or to a future employer.

Quote from kayernHere is the first thing I would ask "Why are you looking to change positions after only 10 or 11 months?" The answer would then where you are currently employed!

I have seen some places that are very specific. A year is 2,000 hours of work. So if you worked part time for 1 3/4 years, you will have maybe something like 1600-1800 hours, which is not good enough.I know that everyone can't be that mental about it, but I am sure some will be strict and some won't, you will just have to be honest and hope for the best.

That seems odd, robinson. I have never seen an employer use hours of work to determine your experience. They usually just ask how long you were employed. To nurseeducate, sometimes people are forced to take jobs that are less desirable or jobs that they like but are in undesirable areas, just to pay the bills and get experience.

Quote from WDM08002That seems odd, robinson. I have never seen an employer use hours of work to determine your experience. They usually just ask how long you were employed. To nurseeducate, sometimes people are forced to take jobs that are less desirable or jobs that they like but are in undesirable areas, just to pay the bills and get experience.

I know at the hospital that I work at they count how many hours of work you put in not how many years. That's what they use to figure out seniority levels also. Hopes this help.

I have started seeing trends. A lot of positions are hiring at Part Time status although the employees are getting schedules full time hrs. I think this is because a lot of the bonuses and benefits go off of what your actual status is, not how many hrs you put in. In experience required I am starting to see a lot of 6 months required instead of a year. I am also starting to see a lof of places wanting to know if it's full time hrs or part time.

Quote from WDM08002That seems odd, robinson. I have never seen an employer use hours of work to determine your experience. They usually just ask how long you were employed. To nurseeducate, sometimes people are forced to take jobs that are less desirable or jobs that they like but are in undesirable areas, just to pay the bills and get experience.

I have never understood the "1 year experience" thing if the facility or hiring manager considers job-hopping a negative or doesn't want new gradsIn this environment, you'll be getting a ton of new grad and barely-experienced nurses applying. What's the point of posting the job that way?

I've always pretty much known that if the job ad is for a hospital, requiring one year acute care RN experience, it means that they WILL NOT ORIENT YOU much other than showing you around the place, showing you the charting software and pumps, giving you your codes to the pyxis and puter, and then just keeping one eye on you for a couple days in case you have questions on logistics or misrepresented yourself.So, no new grads will be interviewed for these positions. Also if it says "one year acute care experience", you must have had prior hospital experience, and no, you can't interview if you've worked 1 year LTC but no hospital. They just want some other hospital to have trained you for them and know they can still get ya cheap cause you probably are ready to bolt from your first hospital, cause that's how they lose their yearlings too. Most often in my area as well, anytime you see 1 year experience asked for, and it is a hospital advertisement, they do mean 1 year of hospital RN experience, even though they think they've made that clear which often they have not.Now, all of this is dashed and redone if you know the right people, as always.