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Red Flags for Starting a New Nursing Job

Starting a new job is standard for any profession, and the same holds for nursing. Nurses who stay with one company for the entirety of their tenure are rare. In changing specialties, nurses must understand the various red flags to be aware of. Now, some things that appear to be red flags are not. They are more like yellow flags. 

In this blog post, we will explore the following categories of red flags:

Lack of Orientation – Red flag

As with any job, having an orientation is a critical part of getting acclimated to a profession. Though nurses should be competent when they start a new job, many things don’t overlap between the various nursing companies. Therefore, it’s a major red flag if the facility doesn’t provide ample training or orientation.

Most orientations last at least a couple of days, if not weeks. If you start a new job and realize that the orientation is literally showing you a tour of the building, then it may suggest that the operation is poorly run. 

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Drama and complaining by the preceptor – Red flag

Many times, when you work with the preceptor, they will put on a mask to make the job seem appealing. Many preceptors are excellent teachers and will help you advance in your career. It’s a fast-paced and traumatic profession that requires staff members to practice honesty and openness. 

Preceptors that perpetuate drama and complain a lot can create real issues for the rest of the staff. You may want to believe that it is only one person, but that one person can impact the entire company. It is that simple. Pay attention to the way the preceptor handles things, and it will give you a good idea of how the company is run and the culture is. 

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Older nurses eating their young – Red flag

There’s a common saying in the nursing industry that “older nurses eat their young,” which means that veteran nurses often treat younger nurses with disdain and test them a bit before giving them a worthy shot. 

Now, this can come with the territory; however, be alert as to how much this is going on. If you feel that it’s bordering on harassment, the work environment might not be a good facilitator for your success. 

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Lack of a staff committee – Red flag

Nurses need to feel like they are seen and heard and that their ideas–based on experience–are taken seriously by the administration. Suppose there’s not a staff committee dedicated to allowing nurses to introduce initiatives then you have to wonder if it’s the right place for you. Even if the company does have a committee, if it’s not active, that’s a bad sign. 

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Working a shift you weren’t promised – Red flag

Sometimes nurses end up working different shifts than they were promised. This can frustrate the nurse and make them feel duped when signing up for the job. Additionally, sometimes nurses end up working different roles than they were promised to work. This is a no. Full stop. Nurses need to work within their specialties and explore the skills that bring out the best in them. 

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The hiring manager and director are new – Red flag 

If a nurse shows up to the interview and finds out that the hiring manager and director have only been in the position for about three months, that is a major red flag. It implies that there is a lot of turnovers at the facility and that you should be cautious.  

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Holiday draw – Yellow flag

Every new nurse is going to have to work the holiday shift. That’s just the reality of things. Now, once the nurse gains experience, they can eventually stop working holidays, but they will work the holiday shift for the beginning of their tenure. Nurses shouldn’t worry if they work that shift. It’s customary and isn’t abuse or personal.

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Seniority scheduling – Yellow flag

Nurses who have held a position longer than you will often have better shifts than you. That said, it shouldn’t be considered a red flag. Allowing senior nurses to work better shifts rewards those who have worked for a while and shown loyalty. 

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Demetrius was an Incredible Health contributor. He has worked as a freelance writer and content strategist. His work has appeared in outlets such as Java Magazine, Phoenix Magazine, and Nurse.org.

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Watch: How HCA Healthcare Built a Nurse Hiring Engine

Steven MacDonell’s team hires a lot of nurses. This year, they’re on pace to fill over 40,000 RN positions, a feat he credits to his team’s resilience and hard work. 

Steven is HCA Healthcare’s AVP of Talent Acquisition. HCA Healthcare has 185 facilities and over 275,000 employees.

Steven shares that one of HCA’s strengths has always been process efficiency and speed. Over time, competitors have caught on and mimicked that approach, especially over the last 18 months. 

Positioning HCA as a nurse employer of choice

“You really have to walk the walk” and be a great place for nurses to work, Steven shares. 

“HCA is interesting because we have a well known national brand for executives, but frontline nurses don’t necessarily know who we are.”

So the health system is “telling the story of what it means to be an HCA nurse.” 

HCA can offer nurses “the ability to work how they want, when they want, and where they want. Whatever you want to do in nursing, we have it somewhere in the company.”

Steven expanded, “A nurse could work for 40 years and have three, four, or five full, varied, and impactful careers without ever giving up tenure or benefits” because of HCA’s massive scale.

And that outsize footprint means “when we change something at HCA Healthcare, we change healthcare. People want purpose, and we offer that like no other.”

Care models to support nurses

“We’re always asking, how can we make nurse’s jobs easier?”

Recently that’s meant hiring “nurse extenders,” or LPNs, Unit Secretaries, and other support staff to enable nurses. 

HCA also leverages “an incredible amount of patient data” to help nurses predict likely patient outcomes.

For example, Sepsis Prediction and Optimization of Therapy (SPOT) flags if a patient is likely to develop sepsis and has saved an estimated 8,000 lives in the last five years.

But it’s not always big technological innovations that keep employees happy. Within the first 90 days of a nurse joining, “we work hard to remove the little annoyances that start people down the path of dissatisfaction.”

Ensuring people know where to park, where to eat lunch, and that their badge works on their first day “goes a lot farther to set someone up for success than you might think.”

In the middle to long term, hiring enough qualified staff has a massive impact on whether an individual nurse is burnt out or satisfied. 

Building Talent Acquisition teams

The first step to hiring enough nurses is assembling the right recruiting team. Recently, the labor crunch has led to a predictable run on recruiting talent.

Steven’s advice to TA leaders is, “you’ve got to be open to hiring for aptitude and ambition.”

If a person can influence others and navigate competing priorities, “we can teach them to make a phone call.” 

Speed to hire

“It’s hard to overstate how important speed is in hiring nurses.”

On the Incredible Health platform, 68% of nurses accept their first offer, and 61% accept their first offer even if subsequent offers have higher pay. 

It’s easier to demand breakneck execution within the Talent Acquisition team, but holding cross functional partners accountable is more complicated. Steven’s solution? “Track everything.” 

In a competitive labor market, Steven has seen a tendency to “over-process candidates,” because hiring managers mistakenly believe a lengthier selection will lead to better decisions. “But the data just doesn’t support that.”

Getting that data is key. “We’re constantly evaluating vendors and technology, whether that’s build or buy.”

When HCA decides to buy, “it’s usually because there’s a value there that’s difficult for us to mimic or build on our own.”

Steven was an early adopter of Incredible Health, because “you’re so unique in how you approach the candidate pool, it would have been difficult for me to replicate.”

Incredible Health can help

Here at Incredible Health, we’re passionate about helping nurses find the right role and helping hospitals hire enough staff, quickly. 

We do that in part by curating the right nurse candidates for each recruiter.

“Instead of a laundry list of nurses, Incredible Health surfaces 12 or 15 who are a perfect for the role, pre-screened, and actively looking,” said CEO Iman Abuzeid, MD.

Incredible Health allows employers to hire permanent, experienced nurses in 20 days or less. If you’re ready to hire nurses fast, let’s talk.

Watch: How Design Thinking Revolutionized Nurse Retention at Vidant Health

Vidant Health’s Chief Experience Officer, Julie Kennedy Oehlert, D.N.P., R.N., shared her team’s process for creating effective nurse retention strategies with design thinking.

Julie holds a Doctorate of Nursing Practice in Health Innovation and Leadership, and leads Patient Experience, Team Member Experience, and Workplace Wellbeing at Vidant Health.

Vidant Health is an eight hospital system with more than 13,000 employees who serve over 1.4 million people.

The 6 steps of design thinking

Design thinking is a human-centered approach to innovation anchored in empathy, rapid prototyping, and creative ideas

It’s a process that includes six stages:

  1. Empathize with your end user, in this case the nurse or the patient
  2. Define the specific problem you’re trying to solve
  3. Brainstorm solutions
  4. Test your solutions on a small scale
  5. Get feedback and iterate, iterate, iterate
  6. Scale the solutions that work

Dr. Oehlert shared that, at the beginning of the pandemic, her team had created tranquility rooms for nurses. The issue was, the rooms were too far away for nurses to take advantage of during busy shifts. 

With design thinking, she and her team upgraded break rooms instead. 

She then enlisted the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to hand out mini spa packages in the break rooms, which gave their trained team the opportunity to check in with nurses impromptu. 

Nurses loved the facemasks and lavender scented cotton balls in the spa kits, and EAP was able to identify and support many nurses who needed additional resources.

Feedback and iteration allowed Dr. Oehlert to reach a much higher quality solution that truly met nurses’ needs. 

Non-clinical support roles and other creative solutions

Dr. Oehlert’s most impactful wellbeing program is a new set of non-clinical support roles. 

These new staff members create better patient experiences and give nurses piece of mind. 

A nurse confided in Dr. Oehlert, “I want to get my patients coffee, but I don’t have time. If I know there’s someone to get them coffee, I feel less anxious.”

These Experience Coordinators make rounds and help with non-clinical needs like getting logged into family video calls or connecting with pastoral care.

In terms of design thinking, this new role just finished the testing and iteration phases, and is now being scaled to more care sites.

Career advancement, education, and mentorship

One of the top reasons nurses leave roles is because they want to advance in their careers. 

Five out of ten executives on the Vidant leadership team are nurses, and many Vidant nurses hold non-traditional roles, including Dr. Oehlert. 

Dr. Oehlert shared that nurses make excellent healthcare leaders because they are resourceful, system thinkers. 

“No one gives nurses resources, so any nurse can take a glove and use it for 10 things, whether that’s creating a one-way valve or crushing a pill. Nurses bring that resourcefulness into non-clinical roles.” 

She stresses that all leaders can support nursing, regardless of their role. 

Compensation and suffering

According to Dr. Oehlert, “compensation is never going to be the whole solution for nurse retention.”

She argues that if a nurse is burnt out and leadership ignores their struggle, eventually that person will demand higher pay. 

“People want to be compensated for suffering, but if the only thing that changes is pay, they’re still suffering.” 

Compensation is complex and can’t be separated from the quality of a nurse’s lived experience, which is why Dr. Oehlert has such a huge focus on wellbeing at Vidant. 

Incredible Health can help

Nurses hired with Incredible Health have a 15% higher retention rate at one year than nurses hired through traditional channels. 

Incredible Health flips the script, with hospitals applying to nurses, not the other way around, which allows busy nurses to interview at multiple health systems and complete thorough job searches. 

Each nurse gets to leverage Incredible Health’s enhanced screening and matching algorithms—which assess 70+ specialties and 250+ nursing skills—to find the best role for them. 

Ready to hire nurses with a 15% higher retention rate? Let’s talk. 

What Is A Magnet Hospital?

A Magnet hospital is recognized as the benchmark for nursing innovation, practice and excellence. It’s a coveted designation a hospital receives from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) if it reaches certain criteria.

Just under 1 in 10 (9.4%) healthcare systems in the U.S. received this designation. As of June 2022, there were 591 Magnet hospitals across the country.

Today, nurses have their pick of job openings. Many are choosing Magnet hospitals to help advance their careers. Working at Magnet hospitals gives nurses greater job safety and satisfaction.

Additionally, Magnet hospitals often employ superior technology security measures to protect patient data and safety, and ensure the integrity of their advanced healthcare systems. This commitment to security extends beyond digital realms, with many Magnet hospitals implementing comprehensive physical security measures, including advanced parking lot security cameras. These systems help ensure the safety of staff, patients, and visitors on hospital grounds, creating a more secure environment from the moment people arrive at the facility.

In this article, we will discuss:

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What does Magnet hospital mean?

The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) provides the Magnet designation. The ANCC created the award in 1993. It’s meant for hospitals that meet certain criteria designed to measure the quality of their nursing. According to the ANCC’s standards, these are the Magnet hospital requirements:

  • Delivers excellent patient outcomes
  • Holds a high level of satisfaction among its nurses
  • Retains its nursing staff (low turnover rates)
  • Provides appropriate grievance resolutions

The Magnet Recognition Program® is for healthcare organizations that value nursing talent. The Magnet hospital designation is more than a badge of honor. It shows nursing professionals that a hospital will value their education and experience. Magnet hospitals provide an excellent work atmosphere. They improve patient outcomes, and preserve nurse satisfaction levels.

If a hospital wants to receive the ANCC Magnet designation, they should submit an application. The hospital will need to pay the application fee and provide supporting documentation.

What makes a hospital Magnet?

To become a Magnet facility, hospitals have to meet the five components of the Magnet model.

Transformational leadership

Today, healthcare is more about stabilization and growth. Healthcare leadership should also embrace behaviors, beliefs, and values. Magnet hospitals direct nurses where they need to be to meet future demands. Hospital leadership should embrace atypical approaches and solutions. This creates a vision for the future.

Structural empowerment

Magnet hospital leadership recognizes the contributions made by nursing staff. They commit to professional development and decentralize the decision-making process. They build partnerships with community organizations to improve patient care. Hospital leadership should develop, direct, and empower their staff.

Exemplary professional practice

Magnet hospital candidates should understand how nursing helps provide quality healthcare to patients, their families, and the community at large. Hospitals should pursue new knowledge and evidence of healthcare outcomes.

New knowledge, innovations, and improvements

Magnet hospitals have empowered healthcare professionals, exemplary practice, and strong leaders. Magnet organizations should also take ethical and professional responsibility. They commit to improvements, innovations, and visible contributions to the science of nursing.

Empirical outcomes

When hospitals follow these first four key areas, the natural result is good outcomes. Hospitals should be able to provide quantifiable data — data that shows how they’ve made a difference in patient outcomes. This data helps establish benchmarks to use as a “report card” for Magnet organizations and their progress.

Benefits of working for a Magnet hospital

There are several benefits for Magnet nurses:

  • Nurses are valued for their knowledge and experience
  • Magnet hospitals have fewer safety-related workplace incidents
  • Higher job satisfaction means nurses are less likely to burn out
  • Nurses have access to more professional development resources
  • Patient mortality rates are significantly lower in Magnet facilities

Magnet hospital considerations

Are there any drawbacks or special considerations with Magnet hospitals? According to a study by the University of Maryland School of Nursing, not all Magnet hospitals are as great as they’re cracked up to be. Working conditions and hours can be less than ideal. Magnet hospitals also hire far fewer nurses of color. And it’s difficult to provide proof that Magnet nurses are more empowered.

How to get a job at a Magnet hospital

Magnet facilities have a reputation for providing a great workplace environment. And this means competition for open positions is fierce.

How can you get a Magnet nursing job? Magnet hospitals prefer nurses with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. Get your BSN and your Registered Nurse (RN) licensure. 

Networking is important, too. Volunteer at a hospital you’d like to work at. Or join a professional organization. Introduce yourself to people and make connections with Magnet facility staff.

You should also strive to be:

  • Curious
  • Patient
  • Compassionate
  • Detail-oriented
  • Hardworking
  • Flexible
  • A good communicator

Finding Magnet hospitals near me

The ANCC provides an online tool to help find Magnet hospitals by state. Nursing professionals can search for a Magnet hospitals list. Then cross-reference those hospitals to see which may be hiring. 

No matter where you end up, you’ll be a major asset to a healthcare facility. Join the free community at Incredible Health to get real-world advice from over 100k nurses, helping you find the Magnet hospital job you want.

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At Incredible Health, it's a team effort to achieve our vision: Help healthcare professionals live better lives. Many are licensed practitioners themselves; others are simply passionate writers and leaders dedicated to providing valuable resources to nurses.

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What is a PRN nurse?

Nursing is an in-demand profession, with plenty of opportunities for healthcare-minded individuals to make their mark in the industry. Nurses who want to work in a hospital setting or with a specific healthcare provider can find competition for open positions fierce. Becoming a PRN nurse is one of the quickest ways to get a foot in the door with a preferred employer.

In this blog, we explore:

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Pros and cons of becoming a PRN nurse

While being a PRN can help kickstart a nursing career, it does have its drawbacks. One of the biggest negatives to PRN nursing is the lack of a regular schedule. Pro re nata comes from Latin and means, “as the need arises.” Just as it sounds, PRN nurses only get called to work when there is a need for their services. A regular nurse could call off sick, or a healthcare provider could be experiencing a surge in patients and need extra hands on deck temporarily. If the lack of a regular schedule does not pose an issue, then PRN nursing is a good choice.

The biggest advantage of PRN nursing positions is the ability to gain some experience or work with a healthcare provider that does not currently have regular full or part-time nursing positions available. Nursing students working on advanced degrees may want to pursue work as a PRN so they can pick and choose when to work so it does not interfere with their schooling. Nurses who wish to keep their professional licenses active and only work as needed may find PRN work desirable.

What is a PRN nurse?

Pro re nata, or PRN, is a nurse who only works when needed. PRNs have all the same duties as standard nurses. They check on patients, administer medications, and perform other patient care duties as needed.

What do PRN nurses do?

The job responsibilities for PRN nurses are not that different from regular nurses. They review patient charts and discuss ongoing patient care with physicians and other members of the healthcare team. PRNs explain medical treatment to patients and their families, when applicable. They also provide excellent bedside care such as administering medications and helping patients with daily living tasks while hospitalized for illness or injury.

Where PRN nurses work?

PRNs typically work with nursing staffing agencies that have contracts with hospitals and other healthcare providers for temp nursing services. PRN nurses that work for medical staffing agencies may float from one hospital or healthcare facility to another. A willingness to travel is part of the job requirements when becoming a PRN. However, nurses can be rewarded handsomely for moving between facilities with better pay than they might earn as part of a substitute nursing pool employed directly by a healthcare provider.

Working directly for a hospital as part of its substitute nursing staff is also a possibility with PRN positions. Some healthcare facilities maintain their own pool of backup nurses they can call when a regular employee calls off during times of peak patient need. As previously mentioned, these positions typically pay lower than those with staffing agencies. The tradeoff is job stability.

How do you become a PRN nurse?

Earning the minimum of an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) from an accredited nursing program is required to become a PRN nurse. It takes between 18 and 24 months to complete an ADN program. Some employers now require nursing staff to hold Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). There are several paths to a BSN degree. Licensed Registered Nurses (RNs) with associate degrees can fast-track their BSN with a RN-to-BSN accelerated program. Nursing students starting from scratch who wish to pursue a BSN can expect to spend four years in school if they attend full-time.

After completing their education, nurses that do not hold their nursing licensure already must pass the NCLEX exam. Continuing education credits must be earned to maintain licensure once it is initially issued.

What are the salary and career outlooks for PRN nurses?

Nursing professionals are in high demand, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Nursing salaries vary depending on location. Although the average median salary for RNs is $82,750, its recommended to check your local job listings.

Get job matches in your area + answers to all your nursing career questions

Let's get started

What's your current role?

At Incredible Health, it's a team effort to achieve our vision: Help healthcare professionals live better lives. Many are licensed practitioners themselves; others are simply passionate writers and leaders dedicated to providing valuable resources to nurses.

Read more from Incredible Health