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Let's start with a brief overview. I graduated from nursing school August 1st, 2018. I took my NCLEX September 17th, 2018.
Okay then! Let's begin...
It all started around March. We were in class and people started talking about jobs they were applying for and places they were shadowing. I'm thinking "uhm, what now!? I'm just trying to pass this test and yall are getting jobs already!!??" So I kind of felt like the pressure was on. Graduating in August was a really peculiar time for nursing to be finishing school. Many hospitals hire in groups, so that they can go through training a large amount of people at once.
Point being I was super afraid my dream job was going to get taken by one of the other 40 people in our cohort. SO I started applying.
I went to different hospitals websites and looked under their “jobs” tab. Here’s where it gets kind of tricky. I’m thinking, okay so when I graduate, I will have my BSN. But I don’t take NCLEX until September. So what can I apply for?
I, and my peers, quickly found out you can’t apply for RN jobs. Example: any of these.
In my experience, you need to be searching for “graduate nurse” positions. This is because the hospital will need to specially train you vs. training someone who has had their license for even 6 months. With graduate nurse positions, they do material review of things you learned in nursing school. Sometimes it’s in a lab setting and sometimes it’s in a classroom setting. You also are paired one-on-one with an experienced nurse. You work with them for about 12 weeks generally, starting with taking a couple patients an eventually moving up to take the full team. So, even if you were to have your RN license before actually starting your position, you still wouldn’t be ready to jump onto the floor and start taking full care of 5 patients!? At least, I know I wasn’t! The amount of knowledge you learn about actually being a nurse vs. what you squeeze into your brain in school is insane. Sometimes the online site will have a question that says “Do you have your RN license in [insert state]?” and if you answer no it wont let you go any further in the application. Others will let you submit the application but an email rejecting you will come to you pretty shortly after.
Instead apply for:
Once I figured out that I needed to be applying to “graduate nurse” positions only (and keep in mind, I only applied for day positions!) I started putting in my applications. I had about 3-4 references, 2 of which were clinical instructors and 2 of which were my professors. I also had my resume in which I highlighted that I was on the track to graduate with honors, that I was on track to be accepted into the DNP program, and that I had some volunteer experience (ER and MDA camp). I also put focus on the fact that I had years of serving experience. I have been told by several managers that serving experience is second to PCT experience and that someone serving experience is a plus (but of course being a patient care tech is even better). At the same time though, they know you are a new nurse, so they know you aren’t going to have that type of experience.
I honestly can’t remember how many applications I turned in. I basically applied for everything “day nursing” that I could find. I remember in school they beat it into our head that we would be forced to work nights as a new grad and to just get used to it. That’s not at all true! (keep reading).
So once you submit those online applications, your info surely goes into this huge online database where someone from HR eventually comes across it. That will likely be the first person reaching out to you. When I was applying, I had several casual conversations with someone from HR which lead to setting up an in person interview and one call that lead to setting up a phone interview. Of course, it’s super intimidating. I just tried to remember like hey, these are HR people who are looking for nurses, they aren’t even my future boss!
So here’s how it went at where I am working now:
I applied online in about March late/April.
Someone from HR reached out to me about setting up an interview date and which floor I wanted to work on. This was in April.
I met with HR lady, who was super super nice and made me feel so comfortable. This was also in April.
Then she was like “do you have time to go upstairs [to the floor you want to be working on] and interview with that manager?” and I’m like heck yes that’s a good step.
Then I did a more personal interview with the woman who would be my direct manager. She was amazing, and again made me feel so comfortable.
She wanted me to come in and do a short day (8a-12p) where I shadowed a nurse currently working there. THIS IS SO IMPORTANT! This is what made me know this was the job for me. I got an inside look at the patients I would be with, the facilities, and most importantly the staff’s interactions. I knew this would be a place where I wouldn’t feel stupid for asking questions and a place where I could really grow as a nurse.
After that day, like literally before I left, the manager offered me the job. At that time I had other offers pending (read below on why I didn’t chose those places) so I knew I couldn’t say yes right at that moment. But being the awesome manager she is, she knew that and immediately suggested that I spend some time to think about it and just send her an email in about a week when I knew.
I went home and of course celebrated, because I had found my job! And this was in May.
Here’s how it went at some other places:
-One hospital did a phone interview with me. This was basically a Q&A and a chance for them to generally get to know me and for me to also be able to ask questions. This hospital had some awesome floors I could have been on, like ER and OR. But they wanted a two-year commitment, and they had a program that was 6 months in the classroom (yikes!). After just graduating that terrified me, plus knowing I was also planning to be in the DNP program. They had a peer interview set up with like 10 people interviewing you, some of which were competing for your job- also not a fan of that.
-Another place was basically the same as where I work now. I did the HR interview, which was fine but a little more detached. Then I shadowed on the floor. I hated it. It was so dark I couldn’t tell if it was day or night. The hospital was dingy and dated. NO one talked to each other! The nurse’s station was so quiet. Time went by so slowly. Then right after I shadowed, I had an interview with the two managers, but at that point I knew I didn’t want to work there. I went home and emailed the HR guy and politely declined the position. He never even emailed me back.
-Then I had a recruiter reach out to me a few weeks after I had already accepted my position. I told her I had excepted something, and she was so kind and let me know that there would always be opportunity with them in the future if needed. I really liked that.
That’s basically all I can remember! I don’t think I interviewed anywhere else. Like I said, applying for days only definitely narrowed the field.
Questions from followers:
“Salary negotiations?”
-I had none! Pretty much every single place offered the exact same $22.50/hr. Some places offered $.50/hr more if you had your BSN, but some places didn’t off that. Then of course there’s different night/weekend differentials at different places, but usually they are all pretty much the same.
“Interview Tips”
-Show up 7 minutes early. (10 is too early, 5 isn’t enough). And I’m talking like be in the waiting room 7 minutes early. I usually show up to the actual facility like 30 minutes early. And look at the maps online and know where you’re going! Hospitals can be so easy to get lost in.
-Obvi dress professionally. Here’s what I wore:
-Have copies of anything you might need. A couple of resume copies, CPR certification, diploma (mine wasn’t out to us yet of course), driver’s license, blank check for direct depositing
-PRACTICE YOUR ANSWERS! When you start applying, start prepping. Be thinking, why should they hire me? What can I bring to this company? Why do I want to work here?
-Look up the mission statement and incorporate it into your answers! I had never done this until I was trying to get a nursing job, but it’s so important. Hospitals really do live off their core values and mission statement, so do your research on them.
“Is it possible to start in a specialty area like ICU?”
-Anything is possible. I have heard answers all over the place. But just like I was told I wouldn’t get a job working days as a new grad, don’t let anyone tell you that the job doesn’t exist. Yes, you may have to put in some time on another floor, but it could only be a couple months before that dream job opens up. And what are they going to do, hire someone new for the position or transfer you there!? There are lots of graduate nursing residency positions in specific fields. One of my friends went straight into NICU. Another one of my friends has worked on a cardiac floor for the last couple months and now she’s moving to her dream job of L&D! One thing that I think really helps is having tech experience at the hospital you’re going to work at. Then they know your work ethic and you’ve been tried through their hospitals policies.
“So you become a nurse before you passed NCLEX?”
-Yes and no. I wouldn’t have called myself a “nurse.” The title is “GN” for graduate nurse. It’s someone who has graduated from nursing school but hasn’t yet sat for/passed boards. I was a GN for about a week because I started working September 10th and I passed NCLEX September 17th. I was able to do all the things a RN could do at that time, but of course, I had just started working so I wasn’t really “doing” much yet anyways. A girl I work with started her job the same day as me, but she graduated later and therefor didn’t take boards ‘til October. So she was a GN for about a month.
“What jobs do you recommend for student nurses in the hospital setting?”
-From what I’ve seen from my nursing point of view, I imagine that being a tech is the best experience to prepare you for nursing. Our hospital has “SNAP” positions, where you’re a tech but we also know you’re going to an accredited nursing school and you’ve passed fundamentals, so we let you do stuff like start Foley’s and IVs. Something like this would be ideal for a nursing student.
“I’m a senior nursing student, any advice for what area to pick for practicum?”
-I did my practicum on an ortho floor. And I had an amazing nurse with me who taught me SO much. So I have to say I think its equally about what floor your on and possibly even more so what nurse you have! Being on an ortho floor, it was very specific patients. Mostly elective surgeries. I only did 13 full shifts, but they got more routine as it went on. I would recommend a tele floor or a med-surg floor to be able to see and do the most! Or a medical step-down unit.
Helpful video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EolhEMdcMf8
