Should I ditch the pinning ceremony for a possible job?

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So I live 5 hours away from home. I called a hospital from back home and they informed me of an open house that's on Thursday. My pinning ceremony is on Friday :/

Honestly, I'm not crazy about going, but I want to go only because everyone else is going except for like 3 other people. I feel weird for not going, but more importantly, I would feel like I would regret it.

I will be graduating with an Associate's degree in nursing, and even as a new grad with a BSN work is hard to find. What I'm saying is I may not get the job if I do go home for this open house (a day after my final exam-I still haven't even packed up), but I don't want to regret not going to the open house because this is the hospital that I want to work at, and the city I want to live in!!!

My question is, what would you do if you were in my situation?

Specializes in Pedi.
NO way. I'm not driving 5 hours, you have no idea how tedious of a drive that is. Pinning isn't THAT important, jeez. 5 hours..no.

Well, it sounds like you have made your decision then. If I really wanted to do both, I'd drive home on Wednesday night, go to the open house on Thursday and then drive back Thursday night to be at the pinning ceremony on Friday. 5 hours really isn't that long. I've driven 4 hrs to NYC from Boston and 4 hrs back in a day.

Pinning ceremonies are overrated. I didn't do the majority of our graduation ceremonies- commencement ball, graduation mass, I don't even remember what else there was. I didn't buy a pin, I didn't see how it was worth a few hundred dollars.

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Well, it sounds like you have made your decision then. If I really wanted to do both, I'd drive home on Wednesday night, go to the open house on Thursday and then drive back Thursday night to be at the pinning ceremony on Friday. 5 hours really isn't that long. I've driven 4 hrs to NYC from Boston and 4 hrs back in a day. ..."

Yeah I didn't buy a pin-even though in the beg of the semester I was planning to. I did go to this nursing banquet we had in the beginning of our senior year, to celebrate our completion of our first year.

As for the drive, I'm just not one to sit in a car, especially when I have to drive. You're going straight on a long stretch of highway the ENTIRE time, I just freakin hate it. But if they don't hire new grads at the open house, I guess I won't go, and will attend the ceremony.

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

My pin was included in tuition & fees. Our pinning ceremony was part of graduation so it was an easy decision for me.

I agree confirm that 1. There is in fact an open house and 2. That they would consider meeting with/hiring new grads at the open house. Most open houses/job fairs in the past few years have specifically stated experienced nurses only no new grads. A few have stated new grads welcome and had a list of departments or companies willing to entertain new grads rather than waste anyone's time

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Specializes in Hospitalist Medicine.
Can't you just drive back after the open house to make it to the ceremony? Five hours isn't that long of a drive to do two things that are important to you!

I second this. Do both! :)

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

the real objective of going to school was to get the degree that will make you eligible to sit for a test, be licensed and then go to work. The pin will not do that for you.

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Specializes in ICU / PCU / Telemetry / Oncology.

I want to know what ended up happening, darn soap opera threads lol :D

Sent from my iPad using allnurses

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Knowing me, I would be looking for an excuse not to attend either. I read good reasons for both positions. I would lean toward putting my efforts toward a possible job. You don't know for certain that you won't make just the right connection at the open house. I wouldn't take the chance on missing that and would go there with the plan to make the experience count.

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I want to know what ended up happening, darn soap opera threads lol :D

Sent from my iPad using allnurses

I did not go. I didn't even end up going to the open house. Turns out only experienced nurses were invited. Prior to coming home, I called HR 2 or 3 times, confirming that I would be allowed to go as a new grad, and i was clearly misinformed by a stupid HR assistant. Yes, I said stupid.

But i didn't end up going because i hung out with friends instead, but i guess it worked out because i would not have been considered.

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