Is this the norm?

Sure!! You should be excited. I had a few of my classmates get jobs before graduation. Some employers will hire you before graduation and have you do paperwork, tb skin tests, fit testing, drug screen, and maybe hospital orientation, that way all the red tape is out of the way so you can start working as a GN/GPN after graduation. Good luck to you!!!

Yes, quite a few people, interview before graduation for nursing positions. I gave my resume to the OR in February, got called, interviewed, and hired in March, graduated June.

As others have said, it is the norm to begin lining up a job before graduation in many regions of the country. In fact, in some places all the best jobs are taken by graduation.

Hospitals know when the local schools graduate a new class and some of them may have special programs for new grads that are timed to begin shortly after graduation. In those cases, you may have to wait several months for the next new grad program start date to begin if you miss that window of opportunity.

Now ... that's not true in every case. But it is true in some places. Ask nurses "in the know" in your local area to find out what is typical for your region. Also, be sure to ask any recruiters or hiring managers that you meet about their preferred timetable and any special programs for new grads before you make any assumptions that might not hold true.

Good luck,
llg