Didn't get into new grad program - what next?

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Specializes in Cath lab, acute, community.

So I didn't get into my new graduate program (no surprise, I KNEW I stuffed the interview up!) and so now I am looking at nursing jobs... and they all require experience.

The only places that seem to not mention experience is medical centres, but I don't know if I could provide safe care to my patients being a sole RN, especially if any patients come in acutely unwell.

Can anyone please provide some guidance as to any paths I can take to find a job, or enable me to get some experience? Anyone been in this situation before? I know right now there are thousands who ARE in this situation, which will potentially make competition fierce!

I live in Sydney, NSW, and am ultimately looking for jobs in the western sector. Ie. Westmead, Parramatta and surrounding suburbs. Bit of a dilemma, and I don't want my skills to filter out of my head!

I have the exact same problem! (Except in a different state). Perhaps further study or workshops? You're interested in Paeds, right? Mopples on the other thread has a link to a workshop at RCH in Melbourne on another thread. That might be an advantage over other applicants.

From my observation and experience, many of the Victorian hospitals have mid-year intakes....and they will take you on before this as a new grad....a new grad program is a program that has set times, education etc. Hospitals can do this for new grads without being in the program.

Its about time the unions and government look at this, as Australia is not short of nurses without experience. We are also not short of nurses, ready and willing, to go back to nursing after having families, but cannot afford the 10,000 course, that the government will not pay,.....but it is easier and cheaper to pay a nurse from overseas grade 2 year 1 pay and pay for the visa application.

We need to start fostering our own educated nurses and give them a big chance first, without the worry of not finding a job at the start of their career and continue their career after child raising duties that Australian women take as their duty only and leave nursing for the 7-8 years, and then cannot re register as a nurse, without an expensive program, such as the bridging programs that the government will not pay for and it is difficult to get any sholarships for these days.

....any hospital or aged care facility, that dares approach immi with a 457 visa to sponsor an overseas nurse without any experience or experience 4-5 years ago needs a big no, please explain.....have you advertised for 6 months, where how and why cannot you find a local first. How does the experience of this nurse is better than a local., Sorry, just a rant, but I can see where all this ends, in a big circle... and local nurses still will not be encouraged and fostered to remain in industry,

The ""Australian Way""- welcome everyone, without consideration for locals and local resources, IMHO

Specializes in Cath lab, acute, community.

Yeah, I guess my other option is further study, but a lot of the further study options require one to be nursing at the same time to implement what you learn I guess.

I am looking at aged care and what not even, and then could do a 1 year transition program into paeds... but alas even that is hard. Perhaps I just have to keep looking. Lucky I have another job (as a secretary in a medical area) to keep me going for the time being.

All is not lost. I am on the eligibility list as well. I don't finish till mid year. Have a look at Ramsay health. They open for mid year applications in April. Just have faith that something will happen.

I'm quite confused with all this graduate program that you speak of. Once we graduate with bachelor of nursing and register as RN, do we need to apply for graduate programs? Is it available in all hospitals? Could someone describe it more for me please, thank you

Come to New Zealand!:)

Generally yes, you do need to complete a graduate program. People will say that you can get a job without one, but they are hard to find.

Applications open in each state in the June/July for the following year. Generally public hospitals in each state have a central application portal. Private hospitals have their own application process through their websites.

Specializes in Surgical, quality,management.

Purrfectionist this is Australia and New Zealand we are talking about. Where are you?

RIGHT! I am also confused about this whole "New Grad RN program" that hospitals have. My question is do I need to be in a "New Grad program" in order to get hired into the hospital as a new graduate nurse? or can I still apply to any opens positions on the hospital floor and they will just orientate me as a new grad without having to be in a "New Grad program"?

Someone please help! I'm so confused on going about how to apply for my first nursing job and the nursing recruiters and human resources are so unhelpful!

Are you Australian? When you start talking about a hospital floor, Aussies immediately think of the floor literally :)

Will wards of hospitals take you on, not sure at the moment, some country/regional areas that are not so inundated with applications most likely will take you on. It seems to be the right place at the right time.

The history of the grad year is this: when nursing education went to universities it was to be a 4 year degree (like other health professions and free. The government however wanted nurses churned out quickly and did not want to pay for the extra year. So the graduate year was brought in, so that new graduates had the right to say, sorry cannot do, I am a graduate, clinical instructors where put in place in hospitals so there is lots of support, so yes it is important to do the grad year.

The big city hospitals however are asking for nurses that have completed an graduate year before considering them for a position. This is not the criteria, but with so many locals looking for jobs and the inundation from overseas they are picking and choosing. Nurses with no experience from overseas are not safe, it is a different culture, health system, different medications/names, different way doctors order ivs (RN in Australia do everything including IV therapy, mixing antis this is one way of making sure nurses are safe to practise independently with much support when they need it. If you have not got experience as new nurse in own country then it will be doubly hard to be a nurse with confidence and and safe practise in a new country.

Victoria still has vacant positions being advised on the PMVC? site, though they now have got the criteria that you must be a citizen or have pr visa, even if you manage to do 6 months in a subacute/acute position is enough to lay foundations for applying in the future.

So the answer to your question, officially no, you do not have to do a grad year before being considered for other positions, but if you want the big acute hospital,, they are asking for it. If you are from overseas, yes definitely, you must have experience in own country, before agencies or hospitals are going to employ you, even on working visa.

BTW orientation in Australian hospitals is usually 3 days.

Specializes in Psych.

I would also suggest you write to your local MP. I am a nurse in NZ and new graduates are also having problems finding jobs here. However, we also still allow a good number of experienced nurses to immigrate here. The truth is that it costs a good of money to train a new nurse under the current system, but an experienced nurse will actually pay a good deal of money and immediately contribute to the economy to immigrate. As previously stated, there is no real shortage of nurses in Australia and NZ at the moment, but there will be in a few years. There is also a myth out there that there is a shortage of nursing educators. However, many nurses who are qualified educators are not able to obtain jobs as they lack experience. Unfortunately, nursing lacks a unified voice (as opposed to other professions) and we are our own worst enemies.

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