Do I take time off post graduation?

[JamieLee_09]

Hi! I'm going to be graduating as RN from an associates program this December. I am very unsure about what I am suppose to do after gradation. Where do I start?

First: I just bought tickets to Europe this spring as a graduation present to myself. My trip is going to be whole month and something that I have wanted to do for several years.

Second: I have a strong desire to do one more season at my summer job in Alaska because I love it so much. Then I want to move to Alaska to work as an RN. The summer job isn't over until October, right about the time that the holiday season starts.

Third: From everything that I have learned so far I really don't want to work on med/surg. I would love to be in the ED, some kind of critical care, or pediatrics.

Fourth: I already have a job offer where I work as a CNA. It is a great opportunity because the hospital is so small they will train me in med/surg, OB, ED, and to circulate in the OR. I HATE the town I live in. Although I could transfer hospitals to a city that I love and miss very much and probably be a med/surg nurse or there are new grad programs I can apply for.

Fifth: I will be enrolling in a bachelors program online next fall.

What does this all add up to? My huge desire to go to Europe and do my summer job, then spend the holidays with my family since I will have two new nephews... meaning I wouldn't start working as an RN for a YEAR after I graduate.

The question... Is it stupid to take a year off if that means I get to do what I love? I won't be out of the game completely because I'll have school still and I'm looking at getting a small job in Alaska at the jail or nursing home so I can still at least to med passes and stay up on my charting skills.

And how do I get my license to Alaska since I am in a compact state and Alaska isn't one?

Or do I suck it up and stay where I am because I know that I have a job with really good opportunities and I don't completely know what Alaska has to offer yet in terms of a job.

Please note I am 26, single, I have no bills and nothing tying me down.

[Meeshie]

Step 1 - Pass the NCLEX.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

I would be very unwise to delay working as an RN for a year after graduation. I am aware of many large healthcare systems that see this as a red flag and will not hire new nurses (who haven't been working) > 6 months after graduation. If you know for sure that you want to work in Alaska, just arrange to take your NCLEX there instead of your current state. You can contact the AK BON for information on this process. If nurse recruiter traffic is any indication, there are a plethora of job opportunities in AK, but they may not be in large cities - so you may even be able to negotiate some assistance with your relocation. It wouldn't hurt to ask.

Best wishes on achieving your future goals

[llg, PhD, RN]

Do not wait a full year to begin working as an RN. That much of a delay can be a career-killer. You will forget much of what you learned ... and hiring managers know that. Of course, someone who has done that and survived will tell you it is possible, but they will be the exception to the rule. Don't gamble your future career on the hopes that you will be the exception to the rule.