Advice on New Grad Programs in SoCal :)

[advicewanted]

Hello!

I am starting the fourth semester of my MSN program (my expected graduation date is August 2025). I see that most New Graduate Residency programs in SoCal start when I graduate or a few months later (September & November). I just wanted to ask if y'all started applying during nursing school or after you graduated/passed the NCLEX. 

I want to start a new graduate program after graduation (hopefully, passing my NCLEX on the first attempt). Also, does anyone have tips on what sites they have used for researching new graduate programs?

Best,

A Nervous Nursing Student 

[kwantanamera17, MSN, RN]

Hey! I did an entry-level MSN program too, so I get how anxiety-inducing the whole process of the new RN career path is. It's good you're preparing for the next steps already tho! Do you know if you're planning to take the NCLEX immediately after graduating, or gonna wait a bit? Each residency program differs, there are some that allow you to apply before you pass NCLEX but you need to have your RN license by the program start date. However, for the majority of them you have to pass NCLEX before applying because you need to provide your RN license # in your application.  

I haven't been able to find an efficient method of searching for residency programs, so I just been Google searching "new grad RN residency LA/Socal" and seeing which facilities pop up. From there, I've been checking each facility/hospital's website individually for program dates/details. My nursing professors made me think passing the NCLEX would be the biggest challenge, but for me the new grad job search is the worst struggle 😫. I don't mean to cause you more anxiety though, I hope your experience will be much smoother than mine! You're more than welcome to reach out if you have other questions, even with graduating stuff or NCLEX prep. 🤗