Being a practice ready nurse

My students come to me and ask me how do they prepare for their first job. I tell them to get an much experience and exposure to clinical care prior to graduating. It is meeting people and getting known to hiring managers.

Nursing students need to understand how competitive the job market is for new nurses. It is common for experienced nurses to have challenges finding a position. In NYC the competition is tremendous. It is not common for a hospital to receive over 100 applications for a position. This is not 1998 or even 2005. Getting a job is hard even for nurses.

I tell my students that they have the advantage of graduating as a BSN nurse but they must understand that NYC and the immediate suburbs has many more numerous then positions.

If you are going to get started you better be ready to pay your dues. In my day, you walked out of the hospital diploma program practice ready. The academic model used today to train nurses leave the training and orientation of the nurse to hospital. This is a major expense and investment that the hospital must make. In today's fiscal environment, hospital managers watch every penny and try to avoid making a poor hiring decision.

While nursing has moved to the academic model of training, the nurse needs to learn the tasks of nursing. Volunteer and get as much clinical exposure. Sign up for nurse externships and internships and if available shadow a bedside nurse.

Good Luck to all those graduating next month.