Boston --> SoCal. How competitive are new grad residencies?

[studentbear, CNA]

I'm going to try and sift through the new grad residency program threads but wanted to make a post in the mean time. I'm set to graduate with my BSN over a year from now (May 2021) hopefully with at least a 3.0-3.2 GPA. I'm originally from the West Coast (WA and then CA before that) but moved out to Boston in 2016. Thought I'd stay here forever but increasingly over it. Anyway!

I'm leaning toward relocating to SoCal after graduation. My understanding is that it's a pretty competitive area for new grads. How competitive are new grad residencies for BSN graduates? What are some ways to stand out as an applicant?

I have about 10 years of various experience in the medical field (acute care, home health, etc. as a CNA.) Mainly been doing in-home care while in school. Does anyone know if coming from Boston will carry any "weight" (in Boston we're all very aware of MGH being #2 in the country, Children's being #1, and so on but no idea if anyone outside of Boston really cares about that)? I have family that works as UCLA but not in nursing. I'm sure I'll have letters of rec, extracurriculars, etc. to add to my resume. Would ACLS or other certifications help?

I'm just trying to get an idea now on what to expect, so I can plan accordingly. Obviously my #1 priority is doing as well as I can in school and passing NCLEX on the 1st try.

[moiserean, BSN]

Pretty darn competitive. There's more than 10 nursing schools (ADN, BSN) in the SoCal area and lots of new grads looking for hospital work.

What helps stand out is the certifications, preceptorship, and and a strong interview skills in my opinion. Also making your application both detailed yet succinct really helps.

[studentbear, CNA]

Just now, moiserean said:

Pretty darn competitive. There's more than 10 nursing schools (ADN, BSN) in the SoCal area and lots of new grads looking for hospital work.

What helps stand out is the certifications, preceptorship, and and a strong interview skills in my opinion. Also making your application both detailed yet succinct really helps.

Thanks for the info. I wonder how competitive it is compared to Boston area hospitals. We're a pretty small city but have several ABSN, BSN, and ASN programs nearby. I was recently told by a clinical instructor that unless you have an "in" at a hospital by working as a tech, you need to get a job through a new grad residency.

[FullGlass, BSN, MSN, NP]

Another option is to go for a job in the Central Valley or other areas that are not on the Coast and have a harder time attracting recruits. Bakersfield, Fresno, Sacramento, Redding, Chico, Eureka, etc.

[blondestyles]

Hi! I moved from Boston to SoCal. New grad jobs are very competitive here. It definitely helps if you want to get into the bigger hospitals to have an "in" or try the residency programs. The smaller hospitals will hire a few new grads at a time, but it is hard to really get anywhere without any experience. Having the weight of MGH or another large hospital can make a difference but it also depends on what you did there. It all comes down to how can you sell your self in interviews. I know I had phone interviews first and then in person or skype interviews after. Just try to apply to as many as you can with plenty of time ahead.