Chicago Nurse Residency programs

[clparr96, BSN]

Hi! I'm graduating from a BSN program in the southeast in May 2021. I have a huge interest in moving to Chicago to start my career. However, I legit can't find any info on any nurse residency programs in the Chicago area. I know applications for next Summer will be opening in the next few months. I am interested in Northwestern, Rush, Illinois Masonic, University of Chicago. (I know they are prestigious, I have trauma/CT surgical ICU experience in a level 1 trauma center as an extern - hoping this will help). Any advice would be awesome. Thanks!

[ajnurse2b6]

Hi, there are lots of great hospitals in the Chicago area. The vast majority of Chicago hospitals won't hire you until you have passed NCLEX. If you graduate in May you will take NCLEX in June or July. This means you will most likely be hired next July, August, or September of next year. Your experience as a nurse extern will be very helpful! Make sure to highlight this experience at the top of your resume and your interviews. Focus on the skills you required, critical thinking, and how you learned to be a real life nurse through your externship. Work hard during your last year of nursing school and learn as much as you can in clinical.

At UChicago you do not apply to a nurse residency program. You apply to open RN positions and if you are hired as a new grad you are automatically enrolled in the RN residency program. At Rush it is similar, you are automatically enrolled in the residency program. I believe that Northwestern has specific job openings for new grads, but I also know new grads who were hired from job openings that weren't listed for new grads. Basically, when it's time to apply you should apply for lots of positions! There are other great hospitals in the Chicago area including Loyola, Northshore, Rush Oak Park, Elmhurst, , AMITA Saint Joseph, Christ hospitals including Advocate, and more. Good luck!

[clparr96, BSN]

@ajnurse2b6

Thank you for replying! That is stressful that they won't hire until you pass the NCLEX. I wouldn't want to sit out a whole year before applying. Do you know if they have Winter start dates for some cohorts? I also heard that Chicago is very saturated with new grads looking for jobs. Is this true?