Chicago Nursing Advice/New Grad

[Newv0862]

hello,

i am graduating this december with my bsn and have started applying for jobs. i live in north chicago land suburbs but want to take the metra and work in chicago. i am primarily looking at rush, northwestern, cook county and evanston hospitals. are there any other hospitals that i should be looking into?

i am wondering if it makes a big difference in the response i get from hospitals whether or not i have taken the nclex and have my license in hand. i have 8 years experience as a cna and tech in ltc and hospitals will this experience count towards my health care experience for an rn? does rush and northwestern have a new grad program? does a new grad have to go through a residency program in order to be considered for a hospital job? what jobs are in most demand? what salary can i expect as a bsn new grad? is there any difference in my ability to get a job with my bsn versus my adn?

any insight would be greatly appreciated. thank you so much!