Foreign Graduate Needs Job

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Dear Nurse Beth,

I recently passed NCLEX and I am looking for the best way to start my career path.

I live in a small town that only has one hospital, few clinics, dozens of hospice care and enormous number of Nursing Home or Senior Living.

A little background....

I graduated 10 years ago and the last practice was hospital experience for 6 months in 2013 and was working in 2010-2011 in a Free Standing Dialysis Center.

Back in school, our program was straight to the BSN program in 4 years with 3 years of Summer classes and 10 straight months of school(in 4 yrs).We had OR-Dr exposure, Pedia, Elderly, Community and Psyche Nursing.A year after graduation I took the board and passed it the first time in our country.

Any help or advise please from the expert. I am a foreign graduate and I know there is a reason why I passed NCLEX the 1st time without enrolling in a NCLEX Review Program.

If you may share your personal experience, it will help me a lot.

Especially how you manage to start and survive the grueling first few months as a novice nurse.

Thank you so much! Any advise from the expert will be much appreciated.

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3 Answers

Specializes in Tele, ICU, Staff Development.

Dear Foreign Graduate,

Congrats on passing your NCLEX on the first try!

From an employer's point of view, you have no recent work history, and your work history before in another country is scant. Your school experience is not relevant at this point.

Consider a nursing refresher course if there is one in your area to brush up on your skills. A nursing refresher course also provides networking opportunities.

Some hospitals will consider you eligible for a new grad program due to your inexperience and recently acquiring your license, but most want new nurses who graduated within the last year.

You don't say what jobs you've applied for yet, but you need to submit targeted applications and hone your interview skills.

The entry level job for you may lie in a skilled nursing home, or clinic, and from there you can gain experience and build your work history.

Best wishes,

Nurse Beth

Thank you so much for the time and the advise. I am very grateful...I know you are very busy yet you took time to reply.

I am contemplating to work between Kaiser clinic, a Senior Living or a hospice. I am assessing where is the best place to start and hone my skills.

I read your book in one sitting when I met you here online..such an AWESOME book.I highly recommend for students and working nurses.With TONS of golden nuggets and gems.

Thank you for your advice.After our conversation, I went to my homeland and worked in the Acute Hospital for 6 months.I worked in MS and after getting adjusted for 2 months I crossed trained in the Emergency Dept and worked in both departments and finished my 6 months.When I came back to US I landed a job in a Skilled Nursing Facility thereafter.Now..I will hit my 1 year this 2021 as a full time day shift Nurse and wanting to level up my career.

What advise would you give me to land a job in an Acute Hospital to be able to work in MS or ER or ICU?

Thank you so much for your time and I appreciate your advise.I would be glad to hear from you again.

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