How common is it for BSN new grads to land a job without related experience?

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Hey :)

Just curious.... Is it common in your area for someone to graduate with their BSN, not have any healthcare experience, and to find a job? What if they had an employment history of say, walmart and a restaurant or something, and put their clinicals on their resume? Would they stand a chance? I see people all of the time talk about how healthcare experience is the key to finding a job... "Make yourself an internal applicant" and whatnot. But do those who don't stand a chance? I get so discouraged and wonder if graduating with my BSN will be worth it (I have student debt and will need a job asap to pay it off) and I'll even be able to find A JOB. I'd be willing to relocate... And would even be able to start in a nursing home if that's what it took. I just need to know that there's hope for me. I live in ohio, by the way, and I'll be 22 when I graduate with my BSN, so long as I don't have to repeat anything :)

Thoughts???

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Specializes in ICU.

From what I've seen, it really depends on what part of the country you work in. There were several students in my BSN program who had never worked as a CNA/PCT/whatever before graduation and had no trouble finding jobs at local hospitals. Now, the real question is do you want a job, or do you want the dream job? I had experience and I had to move to get my dream job right out of school, but I had several opportunities in the area that I ended up turning down because they were not my passion. The people who worked at restaurants got a job, but were generally unable to land their dream jobs right out of school. I lived in NC if this helps!

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Hi! I am in Ohio as well :) I just graduated with an Associate Degree and landed a job in a hospital (a job I actually really wanted). My work background included retail, restaurant, and collections for a local hospital. The hospital system I recently accepted a position at was not the hospital I was working for....just thought I would make that clear, so you knew I didn't already have an "in." The position I took begins with a residency program, which I do get paid for. The length of the residency is dependent upon the unit you hire in on. I don't know which part of Ohio you are in, but I would suggest looking into a residency program at some of the hospitals. I think this elaborates on everything we learn in school, making the transition a lot easier.

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OhioRN25-where do you live? What hospital did you get hired on at? I live in the cincinnati area but would be willing to relocate. It just seems like everyone here is trying to get a nursing job(due to the large number of nursing programs in the tri-county area) and I feel like everyone is already ahead of the game. Calivianya- I would honestly be thankful for a job that paid me enough to pay my bills. Just being honest :) I can work my way up to my dream job as long as I'm given somewhere to start out.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

Very common.

By their very nature, new grads are not expected to have work experience.... this is the entry level. It is our responsibility to provide them with an adequate transition experience so that they can not only be successful in their new job, but remain committed to our organization. Frankly, a new grad that was exposed to incorrect or substandard practices in a prior job is much harder to deal with than a completely blank slate.

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I am in Indiana and finished with my BSN last July and did an accelerated program. All of my classmates and myself were hired with 1 month of passing boards. Some of us even before we passed, and none of us had any medical experience because we were not allowed to work during the accelerated program. My school has a great reputation in my area, which probably helped. But, overall I do think it is very common for new grads to get hired. We have to start somewhere!

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