Nursing Students General Students
Published May 24, 2016
I have a question. After graduating, how long until you got your very first nursing job?
I know you have to take the NCLEX and stuff, but from the date of graduation, how long did it take you?
Scrubs_n_sirens, MSN, RN
136 Posts
I graduated May 2014, my job was lined up by early January 2014.
I started applying November 2013. It paid off tremendously to be an eager early bird
NurseSpeedy, ADN, LPN, RN
1,599 Posts
From graduation 2 months, but from date of passing NCLEX, about three weeks for a hospital RN position.
My LPN wait time was zero. I had a job with a hospital as a nurse extern where I basically worked as a tech on my assigned floor while I finished nursing school and waited to take my boards. The minute my license showed up in the database I was on orientation...this was a long time ago where the job market was much different.
NICU Guy, BSN, RN
4,161 Posts
I got a job offer 3 months after graduating.
EDIT: My first offer was 3 months before graduating nursing school.
EDIT: Actually, my first offer was 3 months before starting nursing school
EDIT: Sorry, after thinking about it, a nurse recruiter offered me a job when I was in Kindergarten. That's how good I am.
SWimbish, BSN, RN
108 Posts
I accepted a job in January for a Registered Nurse position at the local Level I trauma Hospital for my first choic.... I didn't even graduate until this May!
Apply early, it pays off.
nursemcsleepy, BSN, RN
52 Posts
I graduated in May 2014, took NCLEX in July and had a job a week later. I've never met anyone in my city who was offered a job before passing the NCLEX.
Larry2016
157 Posts
Interviewed with a,hospital in March. Offered me a position pending my NCLEX RN results (graduated in May). Start in August.
barcode120x, RN, NP
728 Posts
I think it might help the OP as well as other future new grad RN's to look at the prospects of getting a job if we posted a certain time frame when they graduated/started working. 5+ years ago, I think those peeps got jobs fairly easily as a new grad, but those of us that finished within the past 5 years, not so much. I finished in relation to my previous post, I finished in 2014, and started working in 2015, roughly 7 months after graduating.
vanessaem, BSN, RN
151 Posts
Received my RN license in March 2014 and didn't get a job until August 2015. I'm what you would call a worst case scenario.
PlaidPaisley
19 Posts
Wow all these immediate jobs are awesome to hear. In California you can get 6 - 12 months out when you finally land in acute care. Of course one can always walk into a SNF LTC and land a job quickly.
vandydani
80 Posts
Got my first job offer in March of 2015 (started applying in January of 2015). Graduated and took the nclex in May of 2015, started working in July of 2015. Residencies are more apt to hire you early, contingent on passing boards. Most of my classmates had solid job offers in writing a month before graduation.
strawberryluv, BSN, RN
768 Posts
I worked in a nursing home for 1 year three months so I could have worked there.
Got out my license first week of August.
Got first job offer in August 2 Weeks after obtaining license. Got let go from that job after three months.
Started my current job two weeks after being let go. Still with this employer 6 months after, love my job
mintchocolate
7 Posts
My area is SUPER saturated and competitive, plus there were recent cuts to nursing positions, so it took me quite some time to get that first position. I graduated June 2015 and got my first job offer Mar 2016