How did you get your first nursing position

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Whether you are a new grad or an experienced nurse, explain and share your story for inquiring minds. What ultimately lead you to your first nursing position? How did you feel? How persistent were you?

First and foremost I think PERSISTENCE is the key for landing your first nurising gig..I dont have a position yet but I can tell you what gets me the interviews...I just keep applying everyday and it is working...I already had like 3 interviews (but I suck at interviews to be honest with you) and I have another one coming up tommorow (I really want this job it is a medical telemetry position) so just remember keep applying,reapplying whatever it takes!

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Persistence is the key!! Don't give up and stay positive and soon, you will land a job. But there are positions open, so keep interviewing!

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Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.

I was hired on the floor I did my senior practicum on.

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Specializes in cardiac (CCU/Heart Transplant, cath lab).

Throughout nursing school, I worked on summer breaks as a CNA on a med-surg floor. I definitely think that adds to your marketability as a new grad nurse. In the fall of 2005, during my senior year, our university held a career fair. There were several nurse recruiters present for various hospitals in the region. I traded my updated resume for their business cards and sent an email to each of the nurse recruiters that same day thanking them for taking the time to answer all of my questions.

In December I placed an application for a new grad position on a CCU/heart transplant unit. One of the HR reps remembered me and contacted me right away for an interview. After I interviewed with the nurse manager, I also emailed her a thank you note as soon as I got home. Some people say hand written notes are better, but I wanted her to receive it that day. I accepted my first RN position in January of my senior year. I remember being so thrilled and how much stress was lifted for the remainder of the semester and studying for boards. I know a lot of places are beginning to move away from hiring new grads with "boards-pending" but that was how my experience went!

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Specializes in Orthopedics.

Nursing jobs are tough to come by where I live. It was extremely competitive so I prepared for my interview for a couple of weeks. I knew that I didn't have a whole lot going for me (B+ student, zero hospital experience, no volunteer work, only speak english) so I researched character interview questions on the internet and prepared answers specifically to point out things that I thought were important as far as who I am and what kind of nurse I would be. I knew that nurses need to be team players, level headed, good decision makers, good under stressful conditions, empathetic and compassionate. So I went through my personal experiences and came up with examples of how I have shown those qualities in the past. I also researched the hospital for its values and mission statement and incorporated those things into my answers. And then I bought a nice skirt suit to show I was professional and a lady. I had to go through an HR interview and then a 10 person panel interview. They didn't ask me all the questions I prepared, but I was only given one question that I hadn't prepped for. I think that my extensive preparation really made me confident going in to the interview, and I didn't forget any of the things I wanted to say because I had thought about them so much ahead of time. I also made sure to point out my future goals in nursing education and research, and I had questions prepared for my interviewers (do they support employees who wish to continue their education, etc). I made sure to be very honest about who I am, because I really wanted this job and I want to stay with this hospital for my entire career.

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Specializes in ED, Med-Surg, Psych, Oncology, Hospice.

I was hired to an oncology unit (Night Charge Position, no less) right from nursing school. I'd been a respiratory therapist from years before nursing school. There was nursing shortage then and the hospitals recruited us before graduatuon and boards. We worked as a GN. Boards were July something and we were scheduled off to make our two day trip to sit for them. We got results back by mail in September. I got 100%!

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Specializes in Telemetry/PCU.

I was hired on the floor where I did my last clinicals. The nurse I did them with got me an interview. This was May 2008 before all this hit.

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Specializes in CDI Supervisor; Formerly NICU.
Whether you are a new grad or an experienced nurse, explain and share your story for inquiring minds. What ultimately lead you to your first nursing position? How did you feel? How persistent were you?

I did my senior year practicum in a local Level IIIB NICU, and was given a job on the same unit when I graduated. Today is the start of my 2nd week in hospital orientation and we report to the units tomorrow.

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Specializes in Management, Emergency, Psych, Med Surg.

Worked there for a year as a student nurse and was an automatic hire after graduation.

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right now the economy is rough and you cant count on the hospital recruiters reaching out to you,you have to be persistent,go that extra mile to appear marketable,be patient,pray,be confident...get your CPR card,maybe ECG class,volunteering,make sure your gpa in good standing,basically take things in your own hands.

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Specializes in Management, Emergency, Psych, Med Surg.

That is so true. In 1978 when I graduated nurses were needed everywhere. Every hospital gave these huge recruitment banquets. Later on in the 80's when I was in management, we had recruitment fairs a few times a year and went as far as Canada (from Texas) to try to recruit a nurse. We were hurting for staff. It was bad. I went through one period of time where I had no full time nurses on the night shift in the ED I managed. I had no one to be in charge. I had a lot of nurses that I knew working there through the agency however and I made a deal with them to act as charge nurse until I could get some staff hired and trained for that shift. It was rough.

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Specializes in NICU, previously Mother baby.

I definitely agree with the previous posters, if you are interested in a position make sure the recruiter and/or nurse manager knows it. I did my preceptorship in L&D/PP/Nursery, because that's the area I wanted to find a job in and hoped that would count as some "experience." I was very fortunate and had a friend in my class that had a friend at the hospital I wanted to work at tell her there was an open position on the mother/baby floor. I called the HR recruiter (the position wasn't posted to outsiders yet), and she had me schedule an interview. I met with one of my nursing teachers (she used to be a nurse manager) and we went over practice questions (kind of a relaxed mock interview) and I googled a lot of questions and typed out situations that went with them... that way for the behavioral questions they were fresh in my mind (it's hard to remember all the situations throughout school). Here I am my 4th week on the floor! Keeping in touch with the nurse recruiter is a great way to know what positions are open and let them know you are interested in working there! Good luck!

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