Is it bad on my resume that I have not worked in a hospital for a year after grad.?

[Porroyorro]

I graduated in August 2008 with my bachelors and passed the boards and got my license in November 2008. As of now, I've been working at my parent's assisted living facility and currently looking for a position at a hospital. I sort of have a dilemma- I have a free airline ticket that is ready to expire in August, 2009 and my brothers are planning a months trip vacation in May before we all split up and go our separate ways (finishing up their schooling and moving elsewhere), so this would most likely be our last time we will be taking a vacation together. Should I wait until June to begin applying for jobs while working at my parent's assisted living facility (also might considering taking a part-time position as a bank teller to earn a little more cash for the vacation)? Or should I just start focusing on getting a job ASAP in one of the hospitals in my area? Reason why I ask this question is because I am afraid employers would not like to hire me based on the amount of time I have not work in the hospital. Thanks.

[ac123, MSN, APRN]

The way I think of it is like this... you have the rest of your life to be a nurse. I would take that vacation and continue working in your parents assisted living facility. It's not like you are spending a year doing non-nursing things. You will have some experience under your belt. If future employers ask you why you have not worked in a hospital, tell them the truth; that you wanted to spend some time with your family because who knows when the next time will be. Just my opinion, the only one that matters is yours in this issue!

[whykiki0103]

I think recruiters look at clinical experience and not necessarily hospital experience. I don't know what your position was in the assisted living facility, but as long as you worked there as a RN I think it's fine on your resume. Take the vacation and spend some time with the family, but I would start applying now. It might take a month before getting a single call back. The job market hasn't been the most favorable for new grads these days. I took about 2 months vacation after passing my boards in July, and just got a job this month. So good luck!

[tclema]

All I can say is make sure that you are hired as an RN at your parents facility. A month taking off for vacation is fine, I would do the same before getting started in your new job. As a Recruiter, a month time off is ok with me. But if you have a little experience at your parents facility as an RN, I believe that would pay off for you.

[jjjoy, LPN]

Honestly, in some areas, not starting immediately after graduation in a hospital can be a major set back. But in some areas, it can difficult to land a job no matter when you start looking. There are so many factors involved in whether or not one can land a job when they are looking... when new grad programs are starting, how many new grads are competing for jobs, how harried the nursing recruitment personnel are, staffing budget fluctuations, etc.

Personally, I think it could be worth holding off and taking that last family vacation. It might take you 3-6 months once you start looking to land a hospital job, but it sounds like you'd be able to work while looking and so not have to worry about being unemployed and not making rent. Of course, you might also feel like you've forgotten a lot since graduation as well. So you might want to see if there are any local refresher programs with a hospital clinical component, in case you end up out of the hospital for a long time and want to brush up.

There are always risks - especially in this crazy economy right now. And it's always a good idea to find out what you can about the local market before making a major decision. Best wishes!