Job competition between student nurses

allnurses Guide · Mar 13, 2012

I was hired in October. I graduated in December. The job started in January. In some parts of the country the hospitals don't want to talk to you without having passed NCLEX. In others, like mine, by the time graduation happens the jobs for new grads are all filled and closed. And in most parts of the country new grads are not getting jobs without the internships that coordinate with graduation. If you are waiting to apply until after graduation, in many parts of the country you are missing the boat completely and have to wait for the next wave of internships to apply.

OP, I think you are taking the right road with this. Good luck to you. :)

RNJoInMI · Mar 13, 2012

Oh no, please don't wait until after the NCLEX to apply. I am in Michigan and they will hire nurses right out of school, no IP needed, as Graduate Nurses. Once you take and pass the NCLEX (some hospitals will pay you to study, provide you with materials or NCLEX classes and reimburse you for the cost of the NCLEX) you are given the title Staff RN. However, some hospitals want to see that you have already taken and passed the NCLEX before they will hire. It really just depends on the facility.

It is a very competative market. With that said, find ways, other than school and grades that set you apart from your classmates. You accomplishments in school, the activities that you participated in, the volunteer work you did, the committees you sat on are important, but usually are not enough to get you noticed. Make sure your resume lands in front of the right person, do your homework to find out the names of the recruiters (simple as a phone call to the switchboard operator at the hospital). Collect letters of recommendation from your instructors now while you are still in school. Have business cards made (cheap and customizable at VistaPrint) and attach them to mailed or hand delivered resumes. If applying online, make sure you still follow up with the recruiters in person, by mail or over the phone. I even had postcards customized at VistaPrint with a short summary of my education and experience printed on them that I mailed after I sent a resume and had not heard from the recruiter as a follow up. When you do get the interview, make sure to always send a thank you note within 24 hours of the interview.

Also, don't just stop at hospitals (that might be where you passion lies, but don't limit yourself). Apply to LTC facilities, nursing associations, agencies, schools, hospices, community centers, dialysis centers...anywhere that nurses are employed, apply. I got a good paying temporary job with a community center giving out vaccines. It was experience that I put on my resume that got me the job I wanted.

Most importantly, don't share your leads, the market is too competative. There are too many students graduating and the market is being saturated.

Congratulations and best wishes.

Twinmom06, ASN, APN · Mar 13, 2012

back in January I went to an ENA meeting with our clinical group (our CI was part of the ENA and thought it would be an interesting experience) - at that time they had several emergency room directors for several hospitals in the area reaffirming that they DID hire new grads and for graduation in May they should be applying at that time!

wish_me_luck, BSN, RN · Mar 15, 2012

um, well, yes, your classmates and other nursing students in the area are your competition. But, here's how I look at it. I mentally pick out which healthcare system I want to work for (I didn't apply for all of them because I don't want to be completely unhappy and just settling for anything without a say) and then, I divided my class on who wants to work for which system. The ones who were wanting the same system as me were the "competition". Then, I figured, well, who has a scholarship with the health care system. Those are the people guaranteed jobs, but also they have to be full time. I personally will take part time. Then, as they get the job, I mark them off my mental list. They are no longer competition. Also, you have to factor in what people want. I know my classmates want like ER/ICU, OB, one classmate wants mental health, and I want med surg. Many classmates don't want med-surg. So, I can chalk that up as a plus for me.

Instead, of being cut throat, you can look at it that way. Also, one classmate is going to help me with my resume or she said she would. I asked her if she wanted to try for positions on the same floor so we could at least know someone to ask for advice going into it. All you can do is wish them well and hope for the same. What goes around comes around.

Plus, I am wondering if late Sept. and early Oct. may provide hope for jobs as it is the beginning of the fiscal year and it's after the new employment surge from spring and then people are moving out of their positions and new ones are posted. It's worth a thought.

guest2012 · Mar 19, 2012

quite impressive, actually i have to say when you graduate from school, becoming a social man, and work somewhere, that's quite common thing, or we can say that's our destination of school study, knowledge accumulation, while there is a existance of fierce competition ,some kind of injustice, unfairness, we can't change such of of common situation, but the things we can do is to make ourselves to be a best survival under this environmental setting , generally not only in nurse fields, we can see this everywhere.

Hi I'm a new member that is graduating this May, and I've been lurking here on allnurses for three years. I wanted to know how others are handling the backstabbing and horrible competition between students over jobs.
I used to love my classmates but now I can't stand any of them because it's become very divisive. I knew it was coming but it's still a shock to see how students who once worked together are now out to get each other......oh did I mention the ones that already have jobs lined up that can't keep their mouths shut and gloat constantly? Yes I'm envious but I can deal with it better with out having it rubbed in my face.........thanks I feel better now :)

NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN · Mar 19, 2012

Our class was happy when someone got a job. We would often share contact information as well.

As for you and your class. Don't get caught up in competition. Try to see what they did to land a job and learn from them. Network with them as well.