Job as New Grad?

[Jess_Missouri_RN]

I am due to graduate in June. I'm currently not working and wanted to wait until taking state boards before getting a job. I've been hearing from other classmates that if we dont get into a fellowship new grad program that it's near impossible to get a job as an RN with no experience... is this true? Can I still do a fellowship program even as a new RN? I guess I dont understand. I have not even attempted the job process but I wanted to wait... is this not a good idea? Thanks for any input you can offer.

[listener]

Gee... I'm in my 3rd semester at Forest Park (1 to go!) but they've been talking to us about applying for jobs since the beginning. They've gotten us to finish resumes already and they've emphasized the usefulness of working prn as techs and getting into summer internships, etc. for helping us develop relationships with local hospitals and getting employed as nurses when we graduate. Moreover, it's been made fairly clear to me that we should be well into the grad. nurse job search before we graduate. So, I'd get moving!

As far as fellowship programs go... I gather that they often require one to be graduating from a BSN program (perhaps you are) and often are even more selective, meaning not all graduate nurses accepted to their facilities are admitted into fellowship programs. Regarding doing a fellowship program "even as a new RN", well, there are fellowship programs specifically for new grads. They also exist at some facilities for nurses already working as RN's, but it should be fairly obvious once you look into the specific program. Ok, that's all I know, good luck to you.

[Jess_Missouri_RN]

Yes, my school has been the same way. I attended the resume seminar which was helpful. I elected to not work while in school, with a husband and three kids on top of school there would be no way for me. I talked to many nurses who encouraged not working after graduation to have time to study for boards. They said if I didn't have to work - dont. It's hard to study and work and prepare for boards, so my plan was to graduate and take 6 weeks to study and work after boards as an RN. I guess my confusion comes in at the point of is it harder to get a job after boards when you're a RN then before boards when you're a graduate nurse. I've been hearing different things from classmates. I have not applied for any positions because I have no idea at this point where I want to work and I dont want to get stuck working before boards. Again I'm just wondering about the difficulty of attaining a job after boards... if there is a difference or not.

[TeleNurse2010]

I know of two people in my ADN program who have fellowship positions. In addition, many of my fellow students, including myself, already have jobs a grad nurses in various facilities. If you don't apply now, you most likely will probably end up working in a nursing home or other facility rather than a hospital. You might get lucky though, all you can do is what you can do.

[listener]

I know of two people in my ADN program who have fellowship positions. In addition, many of my fellow students, including myself, already have jobs a grad nurses in various facilities. If you don't apply now, you most likely will probably end up working in a nursing home or other facility rather than a hospital. You might get lucky though, all you can do is what you can do.

That's great to hear, about the fellowships for ADN's - I was wrong. Can you say anything more about them? What facilities? What kind of fellowships? Are these places that these students were already working at during school? Thanks.

[TeleNurse2010]

They are Telemetry/ICU positions at SSM St. Joseph's Hospital. One already worked on a general med floor as a tech there and I'm not sure about the other one. I don't know all of the details, just that they will have classroom time as well as on the floor time for a few months. If you are interested you shoud contact one of the recruiters at SSM. SSM had the positions posted on their website for students to apply to, and that's how they went about it.

[LETRN]

I'm in Spfld, and our internships start on June 1st...we began applying and interviewing at the first of March. I can't really comment on whether it's difficult to get a job if you wait, but I do know that at the hospital where I will work they mostly hire new grads twice a year, in the spring and in December.