how long is a new grad a new grad??

MIA-RN1, RN · Jul 7, 2007

you are only a new grad until someone is hired toyour floor that graduated after you! :)

Seriously, if you have recently passed your NCLEX, then you are not a new grad. You are a new nurse.

Even after my first year which just ended, I consider myself a relatively new nurse.

abundantjoy07, RN · Jul 7, 2007

I'm a new nurse.

hehe.

I like that.

hlfpnt, BSN, RN · Jul 7, 2007

I'm 1 1/2 mos away from completing my first year & I consider myself a new nurse, but not a new grad. I haven't thought of myself as a new grad since I came off orientation.

smile123 · Jul 7, 2007

would you say that a nurse is considered a new grad post-nclex and with one year of experience?
would a nurse be considered a new grad if she/he has 6 month experience?
just curious...
i'm 6 months in and considering a new job, i was hoping that i wouldn't have to take a job that is new-grad friendly only....
feedback would be great.

From an HR point of view, a new grad RN is a person who has less than 1 year of experience. Once you have 1 year of experience, you are "golden" and can apply for regular RN jobs. Sometimes, they will consider you an experienced RN (aka not a new grad) with 6 months of experience, but in general they want 1 year of experience. Hope that helps.

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Jul 7, 2007

I've found that "new grad" and "new nurse" are symantics in the real world.

While you're not "newly graduated" you don't have much experience at all, so you'd be a "new nurse". Most places, when looking for RNs, are speaking about those with a minimum of a year's work experience, unless they specifically say "new grads welcome". And then everything's game :)

At close to a year of experience as an RN, I still consider myself a "new nurse", as do others I work with. ALL of us who came from last year's graduating class are "new" in their book, lol....not incompetent, not totally green of course, just...."new". And that's a good thing, since there's a world of difference between a seasoned nurse and one with less than a year's experience!

nyapa, RN · Jul 8, 2007

Not sure if it is relevant to your conversation. In Australia, a new grad is a nurse in his/her first year post passing uni that has been accepted by a hospital into a graduate programme. At the end we graduate our first hospital year. We can work as an RN without the graduate programme; we are qualified to do so,but one is more employable

rn-ka1977 · Jul 12, 2007

I would say I could "use" the New Grad excuse for about four months in critical care...then it was over! Ha! Even though I have been an RN for over a year I still consider myself a new nurse!

CarVsTree · Oct 14, 2007

Your a new grad until the next crop of new grads arrives! :lol2:

Seriously though, I agree with the above posters. How come you want a new job after only 6 months? Six months in is a tough time to make a change. Work feels overwhelming and tough at this stage but it will feel like that and even worse if you make a change at this time. I would stick it out for at least a year and then start looking. Just my :twocents:

Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP · Oct 15, 2007

Heck, sometimes I feel like a new nurse and I've been at it 6 years now.

Sometimes I still wonder why 'new grads' are coming to ME with questions, when there are others far more qualified than I am to answer them....

I think most places in my area consider you 'experienced' after one year.

AF nurse2b guy · Oct 16, 2007

how long before you can apply for travel nurse jobs? what do you guys think about that??

Tweety, BSN, RN · Oct 17, 2007

how long before you can apply for travel nurse jobs? what do you guys think about that??

Travel companies will not hire new grads, but are looking for at least one year experience.