new grad getting married..i need advice!

[gobucky*]

I'm new to this site, but I'm hoping to find some fellow nurses who can give me some serious advice! 2011 is going to be a BIG year for me...I am graduating in May from nursing school with my BSN and I am getting married 6 months later! Don't get me wrong, I am soooo excited for both of these things but at the moment I am seriously stressed. Here's my situation:

As a new grad, I am obviously eager to put my education to use and start working! But, I am worried about the time off I would need for my wedding/honeymoon in November. I'm unsure of how hospitals typically work with vacation time (especially less than one year after hire AND for a new graduate in her first RN position). I would hate to not be able to go on our honeymoon after the wedding, as I have spent the past 4 years living in a different city from my boyfriend/fiance because of nursing school. I am so excited to FINALLY be in the same place at the same time and start our life together. Do I take 6 months off after graduation to regroup, plan our wedding, and get use to life after school? Or should I get out there into the workforce ASAP and put my personal life on hold once again? The wedding will still happen in November regardless, but the time off and honeymoon are my biggest concern. Part of me says I have my whole life to work & should focus on enjoying the 'happiest day of my life', while another part of me says I've worked this hard to get my degree & should start working NOW.

Please help this very stressed out nursing student!

[PCU_RN9, MSN]

You only live once! Go off, get married and enjoy it. Like you said you have the rest of your life to work. Its exciting to get a new nursing job at first, but that quickly subsides and the reality is you are working long hours day after day and its not quite so exciting anymore. Wait to look for a job until after the wedding, or a month or so before the wedding start applying for jobs and put the date you can start after your honeymoon. And as a side note, congrats on getting married and a soon to be graduate!

[kcksk]

I would apply/interview for jobs. If they make you a job offer, just let them know that you are getting married on x day and have a honeymoon already planned. It shouldn't be a problem. I was offered a hospital job on the day I found out I would need all kinds of tests/procedures for a medical issue that had come up. I couldn't accept the job not knowing how things were going to turn out (they were questioning a mass) and if everything was fine, I wouldn't be able to give enough notice at my current job. I called and told them what was going on and they held the job for me and I started a month later (everything was benign). Everything works out the way it is supposed to. Just start looking. It is a long process from when you apply, all the interviews being done and then hiring/orientation. At our hospital everyone has to attend hospital orientation (it's only once a month) so everyone starts together. If you miss that month you need to wait until the next month.

[llltapp]

I have gotten married twice before starting a new job LOL. As long as you let them know in the interview, it shouldn't be a problem. Usually it sparks a great conversation and you bond with the interviewer. GET a job, have fun, and get married!

Congratulations!

[RNperdiem, RN]

Start the job.

Take a very short or no honeymoon.

Use the money you have put aside from the nursing job to have a dream first anniversary trip.

This is what I did, and I don't regret it.

[2011NursingStudent]

When you get the job offer, just let them know about your wedding and honeymoon at that time. When I got a job offer for the company I was at, I had tickets to Florida for the next week. I let them know, no big deal. It may not be paid since you wouldn't have been there for a year, but since you disclosed it up front while you were negotiating the terms of employment, it should be no big deal. Have fun!! You only get married once in a lifetime!!!

[RNKPCE]

How are you financially? Don't want to start a new marriage with money problems.

I'd do what the majority of responders said, interview if offered then bring up getting married and time off for a honeymoon. Get the ok in writing if you can. I work with several woman who got married within a year of getting hired and they got their time off no problem, maybe unpaid but they got the time off.

Jobs aren't easy to come by and if you can avoid losing skills you learn in nursing school you'll be better off.

[GooeyRN, ADN, BSN, CNA, LPN, RN]

Take a job if you can. If they won't let you have the time off right away for a honeymoon, do a "mini" honeymoon. Go away for a 3 day weekend or similar. Then take your real honeymoon as soon as you can get the time off. Jobs are so hard to come by for new grads now, that I wouldn't want to make it even harder.

[wsuRN09]

Start the job.

Take a very short or no honeymoon.

Use the money you have put aside from the nursing job to have a dream first anniversary trip.

This is what I did, and I don't regret it.

I'm doing this and we are so looking forward to the anniversary trip. It was a little disappointing to not have the HM right away but we've been doing weekend getaways about every 6 weeks which are great. Plus by the time we go on the big trip, I'll have been working for 1.5 years, so I'll be getting paid to relax. Big win IMO :)

[delilas]

Mention it during your interview; my last job, I had already bought tickets for a friends wedding that would take place one month after I got hired. They understood and had no problems with it.

That being said, it may depend on how much time you're looking at taking off. If you're taking a week for the wedding and a week for the honeymoon, you may run into more resistance. If that happens, try thinking about holding the honeymoon a few months later. It's really about where your priorities are - is it worth moving your vacation a couple months to start a career?