New Grad RN, Orange County

[fku3]

Hi everyone,

I am graduating in December and have heard that we should start applying now. I have applied to UCI Medical Center for their Clin I position. However, I can't seem to find any kind of new grad careers for other hospitals such as St. Jude Medical Center, St. Joseph Hospital, HOAG- Newport, Kaiser Irvine, etc. Does anyone know how I can look into these? How do I specifically filter to their new grad positions, or find a place to apply to their new grad programs? I am really confused about how to begin looking, and any help would be greatly appreciated!

[EmilyRN1030]

Hi there! I just graduated in May with my BSN took my NCLEX July 28th, applied to St. Joe's for a Clin Nurse I Labor and Delivery position and accepted it :) I've been working there for almost a month and love it!

The whole St. Joseph's healthcare system actually has a pretty developed a residency program since they merged with Providence Heath last year in 2016 and it's much more developed than I had thought! At St. Joe's, St. Jude's, and Mission you are required to have your RN license to even apply though. I believe this is true at Hoag and at UCI as well (UCI might accept an interim permit, which you can apply for when you go to apply for you license a little before graduation).

The peds hospitals (CHOC, CHLA, Rady's) and I think UCLA accepted applications without a license.

You also wanna start checking out what other certifications you might need (ACLS, PALS, NRP, fetal monitoring, ect.) that might put you ahead of other applications.

Also, when in doubt, every hospital has a designated nurse recruiter that you can 1) call the general HR # on the website and 2) just ask to speak with he recruiter to ask clarifying questions like "do I need my license to apply" and "when does the program officially start" and "how many new grads are you expected to hire" ect.

Good luck!

[Cujothebadger]

UCI Medical Center will not look at you unless you have your license in hand. Unfortunately, most California hospitals will ignore you until you have your license.

I do not know who told you to start looking for nursing jobs, but it will not do you any good until after you graduated. However, if you plan on going out of state, it would be wise to start looking.

[StocktonNurse, BSN, LVN, RN, EMT-B]

If I was in your spot I would start ASAP if you have the energy and time. There is nothing wrong with attempting to have a job lined up prior to getting your license. You need to prepare for interviews and create a beautiful resume highlights what you've accomplished as a student. Trust me, even if you dont get a job it will be good practice. You really need to network and find out if you have anyone in your inner circle that can get you a job at the local hospital. If you can't get hired locally then try to find a job within 45-60 mike radius. You really need to study clinical questions such as the algorithm for chest pain, stroke, internal bleeding, sepsis, and even pneumonia. Study how to answer behavioral or performance based questions. Use the STAR formula to answer behavioral questions. You really need that license and ACLS to stand out though. You got this!

[13grad71]

You haven't even graduated, applying would be a waste of your time. There are so many applicants for a new grad position by newly licensed RNs that your application would be simply ignored especially in SoCal

[ljlevenson]

I've been applying to OC hospitals as well, and I've found that most want you to have your license first.

[jewels08]

Definitely do not waste your time applying before you have a license! I have not heard of anyone in Socal getting hired without one, unless it is a residency that specifically states you can apply before you have your license in hand (UCLA, Cedars, Scripps, etc). I think even then they will give preference to those who already have licenses.