New Graduate.....take a year off before I start???

joanna73, BSN, RN · Mar 3, 2012

For many new grads, it's taking them 6 months to a year to start their first job. I'd at least start sending out your resumes as soon as possible. You can always decline a job offer.

Aurora77 · Mar 3, 2012

Is it nursing or nursing school? By the time I was finishing up with school, I felt much the same way you did. I agree with Joanna. It doesn't hurt to start looking. You don't have to say yes to the first offer.

dudette10, MSN, RN · Mar 3, 2012

I think it's a bad idea to take a year-long vacation. You may no longer be eligible for new grad positions when you start applying to jobs. The longer you wait after graduation, the harder it is to find a job. A handful of people from my graduating class have not yet found nursing jobs, while some from the most recent class to graduate from my school have landed jobs.

I was at an Open House when I started applying. Two of us sitting together had just graduated, and the hiring people at the Open House were interested in us. A third was in a prestigious direct-entry master's program that allows the student to sit for NCLEX after the first year, while continuing master's studies in the second year. She had been licensed for for a year, but had not yet found a job because she was working on her master's. The hiring people didn't even take her resume that was sitting next to ours on the table.

This is just an anecdote, but I don't think it's too far off of the general attitude toward long-licensed RNs that have never been employed as an RN, regardless of the reason.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Mar 3, 2012

I would avoid taking a year off if at all possible. Like Joanna said, it's going to take several months to a year for most new grads to land something, so why not start the application process and enjoy not being hired until then?

Being an old new grad is the kiss of death for many: it's not impossible to land a job, but your chances are a lot better as a new grad, which given this job market isn't saying a lot about your chances in the first place.

Columnist · Mar 3, 2012

Moved to First Year After Nursing Licensure. You might find it helpful to read some of the other posts in this forum.

One1, BSN, RN · Mar 3, 2012

I don't think taking a year off would be a good idea. You will lose your "fresh" skills, and more importantly, the connections you made during clinicals. By the time the year is over there will be at least 2 cohorts of fresh new grads flooding the job market. Like others said, it might take a few months to find a job anyways, so use that time to enjoy life and get the break you want.

werkinit · Mar 3, 2012

From graduation (end of August) to start date for my new job (March) was 7 months for me...You might actually get time off before starting anyways.

...and my job offer was relatively quick compared to many new grads right now! Anywhere from 6months to over a year for a hospital position is pretty normal.

Good luck

rudycoon · Mar 3, 2012

Do not take time off after graduating. I did and just recently found a nursing position, 4 years after "taking a year off".

NurseOnAMotorcycle, ASN, RN · Mar 4, 2012

Start applying for jobs in the middle of your last semester!

allnurses Guide · Mar 4, 2012

Nope. Not a good idea in this economy. There is a good chance you will never get a job as a nurse if you can't get hired in the first year after graduation.