Newer unemployed nurse wanting NICU job

[Nurse Beth, MSN]

Hi Nurse Beth,

I graduated nursing school in December 2015. I took my boards in February and received my Nursing license in March. It has been 9 months since finishing nursing school and I still haven't found a position. I have had two interviews and I accepted a position in a pediatric ER and it turned out to be not a good fit for me. I worked for about 3 months. The interview process was quick and I didn't have a time to make a decision. How long do you think is a normal time frame for a new graduate nurse to find their first position that is a good fit for them?

Should I include that RN work experience in my resume or no since I was still on orientation. The area of nursing I have always wanted to work is in the NICU setting of nursing even before nursing school. Should I keep trying to get a NICU RN job since I know that once you work in another area of nursing it's hard to be chosen for a position in the NICU?

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Dear Wants NICU,

Since you are unemployed, have little experience, and the clock is ticking, it's more important right now to land a job than to land a job in NICU. Put your efforts towards job searching and hone your interview skills.

Once you are hired and gain some experience, you can start planning how to transfer to NICU (provided you still want to).

Some applicants leave jobs of short tenure off of their resume because they feel it may hinder their ability to get hired. The problem is that falsifying anything on a resume is grounds for dismissal if you are found out. Would you be comfortable telling a recruiter you have never worked as an RN when in fact you have.

The way to address it is to simply say it was not a good fit, and you are looking forward to using your skills in an organization where you could contribute and grow. Honestly, a lot of new grad RNs are trusting and take the first job offered only to find themselves in a not good work situation. You would not be the first.

At the same time, you do not want to repeat your mistake, so take the time to thoughtfully consider what went wrong and what you will do differently this time.

Best wishes,

Nurse Beth

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Beggars cannot be choosers...do whatever you can to avoid the scarlet-letter status associated with being an old-new grad without any substantive experience.

In other words, accept any nursing job and stick with it for at least a year. NICU jobs are coveted with fiercely competitive hiring processes. You may be waiting around for several years for the job of your dreams. In fact, the dream NICU job may never come to fruition. What are you going to do if this happens?

I advise you to consider all new grad-friendly jobs, even those outside the hospital setting. You are not in a position to turn down anything unless you are seeking career suicide. Good luck to you!

[amoLucia]

Think also about location. Lots of newbies seem to always quote the 'commute' as a deciding factor in their job searches. Limiting yourself to a wonderful 'short drive' only inhibits your prospects. I read a statistic some time ago that said that people would consider a commute of up to 1 hour without any major concern. In today's nsg world, even a little longer might be tolerable if 'other' factors are acceptable.

In other words, you may have no choice about trying to be selective (aka as 'picky').

And like Nurse Beth commented - it is not too good an idea to leave off any employment. Prospective employers will do job searches, credit searches, criminal checks, all kinds. If you've omitted something, they'll most likely 'round file' you! Or they could fire you for falsification. I'm sure your past short term employer has you listed somewhere.