Nurse Beth Pops New Grad's Bubble

Nurse Beth, MSN

Dear New Grad,

I so hate to break your bubble, but it needs to be said. An objective statement is not going to help you land your first nursing job. It's just not.

There's very little reason for a new grad to write an objective statement. The objective of every new grad is to land a job, which is self-evident. Writing long, cliche-filled sentences shows that you are making this about you, not about the organization. You must think about everything you write from an employer's point of view.

It's understandable you are naive to what I'm telling you. I do think nursing schools should be giving more guidance and better, practical advice to students composing cover letters and resumes.

That's why I wrote my book below. It can be very competitive landing your first job, and you need to know from an insider's point of view what hiring managers are looking for. You don't stand out by using flowery phrases. In my book, I show how to stand out and be memorable every step of the way.

You must individualize your resume to each and every organization, and show that you are a solution to their problem. What's their problem? Find out. What's their mission statement? Find out.

Problem: New grads are a flight risk?

Show that you have ties to the community

Problem: Low HCAAPS scores in patient satisfaction?

Highlight your AIDET training

Problem: 30-day re-admissions?

Emphasize your training in teach-back patient education

It's not about you, it's about how you are going to help solve a problem for the employer.

Trust me, a recruiter is not going to read your objective statement and say "Thank goodness! Finally, a new grad who is "self-motivated" ! Nobody ever stood out from the pack by saying they are "dedicated".

For recruiters who read hundreds of resumes, reading yet another one that says "strong work ethic" may be enough to make them set it aside. It lacks originality, substance, and meaning. You just can't waste your words like that when you're dealing with a limited attention span. It's estimated you have just a few seconds to grab their attention. Every word has to count.

So what can you do?

Here's one tip from my book. Instead of espousing "exceptional customer service" (what does that mean, exactly?) in your resume give an EXAMPLE of exceptional customer service.

"My patient was alone, without family, and did not speak English. He shared that he felt isolated and frustrated. I speak his language, Afrikaans, and helped him download a translation app on his phone. It made me late to post-clinic debriefing, but it was worth it because he was so grateful"

Stories are remembered. Cliches are not.

You say you are multi-lingual. Elsewhere in your resume, identify exactly what language other than English that you speak (do not say multi-lingual), and make sure it is targeted to the demographic of the hospital you are applying to. Speaking Spanish in central California is helpful, but speaking Russian is not. I hope I'm making the point clear- make it about the employer.

Saying you are multi-lingual makes it about you. Saying you speak Spanish in central California makes it about the employer.

There's so much more I'd love to teach you, but I hope this has at least given you a new point of view.

Nurse Beth Pops New Grad's Bubble

Problem: New grads are a flight risk?

Problem: Low HCAAPS scores in patient satisfaction?

Problem: 30-day re-admissions?

So what can you do?

About Nurse Beth, MSN

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