Hi everyone :) Let me start off by saying that although I am super excited, I am aware of how INCREDIBLY lucky and grateful that I am in this position. I graduated in June and passed my boards a month ago, so I am well aware of the difficulty in getting jobs out there for us new grads. I cannot stress enough for all you guys still looking, the importance of NETWORKING. I know it's been said before but it really is true. Utilize ALLLLLL of your resources. And DO NOT be afraid to be persistent. I emailed & re-emailed the managers constantly. I sat down one night and got the name of every nurse manager in the whole hospital (this is a 780-bed facility!) I cannot stress this enough as well. And of course, WORK HARD. Even if you don't realize it or feel appreciated for your hard work, people ARE noticing. I've worked as a CNA for 2 years at this hospital (well-known teaching hospital in my area)... couldn't have made a better decision to become a CNA, so I really urge all you current nursing students to get in the door for both exposure and ability to network!
So if ok, I wanted to share my excitement with all of you!! I was offered 2 positions!! (I know, I'm VERYYY appreciative!!) So it's a thoracic surgery floor, very acute patients, nurses typically only have 1 or 2 pt. Very nice manager, stated this unit was the "breeding ground for ICU nurses" which may be something I am interested in for the future. Will begin with 1 or 2 other NLN's which I think is wonderful to have eachother. A nurse I know who works there said I should be willing to work hard, which I always do, cause this is a tough floor (example: pt's do not go to the ICU after lung transplants, they come directly to this unit so these are the types of pt's I'd be handling) BUT I'm ready and willing to work hard and LEARN!!! And BONUS!! the shift is 3-12hr overnights 7p-7a and this is my dream shift in terms of hours. I will begin sometime mid-Sept
To all you new grads out there still looking, DO NOT GIVE UP!! Do not get discouraged, all of your hard work will pay off and you DO deserve every position you apply for if you truly believe you deserve it! SELL YOURSELF! Best advice I ever got was to not seem desperate. Employers out there are well aware of the horrible job market but that doesn't mean they're ready to just hand over their positions, time & money to a candidate who will "take anything they can get." (even if that may be true) They want to know you've done your research and WANT to work there cause you not only will be a great fit for them but it will also be a perfect fit for YOU! Hope this was at all helpful!!
