One year after licensing, how can I land a residency position?

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Hello Nurse Beth, 
I am a recent BSN graduate, obtained my license in October 2024. I've struggled to get into a new grad residency from the beginning. I even tried out-of-state options, but no luck. I began working as a pediatric home health nurse in January 2025, as I was desperate to land any nursing job while continuing to apply for residencies. My goal is to be a Flight Nurse practitioner because of my paramedic background and nursing degree. However, I am facing a new obstacle: not qualifying for new grad residencies, having over 6 months of experience, and almost hitting my first year anniversary as an RN. What recommendations would you suggest? Any particular units I should be looking into that would raise my chances for a position at a hospital? Thank you for providing this platform, and hope to hear from you soon.

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Specializes in Tele, ICU, Staff Development.

This is challenging, and the difficulty lies in the fact that you are soon transitioning from being a new graduate to being a new nurse without acute care experience.

You will encounter job postings for:

  • new grad residencies
  • experienced nurses

And you may not know exactly where you fit.

Jobs for new grad residencies 

In the remaining 1-2 months of potential eligibility, apply full-out to any and every residency you possibly can. I say potential eligibility, because, as you know, working in home health potentially disqualifies you from many residencies. However, every residency has its own guidelines, and it doesn't hurt to try.

Consider reaching out to the coordinators of new grad programs directly, if possible, and asking if they would consider applicants with 6 months or more of experience. Be honest about your situation and express your strong interest in the opportunity. Sometimes flexibility in these programs depends on the facility.

A side note on working in home health as a new grad: This is not recommended because you do not have the experience to practice autonomously and could even pose safety concerns.

Jobs for experienced nurses

What you can do is search for jobs that say "experience preferred," which indicates they may consider an applicant without experience. Please note that they will not be offering an extended-residency type orientation, but rather a standard-length orientation typically provided to experienced nurses.

What to apply for

  • Speciality areas are typically more competitive than MedSurg, so overall, you'd have a better chance on MedSurg.
  • You may be able to leverage your pediatric home health experience and apply to Pediatrics.
  • Likewise, leverage your paramedic background and apply to the ED.

Alternative trajectory

  • Consider sub-acute care, which can serve as a viable stepping stone to acute care once you have gained 1-2 years of experience.
  • From there, you can gain the critical skills needed to be a Flight Nurse.

Additionally, attend job fairs and activate your network. Contact your classmates and instructors to inform them that you are seeking a position. By maximizing your efforts, you'll be doing everything possible to secure the job you want.

Best wishes,

Nurse Beth

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