Ontario new grad--will a month off limit my options?

[nurse2bsmurph]

Hi everyone,

I am a fourth year nursing student from Ontario set to take the NCLEX in June. I am interested in travelling abroad for the month of July so I can see Europe before I am tied down to a job. However, I am concerned that if I am unavailable for a month then I will miss out on interviews, etc. Especially since all the new grads apply for jobs at that time. If I postpone my job search a month, then all the hospitals will probably have already hired everyone.

I am open to applying for jobs between now and June, but I don't know if I can even do that when I haven't passed the NCLEX yet.

There is technically not a rush to get a job; I don't need one as soon as I graduate. I just know that if all my friends have a job and I don't, then I will feel bad.

Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks in advance!

[SopranoKris, MSN, RN, NP]

I interviewed for new grad positions before I had even graduated and got hired pending passing NCLEX and obtaining my nursing license. So, it's definitely do-able to try to interview while you're still in school. Good luck

[madricka, BSN, RN]

When I graduated in 2007, I interviewed and was hired before the end of my 4th year. Most everyone in my class did! We obtained temp registration with CNO and started working even before passing the CRNE (life before NCLEX!) -- only one person that I know of failed the exam and had to resign from his new job (no worries, he passed the exam next round and has been working full-time ever since!). If you interview/are hired before the end of the year, you can always negotiate your start date. Bumping it a month later than others is not a big deal, hospitals are hiring new staff all the time and do the mass orientations usually on a monthly basis. And I don't think anyone would hold it against you -- your plans sound like fun! I wish more people took time to travel before settling into working life after graduation!

[nurse2bsmurph]

Thank you! I better start applying!