SimoneB

I am also from California and just completed my job search. I would recommend applying to new grad programs before graduation. A new grad program will not have a problem with the fact that you don't have your license yet as that is the case for many applicants. Also, the application process for these programs is quite drawn out so you would have time to take your NCLEX if you got an offer. I would not bother applying to other jobs at this point as they are more likely to require you to be licensed and may be looking for you to start sooner than you can. Maybe this is obvious, but keep in mind that the CA BRN is a nightmare so apply as early as possible and realize it may take awhile to get your ATT. The programs you mention are very very competitive; even if you are a great student you should definitely apply but I would branch out to some less prestigious places as well. Know that they will receive many hundreds of applications, so many that they will not read them all so it really pays off to apply as soon as the application period opens. A big part of the challenge is just getting an actual person to look at your application. Also all the people I know who were offered positions at the type of hospitals you mentioned are bilingual so if you have that it truly is an advantage. Also, really perfect your resume and cover letter and personalize to each hospital, you must do something to distinguish yourself in these documents. If you are at all open to relocating, I would also apply to places in other states. I don't mean to be discouraging. Everyone tells you how tough the job market is here but you don't truly get it until you start your job search. I think I would have found a job much more quickly if I had had a more realistic approach. I went to a good school and graduated with a 3.83 GPA and it took me 7 months to find a job. I started out applying to only high profile hospitals and did not get an interview until I widened my search. Thats just my two cents. Good luck! You will be ahead of the game if you start applying now.

I wasn't saying that the number of questions means she or he passed but I strongly believe that of the people whose test stops at 75 questions, more of those people have passed than failed (granted this is based on anecdotal evidence but evidence from many people). So I'm talking about probability which is still in play despite the fact that it is impossible to definitively know your result from the number of questions.

It's pretty unlikely you failed in 75 questions. If you were prepared and weren't crying when you left the exam I would try to take a deep breath and stop torturing yourself because you probably passed. If you felt terrible leaving the test maybe you should start to try to reconcile yourself to the fact that you may need to retest.

Yeah something sounds fishy about this. How well do you know your references? If you are unsure about one in particular I would try to line up an alternate. You just never know what people are saying about you; it's sad but true. I would say this has gone on long enough that you should take some action.

I just wanted to add, as someone who just finished her new grad job search, I would advise you to apply for variety of units and be open to relocating if necessary, depending on how bad the job market is in your area. If you really want ED, you may have an easier time finding a position in a community hospital rather than a large level 1 trauma center. Good luck, it takes persistence but you will get there and it is good that are planning ahead while still in school. (I was not so diligent lol)

1. A cover letter is absolutely necessary; it is just as important as the resume I think because you have a chance to communicate your uniqueness (which as you observed, is hard to do in the resume) 2. You do not need to say you are a new grad in your resume 3. Yes you should have name of rotation, specific units, and number of hours for each rotation as a minimum. So for example " Critical Care, 120 hrs, MICU and CVICU". I put my clinical sites as I wanted to show that I had experience at many different hospitals but some people don't. In terms of descriptions of your experiences, I think it makes sense to use descriptions for the rotations that are pertinent to the specialty or specialties you are applying for. For instance, if you want to do ICU, write descriptions for your ICU rotation and any other rotations that are critical care related i.e. ED, step-down, etc. In terms of 1 or 2 pages, everyone has a different opinion. I am of the opinion that you cannot meaningfully describe yourself in one page. 4. I would integrate clinical skills into the descriptions of your rotations. Don't list all really obvious things that everyone has such as foley insertion, list some foundational skills and then stuff that not everyone might have (drips, chest tubes, central lines, etc). Also skills don't just have to be clinical (experience with admissions and discharges, communicating with physicians, giving report during rounds). I would make the work, volunteer, and other stuff more concise and add your clinical rotations. Also don't put the volunteer stuff under education, it should be its own category or you can do what I did which is one category called "Health Care Related Work & Volunteer Experience". Also education should be after your objective, then clinicals, then work. Good luck in your job hunt!

I would shorten the descriptions of your work and volunteer experiences and add descriptions of what you did in your preceptorship and ICU rotations. I guess you are still in preceptorship so this is hard but this is what managers are interested in. What diagnoses did you gain experience with, what critical care procedures and skills did you cover, specify that you did post op care for particular common procedures. You don't have to list everything you ever did and in fact should keep it concise so they will not stop reading because it is too long; just give them a sense that you have meaningful experience that you can elaborate on in PICU and ICU. Many people also put the number of hours spent in each rotation (you can get this information from your school), especially if you went to a program that has more clinical hours than average. I personally think its ok to go to 2 pages but all the information should be tailored to your specialty. Also, maybe you know already but you should get your ACLS and PALS ASAP so you can add it to your resume as everyone else will be getting them. Also take out blood born pathogens (everyone has to do this) and Greek week or at least put it somewhere else. I don't mean to belittle this as a leadership experience but it feels sophomoric and makes you sound really young. Also leadership should not be grouped with certifications anyway. Good luck in your job hunt! It's great that you are planning ahead.

In terms of clinical experience, I think it would be more effective to have descriptions of what you did in the rotations that are most pertinent to ED, namely anything critical care related or higher acuity step-down type units since it seems like you didn't have an ED rotation. I would remove the general paragraph from the top and maybe put it under med/surg as those are basic experiences covered in med/surg. I would then remove the descriptions for the rotations that are not as pertinent to ED so you have space to develop the other descriptions. In these descriptions, discuss experiences you had that go beyond basic med/surg such as experiences with particular common diagnoses, procedures, or skills related to higher acuity patients. Definitely develop a description of what you did as an ED volunteer as this is your only experience in the ED, also put it at the top of the Activities section and rename that section as suggested above. Also you're going to need your ACLS and maybe even PALS for any critical care specialty. An ECG class might be good too. I don't want to be harsh and I don't know how invested you are in working in the ED, but I think you are going to have a challenge being competitive in ED residency programs as you do not have a preceptorship or clinical experience in the ED. Keep in mind that you should be developing a different resume for each specialty you are applying to that highlights the experiences pertinent to that specialty. Also, each cover letter also needs to be oriented to the particular specialty and the hospital.

You're welcome, happy to help. I haven't accepted yet because I haven't visited (webcam interview) and it is a 2 year commitment so I want to be sure but I am planning a trip there ASAP and the hospital is paying for my travel. I don't have my VA license yet but they don't seem concerned about it. Good luck and let us know how things go. :)

If you are willing to consider relocating anywhere, I would start looking for new grad residencies in smaller cities in many different states, including the south. I graduated in June in the SF bay where the job market is similarly bad and only started getting interviews when I gave up the idea that I was going to find my first job in a desirable major city. Also by focusing on residencies you will avoid the frustration of hospitals only looking for experienced nurses. A few hospitals I would recommend from my own personal search: Mission Hospital in Ashville NC just opened up their application for a new new grad cohort and it's supposed to be a great city. Vanderbilt in Nashville TN is a great hospital and their application period is now open. University of Virginia Charlottesville is hiring a lot of new grads. I just received an offer there. Good luck on your search, don't loose heart. I know it's hard to let go of the idea of getting the ideal job right away but in such a tough market, you need to be realistic. Make sure your résumé and cover letter are compelling and personalized to each position and expand where you are applying and with your extensive LPN experience I think you will start getting interviews.

So I received a call from HR today offering me the position in cardiac progressive care that I interviewed for on Friday! I am in the process of setting up a visit ASAP and apparently it is hospital policy for them to pay for your trip which is nice.

Congratulations, best of luck for your interview! Where are you from in CA if you don't mind my asking?

Has anyone else interviewed? I'm surprised there aren't more people posting here.

I haven't made enough posts yet to PM you but if you PM me your email address I can send you some more information.

Congratulations! Cool to hear there is someone else coming from CA. What unit will you be working on? Did you visit UVA? If so what was your impression? Also do you know what the start date is? And have you seen the contract yet? Is there a financial penalty if you don't stay the full 2 years? Not that I think I would break the contract, I've just heard bad things about people having to pay lots of money to get out of a contract at other hospitals when they had to leave for reasons beyond their control.