meggo

I also graduated in Dec and had a 6 month gap before working. Recently I read over a handbook that I bought back in school that goes to my huge med-surg textbook just to brush up on common conditions, assessments, etc. I was nervous at first but everything came back very quickly. I had to spend a little extra time looking up a few meds and diagnostic procedures I felt fuzzy on but thats it. In all honesty as a new grad we aren't suppose to be fully confident and competent RNs so don't stress to much - plus if you were studying until April its only been 2 months! I'd recommend making sure that your hospital has a good orientation program where people understand you are green and can teach you how to be an RN. I highly doubt you need to take a course. Good luck:)

You hit the nail on the head with not being able to get a job because you don't have experience and not being able to get experience because you don't have an RN job. Unfortunately thats just the reality of DFW therefor we all have to fight over the GN internship openings. NICU intern positions seem to be pretty rare (the 2 that i applied to were both cancelled and I was told it was for hospital financial reasons.) In general all of the hospitals start internships once in the summer (usually June) and once in the winter (January). Start looking for summer position postings in March and winter in October. I would defiantly consider expanding your search to newborn nursery, postpartum, peds, L&D because new grads here can't expect to get the perfect dream job right out of school but at least those areas would get you close enough to transfer in once you have some experience:) Good luck!

An internship is just what they call the orientation / training period here. They are geared toward GNs and RNs with little to no experience. (A GN is someone who has graduated from nursing school but hasn't taken their license yet.) The unit you are hired on to will shape your internship... some last around 10 weeks and others are 7+ months. Also keep in mind that internships are offered in a wide variety of specialties so if you love something try to get experience there and then apply to all of that specialty. Hospitals like Parkland and Denton Regional also offer unique programs like their intensive care internships in which you are rotated to more than one ICU specialty before you are selected to work on a specific unit. Internships are great because you aren't "thrown to the sharks" right away but instead have a combination of classroom and hands on learning. You also have a preceptor to work with you as you work on becoming a confident and competent RN. Most internships start just twice a year, once in the summer and once in the winter. Applications generally go up as early as March for the summer spots and October for the January ones. Most hospitals are very strict about not hiring new grads into any positions other than internships but places like urgent care centers and (from what I hear) some nursing homes will hire new grads. DFW offers a surprising variety so it depends on what you like. You can live in the heart of Dallas or be surrounded by fields, it just depends on what you prefer. There are also some beautiful brand new neighborhoods and shopping areas out by Frisco, McKinney, Plano, Irving, and many charming older areas scattered around.

Oh and welcome to the site! I wanted to add that I'm really glad to see that you don't mind driving, working nights, and working on floors that some may consider less desirable - that attitude will greatly help you land a job

I'm glad you've done the research so it won't come as much of a shock when I tell you that DFW doesn't have enough GN jobs to support the new grad population here. There are also lots of new grads (like me) moving here fighting for these same spots. Most corporations (HCA, Baylor, THR, Methodist) own several hospitals in the DFW area and many of these larger facilities do have internship programs. Parkland in Dallas also offers many internships. Do some searches on this site and you will find lists of every hospital in the area as well as many other tips on getting a job here. In all honesty it is going to be extremely difficult for you to move down here with a signed contract in hand but if you are willing to come down here to interview and such while in school it's not impossible. Think about why a hospital would want to choose you instead of someone who is a "sure thing" that already lives here... experience, GPA, BSN, attitude. (When I applied to internships before having a TX address I got about 2% as much interest as when I actually lived here and applied.) You will also need to apply early so find out when the internships will be posted and keep in touch with recruiters as they are the key to getting in the door. Good luck in school!

It sounds like you are pretty prepared already. Make sure you dress professionally and bring extra copies of things like your resume, letters of recommendation, things like that. Prepare TCU/ICU related clinical situations you have experienced to answer their behavioral questions. Situations that show you are honest, ethical, a quick thinker, a team worker, and willing to learn... things like that. You can google behavioral RN interview questions and get lots and lots of specific examples to practice with. Good luck!!!!!!

You need to look into the area you want to work in and see if they are preferring BSNs. Its a big deal in some places and hardly anything in others. Here in Dallas most of the hospital applications say "BSN preferred" or "BSN required" even though many of these hospitals have contracts with ADN programs! One of the first questions I was always asked by a nurse recruiter was if I had my BSN and I'm very, very happy that I do because I honestly don't know if I could have gotten a job here without it.

I hope you get a job soon too!! I graduated in Dec so you are already way ahead of me! Honestly I'm pretty sure that I got all those interviews because I was already a RN, BSN on paper versus most of the other applicants which were students. I hope you don't have to wait like I did before you can find work but if you do just keep in mind that you will be on the top of the application pool now since you are done with school, will have your RN soon, and you've already made contact with several recruiters:)

Princess_WannaBe - I will be starting in June. I can't wait!! mzsantana - I'm glad to hear that you have had some luck talking to recruiters! Being aggressive with your job search can make all the difference in this area which is flooded by new grads. Good luck stalking next week!

When I was waiting for my ATT I called and asked the BON how long it should take and they said 10 business days after receiving all of your info. If you want to take the test ASAP I found that dates become available late at night due to people canceling their tests. Its usually only 2-3 days in advance but it really helped me because after I waited for weeks my test date was cancelled due to snow and I was NOT going to wait another month. Good luck on NCLEX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You can get the number to a hospital's HR department from their website and once you call just ask for a nurse recruiter who deals with GNs or internships. If they don't answer the phone just leave a message explaining who you are and what position you are interested in. Its pretty late in the game to begin talking to the recruiters about positions that begin this summer so that could be why you aren't getting responses. Maybe if you are aggressive enough with calling, emailing, and using your school contacts you can get one of the remaining positions. I graduated in Dec and when I tried calling people in Jan I was told it was to late and that I should try for summer positions which is what I ended up having to do. Good luck!!

I hope you hear good news soon if you haven't already! I got a phone call from the recruiter at 7pm a few nights ago saying I wasn't chosen for the position so take comfort in knowing they are working down a list calling people and its defiantly good news if you haven't received a rejection yet! Good luck!!

Right after I applied I would call every 2 weeks and if I didn't hear back from them or if I really wanted a specific position I would write the recruiter a nice short email saying who I am and why I would love to work in their dept. Once I knew things were starting to happen I called every week and left a message saying I wanted to know the status of my application. I wrote notes every single time I talked to a recruiter so that when they called me back I could say "Oh we spoke 2 weeks ago and you asked me to email you my resume" or whatever your convo was about... this is when I got most of my interviews. Keep in mind that its not personal if you don't get a call back, I can't imagine how extremely busy these recruiters are. Stalker time - Once it got down to the wire I would call without leaving a message a few times hoping they would answer and then leave a message. If I really, really wanted a position and I knew I was missing my chance then I didn't really care if I seemed a little stalkerish. I also sent an email if my messages were never returned and then I kept right on calling. Don't ever be rude but let them know that you are here and you really want this. After every interview I would send a hand written thank you note and if I had spoken to the recruiter in a personal way at all then I would email them saying thank you for setting up the interview and I really enjoying meeting so and so. I would call a few days after I was told to expect a decision if I hadn't heard anything. Always keep in mind that until you receive a rejection you are still in the running (and it may not even be the position that you think its for) If you get rejected after an interview still call the recruiter that set it up and thank them for the opportunity. Ask them if there is anything you can improve on (even tho they probably won't know) and if there are any other opportunities because you really love their company. Be HUMBLE, never blame anyone, or be negative to the recruiter! Let me know if you have any more questions and feel free to PM me. I developed a really specific game plan that helped me to land interviews with every company I applied for (except Methodist lol). Good luck on "stalking"!!!

First off, please don't ask people for specific questions as that is defiantly cheating and will not help you learn what you need to pass this test and eventually NCLEX. When you read the information in your book are you comprehending everything? These tests are designed to make sure you truly understand patients and their conditions not if you can repeat information. Look at what subjects where hurting you for example I was surprised to see that I didn't understand endocrine well. I really thought I did but I was consistently struggling with those questions. I'm really glad I figured that out because I spent a lot more time on that subject and if I hadn't I might have failed my NCLEX. If you feel like you truly have a good grasp on the information look at what else is getting to you. Are you freaking out before the exam and not able to think? Try working on ways to calm down and keep yourself from getting so worked up because in the end it is only hurting you. Do you need to bring earplugs to help stay calm and concentrate? Good luck studying, I hope you are able to pass this next attempt and then go on to NCLEX!

Yeah when I moved here in Jan and found out that the internships don't start until summer I called around and asked about other work I could do. The idea of me being a tech with a RN license didn't go over well with any of the nurse recruiters I spoke to. If you don't get an internship you can try urgent care centers as they seem to be new grad friendly. (starting RN wage is $18) Also try applying for the next round of internships because by that time you will be a TX resident with a BSN and a RN license. I had much more success after moving here then when I applied while I was still in school and living in IL. Its not time to give up on the internships for this summer yet though (HCA Dallas hasn't even posted theirs!) - make sure you are applying everywhere and calling recruiters about your submissions. I practically stalked people to get all of my interviews but it worked!