AlmosttoRN

I don't know if anyone will want it, but here is my advice: 1. Obviously too late for some, but start getting ready for the job hunt while still in school. Make sure your grades are practically perfect. Get a unit secretary (least desirable) or CNA (most desirable) job in acute care hospitals. Make friends there stat. Be the happiest person to show up at 0700 or 1900, even if you're not. Offer to help anyone and everyone. 2. Research new grad opportunities, make note of their requirements and deadlines, and don't tie yourself down to a particular area (even if you own a house - you're not tied down. rent it out and move to where the jobs are. don't sit in your house for 6-12 months searching for a job when there was an opening somewhere else). Get your clinical letters of reference way before these deadlines, and give the instructor a thank you card. Really, some people don't! 3. Don't bother with ACLS, PALS, memberships, blah blah blah. Money wasters. You can get your future employer to pay for these, as well as pay you for attending. Obviously have BCLS on your resume. 4. Don't list your school clinicals under "clinical experience" on your CV. Hospitals want to know you have paid CNA clinical experience, preferably at a place where you can do a lot beyond just hygiene and VS. Don't have real clinical experience balancing 5 patients? Go out and get it! Accelerated program is no excuse. I'm in an accelerated program and I work. 5. There are people in my program who are just assuming they will get a job, in the PACU no less, after graduation. These tend to be the same people who think they're above doing CNA work, or don't need to. That is obviously absurd! Be realistic and don't apply to jobs that imply experience is required. Of note, I've read in these threads that new grads should get a CNA job. Please don't bother applying as most hospitals I have ever heard of have policies against hiring an RN to do an aide's work. That's a waste of your valuable time and sanity. This advice is coming to you from a student nurse/CNA who will be graduating in 3 weeks. High GPA, honor society. Have had many call backs from great teaching hospitals including the Cleveland Clinic, 1 job shadow, 3 phone interviews, 3 in-person interviews, and now at the reference checking step. Sent thank you notes to the nurse managers. At no time was I ever asked about memberships in organizations or ACLS. Good luck to everyone looking. I know it's a rough job market. All the more reason to make yourself the best CV that recruiter has ever seen from a new grad candidate.

Hi all, I know there are tons of threads out there regarding new grads, no jobs, etc. In my case, I'm trying to find out if I'm missing something big (or small!) that could make a difference in getting a job. In short, is there anything else possible that I could be doing that could get me hired? I'm not picky (haha drives me nuts to hear classmates saying "I'll only do this, or no nights for me"). Here is my resume in brief: -BSN grad, 3.88 gpa -Current CNA at children's hospital with experience in trache care, GT care, basically medically complex kids -Former unit secretary -Volunteer with local public health dept -Plenty of clinical and supervisor references