Annabel211

Regarding clinical sites....I work in a facility that hosts a lot of DSN students for their senior practicum. None of them chose this area of nursing, they just got stuck here because the school has a reputation for having a bad relationship with many of the "good" clinical sites across the city. At the school I attended, we all got our first or second choice of areas and all of us worked in high acuity settings. I worry about these students because there isn't a whole lot to learn here and this kind of senior practicum isn't going to look very good on a resume. As a matter of fact, I see them doing things like making copies for the nurse manager. I'd try to find something else.

I hate to be negative because normally I like to tell people to go for their dreams and offer encouragement but the outlook for you as a new grad is not good here. It is possible to get accepted into a new grad program, however, they give first consideration to students who did their clinicals and/or worked in their facility as a CNA. Denver Health starts new grads at $27. Centura Health is $26. Children's and University of Colorado will not look at you unless you are part of their new grad program or have 1-2 years acute care experience. Then there are a bunch of for-profit hospital systems here that would rather bring in travel nurses to fill vacant positions than train from the ground up. It is a "right to work" state, which means that pay and conditions are not great...no safe staffing laws, for example, no unions. I would recommend staying where you are for a year, especially if you have connections and contacts that can get you that first job in the area that you want to work in. Unless you know somebody here that can get you in, you will not make it past recruiters. Frankly, I wish I hadn't moved here...it's not a very nurse friendly state. Sorry! If somebody else has a cheerier outlook on the situation, I'd love to hear it too.