SOON TO BE NEW GRAD NEEDING ADVICE!

[carsondickson]

So I am graduating in August and have recently started applying for jobs in the Austin, DFW, and Houston areas. I would obviously like to start out in a residency program, being a new grad and all, however, I missed the application deadlines for a couple of hospitals I was considering. I've applied for CHI Baylor St. Luke's residency program as well as St. David's in Austin & Medical Center in Houston (both run by HCA Healthcare). I've only heard negative things about HCA Healthcare so now I'm feeling nervous if I only get job offers from them.... thoughts??

I could wait for some of the other hospital's residency applications to open up, but for most, that means not starting to work until Jan/Feb and I definitely don't want to sit on my degree for that long after graduation, not working. With that said, I also don't want to accept a job and sign a contract somewhere and risk being miserable for 2-3 years....

Is it a bad idea to apply for non-residency RN positions as a new grad?? I'm feeling very stressed and torn so any advice would be helpful!

[JKL33]

5 hours ago, carsondickson said:

Is it a bad idea to apply for non-residency RN positions as a new grad??

I don't think it's a bad idea at all. Based on many, many accounts here and elsewhere I've come to believe that too many of the residencies are little more than a promising-sounding job offering ("residency") which is hyped up to make it seem worth the contracts or whatever else new grads are needing to obligate themselves to in order to get the position....after which we hear all about the lack of training, the poor orientations and poor working conditions.

I received much better training as a new grad than what I hear about these days and it wasn't a residency, it was a plain old orientation--with appropriate specialty classes, certifications, dedicated preceptor, and a general culture of support and acceptance.

So no, I don't think you are wrong to consider other opportunities. Apply to everything and see what offers you get.