Taking time off after nursing school

PatrickJ · Apr 19, 2005

You should enter the field only when you are ready. There are a bazillion places that will hire you with no experience. Just need that license. Good places will certainly orient you to entry level.

Heck yea, take that time off. I took two months before I started. I had that emotional good feeling knowing I had my license. I just kicked back and enjoyed the time off for a while.

You will find that nurses are a helpful and understanding bunch. They will help you get your feet wet and you will develop many good friends.

Finish school, do boards, keep CEUs current and take time off.

Hope this helps some.

Patrick

suzanne4, RN · Apr 19, 2005

If you begin work right after graduation, you will still be starting without experience.......I wouldn't worry about it. You will just be starting as a new grad when you are ready..............

And sorry about your loss.............

RainDreamer, BSN, RN · Apr 19, 2005

First of all, I'm sorry for your loss :icon_hug:

Secondly, I agree with Patrick and Suzanne. You'll be starting off with no experience anyway, fresh out of school or a year from graduation. You'll still have to start with a new grad orientation program. I don't see the harm in waiting a year, just keep up with CEUs and I think you'll be fine. Good luck! :)

Tweety, BSN, RN · Apr 19, 2005

I'm sorry for your loss. Many places hire new grads without experience. Best wishes for a safe delivery and a healthy baby.

jeepgirl, LPN, NP · Apr 19, 2005

I think you should go ahead, go to school, and get a job after graduation.

Many places will train you for 3-4 months after graduation, full time and then place you on "over hire." In other words, you'd be PRN.

So you could train and then be able to keep your hand in the pot while you stay at home with baby. That way when you do want to reenter the workforce and work regularly, you will have the experience you need.

angeldust · Apr 19, 2005

I was pregnant recently and miscarried. My husband and I are planning to try to get pregnant again this fall so that our baby is due when or just after I graduate (June 2006). My question is I have always intended on being a stay at home mother. Now that I am entering nursing school (a second degree one year program) I would still like to take at least a year off after graduation/once the baby is born before entering the workforce. Is this possible? Will anyone hire a nurse with no clinical experience? How likely is it to re-enter the workforce? Has anyone done this? Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

I see nothing wrong if you want to take a year off after graduation before heading on to workforce. Once a nurse always a nurse. I finished nursing way back 1993 but only decided late last year to pursue a nursing career. I started having a career 3 years after my marriage but mostly I was into sales and promotions, not really into nursing profession. I agree with Suzanne and Patrick. Take your time. The best time to have a career is when you are ready for it. Good luck! :nurse:

Heath82371 · Apr 19, 2005

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snowfreeze, BSN, RN · Apr 19, 2005

When I graduated it took me 3 months to find the job I wanted. Do what you need to do, be happy in your life first.

snowfreeze, BSN, RN · Apr 19, 2005

I got pregnant during the first year of nursing school. I drove to clinicals because I often was nauseated and 'tossing' in the plastic bag 'in my own car' was more acceptable to my peers. I had my daughter c-section august 16 so no second year nursing school for a year. I jumped back into the second year with sleepy eyes, a child now in daycare and not enough sleep to support a human. I graduated without a problem as far as grades or attendence. My child is now 14 and very independant, smart too. Advanced classes in most subjects and defiant as heck, LOL. She didnt suffer as far as I see and has no bad memories of daycare or mommy being too tired to read to her etc. She did learn computers early though as I had one and used it often for studying and writing papers. One day she was playing on her program and came running out of my room giggling..Mom, its your turn on the computer. She had hidden all my icons offscreen, on a windows 2.1 program. It took me 2 hours to find what she did. Imagine this child at 14 years old now, yeh, she is a challenge but so smart you just smile after you talk to her. She wants to be a physical therapist.

angeldust · Apr 19, 2005

Is it possible for a new grad to even work part-time or prn? I wanted to comment to the post that I should put off nursing school....well, I had considered delaying entry into nursing school last month when I found out I was pregnant and I miscarried. I would rather do nursing school now because there is no guarantee that the next pregnancy won't turn out the same way and I would have put off school when I didn't need to. I may not get pregnant right away (didn't last time either) in which case I would go to work. I am just concerned that I will have difficulty securing a grad nurse/new grad job after being out of school for a year+ and yes I am concerned that my skills will get rusty. I am almost 31 and will be 32 when I graduate (so time is a factor in pregnancy as well).

Well, I may not be the right person in authority as to nursing profession is concerned, the fact that i am starting a nursing career just recently but I do believe one thing that nothing is impossible if you believe in yourself. I am turning 35 this year and pursuing things that I love to do like my nursing career interests me as much as any young hopefuls do. And age is definitely not stopping me in achieving that. Hey, thirty something is the age where one is at its fullest bloom for anything challenging in life. Btw, I am a mother of 3 you know. Just have that passion to be a nurse I am sure you'll do fine.

jeepgirl, LPN, NP · Apr 19, 2005

Is it possible for a new grad to even work part-time or prn? I wanted to comment to the post that I should put off nursing school....well, I had considered delaying entry into nursing school last month when I found out I was pregnant and I miscarried. I would rather do nursing school now because there is no guarantee that the next pregnancy won't turn out the same way and I would have put off school when I didn't need to. I may not get pregnant right away (didn't last time either) in which case I would go to work. I am just concerned that I will have difficulty securing a grad nurse/new grad job after being out of school for a year+ and yes I am concerned that my skills will get rusty. I am almost 31 and will be 32 when I graduate (so time is a factor in pregnancy as well).

I know a few new nurses who are at different facilities and work PRN. They work as much or as little as they want.

I would love to have that flexability!!!