Travel in Between NCLEX & 1st Job

[Mesosalpinx]

Hi everyone! I will be graduating from my BSN program in May 2018. Traveling is a big part of my life and I was hoping to sneak a trip in before committing to my first nursing job. If I were to take the NCLEX 3-4 weeks after graduating, when should I travel? Would it be better to apply for jobs before or after I travel? I would hope to be gone for 3-6 weeks. Thanks!

[morphadite]

i think it depends on what facility you want to work in. For example, I am in a similar spot. I had to wait 3-4 weeks to take the NCLEX (i take it in a couple of days) and I leave on vacation much later in the day of the exam. I have a job already lined up but, because it is a new graduate program it doesn't start until late September so it gives me plenty of time to enjoy myself before starting.

So, if I were you i would look around first and see what is available (find out the projected start date) and just take it from there. I hope this helps!

[RNNPICU, BSN, RN]

Some hospitals or other places have specific new grad start dates. You could plan your trip around the start date. Those dates are not negotiable, but you may be able to pick, for example, when I started, I had a choice of a July or August start date, the day was specific. I really wanted the July one, but the day the orientation started I was returning back from a vacation, even though it was one day I would have missed, I had no choice but to start on the August date.

When you start applying for jobs, it would be important to ask about the start dates. Once you know, you can plan your trip around it. Once you start, you would not be able to take that much time off during orientation.