I graduated with my ADN in May 2013 and received my RN Lic July 2013. I have been working Flu, Wellness, School nursing, and soon will be trained for home health through the same agency. Because of the dismal job market and my future goals of some day obtaining a PhD or DNP, I decided to immediately go back to school and I am now working towards an MSN (Clinical Nurse Leader) to be completed in 2016.
I will need to get hospital experience to obtain my goals. Will I still be able to apply for "new grad" programs after I complete my MSN studies in 2016? I keep hearing that after 6 mos you are no longer a "new grad" and/or once you work as an RN you are no longer a "new grad". If either of these things are true then I am going to be an unemployable graduate nurse; a thought that is really unsettling considering how much I love this field.
So, my question is, what is a "new graduate" nurse?
The traditional definition of a new graduate nurse is a nurse during the first year of licensure.
Unfortunately, OP, you're no longer a new grad, nor will going back for your MSN/CNL "reset" the new grad timer.
Now, how facilities define "new grad" in terms of job requirements can vary widely. I work for two hospitals. One considers you a new grad RN if you graduated within the last 18 months and have less than 12 months of experience. The other specifies less than 12 months for experience and doesn't have a limit as to how long ago you could have graduated. So you may qualify for some "new grad" programs, but new grad you technically are not.
The National Council of State Boards of Nursing just published their official definition of "entry level nurse" to include anyone with less than 12 months of full time nursing practice experience. This is what my organization also uses. The eligibility for formal transition programs is spelled out for each one.
Since CNL is a role primarily driven by and used in the VA (Veterans' Administration, not Virginia)- have you considered relocating and applying to a VA facility? Are you able to relocate? Because there ARE jobs in such far-flung places as North Dakota and the deep South.
Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN
4 Articles; 7,907 Posts
The traditional definition of a new graduate nurse is a nurse during the first year of licensure.
Unfortunately, OP, you're no longer a new grad, nor will going back for your MSN/CNL "reset" the new grad timer.
Now, how facilities define "new grad" in terms of job requirements can vary widely. I work for two hospitals. One considers you a new grad RN if you graduated within the last 18 months and have less than 12 months of experience. The other specifies less than 12 months for experience and doesn't have a limit as to how long ago you could have graduated. So you may qualify for some "new grad" programs, but new grad you technically are not.
Best of luck.