What did you do after nursing school graduation?

Nurses New Nurse

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Hello and happy holidays. I've just graduated nursing school a week ago and now preparing for state boards. After graduation what did you do? Did you take some time off? Did you work? Did you begin applying for jobs? Everyone's answer is different, and I'm curious to see them all. Thanks. :-)

Specializes in M/S, Pulmonary, Travel, Homecare, Psych..

I started working, literally, the week after graduation. Finished school on Friday, weekend off, started orientation on Wednesday. Three days orientation, then full time on the floor orienting the next week. I didn't mind, I did have a four day weekend.

I had to request off for the graduation ceremony.

This worked fine for me because, I'm one of those people who have trouble returning to work after a vacation. I honestly have to force myself into work after I've been off a week. It's really bad. I once got to take two weeks in a row off and I'm not even going to say how much I had to tell myself "No, no calling off" when it was time to go back. Since I only had four days to myself, a mini-vacation, my head stayed "in the game". With my head where it needed to be, I didn't put off taking the boards.

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Specializes in M/S, Pulmonary, Travel, Homecare, Psych..
I went to a bar with my sister and some friends, and my sister became annoyed as the evening went on, because people kept buying me drinks when they found out I'd graduated from nursing school that day!

In those days, we worked on Interim Permits until passing Boards ; in my state exams took place four times a year. I went to work about four days after graduation, took Boards three months later, and passed!

Congratulations, and good luck in the future !

:shy:

Not gonna ask when you graduated, that's too much like asking someone's age. But I wonder which of us graduated first. Either way, one of us is a copy cat.

That's the exactly how it went for me, down to the day. Four days off after graduation, three months to take boards.

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After graduating in June, I continued to work as a nursing assistant for the rest of the summer. It was a good summer. I had signed up to take the NCLEX but waited until a few weeks before to study for the test. After passing said NCLEX I walked into a nursing role on the same unit I already worked on.

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Specializes in MCH,NICU,NNsy,Educ,Village Nursing.
I signed up to work float, nights, at my hospital (Diploma grad here, so I was ready to work float). I figured working float would help me cement my knowledge, and I could always switch to a regular floor when I was ready. I worked as a GN (Graduate Nurse) until I took Boards.

NCLEX didn't exist back then. Nursing Boards took 2 days, with 5 separate tests, and was offered twice a year. If a GN didn't pass boards, she/he was immediately demoted to Nurse's Aide.

Once I passes boards and earned my RN, I continued to work float for about a year.

I took the same exam.

To answer OP's questions: I was basically devoid of any neuro cells after graduation, other than those necessary to breathe and keep my heart beating. For about 2 weeks, I vegged in front of soap operas (I must have REALLY been brain dead), then went to work studying for boards, met with a study group to do so. I applied for my first RN job after I received notice that I had passed, and went to work the Tuesday after Labor Day, or something like that.

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1. Went to ocharleys

2. Did as many practice questions and rationales as humanly possible

3. Started applying for jobs, took me 6 months to find anything

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A classmate wanted to go to Magic Mountain so that is what we did. 3 classmates, two female, one male, and a friend from the restaurant in which I worked in my VW bug. Driving back home the fan belt broke and engine will blow without one so I always carried an extra. We pulled into parking lot and realiized with all of our newfound 'intelligence' being college grads and all no one had any idea how to replace the fan belt except my friend who washed dishes. Good thing I wanted to treat Rigoberto to Magic Mountain!

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Took Kaplan, continued to work as a CNA for about a week or less before I took the NCLEX. Studied a few times with my nursing school bestie. Took the exam about a month after I graduated and passed.

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Specializes in ICU, trauma.

i already had a job lined up before graduating. took nclex a week after graduating and started 2 weeks after graduation at my new job

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Specializes in Pedi.

I graduated on a Monday, went to Maine that Thursday for 5 days, came home, took and NCLEX review course, went back to Maine, came home, took NCLEX, went back to Maine for another 2 weeks, came home then went to NY for 3 weeks, went back to Maine, came home for a night, went to Belize for 2 weeks, came home, moved into an apartment the next day then started work about a week later. I chose to not start working until September when I graduated because I knew that was my last summer.

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Specializes in Psych/Mental Health.

After my "final" final exam, I went out with a bunch of classmates for drinks.

The very next day I started my NCLEX prep with UWorld. Did that for ~26 consecutive days, about 3 hours daily. During that time I went on my honeymoon in Hawaii for 10 days. I fit that 3 hours study time into the honeymoon without any problems and still had the best time. Took & passed NCLEX on day 28 (2 days after I got my ATT). Then I started looking for a job.

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
Not gonna ask when you graduated, that's too much like asking someone's age.

And, as we all are aware, age is a terrible thing to know.

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Congratulations on graduating! How exciting!

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