Working with your ATT Letter?

[Hooligan]

Is anyone here working with just your ATT letter and not actually passing your boards yet? I just got my ATT letter and am anxious to start working ASAP. I just scheduled my NCLEX date and was not able to get an availability date until 9/12. Yikes! My DH is very anxious for me to start working as well....understandably, of course...I haven't worked in over 3 years now (I had to take an extra year for school because of complications with my pregnancy). Also, I'm feeling a little akward at the prospect of job hunting. I went straight from graduating college with my B.A. to a job where I stayed for 5 years before I quit to go back to school for nursing. In my adult life, I've had one 'professional' interview...I got the job and accepted to offer and have never needed to go through the process until now. Also, my first degree was in English and had nothing whatsoever to do with nursing...um...my resume looks a little lacking....do I mention clinical experience on my resume? If so, where?

Ugh...I can't believe how inept I feel right now....

Any advice, info, whatever would be appreciated....thanks!

[suzy253, RN]

Hiya. I graduated in May, haven't taken the NCLEX (yet) and am working as a Graduate Nurse. How about the hospitals where you did clinicals? Some places hire GN's...and certainly put your clinical rotations down on your resume. Good luck.

[naijanurse]

hi, most hospitals will hire you before taking the nclex on the stipulation that you pass. some hospitals have a deadline for you to pass the boards. for example, where i will be working, you have to take and pass the nclex within 3 months of your hire date. as far as writing a remume, of course you should write down your clinical experinece! even though it was in a clinical setting, it is still experience. when i was writing my resume, i found this great website with sample resumes which really helped me.

http://www.udel.edu/CSC/NurseResumes.pdf

hope it helps!

~shakira

[truern]

We were told NOT to put down our clinical experience on our resume...that it's a given you have clinical during nursing school and in no way is that experience that same as actual nursing experience. I was so torn and really wanted to include it because some of it was GREAT experience, but I didn't.

Have you had clinical at a site where you'd really like to work?? That was my ticket thru the door :)

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

It's important to find out both your hospital and State requirements. For instance, you can work as a GN in New York, but you must have a Permit (requested from the same office you'd go to for your license). The permit is $35, and requires your employer to fill out some paperwork. The permit isn't issued unless there's a job to go along with it.

Just be sure you do whatever's needed so you don't get caught with your pants down, so to speak!

[NJNursing, ASN, RN]

I know in New Jersey you can NOT work as a graduate nurse. You can do an externship where you're not a nurse yet, but you're basically working under your preceptors license and if you screw up both of you are going down for it. I'm starting an internship, but it was contingent that we had to of had our NCLEX taken (and passed) by the first day of orientation.

Here if you don't have your license, you can't practice as a nurse.

Did you try looking at a different testing center (many states have several) for an earlier date? It might be worth it to drive a little further to get a quicker date. My friend had to do that and it made the difference of almost 4 weeks.