Year off after finishing BSN program?

Tweety, BSN, RN · Jul 8, 2005

More than likely not. He would have to make it clear he was a new grad, even though a year had passed, and he'd qualify just like any other new grad. Presuming he goes ahead and passes NCLEX, he would have a heads up from the new grads coming out of school.

A guy that puts family first, I would think would have other qualities they would be looking for. Good luck!

llg, PhD, RN · Jul 8, 2005

I usually agree with you, Tweety, but not this time. My 18 years in nursing staff development has taught me that people who take too much time off between school and work forget a lot of what they learned and often struggle with the transition from student to professional.

I've participated in a lot of interviews/hiring processess in which managers would be skeptical of someone who had taken 4-6 months off after graduation. I'm sure many would be hesitant to hire someone who had taken a full year off -- unless the person were maintaining their knowledge and skills in some way.

I'm not saying the person couldn't get hired by anyone ... but he might be more limited in his choices.

My advice for the original poster and her husband is for her husband to meet with the nurse recruiters (and perhaps a manager or two) of the hospitals for which he is most interested in working. Meet now ... while he is still in school ... and ask them how they feel about it. It's their opinions that count most, not ours.

As I often tell people on this listserve ... it's usually best to go to the key people directly and politely ask their opinion. They will usually tell you ... and then you'll know.

llg

Tweety, BSN, RN · Jul 9, 2005

I usually agree with you, Tweety, but not this time. My 18 years in nursing staff development has taught me that people who take too much time off between school and work forget a lot of what they learned and often struggle with the transition from student to professional.
I've participated in a lot of interviews/hiring processess in which managers would be skeptical of someone who had taken 4-6 months off after graduation. I'm sure many would be hesitant to hire someone who had taken a full year off -- unless the person were maintaining their knowledge and skills in some way.
I'm not saying the person couldn't get hired by anyone ... but he might be more limited in his choices.
My advice for the original poster and her husband is for her husband to meet with the nurse recruiters (and perhaps a manager or two) of the hospitals for which he is most interested in working. Meet now ... while he is still in school ... and ask them how they feel about it. It's their opinions that count most, not ours.
As I often tell people on this listserve ... it's usually best to go to the key people directly and politely ask their opinion. They will usually tell you ... and then you'll know.
llg

Good advice as always. I'm not in recruiting and management and putting my own perspective on things.

Where I work it seems we take anyone with a license, experience or not. We are trying so hard not to use agency nurses and travelers, it doesn't matter.

So this person would more than likely be welcome here and more welcome because already in possession of a license, even without experience. The VP is so anti agency and traveler and has made a strong committment to new grads, and people who want to go staff.

To the original poster, however, I would heed llg's advice and not mine. :)

elkpark · Jul 9, 2005

I usually agree with you, Tweety, but not this time. My 18 years in nursing staff development has taught me that people who take too much time off between school and work forget a lot of what they learned and often struggle with the transition from student to professional.
I've participated in a lot of interviews/hiring processess in which managers would be skeptical of someone who had taken 4-6 months off after graduation. I'm sure many would be hesitant to hire someone who had taken a full year off -- unless the person were maintaining their knowledge and skills in some way.
I'm not saying the person couldn't get hired by anyone ... but he might be more limited in his choices.

I agree completely, esp. since we're talking about a new grad -- and it's so much easier to forget "new" data/info/skills than it is stuff that you've really burned into your brain. It would be challenging enough for a seasoned "old-timer" to take a year off and then come back with skills/info up to speed. For a new grad to choose to do this would be, IMHO, really shooting himself in the foot.

If it were me interviewing and hiring, frankly, I'd be v. reluctant to hire a new grad who had taken a year off ...

disneyjenca · Jul 9, 2005

Well, I have to say I'm disappointed -- but happy to have the insight before we made the decision instead of being suprised afterward!

Do you have any half-way suggestions? Would working a few months before taking a year off help any down the road (I kind of doubt it from your responses)? How about working part-time for a year or two right out of the BSN, and then moving to full-time?

Thank you all for responding so quickly!

- jen

meownsmile, BSN, RN · Jul 9, 2005

You werent really clear as to whether he is going to go ahead and take his NCLEX as soon as he graduates.

But,, i have to agree with llg. He needs to give himself a good year and a half or so to get a good grasp on the RN role before he takes any extended time off. I dont know,, maybe working evenings if you are working days and getting a sitter for a couple afternoon hours if your schedules overlap would work better for him.

A lot of hospitals dont want their new grads to work part-time until they have a year or so in. You would have to talk to the DON or administration of the facility he wants to work at and get their philosophy on how new grads need to be scheduled. Im sure there is a lot of differing opinions on that out there.

From what ive seen of new grads coming out, they all need full time to aquire skills they arent getting in school.

RN4NICU, LPN, LVN · Jul 9, 2005

Part time work is not generally recommended for the new grad due to the need for a steady and consistent orientation process. It is really important for the new grad nurse to consistently reinforce what they have learned and are learning. This is particularly true in acute care settings and is more difficult to achieve when working only on a part-time basis. The first year out of school is generally regarded as one of the most important. It is the time when the new nurse makes the transition from the student role to the actual nursing role. The transition is not as easy as most people expect it to be.

There are probably places who will bend the rules if they are desparate enough for help, but it is not necessarily to the benefit of the new nurse. You have to remember that with the license comes responsibility. Confidence in critical thinking skills and clinical judgement comes from consistent exposure and reinforcement. That is a very important aspect of the role transition. I would strongly advise any new grad against part-time work, even if it were offered by a potential employer.

SmilingBluEyes · Jul 10, 2005

I usually agree with you, Tweety, but not this time. My 18 years in nursing staff development has taught me that people who take too much time off between school and work forget a lot of what they learned and often struggle with the transition from student to professional.
I've participated in a lot of interviews/hiring processess in which managers would be skeptical of someone who had taken 4-6 months off after graduation. I'm sure many would be hesitant to hire someone who had taken a full year off -- unless the person were maintaining their knowledge and skills in some way.
I'm not saying the person couldn't get hired by anyone ... but he might be more limited in his choices.
My advice for the original poster and her husband is for her husband to meet with the nurse recruiters (and perhaps a manager or two) of the hospitals for which he is most interested in working. Meet now ... while he is still in school ... and ask them how they feel about it. It's their opinions that count most, not ours.
As I often tell people on this listserve ... it's usually best to go to the key people directly and politely ask their opinion. They will usually tell you ... and then you'll know.
llg

I have to agree.

I admire a man who is willing to do this, but I think he ought think hard about it.

neuronursein06 · Jul 10, 2005

Having one more year of a BSN program myself, I would doubt if I would be able to return to a first nursing job after a year of being off post-graduation! My clinical skills are so new, that I think I'd forget how to hang IVPB's, etc, unless I had been doing it for 6 mo, a year, whatever!

I've thought of getting pregnant pretty soon after I get married- which is right beofre my preceptorship starts- but I don't feel comfortable enough in my skills with the idea of working 5 mos, then being off 3, etc... the luxury of working in a hospital is the flexibility of it all. I know of a few (male) nurses who work nights, who's wifes work part or full time, so they can be there and sleep when the newborn does, etc, during the day...esp as a "new" dad, it seems do-able and like it works. After a year, maybe he could go down to a part-time weekender position?

And I agree, from nurses I know, and the 2 teaching hospitals I have been employed at, that "new" nurses are not hired at anything less than full time, because there is still so much to learn.

Good luck!

I have to agree.
I admire a man who is willing to do this, but I think he ought think hard about it.

oldnurse newnurse · Sep 18, 2005

I usually agree with you, Tweety, but not this time. My 18 years in nursing staff development has taught me that people who take too much time off between school and work forget a lot of what they learned and often struggle with the transition from student to professional.
I've participated in a lot of interviews/hiring processess in which managers would be skeptical of someone who had taken 4-6 months off after graduation. I'm sure many would be hesitant to hire someone who had taken a full year off -- unless the person were maintaining their knowledge and skills in some way.
I'm not saying the person couldn't get hired by anyone ... but he might be more limited in his choices.
My advice for the original poster and her husband is for her husband to meet with the nurse recruiters (and perhaps a manager or two) of the hospitals for which he is most interested in working. Meet now ... while he is still in school ... and ask them how they feel about it. It's their opinions that count most, not ours.
As I often tell people on this listserve ... it's usually best to go to the key people directly and politely ask their opinion. They will usually tell you ... and then you'll know.
llg

I am agreeing with you here my best friend took a year off and when she began her nursing career she was overwhelmed. Crying everyday after work she said she had forgotten sooo much :confused: that she didn't know what to do.

Too much time off can definitely harm his career, relatively speaking. I would suggest working part-time. if that is at all possible I know facilities usually want new grads to work full-time. But at least try that first.

But sounds great to take time off for family reasons. But remember if you don't use it, you lose it. LIKE a muscle (little nursing humor), but good luck on whatever you guys decide.

ManyRN2B · Sep 19, 2005

It will be about 4 mos I took out from school to actually working. I graduated May 21,05 and I was due to start a job in the ICU July 5th this year. I postponed the job until their October fellowship because I hadnt taken the NCLEX. Long story short, I didn't get my ATT in time to test before my start date. I didn't want to start working and studying for the NCLEX at the same time so I postponed.

The hospital told me that was fine, they understood. I wanted to take time with my family for the summer and make the transition from student to nurse easy for my family. Nursing school is hard on the family and we needed a little break. So I had to reinterview for the job in August and was not offered the ICU. They told me the ICU was full. *whatever* In the interview the person interviewing brought up twice comments about me not starting in July until I finally told her why. She didn't seem to like my reason but hey I do what is best for my family. I think they saw it as not able to handle stress. Starting a new job and studying for the NCLEX is hard and anybody will tell you that.

So they offered me a job in Cardiac Surgery Stepdown Unit. It's fine because I was actually nervous about the ICU. The funny thing is they put me in the ICU the first time. I interviewed for L&D and they lady thought I should go into the ICU based on my test results during the interview. This hosp makes you take an oral exam based on senerios.

So if they frown on me for taking off 4 mos, then definetly a year no matter what the reason. He should defintely take the NCLEX ASAP after graduation and like someone else said, ask the hosp he plans on working for and see what they think.

Good luck and tough decision!

Tiffany RN, BSN