3 Tips to Land Your First Nursing Job Before Graduation

• Even amid a workforce shortage, landing a nursing job before graduation can be a challenge. 
• One nurse shares practical tips to help your search (and interview process) based on 15 years in the field. 
• The path to your first nursing job is a gradual evolution. 

I remember when I was in my final year of nursing school, there was a nursing shortage. I know what you are thinking — When is there not a nursing shortage?

My classmates and I had the mindset that, because of the shortage, there should be no problem finding a nursing job. After all, the hospitals need us, right? As we began applying for jobs, our professor broke the news. A soft hiring freeze had been implemented, specifically for new graduate nurses

What did this mean for us? Unless we got accepted into some type of fellowship in a specialty area, employment in the hospital might not happen for a little while. I figured I was safe. I was a student nurse extern working for almost a year on the surgical stepdown unit in a certified nursing assistant (CNA)/patient care technician (PCT) role.

At the time I began working there, I was pretty much guaranteed an opportunity to interview and continue working there as a registered nurse after I passed the NCLEX. Soon after, my nurse manager told me she would not be able to hire me on my home unit due to the hiring freeze. To give even more context, my goal was to become a critical care nurse.

Prior to the hiring freeze, the advised path was to start on a medical-surgical unit or a surgical unit, develop time management and prioritization skills and then move on to areas with higher acuity. I had fallen in love with my home surgical unit. I built relationships and was looking forward to growing there before moving on to a critical care setting. Now I was faced with the possibility of being placed in a nursing home or long-term care facility.

Let me make the disclaimer that there is absolutely nothing wrong with long-term care facilities. I believe that in every healthcare setting, people find their passion, become experts, and bring value to that area. It just was not my preference. I applied to what, at the time, was called the Critical Care Fellowship. My application was denied because the student nurse externs in the intensive care units were given preference understandably. A posting for a Critical Care Fellowship out of state popped up on my radar. I took a chance and applied. The assistant nurse manager for my home unit actually offered to write my letter of recommendation. The day before my pinning ceremony, I received the news that I was accepted.

I witnessed key themes with my classmates who were hired before graduation. For those who struggled to find jobs even after passing NCLEX, it had nothing to do with poor interviewing skills. Some were the most eloquent, highly adaptable, and quick-learning individuals I had ever met. In my work as a nursing professional development specialist, I see the same themes exhibited in the hiring process more than 15 years later.

I will say this. This is not a profound, comprehensive list of tips. It is truly just the application of very practical and modifiable actions that can increase your chances of obtaining your first nursing job before graduation. It can potentially save new graduate nurses the stress and panic of scrambling to find a job if the best laid plans do not work out.

Gain Bedside Experience Outside of Clinical Rotation

You do not have to wait until your professor posts opportunities to complete a shadow day in a clinical area. Take the initiative and reach out to your local hospital’s education department to inquire about their shadow program criteria. You can do this even before you start your clinical rotations.

I want to take the opportunity to debunk a myth. Becoming a nurse does not exempt anyone from answering a phone, pushing a bed, or cleaning a soiled patient. I cannot adequately stress the value of experience as a unit clerk, CNA, patient care assistant/technician, medical assistant, student nurse extern, etc. Hiring managers are looking for experience with human interaction, basic practice, and reinforcement of the skills learned in school.

I believe the keys to being an effective nurse are consistently seeking new knowledge and humility. Teamwork should be at the core of everything, so the reality is that an effective nurse knows how to walk in the shoes of each member of the team. The unit clerk may call out sick and there is nobody to cover the shift. The unit clerk may be inundated with phone calls, and you are standing next to a ringing line. There may be a shortage of patient care assistants/technicians during your shift, and you will need to complete point-of-care blood glucose testing, empty your own urinary catheter bag, or complete your own bed bath. I know that for many, I am not telling you anything you do not already know. This is just a gentle reminder in love for those who may have the misconception that certain delegable tasks are beneath them once “R.N.” is added to their signature.

RELATED COURSE: How to Reduce New Nurse Turnover

When interviewing, we know all the buzzwords: “I work well with others.” “I adapt well to stressful situations.” “I have great time management and organizational skills.” However, what happens when you’re asked to share an example? Your ability to demonstrate these qualities in your personal life or nursing school clinical rotation can certainly translate to how you will respond as a nurse. But how great would it be to give extra examples from work experience in the clinical setting?

If you’re not already a CNA, some hospitals partner with local training centers to help individuals earn that certification to work in the hospital setting without starting nursing school. Most hospitals will offer student nurse extern positions or patient care assistant/technician positions after one clinical rotation. Nursing programs vary, so your first clinical rotation may occur in your first, second, third, or even fourth year. Whatever you do, do not wait until your final semester to start looking for extra experience. By this time, you should have already started applying for nursing jobs with an updated resume showcasing all the amazing experiences you have under your belt. 

Start Your Nursing Job Search Early

Most organizations are not looking for registered nurse licensure or even degree completion before providing an opportunity to interview. The beginning of your last semester is the latest you should begin applying.

Attending career fairs even earlier than that is a great way to build networking skills prior to your final year of school. Career fairs are also instrumental in finding opportunities to gain bedside experience outside of nursing school clinical rotation. They also provide opportunities to gain knowledge of application processes and deadlines ahead of time.

There are still opportunities to apply for positions as a stand-alone new graduate; however, many opt for the nurse residency program route. This allows you to be a part of a cohort that can support one another while completing a structured orientation with supplemental classes. There may be several tracks, including medical-surgical, surgical, critical care, perioperative, home health, and emergency services. Knowing the deadlines ahead of time helps to map out and plan your interviews. The reality is that not everybody is offered the first position they apply for; therefore, it is important to apply in a timely manner and have a diverse set of choices. 

Find a Mentor to Help Your Nursing Job Search

Michael Dell once said, “Try never to be the smartest person in the room. And if you are, I suggest you invite smarter people or find a different room.” 

A pitfall in nursing (well, life in general) is the human tendency to feel like we need to have it all together. Asking questions sometimes makes us feel unknowledgeable and incompetent. The thought of, “I should know this,” or, “They are going to think I don’t know what I am doing,” can creep into our minds. What you’ll find is that nursing best practice is ever evolving, so there will always be questions to ask whether you’re a novice or experienced nurse.

To be honest, not asking a question may cost a life. Find someone you trust and feel comfortable in asking the questions. Starting now will make a world of difference in preparing to transition from the classroom to interviewing and real-world nursing practice.

Are you still feeling hesitant about seeking out a mentor? The root of the word “expert” is the Latin term “expertus,” which means to “try or experience.” “Expert” is commonly used to describe someone with a high level of knowledge on a specific topic. Because of this, sometimes we must be reminded that an expert may have a high level of knowledge but does not know it all. Take comfort in knowing that nobody wakes up an expert. An expert becomes an expert by trying, by experiencing, by failing, and by asking questions. Even after becoming an expert, the knowledge seeking does not end there.

Mentorship can take on many forms. It can be as formal as meeting your mentor regularly to discuss specific topics or scheduled office hours with one of your professors. It can be as informal as conversations on your lunch break with a nurse on your job or during your clinical rotation, obtaining study or job search tips from a nursing student in their final semester, or chatting with a representative at a career fair.

You never know how building relationships can help you when things do not go as smoothly as planned. Referring back to my previous assistant nurse manager, that relationship was built through working as a student nurse extern and led to a letter of recommendation when my plans changed. 

The Bottom Line

In the words of Edward Young, “Procrastination is the thief of time.” Nursing school can be a stressful process. The last thing anyone wants to do is worry about how to land a job while dealing with the pressure of studying and passing the NCLEX. The journey to landing your first nursing job does not start at graduation. It starts from the time you take your first prerequisite. The journey to your first nursing job is years of gradual preparation. Taking the proper actions to stay ahead of the game and building a network of support is key to success. 

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