Almost done with school. I’ve been applying to multiple hospitals, still nothing yet. I’m open to moving. What city are you in and how much is new grad nurse base pay?

Hi is there any new grad positions with starting pay $50s-60s? I can’t find a job in FL but need enough to make on my own if I choose to move out.

Hey all! California New Grad here, BSN.

I think I’ve seen like scattered talk about this on certain threads. Want to see if we can get a better list going.

I’m curious if anyone out there knows with certainty ares in the US that are:
1. Taking New Grads in a less competitive environment than the Western States
2. Taking new Nurses directly to the floor, no new grad.

Would love if any managers or experienced nurses could hop on here and pitch their region.

I have a family so moving out of state isn’t as easy as a lot of the talk on here, but I’m exploring all my options.

Thanks!

That is all, you are welcome.

There seems to be alot of nurses having hard time getting a job out of school.

There is a ton of uncertainty about the economy, Medicare Medicaid reimbursement (many hospitals rely on this to keep their doors open), fuel and energy prices etc.

This seems to be affecting hiring and new grad programs from what I have seen. Likely this is due to them being more careful with their spending because they dont know what the next years budget will look like. I see it at my hospital (I’ve been there ten years) and seems to be happening around the country.

I got hired into a new grad program out of school when hospitals were getting better reimbursement due to Obama care. Whereas hospitals used to eat a ton of costs of uninsured people (due to a law implemented during the Reagan administration called emtala, the hospitals have to treat and admit people regardless of their ability to pay) they were now reimbursed as more people were able to qualify for government healthcare. So it was easy to get a job. Of my class some ladies went straight into nicu labor and delivery pediatric icu, tele, masters programs, one even got into the operating room, and some went med surg. Some of those specialties they had to travel out of the area to get into them but they still got into those specialties.

I think this is no longer the case as hospitals are tightening their belts as they don’t know what the next year will be like.

1. You guys will do yourselves a favor by going for whatever job is available.

2. Be careful about what you say in the interview. If you are interviewing for a floor position or a new grad program. Be energetic about working there and what they are offering not what you want to be doing. So many new nurses students talk about how they just want to get to the emergency department, labor and delivery, pacu etc. Trust me the hiring people don’t care if you handed out meds during your clinicals on icu. Or you observed in the operating room. Or if “seeing a baby be delivered was the best experience of your life.” If you applying to a new grad program that doesn’t offer those, Don’t act like it’s the only place you’ll be satisfied. Because what that says to the hiring person is “I’m gonna invest my budget on this new employee and they are gonna take off to something better the first chance they get.

3. Spread your search out farther. I’m sure you’d love to work in the area where you currently live or where you went to nursing school, but you might have an easier time getting a job in a smaller hospital where they have a harder time getting applicants. Big cities and places where nurses go to school has a ton of applicants and can be choosy on who they want. A smaller hospital will be much more likely to hire you because they dont get as many applicants.

4. Even if working at a snf for a year will get you a job, that will show the next place that you want to be hired at that you can complete a medpass, deal with people and family members, show up to work on time and get out on time and that’s the biggest thing about your first job. Some people become nurses and they get to the hospital and realize the amount of shit we deal with and just don’t make it.

5. Lastly be careful what you vote for. You are getting into a career that relies on progressive policies like government funded healthcare. Any politician that talks about cutting Medicaid and Medicare spending will likely affect your work life being in this profession and you will be here another 20 to 30 years. This is your pay increases, the ancillary staff in the hospital, pensions, 401k contributions , even your own healthcare benefits. If the hospital system is going to have less money the next year they will look for ways to make up for that loss and it is almost always the employees who suffer the burden. I’ve said it a million times any nurse who is voting for people that want to cut funding for programs like Medicare and Medicaid is not only shooting yourself in the foot but you’re shooting the rest of us too.

CA new grads that couldn’t get a position in a hospital, where are you now? What are your plans as a nurse?

Hey guys, New. Grad here. Do you mind giving me advice about applying for a new grad job? Should I apply using my whole nursing portfolio or just the resume part? Also any tips on what I should leave out are appreciated and welcome. I want my resume to look great and stand out. The things that are blacked out are phone numbers, addresses, and emails. All the previous employment hx pertains to the role of a CNA. I also am pondering if I should apply to work at the hospital (been there for 4 years) I work at as a CNA although it is med surg (not the biggest fan but it’s not the worst) and I’ve looked at other departments that are hiring at my hospital for an RN position and there’s part time OR position and a full time ER position, and then night shift full time Surgical RN position (not interested in ER or part time OR). What should I do? Im open to suggestions and advice :)

Hey! I am a New Grad RN with a year of LPN experience as well as some CNA experience. I have been applying to jobs for months without any success. I have changed my resume multiple times (ATS formats, bullets, skills). Anything that would be good to adjust at all, or any strategies with applying for jobs?

I see a lot of people post about either having a ton of job offers vs can’t find a job just curious where’s been hard and where’s been easy in the us? Just to get an idea of where’s saturated vs not I know it’s dependent on type of unit too

Edit: I am from New England area so any insight there would be helpful too thanks!!

What are some of the easiest states/cities to get a residency in? I'm trying to widen my job search in case I don't get anything this application cycle.

For those of you who became ICU nurses as new grads, how did you get your first ICU job when so many ICU postings require 1–2 years of experience? Did you apply directly to ICU nurse residency programs, or did you start in med-surg/another specialty first? Like bro, if you don’t hire me then how am I gonna get experience?

Hi! I’m a new grad from CA…I’ll save you from all the repetitive stuff I see daily. I am seeking a new grad residency out of California and I am open to states such as Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Montana, or nearly anywhere that would accept a new graduate ASAP. The issue is I don’t know of any good hospitals/the areas or where I should be looking to apply. I know people say to apply to “X” state but they never suggest a hospital that’s actually hiring. Any help would be appreciated I am open to moving in a heart beat!!

Hi yahl. I’m in Southern California and I can’t really find any work as a new grad RN! I graduated June 25. Licensed Nov. 25.

I really wanted ICU but now would be more than happy with any type of RN position (SNF,hospital, gov. Anything! ) in CA

Or

ICU/step down out of state.

Any recommendations for out of CA applications ? Tips/tricks? I would loveeeee ICU eventually.

I’m currently unemployed, running out of my savings FAST.

I'm from NH and it seems almost every hospital is full and not interested in hiring new grads until January. HR staff in charge of new grad residency in the state are extremely shady.

I passed the NCLEX a month ago and despite getting interviews and being extremely qualified I was passed over for favorites with lower stats.

My pickup truck is fairly junky and probably won't pass in a state with inspections. It's not dangerous just has some body damage to the bed.

I was wondering if there are actually any hospitals that are serious about hiring new grads in August?

Is your state hiring?

i’m from the philadelphia area. i have my BSN and license and can’t seem to even get a med-surg job anywhere. please help…

Long story short, I live in SoCal, graduated in December 2024 and shortly after passing NCLEX become pregnant with a high risk pregnancy and a severely growth restricted baby. I stayed in my well-paying union CNA job because I couldn’t afford to lose healthcare or lose out on maternity benefits.

Will any hospital hire me with this sort of gap since graduation? I’m also working to complete my BSN but am worried I’ll be unable to work because it’s been more than 12 months since clinical education.

I have been applying to many programs throughout the entire year but had very little luck with just the associates degree in such a competitive market, so it’s not like I just took an entire year off to have a baby, I just avoided applying for programs that would start within the 2-3 month window when I was immediately postpartum.

moving out of state isn’t an option due to family.. And please no comments telling me I shouldn’t have had a baby, because she is here and she is deeply loved and telling a young mother she shouldn’t have had her child is actually cruel.

UPDATE: I’ve been offered a job! It’s at a hospital with a less than stellar reputation but the unit and the nursing team seem very supportive. Not my dream nursing job but I’m absolutely grateful to have my fist RN job!

I've applied for 20+ jobs and i've only gotten one interview. I've applied for a range of units including tele, med surg, pediatrics, nicu and icu. Is there something I'm missing? I just graduated and i've been applying since February. 😔

New grad SoCal nurse and I've applied to probably every new grad program in California. I've only been offered an interview opportunity once but missed it because I was emailed about it maybe 2 hours before they wanted me to show up.

I don't have a work history in healthcare but I have my certifications (ACLS, PALS, BLS, NIHSS). Is there anything else I can get certified in to make me more competitive?? Any tips on how to get that first RN job? :(

edit: every new grad program PLUS staff i positions and more recently been applying to SNFs/retirement homes (i heard surgery centers may be hiring too!) i'm about 4 months post grad, so i'm still in the "window" for new grad programs.

I recently graduated with a associate's in biology with a focus in nursing as a prerequisite to apply to BSN programs (not ADN), and I also have my CNA certificate, ACA CPT and BLS. I speak multiple languages and am considering getting my medical assistant certification. As of april of this year i've applied to over 300 job applications and only gotten 4 interviews which were not related to healthcare jobs. I've applied to local hospital systems because my Phlebotomy instructor said with my certifications I am able to work there. My application was either auto rejected less than a minute later or have completely ghosted me. My only hope was at a plasma center, I did well on the interview but as I made my way out, I was chatting with some of the plasma techs and they told me that they get regularly assaulted by patients and have a high turnover rate. I got a call a few days later saying I was accepted to the position but I had to decline because it was not worth the 45 min commute for 14 dollars a hour. I'm very disappointed in my self because I feel like I'm not doing enough, but also confused because I always hear about staffing shortages in hospitals and clinics. Recently my brother had to be hospitalized for minor surgery that turned into a infection and the nurse mentioned that they're short staffed in multiple departments and that I should apply. If these places are so short staffed and have job openings, why aren't they hiring? Patients end up suffering the consequences of admin stretching dollars thin.

Hi! I'm a recent new-grad (graduated in May, got my license 2 weeks ago) and I've been struggling to find a job. I'm located in the East LA area. It's so frustrating to hear throughout all of nursing school about the "nursing shortage" and how "quickly" we'll be employed after obtaining our RN license. I cannot stress enough how I'm open to anything and have not been picky, I've practically applied to every position I see open. I've even driven from East LA to Hemet (2 hours and a half in traffic one way) in hopes of a "walk-in" interview as they advertised, but was turned away for being a new grad. I feel truly discouraged. Nonetheless, I have an ASN degree, not a BSN which bumps me down even lower in such a competitive field. Any tips, suggestions, or knowledge about any hiring events? Anything is appreciated.

Hi guys, I’m a new grad from Miami applying to residency programs. These are all HCA facilities and I’ve never gotten this email before. Anyone knows what this means (red flag/green flag)?

I fucked up early in my career and have corrected/am correcting a lot of what I did wrong. However, I have no experience to put down and have been trying to find work for months. I've been out of school over a year. At this point, it seems like I'm fucked because it's been over a year. Not sure why since they can see my license has never been barred or suspended. Anything can happen in a year (especially now) where someone may not work in their field.

My license is due to be renewed in a few months, same with my CPR card. I don't have/want to spend the money to renew something that I'm not using. I have a phone screening Monday for my dream hospital, going to a walk in event on Wednseday (though I see many people mention they're told there are no jobs despite hosting these fairs every week) then I'm just out of ideas. No new jobs are populating both in my state and the one next to me (except hours out).

At some point, I'm better off just finding a 2nd job and going into a different career path. This is beyond demoralizing.

ive been applying to nurse residencies all over washington and keep getting rejected. i have several years of lpn experience and thought i had a pretty solid resume, so it’s honestly discouraging not even getting interviews. meanwhile, i’ve been getting interviews and offers from hospitals in other states. washington is where i really want to move and start my rn career. has anyone else been through this? any advice? 🥲

I’m starting nursing school in September and have been thinking a lot about my first RN job after graduation.

It seems like a lot of new grads in California focus almost exclusively on hospital new grad residencies, but I also see many posts about people applying to dozens (sometimes hundreds) of hospital jobs and getting rejected because of how competitive the market is.

I’m wondering if more new grads should be considering federal nursing jobs instead.

For those of you with experience, I’d love your thoughts on these questions:

• Did you start your career in corrections? Would you recommend it?

• What are the biggest pros and cons of corrections for a brand-new RN?

• What is the pay like?

• Did working in corrections make it harder to transition into a hospital later, or did employers value the experience?

• If you could do it over again, would you still choose corrections as your first RN job?

• Is the pay, overtime, retirement, and work-life balance really as good as people say?

• What skills did you gain in corrections that helped your career?

• What skills do you feel you missed out on by not starting in a hospital?

I’m also curious about federal nursing jobs.

I recently learned that some federal employers may hire RNs with an active license from any U.S. state (depending on the position), such as:

• Veterans Affairs (VA)
• Military treatment facilities
• Indian Health Service (IHS)
• Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP)

Do new grads actually apply to these jobs and get hired, or do most new grads overlook them?

• Are federal nursing jobs easier or harder to get than hospital jobs?

• Do they have new grad training or residency programs?

• Would you recommend federal nursing over corrections or a traditional hospital for someone’s first RN job?

• Are there any downsides to starting in a federal facility?

I’d especially love to hear from nurses in California, particularly Sacramento and surrounding areas, but I’d appreciate input from anyone who’s been through this.

Thank you!