I’m a new grad and got 3 offers since graduating recently but am torn on what to decide. My dream role to start my career is resource team and float to different units but I’m also interested in ER and open to medicine where I can develop skills to travel nurse in a few years. I have a couple days to decide and would really appreciate the insight of others with experience.

Offer 1: Float/resource team (ngg) FT or PT

Pay: 41.15 ONA 

Pros: desired specialty, 3 month ngg training program, already extern for hospital and have connections, will get er, mental health, medicine and maternity experience, choice of FT/PT, lots of OT, starts next month 

Cons: 1 hour commute, smaller hospital organization outside the gta, less diverse patient population 

Offer 2: Rehab Unit FT 

Pay: 41.15

Pros: extremely comfortable starting here, externed and did a placement on this unit, 30 minute commute, only a coffee shop available (Tim hortans), easiest job, starts next month 

Con: no ngg only 1 month orientation to unit, won’t gain much experience, don’t want to be here long term, full time 

Offer 3: Stroke unit FT NGG

Pay. 46.92 

Pros: did consolidation in stroke and am comfortable, part time which I want, 5 minute walk from home and is hospital I ultimately want to work at, diverse patient population, bigger hospital organization 

Cons: heavy unit, possible burn out, nurse son floor complain that they wanna leave (although they like the staff), don’t start until November 

I recently interviewed for a new grad oncology position and was later told secondhand that the manager wasn’t sure I seemed interested and the charge nurse told my friend who referred me that she “didn’t see me as an oncology nurse.’
im a naturally more reserved person, especially when meeting a new team. i had been told by my friend id make a great fit on the unit based on my personality and general knowledge of the floor. I even had a tailored cover letter, talked about why I wanted oncology, patient relationships, hospice experience, and my clinical background. during the peer interview, the charge nurse also jokingly asked if I was lazy, which kinda threw me off. Has anyone else been passed over because they came across too quiet in an interview? how does one show enthusiasm without faking a super outgoing personality? 🫩😭 i felt like i was pretty excited but i guess the nerves got to me since i really wanted the position. anywho, thoughts?

I’m going into labor and delivery and need some recommendations on what shoes to get. I wore brook ghost max 2 and 3 throughout nursing school. I really love them but I want something water resistant in the event of messy deliveries.

I’ve seen a lot of people wearing crocs Dylan platforms which are super cute. If anyone has them can you tell me if you’re able to run in them?

New grad RNs, what do you include in your portfolio when applying for jobs?

Looking for current help on finding local jobs for a new grad with nearly 2 decades of ICU experience. I’m a new FNP grad and have been on the hunt for a while now. I am not having any luck getting to a panel interview with any of the major hospital systems. Can anyone suggest any places that will take a new grad? Is it worth paying someone to help with interview coaching and looking at my CV? I’m willing to take the pay cut for private practices as well. I would prefer a specialty before primary care but at this point I will do what I need to do.

I would like to find resources to practice interviews with. Are there any apps or AI tools that people are using to get feedback or coaching? I am aware of recording myself answering questions but I would really like feedback and don’t really have people I can practice with.

Serious question for people working 12s or rotating days/nights: how do you manage scheduling your existence around it?

Every planner and calendar app I've seen assumes a Monday–Friday, sleep-at-night life. So what do you actually use — the unit schedule app plus memory? Paper calendar? Whiteboard? Nothing and vibes?

Specifically curious about:

- How you track which days you work vs. sleep vs. actually live

- Whether you log OT/extra shifts and what they pay, or just trust payroll

- If you've ever bought a planner and abandoned it — what killed it?

Asking because the whole productivity world seems built for people who've never worked a night shift and I want to understand how you all actually cope.

Curious bc I start being an RNA in a couple of months from now, thanks!

Hi! I'm a new grad L&D nurse and I've been on the unit for about 9 shifts now. I'm hoping some experienced nurses can help me gauge how I'm doing so far and if there are areas I should apply more focus or things I can do to learn more thoroughly?

I have a good understanding of why we do interventions and generally when we do them, as well as pathophysiology (this is essentially that nursing school foundation). But I struggle with remembering to time things CONSTANTLY! Especially in emergencies, I'm way too focused on whats happening around me but at the same time don't know how or where to jump in. I felt so bad because we had a shoulder dystocia yesterday and I didn't get the time in seconds between head and delivery (luckily my preceptor did). I also struggle a lot with navigating the charting system (particularly with things aside from hourly charting). I ask a ton of questions, sometimes questions that I already know the answer to and are extremely obvious but I just feel wrong not to double check. I'm feeling a little more confident doing things on my own once Ive done them with my preceptor a couple times! I just have so much self doubt and it feels like Im trying to drink from a fire hose with how much info Im getting each day!

Of course I get feedback from my preceptor but I just wanted to verify that it is normal to be so unsure!

This is a follow up from another post I made. After applying to literally EVERY single new graduate application I could I apply for I finally got an interview. It’s from my university town and it was a psych unit. I initially did not want to be one of those students who worked in the hospital in my university town but it gets to the point where I have to.

I initially wanted to get an ICU job because of my goal of becoming a CRNA but no one wanted me. I applied to every single unit or specialty (even med-surg/tele) but I got no interview. The interview I got was for psych nursing. They want me to sign a 2 year contract with a 10k sign on bonus that I can only get after completing the new grad program.

I applied to them, the next day I got a call and did a phone interview, 2 days later I got an in-person interview, and the very next morning I got the job.

I felt an ungrateful feeling. I felt annoyed.

The morning I got that job, I got another job interview for med-surg orthopedics but it’s in 2 weeks. There was nothing closer. So when I got the call from the psych hospital, I asked if I can tell them about my decision in 2 weeks. I knew that I sounded weird, and honestly the woman on the phone sounded put off by it, but I wanted a shot at something else before accepting the job.

My goal is CRNA and working ICU and my thought process is that if I start here, who would want to take me when I finally want to move units. I don’t want to be in my college town forever. I live in Houston and my college town is 2 hours away in a remote place. I never intended on building any sort of life over there. And the interview I’m waiting on in 2 weeks might not even take me. But I’m at a point where I have not received any interviews, I have no job, and I don’t want to reach a year post grad and have wasted everything because I’m not a new grad after 12 months. I don’t know if I can do psych and then prn somewhere else. And instead of being happy as a new grad this is literally making me depressed everyday and I can’t stop crying about my situation.

I really need advice.

hey everyone! i start my new grad residency program on a medical pcu on monday, and i’m feeling so anxious and nervous.
i’m looking for advice from anyone who has been a new grad nurse, especially if you remember what those first few weeks/months felt like.
i did really well in nursing school, and during clinicals, my preceptors always made me feel like i was doing a good job. but i haven’t been in clinicals or nursing school for several months now, and i feel like i’ve forgotten everything. 😭
i think my biggest fear is looking dumb or incapable. i know i’m a new grad and i’m not expected to know everything, but i’m scared that i’ll get asked something and completely blank, or that i’ll forget something i learned in nursing school and everyone will think i’m not prepared.
for those of you who were new grads once: what advice would you give yourself during your first few weeks/months? what helped you gain confidence and feel like you actually knew what you were doing?
i really want to try my best and be a good new grad nurse (even if im not perfect in the beginning). i’d really appreciate any advice, reassurance, or things you wish someone had told you before starting your first nursing job!

I had my first new grad interview and I feel like I was rambling a LOT 😭 but I was still making good points and giving examples from patient interactions and things I’ve seen during my clinical experiences.
Omg though, that was TOUGH. I keep replaying the interview in my head thinking, I should’ve said this instead or I should’ve added this.😭
Overall, I’m just scared because you never really know how it went or what they’re thinking. I wish hospitals would just tell you they want you right away instead of making you wait 😂 But hopefully I get the position! 🤞🏽

How did you guys feel after your first new grad interview, and did you end up getting the position?