Top Three Tips to Find Your First Nursing Position

So, you graduated from nursing school, have proudly received your nurses pin, and discarded your school uniform. You have your new stethoscope, bandage scissors and pen light. You are ready to join the profession.But wait. Do you have a job yet?Then practice potential interview questions. Of course, the interviewer will ask youto describe yourself (so be ready to give a good, positive description) but you will more likely be asked many scenario questions. And the interviewer will want details. Common questions will be Describe a situation when you disagreed with a manager or coworker and how did you resolve it? Or Tell me about a specific event when your action brought a positive outcome. Or Tell me about the last time you made a mistake on the job. How http://www.stethoscopeguides.com/omron-sprague-rappaport-stethoscope-black/ - Stethoscopeguides - did you handle it?When you hear the classic Why are you the right person for this position? you can certainly tell the interviewer that you are a dependable, motivated, enthusiastic team player. Of course, the earlier 10 interviewees have already said that, as will the next 10. Find an answer that will help differentiate you from everyone else. This would be a great place to talk about your leadership in your schools student nurse association, or the successful fund-raiser for a local charity that you ran, or the business that you helped start. Any of those experiences will show dependability, motivation, enthusiasm and a team mentality, all while giving a hard example of what you have done. It is evidence of your performance, not a verbal declaration of who you are.Lastly, be ready to not receive a job offer, or at least, not the job you really want. Be patient and realistic. In some areas of the US, the market needs more nurses, but in other areas the need is not as great. A new graduate will almost always have a lower level of consideration if an experienced nurse is also under consideration. You may need to accept a position in a unit that you really dont prefer, or a shift that is undesirable, or fewer hours than you need. Dont surrender your goals, but realize that your path to your dream job may not be a straight line.If you are only offered a part-time position at one area hospital, you may want to accept it. At least in my area, most hospitals hire part-time nurses, but for the first 8-12 weeks, they work full-time during orientation. Then, my suggestion is that when your orientation is complete, try to find a part-time position at another local hospital. Again, this will give you another 8-12 weeks of full-time pay, but there is a more importanteffect. You will be an employee of two hospitals, and in every facility Ive ever worked at, when a position is open, internal applicants have first chance to apply. Working part-time at two hospitals gives you an excellent chance of a full-time position later, and it may even be in that specialty unit that you really want.Of course, all other recommendation for just hunting success still apply. Dress for the part, be on time, have good handshake and smile, making good eye contact. Bring a concise one page resume. Make sure you have a good follow-up question to ask the interviewer. But those three tips will help you land your first registered nurse position.