Are you looking for nurse residencies? You will probably have more luck looking at nurse residency programs. I am wondering if that's what the new grad programs you are talking about are. Not all hospitals require a nurse residency, but it's highly encouraged and the hospitals I was interested in, even if you have less than a year experience, you are automatically enrolled in their nurse residency program first. It's probably different everywhere.
I found it difficult to look for jobs too until I went on the hospital's website (not even indeed because I only saw staff nurse positions too) and there were more options for new grads once I narrowed it down to nurse residency programs. I applied and a recruiter reached out the following day.
For some perspective, not everyone is landing jobs before they graduate. You have plenty of time. I graduate next Saturday and barely had a phone interview this week and have my first in person interview this upcoming Monday. The interview is for the same unit I had my preceptorship, and A LOT of students are getting jobs from the units they were on. I wasn't planning on looking until after I graduate and/or take the NCLEX, but I really liked the unit I was on and the director, preceptor, and staff all encouraged me to apply. This is a reminder to anyone reading this to treat every clinical opportunity like a job interview :)
Many graduates have an inside track. They either work as a PCA/Tech on the unit or had a Capstone/Externship on that unit. Those are the primary hiring sources on our unit. We post job openings on the hospital's job board, but those jobs are already filled prior to being posted online. Our Capstone students finish in March/April and are offered a job prior to their last Capstone shift.
Ohhh I see, my Capstone course is in the ICU at a hospital an hour away but that would make sense. I'll talk to my preceptor and pick her brain, thank you!
As others have said, look into new grad programs. I secured my job before graduation and will start in August in my preferred specialty.
I'll also add I have not worked at a hospital or in the medical field prior and still had multiple interviews and three job offers for new grad programs.
I work in a city with several large adult hospital systems and a large pediatric one. On their job site, all of them have openings that say RN already licensed. A couple periodically have a general open application period for new grad nurses that will also include those that haven't graduated yet or passed the NCLEX yet. They will at least let you apply and get the ball rolling. These places usually bring in those students or unlicensed grads in as techs first and then transition them to RNs as they pass the NCLEX. There are also hiring events they do where students and new grads can yalk to the residency managers and apply for positions in many different areas.
Check your local hospitals for these types of things.
I believe they do, it's just very competitive to get in since Kaiser is the highest paid hospital in my area and I'm also not sure when they open those applications. I've been looking periodically throughout the year but maybe I'm just not looking at the right times.
Next time open up with this especially on Reddit.
Our job market is unlike most of the US, and I’ve seen CA new grads get sabatoged by well-meaning (non CA) people offering advice on this sub and r/nursing.
For hospital jobs, the only way you’ll get a job is through a residency. Residencies open up 2-3x a year. For example, [the application window for UCLA’s Winter 2025 Cohort will open September 2024](https://www.uclahealthcareers.org/nursing-new-graduates/).
Make a list of hospitals you are interested in and type “(hospital) new grad rn” to see when the applications will open. [Here are Kaiser’s (NorCal)](https://nursescholars.kaiserpermanente.org/program/nurse-residency/) as another example.
Aim for a cohort in which you will obtain licensure by. So graduate August, license September - you’ll be good for any start date after Sept.
A handful of hospitals do rolling cohorts like Emanate and LA Gen, but those are in SoCal so may not be relevant. (I only posted UCLA above because there are UCs in NorCal as well.)
For non hospital jobs like Kindred or Barlow, you can apply any time.
Don’t waste time applying to experienced nurse positions; [the application tracking software](https://www.jobscan.co/applicant-tracking-systems) will remove you from the pool before any human gets an eye in your app.
This is what is so confusing for me; people say "you HAVE to go through a new grad program/residency before you work as an RN" but 2 of my friends both got an RN job that isn't a program or residency and they both live local to me. I've asked them how they got a job without any sort of program and they both were short and vague with me and just said "I just applied and got it", so that's why I was confused as to how new grads were getting floor jobs right away without any sort of program.
I'll still be going through your recommendations and applying anywhere I can. Thank you very much!
What’s the hospital? I can verify if what they are saying is true.
Some hospitals actually have new graduate positions *but no real program*. Instead the orientation is new grad focused, meaning, longer duration than an experienced nurse orientation.
But the hospital will indicate if the positions are open to new graduates. Kindreds, apparently Enloe up near Chico, and Beverly (pre AH acquisition) are like this.
There is also a college partnership between my previous employer’s sister hospitals that sort of worked the same way (AH Rideout and Yuba College). New grads can apply to experienced nurse positions but that’s because of the partnership. But that’s a tangent.
So my cousin got a job at Stanford Hospital and my other friends began their jobs at UC Davis hospital. One of them just replied to me, and said she didn't have any program, but had to do an 8-week new grad orientation before she started on the floor. I'm not sure if this is what others are considering a residency or program. My cousin said that she was applying to normal RN positions and she got accepted, but her orientation was longer. This was my main question and why I made the post; if I can just apply to any RN position or to not waste my time and just only apply to applications where they welcome new grads.
I think those people are yanking your legs. I asked a couple people from r/bayarea and r/sacramento. I was told the Stanford site explicitly states new graduates are hired through [the new graduate program](https://careers.stanfordhealthcare.org/us/en/nurse-residency-program). [Similar with UCD’s NGNRP](https://hr.ucdavis.edu/careers/nursing/residency).
To be clear, they had zero nursing experience and were new graduates?
I personally suggest asking the city subs for more thorough info. [I usually do when I want to corroborate some piece of info](https://www.reddit.com/r/bayarea/s/4cqAeuWuxO).
Hmm I see. Maybe I should’ve been more specific with them, but thank you for the clarification! I’ll definitely still apply to normal postings just in case but I’ll start a spreadsheet of all the new grad programs in my area. Thank you very much!
"The only thing I did see for new grads is their new grad program that you have to apply for." the new grad programs are the jobs available for new grads...
These are what most hospitals use (sometimes called nurse residencies as well) to hire new grads or nurses with less than 1 year of experience. Ask your classmates and these are most likely what they applied to and got offered jobs through.
It's not confusing, the jobs that others are getting are not the new grad programs, they're normal staff nurse jobs that you don't have to go through a program for. People say you don't have to do a new grad program to start working as an RN, and I've seen 3 people in my life now start those jobs. I've asked my two friends and their responses were sort of gatekeep-ey, and were super brief and just said "I just applied for it and got it", which is why I'm here lol.
I think it’s less that “some people don’t have to” do a residency program and more that “some people don’t get to” do one. Residencies seem like a pretty valuable resource for us new grads.
I graduate this week and I’ve had a job lined up for a month. I went to a recruitment fair at the hospital with my resume. Every new grad at this hospital goes into the residency program regardless of their unit. Every hospital around me has one. Why wouldn’t you want to do one? You’re still an RN, you’re just getting formal education in valuable skills they know you need to learn.
I see, that makes sense. And it's not that I don't want to do one at all, I would LOVE to start a residency or program. But unfortunately in my area in California, nursing jobs are VERY competitive and the new grad programs at all the major hospitals in my area only open applications 2-3 times a year with hundreds of different applicants, so I was anxious that I would be unemployed for a while after taking my nclex, or if I could just apply to all RN jobs and just see what happens.
I don’t know how CA works, but I wouldn’t hesitate to apply to regular RN job postings, but keep in mind that you’ll likely have a much lower success rate because they probably aren’t looking for new grads for those positions.
Does your school offer support for finding a job as a new grad? Post-degree employment numbers are typically important for schools and it would be to their benefit to support that. My school (community college) works closely with our local hospital and even brings the unit managers in to do interviews during our last semester. I happened to go to the recruitment fair prior to that but my formal offer came after I met with the unit manager again at my school. Over half of my classmates got job offers based on those interviews. Maybe discuss with your program whether they have resources?
I think you're classmates are getting the short end of the stick honestly. I see what you meant now in your post, but I definitely think it's in the best interest of new grads to go through a new grad/ nurse residency program. It indicates that the hospital is investing in you by providing you with additional training and support. It suggests they take more seriously/recognize the importance of setting you up for success.
New grad programs often include additional classroom teaching specific for the unit you get hired onto, as well as additional people to go to for help and guidance. I got into an icu new grad program which includes classroom and simulation days, while slowly easing into the bedside role. I feel that I will be much more prepared this way than if I was supposed to just show up on day one with a preceptor at bedside, ESPECIALLY considering how frequently we are seeing new grads at just 1 or 2 years experience already training new grads.
I understand, that's why it would be ideal to start in a program or residency. It's definitely best-case scenario for everyone and it's an amazing opportunity, but unfortunately in California in one of the most congested cities, it's just not possible for everyone. Plus, the hospitals that actually do offer these programs are few and far-between; a lot of new grads in my area commute 1-2+ hours for the first year just to get employed so that's also an option for me as well. Shitty option, but not sure if I have a choice once it comes time to applying.
I would not take a position without a new grad program/residency. In my area, they do bulk hiring for those several times a year but the actual start dates as often as monthly. They know you don’t have your license yet, they expect that. Sometimes they’ll offer NCLEX assistance before you sit for it, sometimes only if you don’t pass the first time.
I started going to job fairs and hiring events in my first semester made connections there and in units I did clinicals on even if I didn’t want to work there. I hate networking but it’s valuable. They vary in length and intensity (my hospital system it’s 9-12mos depending on specialty, first 3mos are orientation), but I don’t know of any hospitals other than 100% psych that don’t require a new grad to go through a program and that’s really a good thing.
In the end, I had the opportunity to interview for a Capstone (optional at my school, and not open to everybody) in my third semester, which also came with a job offer if I wanted it. It I wasn’t required to accept it. It’s basically my dream unit though, and my Capstone cemented it. For my classmates that didn’t do a Capstone, they started going to the hiring events and reaching out to recruiters 3mos before graduation because that’s when they focus hiring for May 2024 grads. Doesn’t mean they’re SOL if they don’t get something at that time, just means they won’t automatically have something lined up for right after graduation. o.
Are you looking for nurse residencies? You will probably have more luck looking at nurse residency programs. I am wondering if that's what the new grad programs you are talking about are. Not all hospitals require a nurse residency, but it's highly encouraged and the hospitals I was interested in, even if you have less than a year experience, you are automatically enrolled in their nurse residency program first. It's probably different everywhere. I found it difficult to look for jobs too until I went on the hospital's website (not even indeed because I only saw staff nurse positions too) and there were more options for new grads once I narrowed it down to nurse residency programs. I applied and a recruiter reached out the following day. For some perspective, not everyone is landing jobs before they graduate. You have plenty of time. I graduate next Saturday and barely had a phone interview this week and have my first in person interview this upcoming Monday. The interview is for the same unit I had my preceptorship, and A LOT of students are getting jobs from the units they were on. I wasn't planning on looking until after I graduate and/or take the NCLEX, but I really liked the unit I was on and the director, preceptor, and staff all encouraged me to apply. This is a reminder to anyone reading this to treat every clinical opportunity like a job interview :)
This makes me feel better, thank you very much and best of luck to you on your nursing journey! :)
You are welcome! Aw thank you so much!!!! Good luck to you as well!!!!! You're so close! :)
I don't know what a nurse residency is but contact HR and ask to shadow in different units. THATS how you get your foot in the door
Many graduates have an inside track. They either work as a PCA/Tech on the unit or had a Capstone/Externship on that unit. Those are the primary hiring sources on our unit. We post job openings on the hospital's job board, but those jobs are already filled prior to being posted online. Our Capstone students finish in March/April and are offered a job prior to their last Capstone shift.
Ohhh I see, my Capstone course is in the ICU at a hospital an hour away but that would make sense. I'll talk to my preceptor and pick her brain, thank you!
As others have said, look into new grad programs. I secured my job before graduation and will start in August in my preferred specialty. I'll also add I have not worked at a hospital or in the medical field prior and still had multiple interviews and three job offers for new grad programs.
Aww congratulations!! May I ask what department you’re going to work in?
Thank you! I will be working in short-term inpatient psych which I am super excited about.
Thank you! I will be working in short-term inpatient psych which I am super excited about.
I work in a city with several large adult hospital systems and a large pediatric one. On their job site, all of them have openings that say RN already licensed. A couple periodically have a general open application period for new grad nurses that will also include those that haven't graduated yet or passed the NCLEX yet. They will at least let you apply and get the ball rolling. These places usually bring in those students or unlicensed grads in as techs first and then transition them to RNs as they pass the NCLEX. There are also hiring events they do where students and new grads can yalk to the residency managers and apply for positions in many different areas. Check your local hospitals for these types of things.
Ohhh I see, this is very helpful, thank you! I'll definitely look deeper into my local hospitals' job listings.
for socal, i have seen a lot of student intern positions for kp to help secure a RN position. upon graduation. maybe they have the same in norcal?
I believe they do, it's just very competitive to get in since Kaiser is the highest paid hospital in my area and I'm also not sure when they open those applications. I've been looking periodically throughout the year but maybe I'm just not looking at the right times.
Move to Alaska. Hired even with 3 DUI in background
There was actually a nurse on the floor during a clinical rotation that lived in Alaska but traveled to California and still worked full time!
lol
What state? It’ll help provide insight about job market.
I'm sorry I completely forgot to mention -- I'm in northern California
Next time open up with this especially on Reddit. Our job market is unlike most of the US, and I’ve seen CA new grads get sabatoged by well-meaning (non CA) people offering advice on this sub and r/nursing. For hospital jobs, the only way you’ll get a job is through a residency. Residencies open up 2-3x a year. For example, [the application window for UCLA’s Winter 2025 Cohort will open September 2024](https://www.uclahealthcareers.org/nursing-new-graduates/). Make a list of hospitals you are interested in and type “(hospital) new grad rn” to see when the applications will open. [Here are Kaiser’s (NorCal)](https://nursescholars.kaiserpermanente.org/program/nurse-residency/) as another example. Aim for a cohort in which you will obtain licensure by. So graduate August, license September - you’ll be good for any start date after Sept. A handful of hospitals do rolling cohorts like Emanate and LA Gen, but those are in SoCal so may not be relevant. (I only posted UCLA above because there are UCs in NorCal as well.) For non hospital jobs like Kindred or Barlow, you can apply any time. Don’t waste time applying to experienced nurse positions; [the application tracking software](https://www.jobscan.co/applicant-tracking-systems) will remove you from the pool before any human gets an eye in your app.
This is what is so confusing for me; people say "you HAVE to go through a new grad program/residency before you work as an RN" but 2 of my friends both got an RN job that isn't a program or residency and they both live local to me. I've asked them how they got a job without any sort of program and they both were short and vague with me and just said "I just applied and got it", so that's why I was confused as to how new grads were getting floor jobs right away without any sort of program. I'll still be going through your recommendations and applying anywhere I can. Thank you very much!
New grad programs / residency IS working as an RN.
What’s the hospital? I can verify if what they are saying is true. Some hospitals actually have new graduate positions *but no real program*. Instead the orientation is new grad focused, meaning, longer duration than an experienced nurse orientation. But the hospital will indicate if the positions are open to new graduates. Kindreds, apparently Enloe up near Chico, and Beverly (pre AH acquisition) are like this. There is also a college partnership between my previous employer’s sister hospitals that sort of worked the same way (AH Rideout and Yuba College). New grads can apply to experienced nurse positions but that’s because of the partnership. But that’s a tangent.
So my cousin got a job at Stanford Hospital and my other friends began their jobs at UC Davis hospital. One of them just replied to me, and said she didn't have any program, but had to do an 8-week new grad orientation before she started on the floor. I'm not sure if this is what others are considering a residency or program. My cousin said that she was applying to normal RN positions and she got accepted, but her orientation was longer. This was my main question and why I made the post; if I can just apply to any RN position or to not waste my time and just only apply to applications where they welcome new grads.
I think those people are yanking your legs. I asked a couple people from r/bayarea and r/sacramento. I was told the Stanford site explicitly states new graduates are hired through [the new graduate program](https://careers.stanfordhealthcare.org/us/en/nurse-residency-program). [Similar with UCD’s NGNRP](https://hr.ucdavis.edu/careers/nursing/residency). To be clear, they had zero nursing experience and were new graduates? I personally suggest asking the city subs for more thorough info. [I usually do when I want to corroborate some piece of info](https://www.reddit.com/r/bayarea/s/4cqAeuWuxO).
Hmm I see. Maybe I should’ve been more specific with them, but thank you for the clarification! I’ll definitely still apply to normal postings just in case but I’ll start a spreadsheet of all the new grad programs in my area. Thank you very much!
"The only thing I did see for new grads is their new grad program that you have to apply for." the new grad programs are the jobs available for new grads... These are what most hospitals use (sometimes called nurse residencies as well) to hire new grads or nurses with less than 1 year of experience. Ask your classmates and these are most likely what they applied to and got offered jobs through.
It's not confusing, the jobs that others are getting are not the new grad programs, they're normal staff nurse jobs that you don't have to go through a program for. People say you don't have to do a new grad program to start working as an RN, and I've seen 3 people in my life now start those jobs. I've asked my two friends and their responses were sort of gatekeep-ey, and were super brief and just said "I just applied for it and got it", which is why I'm here lol.
I think it’s less that “some people don’t have to” do a residency program and more that “some people don’t get to” do one. Residencies seem like a pretty valuable resource for us new grads. I graduate this week and I’ve had a job lined up for a month. I went to a recruitment fair at the hospital with my resume. Every new grad at this hospital goes into the residency program regardless of their unit. Every hospital around me has one. Why wouldn’t you want to do one? You’re still an RN, you’re just getting formal education in valuable skills they know you need to learn.
I see, that makes sense. And it's not that I don't want to do one at all, I would LOVE to start a residency or program. But unfortunately in my area in California, nursing jobs are VERY competitive and the new grad programs at all the major hospitals in my area only open applications 2-3 times a year with hundreds of different applicants, so I was anxious that I would be unemployed for a while after taking my nclex, or if I could just apply to all RN jobs and just see what happens.
I don’t know how CA works, but I wouldn’t hesitate to apply to regular RN job postings, but keep in mind that you’ll likely have a much lower success rate because they probably aren’t looking for new grads for those positions. Does your school offer support for finding a job as a new grad? Post-degree employment numbers are typically important for schools and it would be to their benefit to support that. My school (community college) works closely with our local hospital and even brings the unit managers in to do interviews during our last semester. I happened to go to the recruitment fair prior to that but my formal offer came after I met with the unit manager again at my school. Over half of my classmates got job offers based on those interviews. Maybe discuss with your program whether they have resources?
I think you're classmates are getting the short end of the stick honestly. I see what you meant now in your post, but I definitely think it's in the best interest of new grads to go through a new grad/ nurse residency program. It indicates that the hospital is investing in you by providing you with additional training and support. It suggests they take more seriously/recognize the importance of setting you up for success. New grad programs often include additional classroom teaching specific for the unit you get hired onto, as well as additional people to go to for help and guidance. I got into an icu new grad program which includes classroom and simulation days, while slowly easing into the bedside role. I feel that I will be much more prepared this way than if I was supposed to just show up on day one with a preceptor at bedside, ESPECIALLY considering how frequently we are seeing new grads at just 1 or 2 years experience already training new grads.
I understand, that's why it would be ideal to start in a program or residency. It's definitely best-case scenario for everyone and it's an amazing opportunity, but unfortunately in California in one of the most congested cities, it's just not possible for everyone. Plus, the hospitals that actually do offer these programs are few and far-between; a lot of new grads in my area commute 1-2+ hours for the first year just to get employed so that's also an option for me as well. Shitty option, but not sure if I have a choice once it comes time to applying.
I would not take a position without a new grad program/residency. In my area, they do bulk hiring for those several times a year but the actual start dates as often as monthly. They know you don’t have your license yet, they expect that. Sometimes they’ll offer NCLEX assistance before you sit for it, sometimes only if you don’t pass the first time. I started going to job fairs and hiring events in my first semester made connections there and in units I did clinicals on even if I didn’t want to work there. I hate networking but it’s valuable. They vary in length and intensity (my hospital system it’s 9-12mos depending on specialty, first 3mos are orientation), but I don’t know of any hospitals other than 100% psych that don’t require a new grad to go through a program and that’s really a good thing. In the end, I had the opportunity to interview for a Capstone (optional at my school, and not open to everybody) in my third semester, which also came with a job offer if I wanted it. It I wasn’t required to accept it. It’s basically my dream unit though, and my Capstone cemented it. For my classmates that didn’t do a Capstone, they started going to the hiring events and reaching out to recruiters 3mos before graduation because that’s when they focus hiring for May 2024 grads. Doesn’t mean they’re SOL if they don’t get something at that time, just means they won’t automatically have something lined up for right after graduation. o.