Related: Confidence, NCLEX, New Grad, New Nurse Tips

Want the inside scoop on the NCLEX? As a nursing instructor, I recently interviewed some of my graduates about their experiences taking the exam. Here’s what I found out -- and I offer my advice for facing the one thing standing between you and your license:

Think Critically
Many nursing graduates have a great deal of experience answering NCLEX-like questions. Surprisingly, though, several new grads found the [...]

Related: Attitude, Career, Interview, Job Search, New Nurse Tips, Professionalism, Resume

You’ve heard the stories about over-the-top interviewing gaffes. Like the applicant who smelled her armpits as she walked through the door. Or the applicant who answered a personal call and asked the interviewer to leave the room for a few moments. Or the applicant who asked the interviewer for a ride home after the interview.

Most of us have enough sense to not make these blunders. [...]

Related: Application, Career, Communication, Interview, Job Search, New Nurse Tips, Nurse Recruiter, Nursing Jobs, Nursing Shortage, Professionalism, Resume, Success, Truth

Most new nurses spend countless hours gearing up for the interview. But really, the interview is just a fraction of the evaluation process. Before you even meet face-to-face with a potential employer, you must demonstrate through written communication— your application and resume—that you’re a competent professional.

Unfortunately, many new nurses skimp on this important phase of the job-acquisition process.

According to Carolyn Steffel, a nurse recruiter at [...]

Related: Career, Job Search, New Nurse Tips

Recently, Jessica inquired about advice for new nurses seeking jobs.

I’d recommend a few steps:

1. Take a personal inventory of your needs, wants, and desires to determine the kind of community that’s going to be a fit for you. Quality-of-life should play a role in your career search. There are lots of ‘best-places-to-live’ lists on the Internet that can help narrow the field. Here are some [...]

Related: Attitude, Gossip, Mindset, Motivation, New Grad, New Nurse, New Nurse Tips, Nurse Relationships, Orientee, Preceptor, Professionalism, Respect

Contrary to nursing legend, preceptors aren’t villains. They want you to succeed, and, if given the chance, could be your best advocate. After all, most of them have volunteered for the job or have been identified by their manager as the type of person who would be able to help you best. When preceptor-new nurse relationships get to the point of intervention, it’s not always [...]

Related: Confidence, Education, Learning, Mentor, New Nurse, New Nurse Tips

Many of you may be celebrating National Nurses Week, 2008 for the first time as professional Registered Nurses. You have entered nursing at a time when there is a great deal to be proud of.

Several thousand hospitals have achieved “Magnet” recognition, and while these are not perfect places to work in, they are easing the transition for new nurses. The magnet standards have improved working [...]

Related: Communication, Complaints, Expectations, Failure, Learning, Mindset, New Grad, New Nurse, New Nurse Tips, Preceptor, Professionalism, Quitting, Seasoned Nurses, Success

Fight or flight. It’s the choice we’re given when faced with a difficult situation. When it comes to a failing precepting relationship, most new nurses choose the latter—and want to scrap their preceptor for a new-and-improved model. Kim Rapper, RN, BSN and a veteran preceptor, says to listen up: Your preceptor won’t be perfect, and you probably will have some conflicts. But that doesn’t mean [...]

Related: Career, Interview, Job Search, New Grad, New Nurse, New Nurse Tips, Non-Verbal Language, Nurse Recruiter, Nursing Jobs, Nursing Shortage, Professionalism, Recruiters, Resume, Truth

With the touted nursing shortage, you’d think you could bomb an interview and still land any job you want. Think again. Hospitals—especially, reputable ones—are selective. Recruiters use the interview to predict your performance and if you’ll be a good fit. Based on interviews, nurses are often rejected. That’s why Carolyn Steffel, a nurse recruiter at Edward Hospital, a magnet hospital in Naperville, IL, says to [...]

Related: Communication, Delegation, New Nurse Tips, Nurse Relationships, Respect, Teamwork

I talked with one new nurse who said that 50% of the time she was really good at delegating. The other 50%?  She admitted, “I end up doing the task that a CNA should be doing—because I’m not strong enough to insist upon it. And then I beat myself up, because I realize I should have persisted. I wouldn’t fall behind on my work if [...]

Related: Career, Job Search, Learning, New Nurse Tips, Nursing Jobs, Second Career Nursing, Student Nurse, Success

We’re all eager to land our first jobs once we finish nursing school. Maybe too eager.

Last year, when I was a student, we were given the option of working at a variety of hospitals during our clinical rotation. Many students stayed in the same hospital to get familiar with the people and the program. Ultimately, they had their hearts set on working there and there [...]