Top nursing jobs for new grads without experience
As a new graduate of a nursing program, you may be excited to secure your first nursing position. While nurses are in high demand, limited professional experience as a nurse may also limit the jobs that you’re qualified for. Fortunately, there are several nursing jobs that are ideal for new grads without experience. There are also several ways you may increase your chances of becoming hired.
However, some current data indicates this could change. As we rediscover the benefits of home healthcare—practicality, personalization and potential cost-effectiveness for both provider and patient—the demand for home health nurses should follow suit.
What are some of the challenges for new nursing grads?
New graduates of nursing programs face several challenges when they begin their job search for a nursing position.
Lack of awareness of career options
As you start to explore job options, you might not be aware of how many potential careers exist for graduates of nursing programs. Kathryn Koehne, RN, is an Adjunct Nursing Instructor at Viterbo University and Clinical Director/Director of Operations at Crescent Cove, Minnesota’s first independent pediatric and hospice home. Koehne explained that often, new graduates look for positions in areas that they experienced while they were a student. “However, nursing positions also exist in a vast amount of other areas of practice such as ambulatory care or home health or school nursing,” she noted. “By limiting their searches to a traditional pathway, alternative options are overlooked. If they aren’t made awareness of different positions, they won’t apply.”
Limited nurse residency programs
Nurse residency programs offer many benefits, including helping you gain the hands-on experience that can make you a compelling job candidate. Unfortunately, some students may not have access to such a program. “Although transition to practice or new nurse residency programs have demonstrated success in increasing competence and confidence in new nurses, not all health systems or settings invest in this type of on-boarding,” said Koehne.
New nursing graduate stigma
“Despite a global nursing shortage, there are still settings that hesitate to accept applications from new graduate nurses,” Koehne explained. Though open positions may be available, staff in charge of hiring might be hesitant to hire a candidate who lacks experience. In some situations, an employer might not have enough trainers to help orient a new nurse, and may instead look for more experienced candidates who require a shorter initial time investment.
Top nursing jobs for new grads without experience
Certain roles in nursing tend to welcome new graduates, even if they don’t yet have experience. Here are some of the more common fields of entry:
Medical-surgical nurse:
According to Koehne, positions in hospitals, including in medical and surgical units, are a traditional entry point for new graduates. Medical-surgical nurses may work in operating rooms, exam rooms and more, and may care for pediatric and adult patients with a wide range of conditions. As a result, this position can offer excellent experience for a new nurse. Medical-surgical nurses have a wide range of responsibilities, including pre- and post-surgical care, medication administration and pain management, wound care and more. They play a vital role in patient care and can learn a great deal about varied medical conditions.
Residential care nurse:
Residential care settings, including assisted living facilities and nursing homes, also offer many employment opportunities for nurses. In assisted living facilities, nurses often provide residents with assistance with daily activities and medication management. In nursing homes, the care is more involved, and nurses may provide medication management, 24-hour personal care, memory care and more. Working as a nurse in these residential settings can come with many opportunities for career advancement, including to Registered Nurse and Director of Nursing positions. Plus, since the Baby Boomer generation is aging and resulting in increased residential care needs, there are likely to be many nursing opportunities in these settings in the coming decades
Home health nurse:
Home health nurses care for patients in the comfort of their homes. Home health nurses may work with the elderly, disabled and ill, but they may also work with pregnant women, new mothers and individuals recovering from accidents or surgeries. Responsibilities for home health nurses vary depending on the patient and their level of care, but it’s common for nurses to coordinate care, assess the patient’s needs, administer medication, monitor vital signs, care for wounds and perform physical assessments. Home health nurses can play an important role in working with other healthcare professionals to coordinate a patient’s care and ensure that the patient is making appropriate progress. Working as a home health nurse can be an excellent way to gain experience while having the opportunity to focus on one patient at a time.
Community health nurse:
Community health nurses, sometimes called public health nurses, work to help optimize a population’s health. They may work with individuals, families and entire communities. This is a varied role that often consists of providing direct patient care, such as by assessing patient health and educating patients on disease prevention. Community outreach is another important element of this role, and community health nurses may develop programs like workshops and support groups, blood drives and mobile clinics to support the healthcare needs of a population. Community health nurses also take on a policy and advocacy role, working to improve health by identifying ways to improve health policies, communicating with policymakers and providing testimony that could contribute to policy making. The numerous responsibilities of this role can make it a great choice for anyone who wants to positively impact a community’s health.
School nurse:
Schools and educational facilities often need to fill open nurse positions quickly, and may be open to candidates with limited or no experience. School nurses may work with young children, teens and adults, evaluating their health, treating wounds and performing other medical care. Nurses may also perform testing, such as hearing and eye tests, and may also take on an educational role in a school system by discussing health and wellness with students. School nurses can gain experience working with many types of illnesses and injuries. They may encounter mental health needs, and may need to monitor students with allergies and dietary restrictions. This career can be a good way to gain exposure to different healthcare needs while making a positive impact on children’s lives.
Additional ways new grads can maximize their chances of getting hired
In addition to strategically applying to a position that’s friendly toward new grads without experience, these tips may maximize your chance of getting hired:
When searching for a job as a new nursing graduate, you may need to look past the traditional nursing role that you had envisioned. “Look everywhere and do not hesitate to apply to areas that are not hospitals,” Koehne recommended.
Sometimes new graduates feel that others might judge them if they don’t work in a hospital, and some may assume that working in alternative settings, like in home or community health operations, aren’t top-tier. “This is simply not true,” Koehne noted. “Nurses are needed in so many areas and by working in a less traditional area, they will likely thrive.”
“Nurses are needed in so many areas and by working in a less traditional area, they will likely thrive.”
For example, Koehne works as the Clinical and Operations Director for Crescent Cove in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, which is the state’s first and only independent pediatric hospice and respite home for children and young adults with life-limiting conditions. “There are now four such homes in the United States. In the United Kingdom, where the pediatric hospice model was founded some 40 years ago, there are over 54 respite and hospice homes for children,” she says. “The need to grow in the United States is quite evident. And the need for nurses to provide this specialized care is also growing.”
To meet that need, Crescent Cove is hiring and welcomes new graduates, but many new graduates overlook the opportunity to work in such a location because they’re unaware it exists. Keep an open mind during your job search; you might not be aware that the perfect opportunity is right in your community.
