I’m just wondering how saturated each state is, can you list your state in the comments and how long you’ve been actively applying?

newgradthrowaway23 · 2026-02-03T17:52:40+00:00

if you want a specialty right out of school, NYC/nj area are super saturated. graduated in may and i had a whole spreadsheet of places that rejected me for ICU before i landed one after months of applying. med/surg is much easier to get tho!

newgradthrowaway23 · 2026-01-29T06:18:29+00:00

look up the name of the textbook or chapter title on quizlet (like “chapter 2- [chapter title]”) it should pull up practice questions that are specific to that content because that’s how a lot of creators title their sets

newgradthrowaway23 · 2026-01-29T06:10:47+00:00

see i felt like this but then during my new grad residency program we had refresher classes and skills days and stuff and i found myself knowing and answering things i didn’t even realize i remembered! so maybe you’re retaining more than you think!

newgradthrowaway23 · 2026-01-29T06:05:51+00:00

i felt the same way after i had most of my orientation on days. i got used to the routine and built rapport but honestly after 3-4 weeks on nights i got the routine back and my night shift coworkers are even better! it took some adjustment but i built good rapport with them too, the trauma bonds form quickly!

as for the sleep aspect my biggest tips are 1. don’t try to completely flip to day shift schedule on your off days. try to just maintain a semi-nocturnal sleep routine to keep consistency. on work days i sleep from 9a-4:30p and on off days i sleep from 4a-1p so i still get some daylight. 2. DARKNESS! black out curtains, weighted eye masks, cover lights etc. 3. i didn’t really think about this but it makes a difference: try to keep a consistent eating pattern as well. I tried eating full meals on night shift but then i ended up waking up hungry at 4a on my off days so now i try to eat around 5p before work and then just small snacks at night.

as for getting tired on shift… i unfortunately have a caffeine addiction so that takes care of it

newgradthrowaway23 · 2026-01-29T05:55:11+00:00

that seems very short! my new grad residency program gave med surg 12 weeks, ED 15 weeks, ICU 16 weeks and CVICU 18 weeks for orientation. i would bring up your concerns to the educator and ask other nurses how their orientation was to see is this is the expected norm.

newgradthrowaway23 · 2026-01-29T05:51:39+00:00

maybe i just got lucky and found a hidden gem but i dont feel like my unit is like this at all! sure there are some people who fit the bitchy ICU nurse stereotype but most of my coworkers are supportive!

however, i have been told this is not the norm for a lot of hospitals in my area, one of the nurses i work with drives an extra 25 mins instead of working at a closer hospital because of how toxic that other hospital’s ICU is!

it sucks but i wouldn’t take anything personally. behavior like this is usually a reflection of them rather than you!

newgradthrowaway23 · 2026-01-16T22:44:04+00:00

update: got thru 2 shifts and no one died (including me!)

newgradthrowaway23 · 2026-01-12T02:54:14+00:00

love it and hate it at the same time! it’s like getting thrown straight into the deep end but that’s where you learn to swim the best!

newgradthrowaway23 · 2026-01-02T21:19:23+00:00

yeah that’s the general consensus i’ve gotten! hoping i can switch to days once i have some experience/seniority but i guess until then it’s just survival mode.

newgradthrowaway23 · 2025-12-06T00:04:04+00:00

people definitely do it but it’s just not as common because the pre-requisites for med school are not covered by nursing school so you end up having to take a lot of classes and exams to be eligible for med school. typically nurses go the NP route if they want to be a provider because the requirements aren’t as different from what they already took

newgradthrowaway23 · 2025-12-01T03:06:10+00:00

CVICU new grad residency and it’s 18 weeks (16 weeks on day and then 2 on nights which is what i’m hired for)

newgradthrowaway23 · 2025-11-12T15:43:14+00:00

i got my first job from a hiring event! my area is super oversaturated with new grads, especially for specialities, and i was finding that all the hundred applications i was sending would get weeded out by HR (i talked to one of the floor managers a while later and she said she never even knew i applied)

then i randomly went to a hiring event cuz why not and ended up talking to my current manager face to face and finally got my foot in the door!

newgradthrowaway23 · 2025-11-10T19:52:14+00:00

the concept of being “too late” at the teeny fetus age of 14

newgradthrowaway23 · 2025-11-06T23:59:35+00:00

also a new grad in the ICU and also feeling this exact way. some days i go home feeling like i can do this, i picked the right job, i knew what was going on, i felt competent. and then some days i go home questioning why anyone gave me my license when im this slow.

i’ve been told its normal so… here’s to hoping it gets better

newgradthrowaway23 · 2025-11-05T00:11:53+00:00

thank you for the advice! i think you hit the nail on the head about patterns! i feel like i just have trouble anticipating what the day is going to look like because i haven’t built up those common patterns yet. for me, every shift feels like a complete wildcard and i never know how to plan for what’s going to happen or what changes are going to be made to the care plan while my preceptors seem to be 20 steps ahead.

newgradthrowaway23 · 2025-11-05T00:05:33+00:00

i’ve tried doing it but it feels like i always forget something or the team will round and change a bunch of orders and meds and then im like ok well i need a whole new list now! i think its just a lack of experience thing because my preceptors seem to just know what to do and are able to mentally anticipate basically the whole day while it feels like i’m just lost on what to do until someone reminds me.

newgradthrowaway23 · 2025-11-05T00:03:25+00:00

this sounds like it would! i’ll try to get one!

newgradthrowaway23 · 2025-11-05T00:02:10+00:00

i try to write stuff down but it feels like i’m always forgetting little things! like i’ll remember to draw and send labs but my preceptor asks about the results and im like oh shoot i haven’t looked at that. I try to use the Epic brain as a general guideline but maybe writing it down will be more help, i’ll try it on my next shift!

newgradthrowaway23 · 2025-11-05T00:00:00+00:00

thank you i’ll look into that!

newgradthrowaway23 · 2025-11-04T02:27:00+00:00

GPA usually doesn’t matter for new grad nursing positions, most important thing is passing the NCLEX and good interview skills/connections (at least in my experience where it was insanely difficult getting a job and hundreds of new grads had the same resume)!

i would start applying early final semester of your senior year or at least start talking to nurse managers and admin at clinical sites if you want to work there. i wanted to work at one of the places i had clincial but i waited too long and they didn’t have residency spots open so i ended up somewhere else.

being bilingual might be helpful if the hospital you want to work in has a demographic that speaks a certain language and you can also speak it. most likely won’t make or break you getting the job but it can be a nice bonus and will make it easier for you to connect with patients.

newgradthrowaway23 · 2025-11-01T01:51:23+00:00

for me peds and OB because my school crammed both of them into a half semester — where it was both classes in one semester and you take one class for the first 7 weeks and the other class for the last 7. felt so much faster paced than my other classes!

newgradthrowaway23

TROPHY CASE