u/M-m-melanie

Hi guys, I have a holiday booked on the 1st/2nd week of Sept (for 5 days) and I suddenly thought just now: if I get my PIN in Sept, would they allow me to have that time off if I managed to get an NQN post? Or would they expect this to not happen and to attend whatever training/shifts were necessary to start the new post?

I’m about to graduate with a nursing degree and the current market in my speciality is shockingly bad. I have nothing lined up yet and I feel like such a failure. I’m so scared of going home and being miserable because I feel like I’m wasting my degree. I’m also so anxious about the loss of structure I’ve adjusted to with university, which having no NQN job makes worse. I have done well in my degree and got through many mental health challenges to graduate (currently on track with) a 1st class and potentially published dissertation (waiting for confirmation).

I’m preemptively fatigued for constant questions from family about the job hunt etc etc and feeling the pressure. But at least at home I get my dog, who turns 8 soon and is my everything. My plan is to look for NQN posts and temp employment (potentially save for another healthcare degree), volunteering, learn German like I’ve always wanted to, get back into creative writing, hike, visit my brother who lives away more often. But then I think of my friend who does nursing at another uni and will be in 3rd year once I graduate and I feel like I’m wasting it all whilst she’s working hard. This transition has me so discombobulated idk what to do. I’m waiting to hear back from a few applications but I just feel like everything is going down the drain.