Graduated 4 years ago, finally getting my RN license. What now?
Hi everyone!
I’m looking for some advice if anyone has been in a similar situation, or has insights to share.
I graduated with my BSN in 2022 and took the NCLEX right after graduation. I passed, but for personal reasons I wasn’t able to obtain my nursing license at the time.
From what I understand, my NCLEX result remains valid for 5 years, so I’m still within that window. I’ll finally be able to apply for my nursing license soon.
My biggest concern is that it’ll have been about 4 years since I graduated, and I have zero nursing experience. I honestly don’t feel prepared to jump straight into a hospital position after being away from school for so long.
I’d love to get into a nurse residency program, especially in pediatrics or mother-baby, but I’m worried I won’t qualify since I didn’t graduate recently.
Has anyone been in a similar situation? Were you able to get into a residency program after several years, or did you take another route to get your first RN job? Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!