WA State new grad BSN job search, seeking honest feedback from those involved in hiring, am I missing something?
I graduated with my BSN in May 2026, passed the NCLEX in June 2026 (my RN license is pending activation), and have been applying to RN residency programs throughout the greater Seattle area since March.
So far I've applied to Evergreen, Swedish, Providence, Overlake, UW, Seattle Children's, Virginia Mason, Kaiser, and several others. I've applied to multiple residency cohorts and have made it as far as second round interviews (Evergreen), but I haven't received an offer yet.
For background, I'm a former certified Medical Assistant with 6+ years of healthcare experience (more if you count non-direct patient care roles). My background includes direct patient care along with procedural and surgical experience. I left my position at Evergreen Hospital in good standing to attend my ABSN program. I also completed clinical rotations at several of the hospitals where I've applied.
I have strong letters of recommendation from my former Evergreen Hospital manager, RN coworkers, and my senior preceptorship instructors, so I've started wondering whether I'm overlooking something else in the hiring process.
I know the Seattle market is exceptionally competitive, especially for hospital residencies. I'm also somewhat geographically limited because I'm a single mom, so commuting 2+ hours each day simply isn't realistic.
A few questions I have:
- Is this experience fairly typical in the Seattle market right now, or does it suggest I should be changing my approach?
- What are the biggest mistakes you see otherwise qualified applicants make during interviews?
- At what point would you recommend expanding beyond residency programs into other RN positions to gain experience?
- If you were reviewing my application based only on what I've shared here, what questions or concerns would you have?
I'm hoping for honest feedback, especially from nurse managers, recruiters, educators, or anyone involved in hiring new graduates. If there's something I could be doing better, I'd genuinely like to know. I appreciate any insight.