New graduate nursing FAQs

Keep an open mind about the search for your first nursing position. Learn as much as you can about the various units before deciding to apply. And persistence pays off! Continue to apply to as many positions as you can to optimize your opportunities to land in front of the recruiter and hiring manager for an interview.
Absolutely! As a teaching and Magnet hospital with an accredited residency program for nurses, we love bringing new, BSN-prepared graduates on board!
Candidates should dress professionally for all interviews.
The nurse recruiter will contact potential candidates via email for a phone interview as the initial step in the selection process. After the interview, successful candidates will receive a link to start the reference process, as well as an email stating their application is progressing. They will be notified by the recruiter via email or phone if the hiring manager for the unit has requested an in-person interview. Once the in-person interview is conducted, any shadows/observations/additional interviews are scheduled for the final candidates, and a hiring decision is made shortly afterwards. All candidates not chosen for the position will receive an email stating so at the close of the position. Please visit our Hiring Process page for more details.
Typically speaking, the nurse recruiter will indicate on the job posting that experience is required for that specific position. Most of our units are open to new grads, though Critical Care and Emergency Services do strongly prefer experienced nurses.
We use the Behavioral Event Interviewing method, which relies heavily on past experience. Candidates should be able to answer questions thoroughly by providing a specific situation, action and end result for each competency the recruiter requests.
Students should always ask specifics about the unit, including unit orientation and schedule, types of patients, average nurse to patient ratio, certifications needed, etc.
Yes, we have a one-year nurse residency program, which all new hires with less than one year of nursing experience are enrolled in upon hire. Our program received national accreditation in 2018! It provides each nurse resident with a preceptor for clinical support through orientation, a facilitator and peer support group to ease the transition to the nurse’s new role, structured educational experiences designed to develop competence in nursing practice, simulation experiences, and support in incorporating research-based evidence linked to outcomes in practice through completion of a scholarly project.

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