Just graduated from nursing school...trying to plan trip!

[Jakesmom504]

Ok so I just graduated from nursing school and I'm planning a Disney trip in lieu of a party. DH says we can't go until I have a job which most likely won't be until about September so I'm thinking Jersey week (first week of Nov) because I don't want to pull DS out of school for an entire week. I heard that the parks literally go from Halloween to Christmas overnight...is this true? I would love to take DS while it's decorated for Christmas! He deserves this trip as much as I do for being such a trooper through the last 2 years of my being buried in the books and I know he would love it! Thanks!

 

[bear_mom]

The only concern I have is that it may be hard for you to get time off. Where I work, you earn vacation time as you work, I earn 3.4 hours of vacation per pay period (48 hours for me, I only work part time).

Also, if someone else already has a vacation planned for that time, you may not be able to get time off. We can only have 1 nurse off at a time before it starts to affect staffing. First come first serve, if the place you work at is union it may be based on seniority.

You may be able to negotiate that into your starting agreement, but you may not.................

What would probably work best is for you to go on vacation before you actually start, but after you have an agreement, or while you are still on orientation. That is what I did - I had a job before I graduated so I told them I would be taking a week off after graduation before I started orientation. They agreed to that because it didn't affect staffing at that point and I didn't need vacation time.

Emily

 

[kchughes]

Just curious.. Why would your new job not start umtil September? I have been out of nursing school longer than I care to admit, but I graduated in early May, took state boards in late May and was in orientation the second week of June.

As far as a vacation, the PP is right, seniority and vacation time may cause you to loose out on your desired Jersey week. I suspect a lot of more senior staff will want to be off at that time due to kids out of school. If at all possible have a job lined up and go before you start orientation.

And congratulations on such a great accomplishment. Welcome to the trenches.

 

[badblackpug]

Have you found a job yet? I work in your area, and I know that hospital jobs have been extremely scarce for new grads. A lot of new grads have had to work a year or so in nursing homes in order to gain resume experience. (of course, if your career choice is geriatrics, then you are set) I agree with the above poster that you probably won't be able to get the time off for Jersey week as you will probably still be on orientation, and not eligible for time off.

 

[David Brent]

Hello fellow nurse. Congrats. Cheers to you and working 3 days a week! I love it!

ER nurse here.

 

[RMulieri]

Welcome to nursing! I am a nurse too and where I work, it is seniority based for vacations.I agree you can try to have the vacation time written into your employment agreement, but that may or may not happen.As a new nurse it is hard to get the days,weeks and holidays off you want.Too many people been there longer than you and have done their time.I would see if you can talk Hubby into going before you get a job.I know when I started nursing 15 yrs ago I was told my time off for a planned vacation wasn't going to be a problem, and I booked it only to have my request denied 4 weeks before.

 

[jkc0325]

Another nurse chiming in here...go before you start a new job. It is SO difficult to get hired right now that you don't want to give them any reason to pass you over for another nurse. And if you do get hired, you might just find that they tell you at the last minute you can't have that time off afterall.

Congratulations and good luck on the job search!!

 

[WDWisTheBest]

Another nurse chiming in here...go before you start a new job. It is SO difficult to get hired right now that you don't want to give them any reason to pass you over for another nurse. And if you do get hired, you might just find that they tell you at the last minute you can't have that time off afterall.

Congratulations and good luck on the job search!!

This is practical information on the status of jobs currently. Get the job before thinking about vacations is the advice that seems to be given here.

 

[RMulieri]

Agree with much of the posts here.Though nursing is in demand, due to the economy, jobs are scarce and many places have hiring freezes.I would try and vacation before .Being as competitive as it is, you don't want to give the employer a reason to pass you over as a potential candidate for the job

 

[dsnydaddy]

Hi! Congrats on the graduation!

I'm a shift manager in an Emergency Department and I'll have to agree with all the rest. There are a lot of hospitals that are currently unionized and EVERYTHING is seniority based. You don't want to have to cancel travel plans because you got a job that can't approve the time off. And in this economy you don't want to hose any possible job.

Either vacation before you become employed (spend your first couple of paychecks paying it off) or wait until you can score vacation time. Remember, working 3 days a week means that if you are willing to clump a bunch of days together you can have up to 8 days off without ever taking a vacation day. (that'll spread your "vacation across two weeks and over a weekend so you may get a deal on airfare if you are flying)

 

[juliebean]

Congrats! I just finished three semesters of nursing prereqs and am starting the first of 4 semesters of the nursing curriculum in Sept., so I can relate, it's an accomplishment to celebrate.

IF you have the money for a party set aside already, regardless of if you get a job, and can afford it on one income...why not go as soon as your son is done next month? If you cannot go without those prereqs, I would wait til you actually have vacation time, even though it's a bummer!

 

[Jakesmom504]

Thank you so much everyone!!! It's taken a very long time to get here so I'm still flying high!

After reading all of your posts, I think I am going to try and convince DH to go before I start working after all. I wasn't too concerned initially about vacation time because at the hospital I'm at, it has been taking on average about 4 months to place new grads and most still start off as per diem until full time or part time positions become available. That being said it would be my luck that something great would open up right before we are scheduled to go on this fantastic trip! So I guess our Christmas Disney trip will have to wait for some other time. Now let's just hope I pass NCLEX and get a job!

I noticed a few of you work in the ER...that's the area I'm going for! Love it!

@Juliebean...Good luck to you too!

 

[dntd]

I'm just starting nursing school in Sept but I'm planning to go to disney in Aug, then a few smaller trips next summer( NYC!) then work the following. I would either plan a trip before you start or wait a year.

 

[dsnydaddy]

I noticed a few of you work in the ER...that's the area I'm going for! Love it!

@Juliebean...Good luck to you too!

Careful what you wish for. As my boss is fond of saying..."ER, where you work twice as hard and get paid the same."

 

[David Brent]

Yea, it's hard nowadays for nurses getting jobs right out of school if you don't work in a hospital already. Hospitals like to hire from within. The only reason why I got my job right after school is because i was an ER tech during nursing school, so i knew i was guaranteed a job.

for example, DGF's best friend had a normal job as a waitress during her nursing school and when she graduated, it was tough for her to find a job locally. Eventually, she got hired, but commutes 60-70 miles one way to her job.....

 

[Jakesmom504]

Careful what you wish for. As my boss is fond of saying..."ER, where you work twice as hard and get paid the same."

Yeah I was already told to get used to 5 min lunch breaks! At least the day goes fast though!

 

[Jakesmom504]

Yea, it's hard nowadays for nurses getting jobs right out of school if you don't work in a hospital already. Hospitals like to hire from within. The only reason why I got my job right after school is because i was an ER tech during nursing school, so i knew i was guaranteed a job.

for example, DGF's best friend had a normal job as a waitress during her nursing school and when she graduated, it was tough for her to find a job locally. Eventually, she got hired, but commutes 60-70 miles one way to her job.....

I don't know where you are from but I do know in our area it is really tough right now for new grads. I actually worked in the hospital up until this last semester started, haven't worked since but I have a scholarship too. They have until September to find me a job or let me out of my contract but like I said previously, it's been taking on average that long to get placed. I'm not really counting on anything until September.

 

[pas130]

Yeah I was already told to get used to 5 min lunch breaks! At least the day goes fast though!

Lunch breaksSince when do us ER nurses get lunch breaks. I know we are allowed to pee once every 12 hours

Seriously, congrats! Another ER nurse chiming in, I've seen our ED techs graduate and have quite a time getting a position in a dept they have been working in for years, crazy!!! I hope that you can get a position in your current facility. And definitely tell hubby time to take that trip ASAP!!!!

 

[RMulieri]

Yea, it's hard nowadays for nurses getting jobs right out of school if you don't work in a hospital already. Hospitals like to hire from within. The only reason why I got my job right after school is because i was an ER tech during nursing school, so i knew i was guaranteed a job.

for example, DGF's best friend had a normal job as a waitress during her nursing school and when she graduated, it was tough for her to find a job locally. Eventually, she got hired, but commutes 60-70 miles one way to her job.....

This was me 15 yrs ago..It took me months to get a job, and when I did it was 70mins drive each way.Things are like that again.My area has a lot of nursing schools within driving distance to the hospital so we get FLOODED with new nurses looking, but we are on a budget related hiring freeze .I know one girl that graduated last year and is working retail still because she can't find a job.There is a demand for nurses in some areas, but some areas have an abundance of nurses for too few jobs because of the economy.I know of at least 10 nurses I work with that are close to retirement age, but won't leave the field because their spouse is currently unemployed, or they are workingto help their kids who are currently unemployed.

 

[Kallista]

Plan your trip for before you start or for after your one year anniversary.

My husband graduated 2 years ago. We had a trip planned for September and he started his new RN job in May. He told his job before he was hired that he had a trip planned for September and wouldn't be available for specific dates. They said "OK." When it was time to go, there was a lot of upset about him taking those dates, even though he told them before he was hired and they said "OK." It really started a sh*t storm in his department. (Which was over-worked and understaffed. God, I'm glad he's not at that place anymore.)