Our Last Semester columnist, Chelsea, is no longer in her last semester. She’s no longer looking for a job, either. After passing the NCLEX a couple of weeks ago, Chelsea is quickly moving on to the next phase of her life. Here’s a look inside her first REAL nursing gig:

Not only am I a real nurse, but now I actually have a job! (This grown-up stuff isn’t quite so scary anymore.) I came to the realization that my first job doesn’t have to be my last job. Once I realized I wasn’t going to get a job in Boston, I set my sights on more local community hospitals. The hospital where I did my nurse internship is affiliated with two other hospitals, but since I didn’t want to work near home, I never applied to them.

But I changed my mind. I applied one day and the next day I got a call from human resources. I couldn’t believe how quickly they called me back. They set up my interview on a telemetry floor, a progressive care unit. No pun intended, but my heart wasn’t really set on cardiac. Still, I realized this was a great opportunity to get some basic nursing skills as well as some solid cardiac knowledge.

As you know after my first interview, I really didn’t get a great vibe from the hospital and that really makes a huge difference. At the hospital where I’ll be working, I instantly felt comfortable with the whole atmosphere. The people in human resources were so welcoming and eager to get me a job. I think the initial feeling the hospital gives you is so important. If you can’t be comfortable or yourself, then I think it’s doomed from the start.

My interview with the nurse manager was very quick and to the point. She explained to me that the hospital’s new grad orientation is 12 weeks, but this unit is a little bit more intense, so it is a 16-week orientation. I was happy to know that. In school, we were told not to settle for anything less than 3 months. She showed me the 48-bed, private room unit. It was very spread out and a little overwhelming.

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