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.

In the interview, I made sure to ask about nurse-patient ratios and she explained that on days and evenings it’s 4:1, and on nights it’s 5:1. I feel that these ratios are acceptable and I will be able to carry out my personal nursing philosophy with no problems, giving proper patient care at all times. Also, the nurse manager told me there could be as many as 20 admissions and discharges in a day, which makes having a lot of colleagues on staff very helpful.

As for pay, it really wasn’t an issue for me because I knew that I would be living at home. Any money is more than what I have now. The pay rate at this hospital is comparable with what the city hospitals are paying new grads, so that made my decision easy.

I am going to be working 36 hours a week on the 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift. I haven’t really worked nights, so I think it will take some getting used to. But I am so eager and excited to start my job next week!

Picking your first job is obviously overwhelming, but it is just a place to get your feet wet. You don’t have to love it because, in nursing, we have endless opportunities. I feel like I can make a difference here and that’s what I plan on doing. I don’t know where I’ll be in three years, so I’m just trying to take each day as it comes and do my best with it.

I will keep you posted on how orientation goes and my first few days as a real nurse! Good luck to everyone starting new jobs! If you have started work, tell us about your experiences! We would love to hear some feedback!

Editor’s note: Chelsea, our “Last Semester” columnist, recently graduated from a small, liberal arts college 20 miles outside of Boston. Her column appears weekly, exclusively on StressedOutNurses.com. Write to her at editor@stressedoutnurses.com.