There is a lengthy process to becoming a registered nurse of any kind in the U.S. If you find yourself at the point where you are seriously interested in the topic of this article, then the first thing you should do is congratulate yourself on making it this far. To become a registered nurse in the United States, you must first complete a bachelor’s nursing degree, followed by an NCLEX-RN exam. However, the process doesn’t stop there. After that, there is an MSN or DNP degree to be completed in whatever nursing specialty you have chosen, whether that be a physician’s assistant or a midwife.
At some point along this protracted process to becoming a nurse there will come a time when you need to start seriously considering how to secure a position from nursing recruiters. Health Jobs, an online healthcare jobs board, advises that the jobs market situation for healthcare workers is currently pretty favorable, with a dearth of talent relative to the number of jobs. Nevertheless, preparation should be made for recruitment before you actually qualify.
Contact Recruiters Before You Graduate
But when is the best time to contact a nursing recruiter, and how should you go about it? Your first year of your bachelor’s degree in nursing is perhaps a bit early but, certainly by the time you begin to specialize, you should start to think about networking with possible recruiters.
The whole goal of networking before you graduate is to let the working world know that you actually exist. Internships and other forms of work experience are what you are aiming for here. One of the things that will secure you a position is if the employer can see that you have experience even though you are straight out of education. This is probably the number one thing that gives you the edge.
Nonetheless, even if you fail to secure any work experience before you start applying, simply contacting employers will go a long way to helping you secure a nursing position. For example, if a recruiter recognizes you from an unsuccessful internship application you made back when you were still a student, they are sure to take note of your commitment. And there’s little recruiters want to see more than commitment.
What Recruiters Want
So, having established that networking and early communication will take you a long way in securing a position, what are the other things that nursing recruiters always want to see? Here follows some:
You Are a Professional
There is a way to convey, during an interview, the extent of your professionalism. Turning up on time and smartly turned out are naturally important, but also having a lot of intelligent questions to ask about the institution and being armed with detailed information about yourself will show that you are a discerning professional that is vetting the recruiter as much as they are vetting you.
Your Resume is Clearly Written and Impressive
Coming to the resume, the first of these things will help you stand out among all the others and actually get read whereas the second will impress the employer as they are reading it. We have already mentioned that having work experience is a massive boost, but a recruiter also needs to read your resume.
You Have A specialist Skill
As a registered nurse, it is likely that you will have specialized in something anyway, but a specialist skill can go beyond this. Some positions have very specific requirements, and if you’re the one candidate that happens to fit them, you will stand out before you’ve even been interviewed.
Above all, what nursing recruiters want is committed and professional nurses.
