Many recent grads may dream of hitting the open road as travel nurses, but the benefits of taking a permanent position in the first years after graduation are immeasurable. For new grad nurses Vanessa and Christina, their placements in a teaching hospital are revitalizing their desire to continue in nursing and are moving them closer to their goals.
“As a new grad, the most important thing for me was finding a place that is supportive to start my career,” Christina said. “A place with a specialized program for new grads, like the nurse residency I'm completing, was an ideal choice.”
Although Christina and Vanessa are now working at the same teaching hospital, they each came from a very different and unique background to bring them where they are today. Christina is originally from Jamaica and decided to become a nurse after a woman named Nurse Hamilton showed her kindness and love. “I decided to pursue nursing because the woman I admired the most as a child was a nurse. Even though I didn’t have my biological parents growing up, I knew what a mother’s love felt like because of her. She was the kindest and most gracious individual I’ve ever met and is a huge part of who I am today,” she shared. “Because of that experience, I wanted to make an impact on the lives of others like she did mine, so I turned to nursing, and I’ve loved every moment since!”
For Vanessa, a Boston native, the idea of becoming a nurse was a challenge she couldn’t wait to begin. “I wanted to do something in my career that is rewarding, yet challenging and interesting. I love the variety in the routine,” she mused, “and the flexible areas of specialties offered to focus on what you love.”
While both knew that nursing was their calling, they both encountered difficulty in their job searches post-graduation. Christina struggled, filling out application after application to positions after passing her nursing exams, but she found many new grad positions were already filled. Understanding she may need to relocate for the right job, she turned to a medical staffing agency to assist her in finding an open position that met all her needs.
Similarly, Vanessa shared that after a long search, she came across one of CoreMedical Group’s online job postings that had everything she was looking for. She found “an inviting direct extension number to contact a recruiter, which made this process stress free, and the recruiters are quick and very approachable.”
They didn’t know it at the time, but both new grad nurses were working with Permanent Placement Recruiter Chris Juffre to reach their goals, and both couldn’t say enough about how easy he made each step of the job placement process.
“Oh, Chris! He is just the most amazing person ever! I'll be forever grateful to him and Core for this wonderful opportunity,” Christina gushed. “Chris is so genuine. I had no second thoughts when I spoke with him. He was very patient and explained everything. All the other nurses who were recruited by Chris had nothing but great things to say.” Adding to the praise, Vanessa said, “from the moment we interacted on the phone, I knew he was genuinely passionate about his job and would go above and beyond to help me achieve my goals.”
It wasn’t until their orientation at the training hospital that they met and made the Chris connection. Vanessa recalled, “Christina and I met on orientation day. My phone was actually broken, and she offered to let me use hers!” The pair began taking their lunch breaks together, and now they’re exploring different parts of the state with some of the other nurses with whom they work. “Without her, it wouldn't be the same experience,” Vanessa added, “these past few months of being new together have flown by, and we have many more memories to make!”
Vanessa and Christina are now settled into their new grad programs, continuing their education and gaining access to incredible real-world experiences they may have missed elsewhere. “I am very thankful to be a new grad in the Special Care Unit,” Vanessa shared. “I have learned a lot so far and am continuing to learn. Because it’s a teaching hospital, the staff have been wonderful and are always offering a helping hand.”
While the staff is taking care of the two new grad nurses at the hospital, Chris makes sure everything is running smoothly on the backend. “Chris checked with me frequently and made sure I was focused on the next tasks during the application process,” Vanessa shared. “When I got the offer, Chris called me on his day off to congratulate me! Even after a month of working, he checked in again to make sure that I was happy with the change.”
For those on the fence about using a healthcare staffing agency for permanent positions, Christina shared a resounding, “GO FOR IT! It might seem intimidating at first, but if you talk to the right people, it may very well be one of the best decisions of your life.”
Ready to step out of your schooling and into a hands-on learning environment as Vanessa and Christina did? Contact us today and see where your new grad status can take you.
