Nurses are more in demand than ever, with openings all across the country. And because so many hospitals and other facilities need nurses right now, they’re willing to hire new, less experience workers. That means new nurses have more opportunities than ever. With that in mind, here’s a quick guide to the easiest nursing jobs to land if you have less than a year of experience.
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What to Know about the Easiest Nursing Jobs to Get with Limited Experience
Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, many healthcare employers struggled to hire enough nurses. And that’s even more true in the past few years, as many older nurses have retired or switched jobs. So, if you’re a nurse who’s recently graduated nursing school and seeking experience, you have more options than ever.
Of course, no nursing job is truly easy. You’ll be expected to work hard, and the shifts may be long. You’ll also be expected to have basic nursing skills that every employer likes to see, including:
- Communication, or being able to let patients and other clinical workers know important info in a helpful way
- Adaptability, or the ability to quickly adjust to new situations and learn on the fly
- Technology skills, including being comfortable with the basics of telehealth, remote monitoring, or other healthcare technology
- Time management, or the ability to get a variety of different tasks done in a set amount of time
- Independent thinking, or a knack for making smart decisions while still closely following instructions
In addition, you’re going to need basic qualifications. For LPNs, that means graduating from a vocational or trade school. For RNs, it means having an Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). You’ll also need a nursing license in the state where you want to work (or an eNLC license). And it will definitely help to have basic life support (BLS) or other common certifications.
But if you do have these basics in place, and you need a nursing job, you have several options to choose from. Here’s a quick look at the five easiest nursing jobs to get with limited experience.
The 5 Easiest Nursing Jobs to Get with Less than One Year of Experience
#1: Skilled Nursing Facility Jobs
By far one of the easiest nursing job to get with limited experience is an assignment at a nursing home. Technically known as long-term care (LTC) or skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), these are places that provide care for people who need help with the daily aspects of life. As such, it’s a good place to build essential bedside skills that can also serve your career in other settings.
Most people think of seniors when they think of nursing homes. And that’s true — there are many elderly residents in these facilities. But nursing and LTC facilities also include people with disabilities or other chronic conditions that make it difficult for them to live on their own, or who don’t have family or loved ones to take care of them.
That’s a lot of people, and the number is only growing as the average American gets older. For that reason, many skilled nursing and LTC facilities are willing to hire nurses with limited experience.
#2: School Nursing Jobs
Schools and other educational facilities also offer some of the easiest nursing jobs to land with limited experience. These jobs involve helping meet the healthcare needs of students and staff members. And that can cover a lot of groups, from very young children to teenagers to middle-aged teachers. It also offers a lot of variety, including everything from day-to-day health education to emergency response.
At the same time, working as a school nurse will give you experience with a wide range of health conditions. School nurses need to navigate everything from mental health concerns to physical injuries. You’ll also work with a wide variety of different medication needs and dietary restrictions.
For all of these reasons, schools are a great place for new nurses to work. In addition, though, schools simply need people to fill these jobs. That means you could land an assignment more quickly in a school than in another type of setting. And you’ll also get the chance to make a difference in a community where you’re really needed.
#3: Med/Surg Nursing Jobs
As the largest specialty, it makes sense that medical/surgical assignments are some of the easiest nursing jobs for newer nurses to land. Although many facilities prefer at least a year of experience, there are simply so many openings that there’s almost always a need for nurses to fill them. Therefore, many employers are happy to consider newer nurses.
Medical/surgical nursing is also a great place to develop some of the skills you’ll need to advance into other specialties. These nurses treat patients who are just about to enter the operating room, or are just coming out of it. And gaining that experience can help you land a job in another setting later, especially the operating room or emergency room.
Working in the med/surg department is also a great way to pick up some more advanced skills, too. You’ll perform floor duties and administer bedside care, across the spectrum of health conditions. You’ll also have to manage medications, infections, and multiple patients at once, while answering patient questions and providing comfort. All of these skills will serve you well later in your career.
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#4: Psych Nursing Jobs
Psych nurses are also in demand, with many facilities currently hiring RNs with less than a year of experience. Like med/surg jobs, psych nursing jobs are also helpful for new nurses looking to add skills and experience to their CV.
Of course, psych nurses must carry out many traditional nursing duties, like monitoring patient vitals and double-checking medications. On top of this, these jobs also offer the chance to build experience that other settings don’t offer.
For instance, treating patients with unique mental and behavioral health issues helps you develop important skills in relationship building and bedside manner. Because they support doctors, physician assistants (PAs) and nurse practitioners (NPs), psych nurse jobs are heavy on communication and teamwork. They’re also great for building one of the most important skills a nurse can have — patience.
#5: Travel Nurse Jobs
As you’ve probably heard, travel nurses are more in demand than ever these days. A frequently-asked question, although many travel jobs require at least a couple years of experience, more opportunities are opening nationwide. Even after the pandemic, skilled nursing and other healthcare facilities have struggled to hire the number of nurses they need. That means they’re willing to hire RNs, LPNs and LVNs with less experience than before.
Travel nursing is also great for newer nurses because they usually offer higher pay than standard, salaried positions. And that usually includes special stipends, or special pay to cover your housing and travel costs. Additionally, because these are temporary assignments (usually 13 weeks), they’re a great way to try out a new specialty without having to make a permanent commitment.
Find the Easiest Nursing Jobs for New Nurses with CareerStaff
If you’re looking for access to the easiest nursing jobs to get with limited experience, you’ve come to the right place! We’ve got nursing assignments for all levels of skills and experience, all across the country. Check out our job search page to see what’s available right now. Or, fill out a quick online application to get in touch with a personal recruiter!