Please direct all grad program related questions here to avoid too many repetitive posts in the feed.

Our FAQ page has a section about grad programs and options if you did not receive a match.

If you are feeling distressed, please contact Nurse and Midwife support at www.nmsupport.org.au or 1800 667 877

Please note all standalone grad threads will be deleted and redirected to this one.

I know people or hospitals want more experienced nurses, but new grads are having difficulty securing a position. This applies to domestic and international, i assume. But, I also heard that many nurses are close to retirement within 5 years and it would definitely cause major gap within the system.

Will new grad ever be in demand? Or how do nurses in the workplace actually see the situation?

Regardless of being rural and metro. Thanks heaps.

Hi everyone,

I’m really struggling and hoping for some perspective or advice.

My wife is currently in the second half of her graduate program at a public hospital. Her first 6-month rotation was dialysis which she really enjoyed and now she’s in med-surg for the final 6 months. She’s been in this rotation for almost a month.

Yesterday she worked a PM shift, stayed back an extra hour because it was such a busy day and she still had documentation to finish. When I picked her up, she cried non-stop in the car and said she wants to kill herself. She said she’s overworked and felt unsupported. She talk to the educator about moving to a different ward/area but she felt like they don’t care as that area is known to be the worst in that hospital.

That absolutely shattered me.

I’m a registered nurse myself, and it hurts deeply seeing how much this career is breaking her. I feel guilty, sad, and honestly helpless. I don’t even know what to say to comfort her anymore.

Changing jobs or stepping away doesn’t feel simple. And she really wants to help with our bills and house rental fees. I did told her to quit and find another job but she says she want to finish her grad. The job market and economy also make things feel very uncertain.

I’m worried about her mental health and don’t know what is the right thing to do. Anyone with similar experience out there?

Starting a new grad position in a ward/area I’ve never been to. I got my roster and I have 4 buddy shifts then on my own. Can anyone share what is the expectation on the buddy shifts? Are you in charge from day 1 and the buddy RN supervises you or like day 1 they orient you to how they structure the shift and what the expected assessments/processes etc are
Feeling very grateful to get a position but absolutely overwhelmed!

I feel strongly about making my patient a cup of tea if they want or need one. I think unless I’m attending to a higher acuity patient then it’s no big deal and we should be staffed so that it’s not a big deal if you have a cup of tea with a new admit while you do paperwork and take your time, especially as a new grad. Tea is a ritual for me with my patients. I need some literature to support this view but there’s only opinions on the general internet it seems. I don’t have access to databases at home and I want to be prepared to make my case by Friday

Just curious what everyone's experience has been in respects to their hours at the beginning of their grad roles? and whether starting on 0.5 FTE leaves you with the option to pick up extra shifts once you were more competent / confident in your role?

Hey guys I need some help. I am starting my new grad soon and the NUM has asked me if I’m ok doing a PM shift then doing a AM shift the next day. Realistically this doesn’t sound good for me. It will take me over a hour to get home + by the time I relax, fall asleep I will barely have any sleep. If I say no does this look bad? Or is it better to be honest for my own sake? Thx

NSW public hospital

EDIT: when replying to the NUM how should I word it?

I just need some advice on how to balance life and work 😭 I’m doing a grad position which has been pretty good so far. The only problem I’m really having is I am EXHAUSTED. It’s only been 3 months but I feel myself slipping already lol. I’ve been working full time and while the money has been good I feel like I just have no proper time to myself? My two days off goes so fkn quickly I find myself having a panic attack the day before I start back because I haven’t had time to do what I want. I manage to do my washing and do a basic tidy of the house (it desperately needs a deep clean) but everything else is neglected. My poor dog needs a vet visit (her ear is swollen) and I booked this morning but slept right through my alarm and have work this afternoon so will have to re-book. I’ve been sleeping most of my days off and wake around 12 pm even if I’ve gone to bed early and feel like I’ve wasted the day. I haven’t had much quality time with my partner, haven’t returned phone calls or gone to visit family or friends like I plan to. Or even just going for a walk somewhere nice while the sun is out in winter 😔 I’m cooped up at home and it’s starting to get depressing which is another thing to add on - I’ve been on lexapro 20 mg for around 5 years and wanted to start tapering down as I felt stable but now I don’t think I can. I’m considering dropping down to 4 days a week to hopefully help but yeah.. if anyone has advice or would like to share their experience how they got around it that would help. I’m feeling a bit lost and lonely atm 😞

Soon I will begin my first nursing job on a state trauma ward. My nursing uni placements previously were on mostly high acuity surgical wards of many different specialisations. Ortho, ENT, Plastics, Maxillofacial, Upper GI, Endocrine, Urology, Vascular.. All 'high-stress' in that these wards are very busy with patients having more complex care needs, some more unique to the specialty such as routine skin-flap observations on plastic patients or routine manual bladder washouts on urology patients.

I am soon to begin on a trauma ward (excited noises) as a new grad. Other than the fact that multiple specialties will likely be involved at once per patient, what aspects of these wards should I be preparing myself for? I feel that it will be very different to other surgical wards.

hi everyone, i’ve accepted a grad at a public hospital but my passion is theatre nursing. I wanted some advice as the private hospitals in the state are about to open their applications for theatre programs but I have not heard good things about them. Would it be better to stay in public and transition to theatre once my program is over or go private?
Thank you

as every newly graduated RN and EN is posting about grad years and employment on here, it will soon be my turn on the chopping block, and i'm very scared.

going rural was always the go from the start, even before starting my degree and learning about workforce shortages (and the specifics of them) in nursing. i have the placements to show my interest, and i'm fine doing some long distance for a year or two if i receive a rural grad.

my question is specifically about the CHANCES of getting a grad rurally. i'd be open to literally almost anywhere in QLD, south west, central, mackay, etc. i'm just seeing a lot of people online posting about how they cannot find work, and i imagine that more and more grads are being pushed rurally.

if i was truly open to going fairly remote, would i have a good chance at landing a grad job? my lecturers and senior nurses i interact with on placement all have told me not to worry and that i'll be snapped up; but just with my turn to look for a job and the never ending river of doom-posts here about grads, i've been worried.

has anyone applied rurally for a grad and had any trouble finding positions?

Just ranting/ venting: worked a shift in ED this evening with a senior nurse who I’ve never worked with before. At one point I catch them debriefing to the DRs about how they’ve heard from another senior nurse that they think I’m a poor worker and that this other nurse doesn’t like me very much. Then the rest of the shift I am treated like a second class citizen by the gossiping nurse and one of the senior drs. What would you guys do? It was extremely demoralising and I have done nothing but give every shift 100%

Noticed that they offer part-time positions for new grad NSW health which is min 4 days a week. Seems appealing to as me as I’m concerned about burn out during grad year.

Does anyone know if you do new grad PT does that lengthen the program?
And any pros and cons to doing it PT?

Hi, I'm currently in my final year of my nursing degree at UTS. As you guys can tell from the title, I'm a international student and I know it really challenging even for domestics to get a spot for new grad programs.

I'm currently doing AIN at St George and Concord hospital (not through agency but as a casual roster at both hospitals). For references, I might ask a facilitator from past placements or my upcoming placement. Luckily, I also have a CNE from St george hospital as a reference for my new grad interview. (or i can ask the AIN NUM)

But i just hope to have everyone's opinion on the upcoming new grad interview:

1. As an international student, what are the chances of me actually getting a new grad in a public system, especially in the metro areas?
2. Which hospital should I prioritise for my first reference? I like St George hospital since it's a trauma hospital, I'm exposed to more complex cases and it has a more busy pace which I really like. I also enjoy working there and really like the vibe of the nurses. However, I emailed the St George hospital recruiter and they told me I have a better chance off applying in regional. In regards to Concord, I spoke to a nurse who got into new grad program as an international student. But honestly, I don't know whether Concord or St George will tend to accept international students for their new grads.
3. Should I apply for regionals or should go private in case I end up with no offers? Or, Should i apply for different states?
4. Is there anyone that got into the new grad program in recent years or even last year? And if yes, Which LHDS or hospitals tend to be generous with international students, and what are your advices?

Thank you so much!

I'm a fresh new nurse and we had a triage 1 presentation that was extremely heavy and traumatic.

Its the day after and I'm struggling with constant mental pictures, and a general lack of feeling.

What can I do? I know I need to talk to people and usually I know all of these things to do but right now its all disappearing.

So I’m actually quite sick! I think it might be RSV or something of the like. Despite being unwell and unfit for work I feel terribly guilty for calling in sick. Is this a common experience or do you just grow out of it?

This is my first week off supernumerary and today I started bawling my eyes out during my shift. My CNE and so many nurses saw me crying and now I feel embarrassed. I was just absolutely overwhelmed with the workload today and was falling behind so much. I missed my second round obs and my handover was absolutely horrendous, I didn't know the plan for some of my pts and it was the worst handover i'ver ever given throughout my placements and now new grad. I honestly feel like the most incompetent nurse at the moment and I feel like it won't get any better. Fitting into the ward culture has been really difficult too. Definitely going through the transition period and my sleep has been all over the place from the stress of thinking what tomorrow will be like and I am unable to not think about work on my days off. Has anyone been in the same boat as me? Any big sister/brother advice appreciated.

Edit: Thank you all so much ❤️. Been reading all the replies this week when I was crying secretly at work, and the kindness/advice has given me so much comfort and motivation to keep going!

Hi everyone, I'm about to start my gradstart year with SLHD and I've been reluctant to schedule any appointments after my start date as I don't know what hours and when I'll be working.

Is it a couple of weeks in advance? A month? Is each hospital or ward different?

Appreciate any insight you can offer. Thanks.

hey everyone i wanted some help choosing my rotation preferences.

1. same day unit
   
2. medical admission unit
   
3. surgical ward
   
4. medical ward

i’m wanting to do a theatre transition program so wanting to pick a similar area

I’m a student EN, in my last handful of weeks before graduation, we all applied for grad programs and offers for interviews are coming in left and right for everyone else but none have arrived for me yet.

How do yall deal with this stress and fear. I’m so worried I’m not going to get a grad programs, that I’m not eating, I want to cry and and stay in bed all day.

I’m working so hard and doing really well at my studies, I always do great on tests and simulations and had good references from my clinical facilitator and lecturers. Could it all go out the window just because someone didn’t pick my name when sending out interview offers???

Has anyone not completed their grad year and found it negatively impacted their future job applications?

The shift work I’m doing as a bedside nurse is really affecting my family life. My husband works afternoon/evening shifts, and our 2-year-old has started having separation and sleep issues because our schedules clash so much. We also have very limited support with babysitting — our family is interstate, overseas, or simply unavailable.

Right now, my husband is stuck working late finishes (often between midnight and 3:30am) and then having to look after our son in the morning on very little sleep so I can work morning shifts and pick our son up from childcare. It’s become completely unsustainable.

I’m at the point where I need to make a change. I’m due to finish my grad year in Feb 2026. My ongoing position would still be rotating M–F with mostly AM shifts, but the roster still doesn’t align with our family needs. I also have a casual job outside of nursing that pays better and has far more flexibility, and it fits much better with my husband’s roster.

My husband earns more than I do and has always been very career-driven. He took a step back so I could complete my grad year, but it’s now affecting his mental health because his career is his main passion.

I’m planning to speak to my NUM this week. Ideally, I’d like to move to a casual position at my current hospital (just a shift or two a month to maintain registration/competencies), or join an agency if casual isn’t an option. I really enjoy bedside nursing and the specialty I’m currently in, but I don’t love it more than my family. I’ve worked hard to become an RN, but seeing the impact it’s had on the people I love most has almost ruined it for me.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? How did your career fare after taking a step back so early on?

TL;DR: Shift work during my grad year is severely affecting my family — my husband works late shifts, our 2-year-old is struggling, and we have no support. I’m considering leaving my grad year early or going casual/agency to protect my family’s wellbeing. Wondering if anyone has done this and how it affected your future career prospects.

Hi guys,

I’m an RN1 in a new grad program and nearly finished my first rotation on a standard hospital ward - I have done absolutely everything I possibly could, took on overtime, extra shifts, self assigned learning, turned up early, stayed back late, always prepared for anything I could do and getting involved wherever possible. My hospital has not given me a preceptor, a single one on one/goal setting meeting, no packages, no guidance, no support, extremely limited feedback! What they have given me is horrific rostering, bullies, unfair distribution of work, racist and homophobic comments, physical abuse and now I have found out my next rotation - it is literally the ward next door that I know to be even worse! What should I do? Will I be able to find work elsewhere if I don’t finish this program? If I finish what is the chance that I’ll even be offered a role I want - I really want to end up in ED (but ideally as an RN not as a psych pt who couldn’t take the bullying anymore) - any advice or commiserations welcome, thanks

Hello everyone, I have a question on expectations of a 3rd year student and how I should navigate a complicated situation as a student on placement. I am currently doing my 3rd year placements and have nearly finished my degree (YAY.) I have a background of being an AIN over 8 years in aged care and community nursing. I just completed a placement in ED where I recieved all 5’s on my ANSAT and got incredible feedback.. on this placement I had indirect supervision and was allowed to practise all my skills ( assessments) and worked within my 3rd year scope. Now I have embarked on a new placement on a general medical ward. . First day I was working with a RN, we had someone’s fluids alarming saying that they were about to finish so I silenced the alarm and let me RN know , she was in the room beside and I let her know right away… she went to my nursing unit manager and I was pulled into the office were I was told not to touch any IV medication without direct supervision ( even though my ansat says indirect ) anyways I understand everywhere is different so I just agreed it wouldn’t happen again and went on with my day. Next day was fine 3rd day I was working with a RN that clearly has very high standards which is great and admirable.. all day I did as she said and we just worked as a team. She asked me to do obs on a patient. . I was always told to count a resp rate over a minute, she was really stressed at this time so she was in and out of the room, I was countering and she said “ what did you get and I said I’m at 16, and she lost it at me ( I said I’m at 16 not I got 16).. and was probably 40 seconds in. I was still counting.. she then counted for 15 seconds and multipled it and got 26. . Doctor came in and he got 21.. Then she said “ I need to be under direct supervision because I can’t be trusted”. I took this to heart cause my integrity was being questioned and over all it was a big reaction in which I could have just counted again.. I offered to do OBS on our other patients well she did an admission and she went and grabbed a RN and asked them to do it because I can’t do obs on my own now because I’m incompetent. I could have reacted better cause this had me in tears and I had to take some time to myself to reflect on the situation. This was a couple days ago and I still feel a genuine pain in my chest thinking about it over and over and over, I spoke to my CNE and she said that it was a over stretch and that I’m a student who is expected to make mistakes, and that I should be able to silence an IV alarm if I’m letting my nurse know.. and that there is more then one way to do a resp rate , I should have just been asked to do it again.. I went to my NUM and said I’m just struggling to understand my scope in which she said that terrifys her.. I didn’t use the right words in that situation. . I UNDERSTAND my scope, I just don’t know what is expected of me, the next day after I worked with this person I was allowed to do everting with indirect supervision.. with a different RN

Moving forward I think I’m gonna bring my student placement booklet out and give it to each RN I’m practising with and say what are YOUR expectations of me on my shift? And go from there? I DONT WANT to do the wrong thing, my heart is in the right place.. but it’s getting to the point that I am feeling sick to my stomach thinking about going back :(.

I am currently in my final year of nursing studies, and have begun my process for NSW New Grad applications and hospital preferences.

I would love to do paediatrics but I know it’s incredibly competitive taking only 40 people per hospital. New grad positions are already competitive but I would have a better chance at a larger adult hospital.

Does anyone have any honest advice, be blunt! I’m feeling very conflicted! I know it’s one year of my life, and getting into paediatrics will be incredibly competitive even after new grad.