10 things nursing majors should do in December to help their 2026 job search

I’ve hired hundreds of healthcare professionals across my facilities–Memory Lane, Open Arms Hospice, and my visiting physician practice. The nursing graduates who got offers fastest in January weren’t the ones with perfect GPAs; they were the ones who physically showed up in December.

Call the nursing supervisor directly at 3-4 hospitals you actually want to work at and ask if you can shadow for a single shift in December. I’ve personally hired three nurses at Memory Lane who did exactly this–they came in, helped residents with activities, asked smart questions about our 1:3 staff ratios, and I had their offer letters ready before they left. One candidate brought homemade cookies for our dementia residents and understood immediately why we structure mealtimes the way we do.

December is when we finalize our Q1 budgets and headcount. If you’re a real person I’ve met rather than resume #47, you’re getting the call first. The nurse who shadowed our hospice team in December 2023 started January 2nd because she was already trained on our systems and knew our patients by name.

Jason Setsuda, CFO, Memory Lane

December is perfect for a private log that tracks the tiny, messy, real-world moments from clinicals that never make it onto a resume. Stuff like calming a combative patient, catching a medication error before it spread chaos, or helping a family understand what a care plan truly means. Those stories become fuel for interviews, because hiring managers want proof that you can navigate human unpredictability. Most applicants show polished lines; you’ll show lived experience that sticks.

Why it works: recruiters remember candidates who speak in vivid episodes. You turn interviews into conversations, not interrogations, and that builds instant trust.

James Robbins, Co-founder & Editor in Chief, Employer Branding News

One of the most important things nursing majors should do in December is to use LinkedIn with clear intention. This means actively sharing your thoughts on healthcare topics, commenting on industry posts, and connecting with nursing professionals and healthcare organizations. Consistent visibility on the platform can generate job opportunities more effectively than simply submitting mass applications. By building your professional presence now, you position yourself to be top of mind when healthcare facilities begin their hiring cycles in early 2026.

Bhavik Sarkhedi, Founder & CEO, Ohh My Brand

As Lucent’s SVP of Business Development, I’ve spent over 15 years building high-performing healthcare teams and driving sustainable expansion in competitive markets. Beyond clinical proficiency, a critical factor for success in our field is the ability to connect deeply with diverse patient populations.

For nursing majors, use December to proactively cultivate strong cultural and linguistic competencies. We find that empathy, cultural sensitivity, and multilingual abilities are powerful differentiators that directly improve patient experience and care quality.

At Lucent Health Group, for instance, our multilingual staff speaking Spanish, Farsi, or Mandarin ensures truly personalized and sensitive care in North Texas. Demonstrating this commitment to diverse patient needs will make you an invaluable candidate when job searching in early 2026.

This focus aligns business development with quality care delivery, a core principle that strengthens both our organization and your future career. It showcases a ‘people-first’ approach that resonates with leading home health providers.

Claire Maestri, Senior Vice President Business Development, Lucent Health Group

Working at the Texas Academy of Medical Aesthetics with novice medical workers has demonstrated that employers place significant importance on the clarity regarding clinical skills of any novice nurse. Among the top priorities nursing majors possess in December are to acquire insightful references on the part of supervisors who have seen their practical abilities at work. This is due to this timing as your newly done work will still be in the thoughts of the person, and you will get better feedback that will respond to your strengths. It also assists in making a short list of clinical skills practiced. At Injector Training, we frequently have some students who progress faster due to the fact that they are able to demonstrate a record that they can do. Such uncomplicated tasks as injections, communication with patients, charting, wound care, or IV start can assist the employer to see how ready you are.

Most of the students will wait till January, but the clinics and medical practices will start looking at applications earlier than what the majority of prospective applicants anticipate. This will position you earlier in the year in comparison to the rest of the graduates who delay till the new recruiting season begins in December. This little action demonstrates initiative, will make you shine, and will indicate that you are about to be an opportunity in a clinical environment in early 2026.

Jennifer Adams, Vice President and Lead Clinical Educator, Texas Academy of Medical Aesthetics

The essential step is your development of a Patient-Centric Triage/Advocacy Case Study. Select a complex clinical case scenario with limited resources such as an overcrowded ED/ICU, and provide supporting evidence as to why those in the highest need should be given priority for the allocation of medical resources while still providing maximum advocacy for patients at increased risk of mortality. This will be an exceptional representation of your critical thinking capabilities regarding managing limited medical resources with a firm commitment to maintaining the ethical integrity of empowering patients.

James Mikhail, Founder, Ikon Recovery

Putting together a behavioral health portfolio in December is a smart move. I’ve watched people who can prove their crisis-intervention and trauma-informed care skills get remembered by directors when they start networking. When new roles open up in early 2026, connecting directly with these leaders and showing them your actual work is the best way to get an interview.

Aja Chavez, Executive Director, Mission Prep Healthcare

As a dermatologist who has hired many nurses into our New York practice, the most powerful December move I see is this. Lock in an extern or nurse tech role in the setting where you want to work in 2026. Not another generic application blast. Paid or student time on that unit. When a nursing student spends one or two days a week with us before graduation, I watch the team stop seeing a resume and start seeing a colleague.

Use December to email nurse managers, attach a short resume, and ask about January extern or aide openings. Offer two or three days that you can be present. Those hours turn into references, often into a job offer before the NCLEX, because trust is already there. A 2025 paper on clinical externships found they build confidence, professional identity, and insider access for new nurses, which then smooths hiring transitions: https://qane-afi.casn.ca/index.php/casn/article/view/237

Cameron Rokhsar, Founder & Medical Director, New York Cosmetic Skin & Laser Surgery Center

The foundation of proficiency in EHR auditing and charting is established in the first step of demonstrating the utility of particular electronic administrative tools for the purposes of measurable quality assurance and process integrity. This is the most important aspect of the administrative function to support consistent document quality and protection of the revenue cycle. Administrative success is determined by providing evidence of proficiency in the use of specific electronic administrative tools for maintaining data integrity and measurable quality assurance.

Sean Smith, Founder & CEO, Alpas Wellness

The most important thing that nursing majors should do in December is to complete and submit applications for Nurse Residency Programs and coveted specialty units like intensive care or emergency medicine. Usually, hospitals solidify their staffing budgets and residency slots early in the new year. Therefore, by finalizing residency applications during December, nurses demonstrate proactive engagement and commitment to their career and passions, which could land them a great, new job. I strongly recommend tailoring your experience sections to focus on quality improvement projects or system efficiency that you have supported during clinical rotations, to show that you have an understanding of the operational impact of nursing care, in addition to the clinical aspect. This strategic positioning can make you a high-value candidate who is ready to fill critical roles early in 2026.

Kyle Hoedebecke, Clinical Advisor, Alpas Wellness