Between your nursing degree graduation and the passing of your NCLEX, there is a weird in-between stage no one tells you about until you get there. This stage is known as being a graduate nurse. Graduate nurses are students who have graduated their nursing program and have not yet taken their NCLEX. These nurses, in most states, are able to hold positions in hospitals and other medical facilities with most of, if not all, the responsibilities of an actual nurse. The catch is that the graduate nurse needs to have been offered a graduate nurse or "nursing assistantship" position. In Delaware (for example), once the job offer is verified, the graduate nurse may receive a temporary permit to work for up to six months. After that, it expires and the graduate nurse is no longer allowed to practice until they have passed their NCLEX and been awarded their true license. Graduate nurses are usually paid more than a nursing assistant or certified nurse's aide but less than a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse. It's a great way to make some money and get some experience that looks awesome on a resume. Being a graduate nurse is a title that, some believe, will win more sympathy with floor nurses initially than beginning preceptorship as a licensed nurse. You know what they say- nurses eat their young! (More on that another day.) The downside of being a graduate nurse is that you are in the awkward position of being above a nurse's aide or assistant in the medical hierarchy but not yet having the experience behind the authority. Be sensitive to that fact! It's important to get used to having others work under your supervision and direction, but you would be smart to ask for and listen to their opinion. Were you a graduate nurse? Do you think it helped you in your nursing career?