Has anyone dealt with rejection when looking for new graduate positions? I'm applying to really competitive cities and wonder how to make myself stand out more.

Volunteer in the hospital you want to work in. Network with people you meet there. Additionally, ask for advice on resume and work an RN job even if you don’t like it to build work experience. Look at credentials needed for your desired unit and study / get it if you can. But mostly work experience and being able to jump in w/o minimum training is what the unit is looking for. If they are short, unfortunately the attitude to training is miserly. Nurses as a unit actually review resumes as a group and can be critical of candidates. I’ve seen this process like become a bit brutal. So you gotta know your stuff and you gotta be tough emotionally. I feel this is wrong but it’s happening because the managers hand it off so the group finds someone just as nasty/ nice as them. Some actuality treat hiring events as a sorority rush. Unfortunately it does benefi you if you know someone who works there. They can heavily influence the group.