Suggestions for HOW TO FIND A JOB

You muddle through and survive as tens of thousands of new grad nurses have before you.

Lisa,

I think you are minimizing the role conflict issues and potential legal problems. Also, the scenario you set out about training, for example, learning med pass without passing any meds - these are unrealistic and asking for a boundary to blur.

Protecting your license is not the DON's priority or focus. You cannot just do what she tells you to do, regarding your license. You have to protect your own license. A wise nurse here has a signature line that says, "Being a good nurse and good employee are not necessarily the same thing." This is another issue of conflicting roles and agendas.

I just posted this on the General Message Board but since we have a VA here in Arizona I thought it may be worth researching...
I am off class today and am watching TV as I clean up at home and nearly every commercial break has an advertisement from the VA Hospitals. I skimmed through it but did not see anything in AZ however just having a license in AZ you can work anywhere in the US. Anyways it may be worth looking into for some of you. Best of luck!!!
http://www.vacareers.va.gov/vacareers_Jobs.cfm

Take that back found a couple of AZ listings
11/27/2009REGISTERED NURSE - Rural Health Care Coordinator (Sierra Vista)
Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health AdministrationUS-AZ-Sierra Vista52,438.00+ 11/27/2009REGISTERED NURSE - Rural Health Care Coordinator (Casa Grande)
Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health AdministrationUS-AZ-Casa Grande52,438.00+ 11/27/2009REGISTERED NURSE - Rural Health Care Coordinator (Yuma)
Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health AdministrationUSI am just a student but I really hate seeing so many out of work and hope that even a little bit of my efforts can get you placed.

I did some more flipping through the VA website (it is very lengthy to get around) HOWEVER after scrolling for quite awhile I found a few jobs that may be well suited to NEW GRADS in Prescott. My dad is a vet and while sitting in the waiting room with him many of the other Vet's told me how wonderful the facility and care is in Prescott...
Here is one link, I saw another on a previous page!!!!!!!!!
3/31/2010Registered Nurse, VN-610; AD-610
Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health AdministrationUS-AZ-Prescott53,378.00+

In any position, you work under the scope of that position and license. THATS IT. If you have RN skills but are working as a CNA, you use CNA skills ONLY (since that is what the scope of wat that position entails). Also, you cannot call yourself a CNA if you are not a state licensed CNA. It gets tricky.

Here is my own example. I am an EMT. Right now I'm also a block 1 nursing student. Even though I have current EMT certification, I could not legally perform EMT skills as a block 1 nursing student because that is not in my scope of practice as an RN student.

Should somebody code with me standing next to them, and an AED is right there and I know how to use it but haven't been trained as an RN student (EMT training only) so it isn't in my scope as a student.......

that is a whole different ethical discussion & involves good samaritan laws, etc. I won't even start with it.