Sorry Nurse Recruiters/Nurse Managers!

[Isitpossible]

As I receive rejection after rejection for nursing jobs, I feel the need to apologize to nurse recruiters/managers who overlook my BSN because I lack patient care tech experience.

I am sorry I could not afford to take a job as a tech making 7 an hour. You see while attending school part-time, I needed to maintain a home, equipped with mortgage payments, children and all the other responsibilities of wife and mother.

I m sorry you cant see that I carried a gpa over 3.0 even with the all the responsibilities I have.

I'm sorry that you cant see that for past 2 ½ years of nursing school, I stayed up late each night studying or preparing care plans while working 40 hours a week.

I'm sorry that you can't see how I worked tirelessly in every aspect of my life to obtain a second degree.

I'm sorry that you can't see that despite a lack of patient care experience I am mature, driven, focused, ambitious and hard working.

I'm sorry that you can't see that I passed by NCLEX exam with 75 questions in under one hour. Not because of exceptional knowledge, because I studied tirelessly!

I'm sorry that you can't see how I was complimented time and time again by not only my clinical instructors but more importantly the patients who I cared for. I wish you could hear the amount of times a patient or the family said "you are going to be great nurse."

I'm really sorry you can't see past this lack of experience and have formed a judgment against me before knowing me.

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

I passed the NCLEX in 76 questions, took me twenty minutes, ....

Ok, there's good test takers, and great test takers, but I'm struggling with this one. Are you saying that you took what you could expect to be the most important test of your career and spent only 16 seconds on each question, and did so well you passed in 76 questions? I'm trying to wrap my head around that one...

[Patti_RN]

We all have our opinions about where new grads do and don't belong. (My own thought is new grads don't have the experience, training, or understanding to function in L&D--but that's just me, and I don't work or hire L&D staff so my opinion isn't really worth much!) Many nurses believe their own area of expertise is unique and requires more competence, training and experience than new grads have. That is often ego-driven. If you want to work in some specialized area, go ahead and apply. Only the person who is hiring for that position can determine if you're qualified. But, be aware of the likelihood of finding a job where competition is intense, and decide if you want to limit yourself to only that area. If you don't find that coveted, dream position in a year... or two...or more, your nursing degree will become 'stale' and finding any job may become next to impossible.

[That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

Ok, there's good test takers, and great test takers, but I'm struggling with this one. Are you saying that you took what you could expect to be the most important test of your career and spent only 16 seconds on each question, and did so well you passed in 76 questions? I'm trying to wrap my head around that one...

It took me 34 minutes for 75 questions. I do not sit and dwell on the questions. I read the question, found the answer moved along. Worked well in school for me. I always always tested fast. I cant think about things too long. When I know the answer, I know it and dont think about what ifs.

But like others said it doesnt mean anything. whether its every question over 6 hours or how fast others took it you still get the same license.

[wooh, BSN, RN]

Ok, there's good test takers, and great test takers, but I'm struggling with this one. Are you saying that you took what you could expect to be the most important test of your career and spent only 16 seconds on each question, and did so well you passed in 76 questions? I'm trying to wrap my head around that one...

75 questions for me, about 20-25 minutes. And that was getting sleepy about halfway through (I can't stand the TOTAL SILENCE that is one of those testing rooms.) I'm also a super fast test taker when it's multiple choice. Eliminate the obviously wrong answers, go with my gut on what remaining is the "best" answer. I prepare well for tests and know that if I don't know the answer when I read the question, I'm not going to magically know if I sit and stare at the question longer. And I've learned, when I spend more time thinking about it, I usually overthink myself right out of the correct answer. I know it or I don't.

[Merlyn]

It took me 34 minutes for 75 questions. I do not sit and dwell on the questions. I read the question, found the answer moved along. Worked well in school for me. I always always tested fast. I cant think about things too long. When I know the answer, I know it and dont think about what ifs.

But like others said it doesnt mean anything. whether its every question over 6 hours or how fast others took it you still get the same license.

It is a horrible thing to say but whether you took 34 minutes or three hours it does not matter. You got your license that matters. All the hard work, the anxiety, the sleepless nights all for a pass or fail test. Experience matters the most. In LPN school we used to cruse the regular staff for just sitting around while the students did all the work for 8 hours. But the 17 that were left in our class all had jobs when we graduated because we had the experience. I walked into a charge position in a national know hospital for heart and lung. I think what is wrong with the nursing schools of today. The Students only have a limited time on the floor. Now the GN's have proctoring, we had orientation. It is not the GN's fault. It is the school's

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

Well, the difference between 20 minutes and 34 is huge, nearly twice the time; I've seen people claim the same before now.

While I'm not saying it's impossible for the test to be done successfully in 20 minutes (or 25, as wooh said hers took), it's hard for me to picture, that's all. I understand not dwelling on questions, but I never understood racing through them, either....hell, it's the licensing exam, I know I took an extra minute here and there.

So be it, I guess some people are super fast at it.

[CrazierThanYou]

While I can fully appreciate that recent college grads have entered the job market at an extremely difficult time of recession (as have other college grads in fairly cyclical 20-year increments) I have to ask: is there this level of indignation among college grads who studied different fields? Are the sociology, history and English majors of the world placing blame for their lack of employment/underemployment on their school? Are marketing majors who are slinging coffee and scones at Starbucks theorizing that their current employment as baristas was all part of some evil master plan?

My first degree was in elementary education, from one of the top education schools in the country. I was at the top of my class and I excelled in student teaching. But... no job. So, while I can't speak for everyone, I don't blame my school. I blame the nepotism that is rampant in the rural area in which I live.

As far as new grads in home health: I have a question. In nursing school, I had about 10 (ugh!) home health rotations. In those rotations, here are the things I saw the nurses do:

~vital signs

~pre-pour meds

~talk to the patient

~draw blood

~finger sticks

~wound care

What is it that requires prior experience in order to do home health? I am not trying to be a smart ***. I really am curious.

Personally, I would feel strange putting my NCLEX question number and time on a resume but if people are doing that, is there a way to verify that?

[BlueDevil,DNP, DNP, RN]

Putting NCLEX time and question numbers on a resume is the height of foolishness and the best way to get the application tossed with nothing more than a laugh at the applicants expense. I hired nurses for critical care units for years and would never have interviewed anyone that did that. I still hire my own clinic nurse and same applies. I wouldn't give you the time of day. That is just the dumbest "credential" I have ever heard. Even "Who's Who in _____ " would be taken more seriously than that, lol.

[Wild Irish LPN, LPN]

I guess I was unaware of what a "competition" completing your NCLEX was....kinda sad, I could care less....sorry.

[mrr5745]

What is it that requires prior experience in order to do home health? I am not trying to be a smart ***. I really am curious.

What happens when the home health pt codes and it's just you and your black bag? No code team, No doctors, No experienced nurses around to help. Sure, you could call 911, but while waiting for the ambulance you'd better be performing CPR...

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

Personally, I would feel strange putting my NCLEX question number and time on a resume but if people are doing that, is there a way to verify that?

Nope, not at all verifiable, even if it did make a difference to anyone hiring. Which is yet another reason why it's useless trivia.

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

Putting NCLEX time and question numbers on a resume is the height of foolishness and the best way to get the application tossed with nothing more than a laugh at the applicants expense. I hired nurses for critical care units for years and would never have interviewed anyone that did that. I still hire my own clinic nurse and same applies. I wouldn't give you the time of day. That is just the dumbest "credential" I have ever heard. Even "Who's Who in _____ " would be taken more seriously than that, lol.

Yeah, I have never heard of anyone giving a rat's patoot about this until I read this thread. When my computer shut down after 75 questions during my NCLEX exam, I was so shocked, because I was so mentally involved in what I was doing that it took me totally by surprise. However, once I accepted that the test was actually truly over with, I never gave it another thought ever until I read this thread. Anyone who has worked any amount of time as a nurse should know that the number of questions the computer decides to give you that day has NO relevance to one's competence as a nurse. It just boggles the mind to think there are people who view themselves as somehow more qualified based on how many questions they answered and in what time on the NCLEX!