PLEASE I HAVE A QUESTION about nursing scheduales...

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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Hi, I was thinking of leaving the teaching field to become an RN! I've already got accepted into a BSN school, now the problem is if I'm brave enough to take that leap. I love the children and public schools, not too much complaints here. But, my only complain is having to be a full-time teacher, as there isn't very many (if any) part-time teaching jobs. My dream is to work in NICU!!!! and I was wondering if it is possible to become a NICU nurse and only work 1 day a week. Per-diem? Or even part-time. I don't need to work and my husband has great benefits...so I'm not too concerned about that. But, teaching just takes 50+ hours a week and it's sooooo tiring. So exhausting. Grading papers at home off the clock continuously. Can someone please tell me if it is possible to work 1-2 days a week in a specific floor/department without being a "floater"? I live in California and don't know too much of how it works. ALSOOOOOO biggest concern here...if I were to only work 1 day a week, would they still give me all the holidays?????? even if i'm only 1 day a week? Thank you all in advance for any help, opinions, and comments. It's greatly appreciated!!! :)

Beverly.

You have some lofty goals, good for you! Just please do a lot of research before committing to a nursing program. The odds of walking into a NICU position are very slim, much less finding a very part time or per diem position in one. That being said, if you have the right contacts your odds increase some.

Best case scenario, if you know the right people you may have a fair shot at a NICU position and with that as the new kid on the block you can expect a probably pretty lousy schedule. You will also [again best case scenario] be expected to at least rotate holidays. There is absolutely no way of getting all holidays off unless you work in a clinic or as a school nurse. If you are lucky enough to achieve that, as your seniority improves you will have a shot at better schedules and hours that may be more to your liking.

I see you are in CA, it's my understanding that at least in the metropolitan areas the job market is very tight, and that's for any position so I imagine the odds of landing a NICU position right out of school are even worse. As I live no where near California I can't offer first hand advice on the job market there, but I am sure somebody with more knowledge than myself will be happy to help you out by offering a perspective on the true state of hiring and not the "nurses always find great high paying jobs!!" crap that the schools feed prospective students.

Whatever you decide to do, best of luck to you!

Thanks, there is definitely pretty stiff competition here! And thanks for your input, I truly feel that if I put years into hard work, I can surely achieve what I set my mind to!;) But I know there is still a big maybe with the challenges in California! After this post, I have received a lot of recommendations and opinions! A lot to think about! :) This is barely the beginning of my research!

Specializes in Hospitalist Medicine.
Lol, true. Haha I don't know if I would teach, I'd rather work and feel like I was making a difference in peoples lives! Otherwise I'd just stick to teaching -_-. I love it, don't get me wrong. I'm torn, but if I'm going to spend long awful hours, I'd rather spend them caring for people!!! The program, ODDLY, is a 2 1/2 year for me for the last 2 actual nursing years, BUT classes are only 3 days a week!!!!!!! Clinicals are clinicals though! What state are you in? How is job competition out there?

I'm in Michigan and the market isn't too bad at all. All of my friends who graduated before me were able to get jobs. :)

Competition is tight to get in. We have about 350 applicants for 64 seats. Our admission was on a points system, so I feel fortunate I got in on my first try :)

I'm in Michigan and the market isn't too bad at all. All of my friends who graduated before me were able to get jobs. :)

Competition is tight to get in. We have about 350 applicants for 64 seats. Our admission was on a points system, so I feel fortunate I got in on my first try :)

Wow, good for you!!! That's awesome and a whole lot of applicants! I bet it feels great to be one of the few who got in! Clearly you deserve that spot though. Good luck to you!:)

RN2bBevy, maybe I was not clear enough. My comment applies almost solely to the nursing school admissions process and the cult of personality that goes with it. Almost all schools do a competitive point ranking that is based not only on GPA and test scores, but also on a personal interview or an essay about "Why I Want to Be a Nurse," or both. Like it or not, there is a lot of personal bias in some of the admissions committees, and some of them are quite prejudiced about only allowing the "right type of person" into their nursing school. Stick around this board a while, read the experienced nurses chatting in their part of the forum, and you are bound to see some catty remarks about how "too many people nowadays are going into nursing for the wrong reasons," and "nursing schools are letting too many of the wrong people in," and "some of these students just should not be nurses." (It's one of the things that turned me OFF to the culture of the nursing profession, in a really huge way, even though I am a conservative white professional woman, college grad with no tattoos or piercings. But the meanness and spite with which the sanctimonious rail on and on about the "wrong kind of people" just makes me nervous, kind of being around a loudmouth racist also makes me uncomfortable, because what they are saying sounds irrational.)

For admissions purposes, you do not advertise "I do not have to work" and "I only plan to work 1 day per week in the NICU." You are a career changer who is pursuing a career change for some reason that has a large altruistic and holistic Flo Nightingale component to it. You are already an older candidate, and you have a college degree and you already have a career. But there are unpteen people competing with you for the same seats, and I will wager that the selection committees are looking for people who are VERY motivated to become nurses and will pass the NCLEX-RN on the first try, and who plan to work as nurses, wherever they can find a R.N. job. If there are 6 or 12 people for every seat, you have to keep that in mind and NOT volunteer information that can be used against you.

Specializes in Hospice, Palliative Care.

Good day, TC3200

"almost all schools do a competitive point ranking that is based not only on GPA and test scores, but also on a personal interview or an essay"

If it matters, I don't know of any schools in my geographic area that do a personal interview/essay. That doesn't detract from your other points, but it is all too common for stats to be made up on the spot vs. being accurate and that includes the use of language such as almost all, all, always, never, etc. (which I'm also guilty of doing when I'm not careful; any correction, always appreciated).

Thank you.

New grads here make just over $21/hr...and raises are slow.

In 2008-2009 when I was applying to RN schools, new grad pay was $22/hr for RN in western PA. PA government reports handed out the high schools said average RN gross pay for 2009 was $63,000/year. Average LPN pay was $44,000/year. Those were statewide averages, gross pay, OT and shift premiums figured in.

LPN pay in my area was (new-grads) $15/hr in 2009. There were some places in NW PA that paid only $12/hr for new grad LPN. But down in Beaver, Allegheny, and Washington counties, LPN pay in some nursing homes went up to $19-$22/hr + benefits with very little experience. So, yes, I agree that $21 or $22/hr for RN is lousy money for the amount of additional training and responsibility.

Good day, TC3200

"almost all schools do a competitive point ranking that is based not only on GPA and test scores, but also on a personal interview or an essay"

If it matters, I don't know of any schools in my geographic area that do a personal interview/essay. That doesn't detract from your other points, but it is all too common for stats to be made up on the spot vs. being accurate and that includes the use of language such as almost all, all, always, never, etc. (which I'm also guilty of doing when I'm not careful; any correction, always appreciated).

Thank you.

New York here - we had to do an essay on why we wanted to become a nurse when we applied to the program and then after taking the TEAS test we had to do a personal essay.

Specializes in Hospice, Palliative Care.

Good day, FloatyFlowers:

I know there are schools that do ask for an essay, who may also perform an interview. My point was the use of "almost all schools" where as all of the schools in my geographic area for which that I'm aware do no such thing (though one of the schools does use the TEAS V). My point is the use of words which are often made up on the spot or based on anecdotal experience vs. a broader spectrum.

Thank you.

Good day, FloatyFlowers:

I know there are schools that do ask for an essay, who may also perform an interview. My point was the use of "almost all schools" where as all of the schools in my geographic area for which that I'm aware do no such thing (though one of the schools does use the TEAS V). My point is the use of words which are often made up on the spot or based on anecdotal experience vs. a broader spectrum.

Thank you.

I entirely understand what you are saying, though some schools may do a personal essay or such, the vast majority do not. The school I got accepted into asked me in the interview just why I want to become a nurse. Which seemed standard to me! Thanks for commenting in the post too, I agree with your responses!

Beverly.:)

RN2bBevy, maybe I was not clear enough. My comment applies almost solely to the nursing school admissions process and the cult of personality that goes with it. Almost all schools do a competitive point ranking that is based not only on GPA and test scores, but also on a personal interview or an essay about "Why I Want to Be a Nurse," or both. Like it or not, there is a lot of personal bias in some of the admissions committees, and some of them are quite prejudiced about only allowing the "right type of person" into their nursing school. Stick around this board a while, read the experienced nurses chatting in their part of the forum, and you are bound to see some catty remarks about how "too many people nowadays are going into nursing for the wrong reasons," and "nursing schools are letting too many of the wrong people in," and "some of these students just should not be nurses." (It's one of the things that turned me OFF to the culture of the nursing profession, in a really huge way, even though I am a conservative white professional woman, college grad with no tattoos or piercings. But the meanness and spite with which the sanctimonious rail on and on about the "wrong kind of people" just makes me nervous, kind of being around a loudmouth racist also makes me uncomfortable, because what they are saying sounds irrational.)

For admissions purposes, you do not advertise "I do not have to work" and "I only plan to work 1 day per week in the NICU." You are a career changer who is pursuing a career change for some reason that has a large altruistic and holistic Flo Nightingale component to it. You are already an older candidate, and you have a college degree and you already have a career. But there are unpteen people competing with you for the same seats, and I will wager that the selection committees are looking for people who are VERY motivated to become nurses and will pass the NCLEX-RN on the first try, and who plan to work as nurses, wherever they can find a R.N. job. If there are 6 or 12 people for every seat, you have to keep that in mind and NOT volunteer information that can be used against you.

Yes I totally understand what you're saying. But to be fair, this isn't my application process, it's a website, and I got into the program for my own personal reasons. I expressed my goals to the admissions committee when they decided I was an excellent candidate to their nursing program, (over 200+ people)!!!!! That speaks volumes to me, and for me I suppose!

Like I said before on my previous posts...being in a near death experience (while pregnant with my child) changed my life because of how critically ill and sick I got (which I still struggle with today). I realized in my hospital bed, why it was that I wanted to become a nurse and help people who were terrified like myself. I was told, that was the best reason they have ever heard in any interview. That speaks VOLUMES! I clearly have lots of drive in me, and probably much better/more reasons than a lot of other nurses out there! And who is to say that I don't have more drive in me than you, because of what I went through and have been in situations that you may have not even experienced for yourself. You just can't say that to people!

And to say that choosing someone who they know can pass the NCLEX-RN for first time takers, and relating it based off of their personal drive is absolutely wrong. That's why they want a gpa and a TEAS test score. That may have little to do with your passion, but at the end of the day, it's truly how well you do in school! I top ranked my gpa and Teas test. I am a VERY smart cookie;>, and would pass that test in a heart beat (I have no doubt about that) even IF I didn't have the passion for nursing. Two totally different things!

It's hard to judge someone off of a post. Like I said before, commenting if there is "such and such job" available, for future reference, was just to know if that position exists. I didn't feel as though I had to mention "don't worry I'm well aware everyone that I have to put in my years first to get to the top like everyone else, and get my dream job, BUT......) I just didn't know how many judgmental people there actually was out there, as I am not one of those people myself! I also didn't feel the need to have to explain my entire plan and timeline to follow that. All I wanted to know is if there are any positions that exist like that today! Very simple I assumed. But I do appreciate your responses. Thank you. :)

Beverly.

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