After looking for an RN job for many months with no calls or interviews, I received a call out of the blue last week from a LTC facility from an HR person. When I called her back, she told me that they were having a pharmacology/med math exam on June 14 and that if I passed I would be eligible for an interview. I asked her if there were certain meds I should focus on and she told me that she wasn't allowed to tell me which ones All she told me was that there were 50 questions in multiple choice format and the exam was on paper.
I also asked how good my chances were for getting an interview if I passed the exam and she said that she didn't know. I asked her how long it would take to get a call for an interview if I pass and she told me I would have to ask the Asst. Dir. of Nursing or the Asst. Dir. of HR so I'll know who to ask when the time comes.
So now, I have a couple of questions for you guys; is it normal to take the pharm exam before even securing an interview? I usually hear that people get hired first and then are asked to take the exam. Is it different for LTC or does this usually happen?
And my most important question, for you nurses who have taken the pharm exam in a LTC facility, were the pharm questions usually based on a geriatric population, like the meds most commonly used in nursing homes or were they generalized pharm questions which could cover any broad spectrum (like med-surg, oncology, etc.) Right now I'm focusing on studying meds more related to the geriatric population but it would help to know for sure
Woah, nohika, you are scaring me And I see that you just started too... how are you holding up?
I'm just a lowly NAC so it's not similar to being a nurse, but I'm doing okay - I have two fantastic coworkers on nights that have kind of "taken me under their wings" and are helping me out. There's a third, too, but she's the one I'm replacing, hah...but they've all been fantastic. Unfortunately there's another one that's ****** and lazy...and I got stuck working with her last night...but I'm figuring things out. I'm still pretty slow, unfortunately.
My clinicals were about 8 months ago and this is my first job, so I'm adjusting. I love my facility, though - the staff tend to be pretty nice - I love my female night nurse and almost all of the day/evening nurses! I've heard the male night nurse is a dickens, though...ah, well. Ann (the night nurse) is pretty good about helping out with minor things when she can, as long as no buttwiping is involved. Ah, well. Minor steps.
Yeah, it is. Everything that you do is a nursing duty but can be performed by someone without a license.
And thanks. I don't have time to do it, although I do wipe butts when necessary.
:)
Thanks for that. Some of the nurses where I work are golden, but man ask them for help doing something and you're violated their religion. It's like c'mon people. I've never seen people get so offended.
I'm still learning, I guess. I more meant when I said that it's because LTC nurses don't seem to have much time to help out with their pile of nurse-only stuff to do. Heck, some NACs at my workplace find time to do nothing...their entire shift. Frustrating, but I'm low man on the totem pole. Plus I don't work that shift anymore (oriented on days, I'm a nocshifter).
Thanks for that. Some of the nurses where I work are golden, but man ask them for help doing something and you're violated their religion. It's like c'mon people. I've never seen people get so offended.
I'm still learning, I guess. I more meant when I said that it's because LTC nurses don't seem to have much time to help out with their pile of nurse-only stuff to do. Heck, some NACs at my workplace find time to do nothing...their entire shift. Frustrating, but I'm low man on the totem pole. Plus I don't work that shift anymore (oriented on days, I'm a nocshifter).
Okay, I'm rambling. But I did just wake up!
Go have another cup of coffee. (I used to do NOCs. Hard.)
Sorry for the delay, I've been busy working for the past few weeks now (unfortunately not a nursing job, but thankfully it is something I can do to make some money until I get that coveted RN postion ) I studied my butt off but of course there were quite a few things I didn't even look at that were on the exam. Luckily, I got most of those right and passed the exam :)
It turned out that they interviewed all of the people who passed, however, and when I interviewed with the HR Director, she told me that though she liked me, there were candidates who were more experienced than I (there were nine of us who took the test and about six that I saw interviewed that day) and although she could sympathize with my situation, it was still an employer's market and they had to go with those with more experience (like I haven't heard that before ). She told me that she would hold on to my resume for a position in the future. Would you believe they had us all vying for one part-time position? Of course you would.
Anyway, she advised me to not limit my search horizons, to look for night positions (which I would actually prefer) and weekend positions as well as per-diem positions (which I had no idea that new grads could even apply for).
All in all, it was a good and bad experience, good because I finally got an idea of what to expect from an interview for a nursing position and I got the medication examination out of the way for that facility if they do decide to hire me in the future; the bad experience is that I was called only to stress myself out studying, travel for over two hours all the way to be told that they are not looking for new grads even though they could clearly see on my resume that I am such. I guess that's just the way it is...
All she told me was that there were 50 questions in multiple choice format and the exam was on paper.
Thanks for that. Some of the nurses where I work are golden, but man ask them for help doing something and you're violated their religion. 
It's like c'mon people. I've never seen people get so offended.
Plus I don't work that shift anymore (oriented on days, I'm a nocshifter).
But I did just wake up!
) I studied my butt off but of course there were quite a few things I didn't even look at that were on the exam. Luckily, I got most of those right and passed the exam :)
nohika
506 Posts
I'm just a lowly NAC so it's not similar to being a nurse, but I'm doing okay - I have two fantastic coworkers on nights that have kind of "taken me under their wings" and are helping me out. There's a third, too, but she's the one I'm replacing, hah...but they've all been fantastic. Unfortunately there's another one that's ****** and lazy...and I got stuck working with her last night...but I'm figuring things out. I'm still pretty slow, unfortunately.
My clinicals were about 8 months ago and this is my first job, so I'm adjusting. I love my facility, though - the staff tend to be pretty nice - I love my female night nurse and almost all of the day/evening nurses! I've heard the male night nurse is a dickens, though...ah, well. Ann (the night nurse) is pretty good about helping out with minor things when she can, as long as no buttwiping is involved. Ah, well. Minor steps.