Just a couple of questions

[kimy]

Hey, I'm Kim and I'll start the first semester in August (all pre-req's are out of the way). I have a couple of questions though and was wondering if anyone could give me some advice.....

I'm going to be hitting the pavement hard tomorrow to find a part time job (had to quit my ft job b/c of the course load last semester) and I'd really like to start gaining experience before clinicals actually start....I have to have some income and realize that my school said not to work more than 16 hrs a week once they start but I'm going to HAVE to do that.....This is an EXPENSIVE endeavor.

1. Is it hard to get a position in a hospital w/o having prior experience (and w/o actually having started clincals yet)?

2. I have to get my equipment pretty soon and am at a total loss....The director told us to get a moderately priced bp cuff and stethoscope and I don't have a clue. I've tried doing a search on google to see if I could find some sort of buyers guide to kind of guide me in the right direction, but came up empty handed.

Thanks!

Kim

[Rena RN 2003, RN]

this will be my next purchase.

http://egeneralmedical.com/ompurclastil.html

and this is what i have now.

http://allheart.com/2163-65.html

allheart has the most comprehensive review of scopes that i've found so far. good luck in your choosing. :) you know what they say, "you never forget your first"

http://allheart.com/littmannstethoscopes.html

[Rena RN 2003, RN]

this will be my next purchase.

http://egeneralmedical.com/ompurclastil.html

and this is what i have now.

http://allheart.com/2163-65.html

allheart has the most comprehensive review of scopes that i've found so far. good luck in your choosing. :) you know what they say, "you never forget your first"

http://allheart.com/littmannstethoscopes.html

[kimy]

Thank you so much for advice.

I had a no-brainer job (a secretary...excuse me admin assistant for the state) but it was full time and I had no choice but to quit about a month ago (a little earlier than I had planned) so here i am looking for another job (hafta have some sort of income....boy if I could only win the lottery ) and i really don't want to go wait tables, I'd rather get experience, even if it's only 12 hours a week. I know a few people that are RNs now but they all work for the division of medicaid, so that doesn't help and the ones I know in school either aren't working or they're past their second semester and externing.

I was thinking about going the littman route, but I'm at a total loss when it comes to the bp cuff.

Thanks again! I'm sure I'll have a ton of stupid questions for you over the next four semesters.

[kimy]

Thank you so much for advice.

I had a no-brainer job (a secretary...excuse me admin assistant for the state) but it was full time and I had no choice but to quit about a month ago (a little earlier than I had planned) so here i am looking for another job (hafta have some sort of income....boy if I could only win the lottery ) and i really don't want to go wait tables, I'd rather get experience, even if it's only 12 hours a week. I know a few people that are RNs now but they all work for the division of medicaid, so that doesn't help and the ones I know in school either aren't working or they're past their second semester and externing.

I was thinking about going the littman route, but I'm at a total loss when it comes to the bp cuff.

Thanks again! I'm sure I'll have a ton of stupid questions for you over the next four semesters.

[Rhoresmith]

I am also a student and have been looking into stethoscopes do a search on this site there are alot of threads on this and people really give some great opinions. Look at that and you will have more information to go on Good Luck with school..... I am also really looking into shoes because I have real small feet and am very hard to fit so I am starting to look now. I also figure if I start now and buy one thing at a time it is easier to come up with the money... I totally agree about working a job that doesn't require much thinking or stress I figure school will be stressful enough

Rhonda

[Rhoresmith]

I am also a student and have been looking into stethoscopes do a search on this site there are alot of threads on this and people really give some great opinions. Look at that and you will have more information to go on Good Luck with school..... I am also really looking into shoes because I have real small feet and am very hard to fit so I am starting to look now. I also figure if I start now and buy one thing at a time it is easier to come up with the money... I totally agree about working a job that doesn't require much thinking or stress I figure school will be stressful enough

Rhonda

[pokey sn]

Kimy, since you have some secretarial experience, perhaps you could get a job in the hospital as a per diem or part time unit secretary. You'll get the exposure of a clinical unit along with terminology. You could do that until you got your first semester of clinical finished and then do the student nurse tech route. Those positions, at least in my experience were positions that were per diem giving a lot flexibility with scheduling.

As for the scope, I think that the cheapest one that I've seen alot of students get (and they work pretty well) are the Spragues scopes. They are like $20 and they are good enough to start out with until you can afford something better.

Good Luck with school!!

[pokey sn]

Kimy, since you have some secretarial experience, perhaps you could get a job in the hospital as a per diem or part time unit secretary. You'll get the exposure of a clinical unit along with terminology. You could do that until you got your first semester of clinical finished and then do the student nurse tech route. Those positions, at least in my experience were positions that were per diem giving a lot flexibility with scheduling.

As for the scope, I think that the cheapest one that I've seen alot of students get (and they work pretty well) are the Spragues scopes. They are like $20 and they are good enough to start out with until you can afford something better.

Good Luck with school!!

[kimy]

Thanks for the input. I've emailed my resume EVERYwhere today. I had plans to go visit all of the hospitals, but it appears that 90% of them require you post online. Not too sure if I like it this way....no chance to make a "good first impression".

i've been checking about the scopes here (didn't see the search button on this site b4 i posted my question...oops) and all the sites that all of you have posted here, there and everywhere. i'd love to be able to get a littmann (trying to find one on ebay with a good seller rating and decent price...) but i guess if it comes to it, i'll just get a sprague (or however it's spelled). still not sure about the cuff tho. my school doesn't REQUIRE it, but said that it would be a good idea to have one.

thanks again everybody!

good luck to all of you! I know i need it

[kimy]

Thanks for the input. I've emailed my resume EVERYwhere today. I had plans to go visit all of the hospitals, but it appears that 90% of them require you post online. Not too sure if I like it this way....no chance to make a "good first impression".

i've been checking about the scopes here (didn't see the search button on this site b4 i posted my question...oops) and all the sites that all of you have posted here, there and everywhere. i'd love to be able to get a littmann (trying to find one on ebay with a good seller rating and decent price...) but i guess if it comes to it, i'll just get a sprague (or however it's spelled). still not sure about the cuff tho. my school doesn't REQUIRE it, but said that it would be a good idea to have one.

thanks again everybody!

good luck to all of you! I know i need it

[redshiloh]

Just whatever else you do...LABEL any equipment you buy as your own and keep track of it! Good luck in school!

[redshiloh]

Just whatever else you do...LABEL any equipment you buy as your own and keep track of it! Good luck in school!