birdgardner

I am wondering what NP schools follow the most rigorous medical model, and offer the best clinical experiences. That would really matter, in terms of your competence on coming out. Big name is secondary.

Around here LTC were asking for 6 months, now 12 month experience. I do volunteer EMS - at least my emergency assessment skills and ABCs are honed. And maybe you can find some private duty nursing? Just make sure you have your insurance.

I've never panicked at a needle myself but I can look at wounds on others that would have me all light-headed and tasting blood if they were on me. Being chased can't have helped your panic. It really doesn't make sense to force an injection or any treatment on a person over the age of reason, in a non-emergent situation (we're not talking Haldol or epi here). The correct response is to back off, wait it out, come back later. My 4 y.o. son balked at being immunized at the pediatrician's. The nurse got impatient and angry and wanted to force it on him; I said hell no and took him out to the waiting room and discussed the immune system with him - the age of reason starts early in my house. Half an hour later he sat down like a lamb for the shots and has ever since. Can you imagine if we'd pinned him down, how he'd react to needles and nurses and doctors' offices forever on? Maybe you had an early bad experience; maybe it's just an out-of-the blue phobia. But you shouldn't be ashamed. Would self-administration have helped? Or desensitization? Or getting it at your own doctor's instead of employee health?

Being a nurse, sure. Becoming one, hell no, not with the job market as it is for new grads.

They are not talking about nursing jobs at all but jobs for unlicensed personnel. Which would be fine if you were going to move to that state so you could get a job paying $10-12/hour while you go to nursing school and a foot in the door, but in even in my state where new nurses cannot find jobs, they are still looking for CNAs, HHAs, etc.

My dealings with them have been a little odd - maybe just very disorganized? I've given them all sorts of personal identification and now I'm worried.

May I ask what kind of work visa you're here on and when you got it? I sympathise with your struggles, but when so many American nurses are finding it impossible to find a job, I do not understand why the US is issuing new work visas to foreign nurses. This really isn't intended to start a debate on foreign nurses, just a simple request for information. PS I realized now you may be a US citizen or permanent resident even though you are a foreign grad - would you let us know the details? Thanks.

New Jersey

Went to a job fair today, in one of the hardest hit sections of the country. They told new grads to come later - maybe not for the benefit of the new grads, but for the recruiters so they wouldn't have to be deluged... you couldn't even park later. So - graduating and getting your license means you can't work as a tech - but the few new grads being hired are those who worked as techs. And getting a out of hospital job - part-time, office, homecare, immunizations - you can't participate in a lot of the nurse internship programs for new grads, because, hey you aren't a new grad any more, even though you are as far as hospital care goes... But if you don't take anything, you hit your sell-by date... I'm actually contemplating taking a job far out of state - against my family's wishes, and against what's good for them, just so I can get a toehold anywhere and get the experience. This is just a vent - a lot of us are in the same boat - so screwed...two hundred applications out and not an interview from them...recruiters have told me the resume is good... How do you escape the automatic flush for new grads? And the through-connections interview I landed...was told "I don't know why we are interviewing you...we're not hiring new grads..."

Judging people is different from judging an action, and the OP is talking about the latter. Are you out there, OP? You know somewhere between a quarter and a third of women will have had an abortion by the end of their reproductive years. They aren't aberrations. I think everyone here would draw the line at something, even if it was legal, even if it was approved by the hospital. We don't really leave our morality home. There are countries where clitoridectomies are done in hospitals - it's safer than doing it in a hut or apartment, right? But I sure hope nurses there can stand up and say "No, this is wrong."

please don't slander us. a fraction of a percent of anti-abortionists are in favor of murdering abortion doctors (a terrorist abruption of the political process) and they are very largely condemned by the pro-life movement. nor do we want women to die from complications. many of do us favor the death penalty, and so do many people who are pro-choice on abortion. i prefer the terms anti-abortion and pro-abortion (or pro-legal abortion or pro-abortion rights if you insist.) keeps it specific to the issue, and doesn't wrap an emotional propaganda cloak around things.

A Catholic nursing school or a Catholic hospital will certainly help you avoid such situations. You are likely to find however that relatively few of the people there actually adhere strongly to the church's teaching on life issues - i.e. professors or fellow students advocating abortion or euthanasia, the religious sister/president of the hospital cosying up to pro-abortion politicians. Avoiding nursing because you fear finding yourself in a conflict only cedes the field to the other side entirely. You most likely WILL be able to avoid conflict, and if a hospital won't honor your conscience, that's not where you want to be working. During one of my clinicals observing at the OR, I was assigned to watch OB-GYN surgery and noticed that a patient was scheduled for a D&C. I screwed up my courage and told the charge that I couldn't watch if it was for abortion. She said the hospital didn't do abortions but there was no hostility or repercussions because I spoke up. Good luck to you.

How long do you have to go to retire? If it is five or ten years, stay, get your pension, then think about nursing. This is no time to give up a secure job, and it is a bad time to enter nursing. New grads in many parts of the country are having an awful time finding jobs. I personally would like to dry up the pipeline of new nurses so there really would be a shortage instead of a surplus. So all you would-be's go on strike a few years, OK?

The few new grads being hired where I am seem to be those who were CNAs at the hospital. Your nurse manager approves of your performance, potential and teamwork or you wouldn't have the offer - that should make it easier. A lot of the nurses there were once CNAs and a lot of the CNAs aim to be nurses which will also make it easier. My advice - grab it.

I would if I could - it seems like very few new grads are being hired and those who worked as PCTs as students and are known by the NMs have a huge advantage. But the hospitals around here won't hire RNs as PCTs because of liability issues. If I had known how bad the job market was here, I would have not taken the NCLEX as soon as I could but tried for a PCT job for 3 months first. I lucked into a part-time home-care job which is basically aide work at RN pay, because a few PO meds must be given. It would be better to be an aide at the hospital for aide pay, and get a foot in the door!