New Grad Success Story/Help with Pharm Exam before New Grad Internship

[livethequestions14]

So for all new grads out there, I have some good news! Open houses are your friend! I was getting absolutely nowhere with job applications and I went to an open house and I was offered an internship at a hospital near me. However, there is a downside that I need some help with.

While, I'm happy to get my foot in the door, the internship is unpaid and lasts for six weeks. Then, if you are able to get through the internship successfully and they like you, then you are offered a per diem position at the hospital. Obviously I'm nervous since a lot of the offer seems very conditional on other factors (and, on top of that, my student loans come due soon.) To add to my stress, before the internship starts, I have to take a pharmacology exam that includes calculations, as well as proper timing and dosing, labs needed to administer meds, contraindications and trade vs. generic and I only get two tries to pass it. Has anyone had to take a med exam before starting a job? Do they have any advice for me on how to approach this? I feel confident with calculations but I don't know how I'm going to learn the dose ranges and contraindications for all the different meds I'll see on a med-surg floor. Any help anyone can give me would be much appreciated : )

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

Did you ask for the exam blueprint? This would provide you with information about the structure of the test. If they are using this test to make employment decisions, it must be either a well-known standardized test (such as the one NLN produces) or one that meets the same general requirements. This is an absolute requirement for compliance with the US Federal Labor Standards Act....

So - long story short - tests that meet the all of the requirements for statistical validity and reliability are not going to have any 'tricky' or unusual items. All of the items will be within the knowledge & skills of the majority of applicants. Make sure that you take your time with calculations & conversions. In my organization, we provide calculators for tests - because we want the test to emulate actual working conditions.

Deep breath - try not to stress out. You've got this.

[livethequestions14]

Thanks so much for the advice. It makes me feel better to know that the test has to meet some general requirements. They said they're not going to give a blueprint, but they did give an overview of areas of meds they'll be testing on (asthma, cardiac, diabetic meds, etc.) and to focus on things such as dosing, timing, generic vs. trade names, etc. The recruiter also told me that I can focus on the more well-known drugs that are more commonly seen on the units. I feel like if I could pass the NCLEX, then I should be able to do this, but for whatever reason it feels more daunting, but it does make me feel better to know there won't be any 'tricky' material. Thanks again!

[RunBabyRN]

I've taken med exams for a couple of hospitals. They're not too bad, and I'm no pharm buff. More the math and rights of administration than side effects of specific meds or indications of meds. Mine have all been online at home before interviewing begins. I use a calculator.

[Abrillant12]

Funny you mention this. I'm experiencing the same thing right now. I too have to know the exact same stuff you are required to know and I also have the exact same conditional factors. As a new grad I'm feeling fairly overwhelmed with the pharmacology part. Nursing school always said they didn't expect us to know much as new grads and that the hospital would teach us what we needed to be successful. I cracked open my pharmacology textbook from college and became immediately overwhelmed. I feel like i'm expected to be a walking drug guide. Many of these meds I have never heard of. Best of luck to you!

[livethequestions14]

Thanks for letting me know. I got nervous because they made it seem like they would be covering such a broad category of meds. I will be taking mine in the hospital, but I'm assuming it can't be that much different from other tests that other new nurses will have to take. Better bone up on my math!

[livethequestions14]

Yeah, it's really unnerving, but I will give everyone an update once I take it and let you know how bad it really is. Hopefully they will go easy on us new grads : )

[catlovingRN, BSN, RN]

Are you talking about the internship at St. Peter's? If not (my b) and if so, I got a position as well! I took the med test today and I find out how I did tomorrow. Hoping I passed, but honestly it wasn't that bad and I wouldn't be devastated if I had to retake a section. The calculations were pretty general and as far as the pharm section goes just know generic/trade names, and other basic things that would go along with MedSurg. I'll be on the Mother/Baby unit so my test was focused on that and some of the questions I felt like I knew just from previous studying for the NCLEX and in school.

I don't know if you took it or not yet, but good luck if you didn't!

[samyutan]

Hey, how did your internships go? I have an interview on Monday with the nurse recruiter. Was the 6 to 8 weeks of unpaid residency program worth it? were you guys offered jobs after?

[helpers56]

Hello how was the internship. Can anyone offer me any additional info or let me know how the test went. I know its been a while since this thread was active.

[helpers56]

Hello how was the internship. I would appreciate any information that you can give me.

[Abrillant12]

It's been a while since I've taken the exam. The med math part is pretty easy and straight forward. The pharmacology is tailored towards the unit you'll be working in. As far as the internship goes, the length of the internship depends on the unit you're hired for. The ICU, for example, is 12 weeks rather than the standard 8 (I believe). More often than not, you'll be offered a job. In the last 2.5 years I've worked there, I think I've only seen 3 new grads not get offered a job or be asked to try another unit.