KaraBear1121

That's what I figured.. The only problem with Tech positions is the hospitals around here start you out after your first semester as a PCT 1 at 8.45/hr and where I work (with no experiece) I'm at 8.5/hr

I found the CNA brochure online that tells every single skill that you 'may' be tested on and breaks down the steps that the exam proctor will be looking for and there are only a few things that I haven't learned but I'll be learning them in the next few weeks at school... Where I work there are a few residents that need full care. My thought on it was, we go to our nursing home assignments in a 2 weeks so the last of the things I haven't learned, I'll learn! Thanks!

Hey everyone! I'm in my first semester of my ADN program and I'm also a resident aide at an assisted living facility and I had a question. Where I live (florida) you don't have to have training to test for your CNA, it's recommended but not required.. My question is this, should I try taking the test without waiting for this semester to end (then I'll have officially learned everything you learn in training)? I love working as a RA but I need to make a little more money and the only way to do this and stay in healthcare is to become a CNA but between work and school I can't go to a 2-4 week class.. Thanks in advance!

hey everyone! i'm in my first semester of my asn program and our assignment is to interview a practicing rn.. i don't know any so i figured i'd post on here! (my other option was walking into a hospital and just grabbing somebody until i found one that would talk, and since i figured that wasn't great, here i am) if anyone could help me out i would greatly appreciate it! the questions are: 1.) what is your educational background? 2.) what field are you in and how did you decide on this area of nursing? 3.) was it hard to find work in your area and how did you go about it? 4.) what areas are related to your work? 5.) do you ever have students work with you? 6.) can i contact you later if i have more questions? 7.) can you think of any helpful advice that you could give me on my journey? 8.) how long have you been a nurse? 9.) what are your future plans? once again, thank you!

I got A's in both A&P 1 and 2 and I've never taken a chem class and I took a biology class WAYYY back in the day in high school.. and science has always been a bad subject for me Don't know if that helps or not

I'm just a nursing student but I have a friend that just graduated in May (ASN) and passed her NCLEX.. She's working in Crestview Florida (20 miles north of Niceville) at North Okaloosa Medical Center.. She's working PT in Progressive Care and she makes $25/hr w/o insurance.. They told her that if she chose to go full time and get health ins. she would make $16/hr Hope that helps!

Thanks everyone!!! RN- I hope you hear the same news soon!!!!

And.. :nurse:I START IN THE FALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was so scared opening the letter but I read the first word.. Congratulations! and I almost started crying!!!!!!!!!! I'm just so darn excited I have to share it with everyone possible!!!

name: kara school: okaloosa walton college program: asn what area of interest at this time: nicu or picu biggest fear: going crazy :) what you'd like us to know about you: i'm an af wife with one daughter who's almost 2, and an eleven year old sister that lives with us.. and one big dog that thinks he's a lapdog! i love to scrapbook, take pictures, and yes.. do schoolwork! i am so excited!!!!!! congrats to everyone that got in!

What's everyone taking this summer? I'm taking: Intro to Art (humanities) Intro to World Religions (humanities) English 2 Only a few more classes that are not nursing core for my ASN (Micro, and speech ) and 4 classes required for a BSN (8 ch of language, chem and statistics) After those 6, I'll have everything done for my ASN and BSN except nursing core..

English 1-A A&P 2-A History 1-B Nutrition-B GOOD JOB EVERYONE~!

I live in Crestview Florida, about 25 miles away from Ft. Walton.. I'm not a nurse yet so I'm not sure about the pay.. but the cost of living is ridiculous.. You can find apartments for rent below $1000, but depending on the size you probably won't find houses. Right now, Crestview is the cheapest place to live, Ft. Walton, Niceville, Destin and in between are way to expensive.. I think in Ft. Walton a decent 2 bedroom apt will run you about $700-$800 before utilities.. As for hospitals, the bigger ones are North Okaloosa Medical Center, and Fort Walton Beach Medical Center. Neither is very big.. I do know that neither one has a NICU or PICU.. The closest big hospital is in Pensacola. If you're interested in going over there, the cost of living is cheaper and I think that the hospitals pay better... Freeport is miles away from anything.. If you lived in Freeport you'd be about 30 miles from Niceville and about 30 miles from Panama City (which also has bigger hospitals) Freeport has about 2 conveinence stores and one grocery store that's tiny... Niceville is a little bigger, but not much.. Hope that helps and if you need any other info about the area I'll be glad to help (I was born and raised here so..) Let me know!

Thanks so much! So a BLS is a CPR certification? I am required to have Adult and Infant/Child prior to starting... Thanks again!!

Hey everyone! I'm so lost.. I haven't started my nursing program yet (still waiting on the letter ) and I was looking at jobs available in my area and the requirements are confusing me.. Most of them require ACLS and BLS certificates.. I've figured what the certificates are but I'm wondering how do you get them? Is this something done during the nursing program, on your own after, or what? Where is a good place to get information? Also, I was wondering how new graduates are finding jobs? Everything I looked at said experience required.. Oh yah and one more question.. I really want to go into ICU nursing (something along the lines of PICU or NICU) but every job I've seen says previous ICU exp. required... Well if that's the case, then how do new grads get into the ICU field? Anyways, thanks in advance for the help!!!

I'm still waiting.. Our CC decides after the semester ends (on the 3rd) and they said at the latest we'll know by June 1st.. The wait is AWFUL!!! I hate not knowing.. lol Good luck to everyone!!!!!!!!

CONGRATS you two!!!! Best of luck in pursuing your dreams!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

I'm waiting.. but I just turned in my application yesterday.. lol.. Letters don't go out until early/mid may so I have awhile to go.. My plan B is to finish my BSN pre-req's (almost done with ADN pre-req's) and reapply next fall.. I may apply to 2 or 3 colleges that are over an hour away because I don't really want to wait another year.. And those will be for a regular BSN program.. But you have to do what you have to do.. GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!

Well I've done it.. I turned in my application today!!! Now all I do is wait and pull all my hair out! They'll make the decision after this semester ends in early may... Why do they make you wait so looooong??[EVIL][/EVIL]

Hi! I live on the AF base next to Fort Walton (Eglin AFB).. The housing costs here are crazy! If you look in Crestview Florida (about 25 miles north of Ft. Walton) you can get a nice piece of property... Here's a good website to search for homes in the area. http://www.emeraldcoasthomesonline.com If you are set on a mobile home, the best place to live would be Crestview. Anything south of Interstate 10 and you'll lose your home every summer! The county website is http://www.okaloosaschools.com/ I don't know the age of your children, but I know that the middle school outside the base, Addie R. Lewis Middle School (in Valparaiso), is really great! The middle school in Niceville (Ruckel Middle School) is crowded and understaffed.. Not a very good school at all.. I'm not sure about any of the schools in Ft. Walton but I'm familiar with the ones in Crestview and Niceville. Valparaiso Elementary is a good school along with Edge Elementary in Niceville. Niceville High School is awful. I've heard much better things about Crestview High School. (I grew up here and went to a lot of the schools) I'm not sure about the middle schools in Crestview but I've heard great things about Northwood Elementary and Antioch Elementary. Stay away from Southside Elementary in Crestview. Now about food, there are TONS of great restaurants.. In Destin, the best (in my opinion) is AJ's (seafood), Lousiana Langiappe (sp?) Harbor Docks (seafood, sushi, and hibachi), Osaka (Japanese).. On the Island there is Anglers (AWESOME steaks), and the Crab Trap.. There's a great Chinese restaurant on HWY 98 in Fort Walton called Panda China Buffet and they have the biggest buffet and a hibachi bar and it's only about $10 for the dinner buffet and I believe the lunch buffet is $7.. The Olive Garden in Ft. Walton is good along with Red Lobster. in Niceville there's a place called Boathouse Landing which is really good and not expensive at all.. Any other info you need let me know!

I'm applying for Fall 2006! Applications are due April 3rd and we don't find out until the end of May... They only have 54 slots and hopefully my happy bum will be in one of them! :)

I took A&P 1 last semester and am taking A&P 2 this semester.. Both are distance learning... This is how our class is broken down: We have 3 units, consisting of 5 chapters each.. The first part of the unit is a Sample lab, which is a 20 question test basically on how to search for stuff on the internet. Then we go into the class (he sets aside times) and have a 'lab' and then do a lab exit exam (once again 20 questions and neither of them count towards your final grade).. Once at home we access the chapter tests (20 questions open book, notes.. not timed)... We can take them an unlimited amount of times and all he does is take your top 3 grades for each test and average them... Then you take a lab challenge which is 40 questions, untimed, open book/notes.. This is just a picture test.. Labeling, ect.. He does the grading the same for this.. Then we have the Unit challenge which is 60 questions, untimed, open book/notes (samee grading)... It's the same set up for all 3 units.. Once those are finished you take a sample final which is 180 questions, 180 minutes.. You can take this i *think* up to 3 times.. Then you go in to the school for your final which is 120 questions, 120 minutes.. and you can take it twice.. The great thing is you can work at your own pace, if you can't make it to the scheduled lab times, he has a 'make-up' lab every wed. And the way I'm doing it this semester (since I have 2 fast tracks (8 weeks instead of 16) right now) is I started the course the day after finishing A&P 1, and got way ahead of the game and I'm not working on it until these other 2 fast-tracks end.. He also told me that instead of coming in for the 3 labs on 3 separate days, I can just come in one day whenever I have time and do all 3 in the same day.. I LOVE distance learning! Your best bet would be to ask the teacher how they organize the class... It may be different, but distance learning is the best!

I know that Deaconess College of Nursing in Missouri has an LPN component to their program, you take the first three semesters and then are eligible for the NCLEX-PN.. There are a few people on the board who are currently attending DCN and there are some that have graduated from it... Search the forums for Deaconess.. It's an entirely distance learning college, you have to set up your own clinicals, and it's expensive, but if DL is the only way you can go, this may be your only route! Hope that helps!

My husband is Active Duty Air Force and we put in an application to get transferred to Ft. Leonardwood (near Rolla) and if we get the assignment I'll be going to Lincoln University at the Education Center on base! So maybe I'll be a MO soon-to-be nurse!

No she wasn't premature.. and she didn't have any problems after the delivery.. Thanks!

I've been a member of this board for a couple of months and I love it! Normally the questions I ask have to do with schools and stuff but this one is different and if it's not appropriate, I'll remove it! My daughter has been walking on her tip-toes since she started walking at 11 months.. She's 19 months old and we just had our first appt. with the Physical Therapist this morning. None of the doctors think she has a neurological disorder because other than this she is developmentally on track so they're saying Idiopathic Toe-Walking... My daughter can't make her right foot flat (the ankle at 90 degrees) and she can barely move her left ankle past the 90 degree mark. The treatment is night splints, therapy, and if we would like, Botox... Is there anyone out there that can clarify for me what exactly this is.. I know the cause is unknown (hence the name Idiopathic) but I'd still like some information from someone who is familiar with this.