supermo

Our hospital is easing towards doing away with the cloth hats. As the policy princess, I was one of the first to have to wish my lovelies farewell.

I graduated from CPCC in May '08. We were being actively recruited starting about October '07. We had recruitment sessions given by the different systems on several occasions. By graduation, the only people without a job had just not decided which way to go. Actually, most of us had a variety of offers to choose from. I'm not sure if it was my school (no affiliation with a hospital) or if all schools were being courted as we were at the time. It must be very different now if the recruiters aren't clamoring over you. On the other hand, I currently work for one of the "big 2" healthcare systems in charlotte and we have just hired 4 RNs for our department, as we do about every 6 months. I am also in talks for a part time position at the other hospital. I don't believe there is a hiring freeze, but maybe a hiring slow down. Then again, do we ever really know what the suits are doing in the towers?

I graduated in May with good grades also. I simply could not force myself to sit in front of the computer day after day and do the Q:down:bank questions. I have work, kids, and other classes (for my minor) this summer. On June 30, I brushed up on lab values, electrolyte imbalances, and insulin. My test was July 1. I just had to put faith in the fact that sitting there cramming was not what I needed. I figured that I either know my stuff, or I don't. I know myself, I didn't think I needed the massive amount of studying that some people on here do. No one (in the "real" world :) that I have talked to about it has gone to the great lengths that some of the people on here have. I just didn't have the time or gumption in me to do that. More power to you guys. Bottom line, you know you. You know your level of knowledge and ability to take tests, and you can decide how much preparation to do. Don't feel like you are not doing enough just because everyone else is doing 400 questions before breakfast, they're not. Some people are, most are not. GOOD LUCK TO YOU supermo Did I mention that I passed with 80 questions? make that supermo, RN whoa, that's the first time I put RN behind my name...... kewl

I may be in the minority on this board but I have to say that I should have saved my money. I am an excellent test taker and graduated in the top of my class. We used ATI and I passed them all with flying colors. I should have skipped the Kaplan review class. I feel like we were scared into it by the rep that came to our school. They held the class at our school all day for 5 days. 5 VERY long days. The instructor was recruited straight from Charlie Brown (horrible monotone). She could not answer questions about the content clearly and acted like she didn't want to be there. Maybe a better instructor would have helped, I can't be sure. Several of us had lower numbers on the second test than we did on the first. Bottom line, 85% of test takers pass. Those are good odds. If that number includes foreign test takers who did not just graduate from a school that has been gearing them for this test, it is even better odds. Only you know if you need this or not. Some people consider it insurance. IMHO Kaplan is making a killing off of nursing school graduates that have been scared silly about this test from day one. There are a lot of ways to prepare that don't cost 300-500 bucks. Out of my class of 60, only one person has not passed so far. Good luck to everyone!! mo

I have seen up to M15 on there. They have different stock in different colors. If you select a size/color combination that is not in stock, they will email you when it is in.

Go here I have the ventless model - we cannot have any holes - and they are working very well. I have noticed that I haven't been tripping as much as normal, too. They have a higher back and come in true white (not the pearl greyish color).

when i started my pre-reqs i was 29 with a 1 year old at home and 4 kids in school. i took as many classes as i could online so that i could work around baby time. it helped tremendously. if you are a self-motivated type of person, you may want to look into that. now, 2.5 years later, (2 year degree my fanny!!) i am in semester 3 of my adn. then onto my rn-bsn, then onto my msn..... has my family suffered? nah. we women have a tendency to produce guilt by the bucketful when it comes to our families. maybe it is a by-product of estrogen?? do i look like crap? i hope not. but, i probably do. do i study into the wee hours of the night so that we can have family dinners (some of the time)? yep. hamburger helper is a godsend. does it seem like there is no light at the end of this very dusty, pile o' dirty dishes, un-vacuumed floor, mountain o'laundry tunnel?! yep. my kids have adapted, my very understanding but overworked hubby has adapted, i think i was the last to adjust to the mess. the biggest thing is that you cannot be a superhero. you need sleep. you need to eat. you need to veg out on the couch every now and then and say "forget it". you do not need a 4.0. you do not need a spotless house. you do not need to whip up a 4 star dinner every night. your baby will not need therapy for your lack of constant attention. you are not doing this just for you, you are doing this for the benefit of your entire family. good luck to you. :balloons:

I tried and tried not to comment on this thread because I knew that I could b*tch for days. :) Roped off books? - Yep Snide employees? - Yep Cryptic/useless book information online? - Yep Endless profit margin for an entity that is not even really part of my school but they feel the need to have "exclusives" that I can't get anywhere else like webcodes and custom lab manuals?!!? - Yep The one thing that I do understand is the new edition every two years or so. The bookstore sells a new book for $100 and the publisher & author get $10. At the end of the semester student sells book back to bookstore for $15. The bookstore then sells book to next student for $85, publisher & author get $0. Pure profit for the bookstore. Cycle continues for as long as that is the most current edition. Say the book comes out in January 2005: Spring 2005 profit for bookstore - $90 for publisher/author - $10 Summer 2005 profit for bookstore - $70 for publisher/author - $0 Fall 2005 profit for bookstore - $70 for publisher/author - $0 Spring 2006 profit for bookstore - $70 for publisher/author - $0 etc, etc, etc, until a new edition comes out. The publishers & authors are a little perturbed that a retailer makes the most from their work, so they repackage the same crap every couple years with a new cover and a handy CD-ROM. Voila. Doesn't this make you all warm and fuzzy inside?! I must admit that it takes time to find the best deal. This will be my 7th semester as a full time student and I have learned a thing or two. I also have a deep, personal hatred for my bookstore so I make sure to share the ISBN#s with everyone that I possibly find. What I did last semester was made the employees bring me the books, then I proceeded over to the counter where I wrote down the ISBN#s. I then smiled, and handed the books right back to them with a cheery "Thank you so much". They seemed a little angry about that, so this year I actually bought the books, came home, found them online ($98.50 bought for $32), and took them back yesterday! (30 day return policy) One of the books was bundled with a CD-ROM and when I researched it, it was a better deal at the bookstore ---shocking. Must have been an error on their part!! I have found that if you want the absolute best deal, be willing to look everywhere. I have bought books from every one of these sources: my faves: http://www.buy.com/ http://www.overstock.com/ I have been surprised by some of the prices on a few books: http://amazon.com/ http://www.booksamillion.com/ http://www.barnesandnoble.com/ http://www.abebooks.com/ http://www.walmart.com/ http://www.target.com/ And the good, old stand-bys: http://www.half.ebay.com/ http://ebay.com/ I use a program called price pirates to search ebay and the internet for the books. It works pretty well, but I make sure to also use search engines like http://www.dogpile.com/ and http://www.mamma.com/ . Once you have the ISBN, the possibilities are endless. Good luck to all against the tyrannical bookstore devils!!!

I live near Charlotte, and I am a native, so I prefer here of course. To check out homes, go to http://carolinahome.com/ the local MLS listing. Charlotte is like any other city, the further you move from the city, the better the area. Many people are moving to the surrounding counties because of crime and taxes. Good luck.

There are tons of nursing programs in Charlotte and the surrounding area. I wouldn't limit myself to one program right away. I would ask myself a few questions about what I absolutely need in a program and check a lot of them out. Are you determined to go directly to BSN or is ADN to RN-BSN an option? Are you currently taking/have you taken pre-req courses (Anatomy, Chem, etc.)? Go to the programs' websites and see what the pre-reqs are. You can take your pre-reqs anywhere but, if you are going to transfer for nursing major, make sure that the class you are taking will carry the same credit at the new school. (UNCC has a handy dandy advisor https://selfservice.uncc.edu/pls/BANPROD/ywsktrar.P_Disp_States that tells you which class transfers as what there) How long are you willing to wait to get into a program? You may apply in December to get into the following Fall enrollment. You may apply in December and get into the Spring enrollment A YEAR LATER. If these are ADN programs, you can take your pre-reqs while waiting to get into the nursing majors Which programs can you afford? This is a huge factor. Did you know that CPCC & UNCC are cooperatively offering a BSN? I don't know a lot of details, I only know what the director of our program has told us. It seems that you can get the Associates in pre-nursing, then you can transfer to UNCC directly into the nursing major. ((Quick side note - {for NC residents} Fall 2007 UNCC tuition undergrad - ~$2200 (based on website) Fall 2007 CPCC tuition ADN program - ~$650 (based on my bill:)) What a difference!!)) Here are the (CHARLOTTE) BSN options (obtained from NCBON): http://www.queens.edu/ http://www.unc.edu/depts/nursing/ The ADN options: http://www.queens.edu/ http://www.carolinascollege.edu/ http://www.cpcc.edu/ Diploma: http://www.carolinas.org/education/mercyson/ There are also nursing programs in the surrounding counties. Info from here-- http://www.ncbon.com/# The number one thing I learned when navigating the local nursing ed scene was to not take the attitude or information from anyone to heart. I learned all I could about all the local programs and went with what I thought was best for me. Two different UNCC counselors advised me in two completely different directions. They are just people, I can't vilify them, just try to make wise decisions :) I am happy with where I am going. Hope I helped you a little. Good luck!

Traffic is horrendous, community is fantastic, shopping is great, school system is a joke, I love it. I am a native, if you want any info PM me.

I am notorious for my HA and I swear by it even for my migraines. I hate taking pills and it seems that everything makes me nauseous but these are great for me. Like said before, works for some, not for others. Good luck.

Sooooooooo, instead of enjoying the fruits of my labor, I should give it to someone who sat on their butt and expects a hand out?! :angryfire Next summer he won't work any more than he did this summer. Why should he? It is probably someone else's fault that he can't work and he is the victim in all this. That is the moral of the story. Maybe this seems harsh. :uhoh21: I know that you are only suggesting that we open our hearts and pocketbooks for the less fortunate, which I do regularly. I just wanted to point out that the grasshopper isn't less fortunate, he is lazy. Reading over this, I think I may be overreacting to a joke....... :rotfl:

It's all over but the crying. I had a 4 week intensive online Micro that will finish on Monday with our cumulative final. Yay. There is only one Micro instructor at our school and we have been hearing the horror stories for 2 years. There is a 8:40 lab class and a 10:00 lab class and there are about 16 of my classmates taking it (monday-friday). This was the absolutely last semester that we could take it. We have all been dreading it. We now know why. Anyone ever heard of subjective testing? She is the inventor. She only tests you on the material that she includes in her lectures. Sounds easy, right? It would be if they were multiple choice tests. She has fill in the blanks ("if you can't spell it, you don't know it"), essay, 2-3 multiple-multiple choice, 2-3 matching, and the lovely 'draw and label _________' questions. Still doesn't sound too bad, she gives us the info for chrissakes. Well, I didn't think I had a care in the world after the first exam. That is until I received my grade. I actually emailed her and asked if it was on a 100 point scale! When I went to her office to go over it, I had several fill in the blank questions that she said I didn't give enough information for. For example, there was only one short line, so I gave one of three possible answers. (I had taken the lab examm just before the lecture exam and she made it clear that she does not like extraneous information and that she makes the lines short so that we won't write more information than she wants. "Keep it simple") When I asked her why there weren't 3 lines if she wanted all 3 answers, she said that I should have asked her during the test. Okay. Flip side, there were several essay questions that I had points taken off for writing too much information. The information was correct, just more than what she was looking for. Oh for Pete's sake. Then there are the questions that she wanted specific words but the questions are ambiguous. I can't remember the specific question but the answers that most people put were anabolic and catabolic. They were correct answers to the question. She specifically wanted dehydration and hydrolysis. She was very flippant about our concern over our grades, she said, "Now you know how I test, consider that one a practice." Our lowest exam gets replaced with our final grade (counts twice). That's all fine and good but I enjoy the cushion I give myself in my classes, to have it stripped away on the very first exam sux. Wow, I'm ranting again. Second time tonight, sorry!! I must admit that on every test since that one I ask her every little thing that seems the slightest bit ambiguous. She said to ask her, I do. Good luck to all of you, study smart, not hard. This class is still waaaay easier than the NUR classes.

I wear Crocs all day everyday. I tell everyone that my right leg is longer than my left because I trip all the time.

i'm only a lowly student. i live in north carolina. with that said, i don't understand the union stuff. my father is a member of the uaw union at this moment. when i was younger, he was not. i do remember that when he tried to go to work-(-to pay the bills and keep his family from finally crashing over the cliff of poverty that we always teetered on-)-during a strike, the people blocking the entrance vandalized his vehicle and threatened him with physical violence. hearing that when you are a small child is quite traumatizing and may skew my current view of unions. granted, my father is very pro-union now. i can't say that all unions support violence and strong arming, but while reading through the arguments on here, it doesn't seem to be out of the question. i know that the corporations are evil and out for the all-mighty dollar and that they will do whatever it takes to improve their bottom line. i do not see either side as the good guy in this. i think it comes down to the lesser of two evils. i don't want to argue with anyone. i am not personally attacking anyone or anyone's point of view. we are all adults. it is ridiculous that i should have to preface with this statement. i plan on moving after i complete my msn program and would like to know real information about nursing and unions. studies and stats are whatever you make them out to be. i don't want someone to tell me about how the union states pay more than the right to work states without including the disclaimer that most right to work states have a much lower col than the union states. i don't want someone to tell me that they do not want to be forced into paying dues for something or they'll be fired. if the union is serving its intended purpose, you are receiving benefits. think of your income taxes, you have no choice, you have to pay them because our governing body has determined that you owe ____ amount for the services you receive from our government. granted, you are not shipped out of the country if you don't pay, but you are punished. i hear the arguments for both sides, i just think that it is getting as nasty as a religious war. no one in the middle responds or asks questions because the fundamentalists of both sides attack them. not everyone is as vehement as the handful of people that bicker back and forth on this forum spewing statistics. i can't speak for anyone else, but the statistics are not impressive coming from either side. i just wish i could hear from more people that think there are good and bad things about both sides without being insulted or barraged with charts and stats. i'm all about middle of the road, i am a very conservative democrat, married to a very liberal republican, what does that tell you?! sorry it's so long. i will not respond to personal attacks or insults. please.

I did CLEP out of ENG 111 and it was fairly easy. Go to the website http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/clep/about.html and find out the where when and hows. I bought the study guide and found it useful. Good Luck!!!

I thought I knew which path I was on........ until I read all 400 (at least!):) pages of this. Now I am truly confused. I have spent time on student doctor, pa, and nursing forums and the bickering is insane. It is quite embarrassing. I was under the impression that we are all adults. I live in NC, a very PA friendly state, and respect PAs enormously (My family's PCP is a PA). I am in nursing school and admire NPs tremendously. I just don't quite know which side of the battle to join. The 10 or so posts that actually answered to OP's question were quite informative and have brought up questions I need to ask myself. The decision any one person makes, NP or PA, is completely their own and shouldn't be tainted by mudslinging from either side. To all of you that have tempered this discussion with your wisdom, I thank you on behalf of all of us out here yet to decide on the fork in our road. Just mho, at 01:00..... :)

I have the Master Classic II SE, I started out with the lightweight and found it to be just that. I have slight hearing deficits with low tones and have found that the extra money spent was well worth it. I like the one-sided Master chestpiece. "Acoustics Compared to the traditional two-sided Littmann Classic II stethoscope, the high frequency response of the Littmann Master Classic II stethoscope is outstanding, allowing you to hear even faint lung sounds. The low frequency response is also significantly improved. Its excellent overall acoustics offer an advantage to heath care professionals who listen to both heart and lung sounds. It's also ideal for pulmonologists and respiratory therapists." I used the website www.Steeles.com because they laser engrave the bell (the expensive part), not the tubing. I got it super quick, 5 days, with engraving, unheard of. Couldn't be more pleased.

Even if you are not sure which school you will be attending or whether you will be full or part time, DO IT NOW! You can put more than one school code on it and change your status later. I get mine in Jan 2 every year.

Depending on year, SO gets 5-6% of base salary and a gift. Last year it was a 32" TV. The company did better this year so we'll see...... Don't get jealous, he works over 80 hours a week, hasn't taken vacation time in over 2 years, has never taken PT, and has only been out sick twice in 5 years. I'd trade the Christmas Bonus in for better working conditions in a heartbeat. I have received many bonuses in other professions but reading this thread has taught me, once again, that the healthcare field will neglect and abuse their nursing staff at any opportunity. It disturbs me to the point that I am trying to figure out how I can be an RN outside of the healthcare systems. Totally off topic... SORRY

Gaston has a very high pass rate for NCLEX so I wouldn't discount them. And don't bet on getting a ADN in two years from anywhere, including the pre-reqs, most programs run about 3 years or more. Like the other poster said, you could go to Central Piedmont Community College — Central Piedmont Community College, UNC Charlotte - Home Page, Queens University of Charlotte, Gaston College - Home Or you could go to North Carolina Board of Nursing for a listing of the schools. Good luck.

I am currently in an ADN program and have completed nearly all the core classes for my RN-BSN. After that I hope to work as an RN while I attend either grad school or med school. I have to do this slowly because I still have 5 kids and a SO to raise . If I do choose to pursue my MD, I hope that my experience as an RN will make me a better Dr. If I choose to go into Informatics (my other passion=computers) or Consultation or whatever, I do consider my ADN and my BSN as stepping stones. Actually, they would more accurately be described as my foundation. I admire anyone that can work as a bedside nurse. I do not feel that is my strong point and I have far reaching goals. Who knows, once I get my BSN, I may realize that bedside is my destiny and not pursue further degrees. Anyway, I would say not to disparage anyone's chosen path for their future. You can't know how far they will go or what choices they may make. Blame the lack of fairness on a shortage of good-paying teaching positions for nurse instructors.

i've come to find out that so called advisors are full of crap. they give you misinformation and omit quite a bit. the volunteer work thing is not true. i've never volunteered a day in my life and got in first try. the pass rates for all the local schools: adn 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 cpcc 80 93 91 92 76 cabarruschs 88 89 88 97 98 queens 91 76 89 98 89 gaston 89 100 100 95 86 cmc 95 89 84 86 95 bsn uncc 94 86 89 72 77 queens 93 71 79 93 75 nationalpass rate adn 85.29 86.62 87 85 87.5 statepass rate adn 92 90 91 86 89.3 nationalpass rate bsn 85.86 86.5 86.9 85 86.7 statepass rate bsn 91 91 87 84 87.2 sorry i tried to fix the formatting but i give up.... http://www.ncbon.com/licstat-passrates.asp i don't think that their record is all that bad, especially considering how much it costs compared to the other programs. and they have a new director over the program this year.

When I get to the Pharm part this semester I'll email you some of the information and stuff if you want. If you're interested PM me and let me know. If not, I'll be seeing you in the spring!!