MeljabRN

I know how you feel! I graduated in December 07 then in January of 08 I sustained a Jones Fracture to my left foot. I hate to get your hopes down but they told me 6-8 weeks but it was actually more than 20 weeks before I was back to work. I was in a cast for 16 weeks (12 of which were non-weightbearing weeks) and I still have pain and problems with it although I can work. I took my boards in Feb. and got hired for a May position. I am now about 6 weeks into being a new grad with a recent injury and its tough but I am so glad to be back at work!! I suggest that you have someone take you out at least every three days or you will go nuts not being able to do anything. I read a lot of books, bought Rosetta Stone French, watched a lot of TV and went online a lot in the 20 weeks...its TOUGH to be so laid up....I also treated myself to Accupuncture and massages to help relieve some of the stress and depression from being immobile. Good Luck!!!

I agree that the idea of regulating the music therapist field is necessary but if you knew anything about the field, in depth, you would see it is actually quite corrupt. There are a few select people that control the direction of the field as a whole. New York state is the ONLY state to have governmental licensing rules regarding creative arts therapy. In fact, all people with the MT-BC credential who dont have a master's degree are going to lose the ability to call themselves Music Therapist in NY state since this is a requirement . However, now music therapists in NY have "title protection" just like nurses do and have to adhere to the standard that NY State sets forth, however, all other states there is no standard EXCEPT the AMTA which is a for profit institution. I agree that there should be a standard but I disagree that the standard that the AMTA puts forth is not honorable. I hope all states pass a law like NY did so the AMTA can get out of the picture. Another point that is interesting to me is that the CBMT exam is a written exam with fill in the bubbles, they don't actually test your ability to sing or play an instrument at any time or do they test your ability to do case management. However, the NY state licensure exam is a "narrative" form style where you basically do the equivalent of a really long nursing care plan but use the music therapy rubric instead. This is a much better way to test the skills of a music therapist in practice rather than in theory. Just like nursing students have to prove their clinical skills and critical thinking skills by doing care plans even though they arent used in most settings in the real world, music therapists should have to prove that they can actually DO this rather than just study and answer multiple choice questions correctly. For your own info here is the NY site that contains what I consider honorable standards for the profession: http://www.op.nysed.gov/catlic.htm

Actually, I am kind of sick of people affiliated with the AMTA and who hold the credential MT-BC having this "greater than thou" attitude. There are several non-factual statements that you are representing as fact in this post for example that: 1. Music therapists need to be able to play every orchestral instrument, being able to sight sing and transcribe music - This is simply not true - The Berklee College of Music Music Therapy department and Lesley College in Boston both do not require learning more than voice, guitar and piano. And there are plenty of music therapist that are "MTBC" that have horrible voices and guitar/piano skills. 2. The MT-BC is not a license like nursing, it is a certification, which isn't required by law. Just like a home health aid can be certified or not. There is no governing body, just a membership organization (AMTA) that you pay a membership fee to. 3. There are plenty of great musicians who are just as qualified as MT-BC to do music therapy who have a degree in music who are intimidated by the AMTA. Just because the AMTA says "this is music therapy and nothing else is" means that this true. Their definition of "music therapy" isn't set it stone. 4. I agree that there probably are some places marketing "music therapist" and then it is just a guy with a GED and a boombox however there are some professional musicians who have a bachelor/masters degree in music who dedicate their lives to music therapy who never get the respect they deserve because of the guidelines of the AMTA. 5. It the AMTA really wanted to help people they would help music therapists who work as music therapists currently become certified by their organization through an "exception" program where their past work experience is evaluated and counted towards their intership hours, rather they intimidate these people and require that they quit their jobs (which they already hold the title music therapist) then go back to college for 2+ years and then work an unpaid internship across the country for 6 months. This isn't realistic for most people who just want to work as music therapists because they are good musicians and care about people. 6. Just because these are the "rules" set forth by an organization who is not a governing body doesnt make them the right thing to do! You shouldn't have to pay over $100k for an education (Berklee rates, "best" music therapy prgm int he country) to state that you have compassion and musical talent. 7. The AMTA has only been around for about 25 years, are you telling me there were no music therapists before that? Just my 2 cents.

I think you should look for a new job. The orientation for the position I am interested in at my hospital has a minimum of FOUR months orientation and longer if you dont feel ready. THey never force you to go on your own if you dont feel safe (up to 6 months). It is one of the best new grad programs in the Boston area and many ng have come from other programs and restarted orientation at this facility. Ng can only have 3 pts also and there are always at least 8 experienced RNs on staff (35 beds)

hey march takers just wanted to give some tips. I took it on 2/7 and waiting for results. MEDS MEDS MEDS!!! You really need to know your meds like the back of your hand. I would recommend Kaplan medcards, they have the 300 most common meds on the exam and valuable information like side effects which is huge on the test. Know your med calc. Refresh this topic even if you think you know it!! Dimensional analysis was a huge help. Priority questions are being shelled out like there is no tommorrow. I would recommend the book "Prioritization, Delegation and Assignment" available on Amazon or some B&N and Borders. I didnt think I was going to be nervous or nauseated. Then the date came and I was sweating profusely the entire time, very thirsty, couldnt eat and was dizzy. I never have been the type to be nervous and I am a great test taker just nerves got out of control!! GOOD LUCK everyone!

I tested on Thur in MA and have been checking like a maniac hoping that something will come up early. I am seriously in crisis mode. I heard that sometimes the phone results through Quick Results are available sooner than the online results but my cell phone doesnt allow 900-#s!!!!! Hopefully there will be something when I wake up....its like waiting for Santa of the tooth fairy.

My ATT said full middle name and my middle name on my ID is spelled out. I also didnt sign anything like the signature on my id and they didnt make me do it over.

There are two types of yellers. Confused and Not Confused. With confused patients the best thing is to try and get an order for a 1:1 sitter/observer because they wont yell if someone is always there. The yelling constantly can be very disruptive to other patients and staff so I think the best option for confused/dementia patients is a sitter. I worked as a CNA on a tele floor where sometimes there would be 8+ patients with sitters (35 beds). If the patient is A+O they should not be yelling. I think you should answer their calls, acknowledge their problem/anxiety then set limits. Let them know it is inappropriate to call out unless it is an emergency (not for a packet of sugar. )

There is a physician at my hospital "Dr. Doctor" (pronounced: dock-tour).

at least 45/75 of mine were priority (either who would you see first? what would you do first?)

I got a question that was the same question as about 10 before but with only 2 of the same answer choices. However, the second time I got the question I chose a different response than the first time. I think the first time I got it wrong so it gave me the same question with two new answers, one the correct one and it was more obvious that second time that it wasnt the first answer I had chosen.

I took mine this morning and the test shut off at 75 as well. I didn't know a single med I was given and most of the medical conditions I had never heard of before either. I did the complete Saunders Review including CDROM questions, Kaplan Book + CD, ATI NCLEX Success, + NCLEX made Incredibly Easy! I had over 10,000 questions under my belt and I could still not say that any one of my answers on the test were 100% confident. I feel like, looking back, I should've studied more material and knowledge rather than focusing so much on practice questions. Because although the questions help if you don't have the base knowledge about side effects of meds or symptoms of obscure diseases than you cannot answer the question for sure. I have been trying to keep busy until tommorrow when I can start checking (quick check in MA). Watching TV, ironing and eating....I can't read a book or concentrate on anything for more than 10 minutes!! I also read that if you pass with 75 you can get up to 50% of the questions wrong (see the pearson website brouchure.) It seems like if you fail with 75 you have to really bomb it (which may be the case for me!! but I hope not)

I was sitting with the cutest old women who used to be a schoolteacher and had these black rimmed wing glasses and she was very thin and proper. She was reading a book about Mary Todd Lincoln (abe lincoln's wife) and look at me and said " did you know that this Mary Todd Lincoln was a SLUT?" Haha. I was like "oh, no didnt know that. ..."

I wasnt going to at first then decided to and I am so glad I did. I am leaps and bounds ahead of my classmates with time manamgement and hands on skills as well as patient and family interaction. Even if it is per diem, you should do it!!

I think Crohn's is an awfully painful disease. The way I judge whether or not someone is drug seeking is by nonverbal cues. For example I had this one pt who was 47, refuses to do any of her own personal care like bathing even though she is capable, refuses to get out of bed, refuses to do physical therapy, doesnt follow her ADA diet, wont use the commode or walk to the bathroom - insists on a bedpan. She was admitted two months ago for back pain, then a hip replacement and now an infection in the hip....probably because she refused to do physical therapy at rehab. She will press the call light five minutes before her next oxy is due and demand it. She wont even let you do an accucheck until she has all of her pain meds including an prn's she can have. THIS is drug seeking behavior, addiction to painkillers and depression. She needs seriously help.... Someone with crohn's may just be in chronic pain....