RoundAbout33

Just know that the process takes awhile. This was my 2nd time applying, and I didn't hear anything back from my first application. Second time around, I think making a connection at Children's helped, and I also overhauled my resume to be a little less wordy and more succinct. Just be yourself; don't be nervous about the recruiter screening - they really want to help you put your best foot forward in regards to answering their questions. Know your "why" for Children's and your desired unit and be able to express your passion for those kids. I wish you the best!

Received the offer letter today and some additional emails from the recruiter. We won't get much else until January, but just make sure you get all of your references to complete the survey.

How funny...my birthday's tomorrow and this was such a great gift!

Just to update, they are starting to call with offers. I interviewed last Tuesday and received an offer this morning for the CICU!

Also, celebrate your small wins! I'm also a new grad and was thrilled on Monday when I could stop a pt's IV, unhook said pt from it, put the pump on standby, and then re-hook him up and start back the fluids when he came back. I DID THAT! -and proud of it! I still couldn't set up a blood transfusion independently but I know how to go grab the blood from lab and do the identifier and information checks with them - that's a win! We're going to be slow, and we're going to need things repeated and re-demonstrated to us multiple times. Ask other nurses on the floor to let you know when they do x,y,z because you want more practice. If you overhear someone needing to do something you want to learn or practice more, ask if you can join/do. I would say try not to worry about what others think about you, but we do and we will, especially while we're in this newbie phase. I will say, don't let what you think others think about you change how you know you need to approach something. You know how you learn and know if someone else's way of teaching does not work for you. That is OK, you just need to have a conversation that you need something presented or taught in a different manner. I had to do that during my capstone with my preceptor and it scared the crap out of me to have that conversation with him. But it helped and allowed us to work much better together and allowed me to get so much more from that experience. You've got this! Give yourself some grace and celebrate your wins girl! Our careers will always have new wins on the horizon!

I don't think MN participates in nursys verification. They're not a compact state either. I just looked on mine and it said MN wasn't a part of it, so, yes, they would need you to have the MN BON send your license verification to TX BON but you should be able to have nursys send your MD verification. I just got my permanent TX license on Tuesday. I was licensed in MO and it took almost 2 months exactly. I sent multiple emails and tried to call to get updates in that time, but never heard back.

Does Methodist require a contract? Also, for those already working there, how is it? I've seen mixed reviews on the facility.

Also scheduled for an interview on the 10th!

Safest bet is business casual. Know your policy. My hospital specifically says no jeans, flip flops, shorts, t-shirts, among other things. You really never know who you might run into but if you have a policy about it, you definitely don't want to be caught out-of-line with it.

I completely agree with you that those types of questions really aren't good assessments of critical thinking. When I initially got that question wrong, I reached out to one of the clinical instructors (it was a Kaplan question) to help me understand, and she gave me the rationale I mentioned. She also said that she too hated questions like those. In my actual NCLEX testing experience, however, those types of questions were few. It is crazy that so much comes down to passing this one exam, but for now, that's just the way it is. I appreciate your insight!

Hi Bruse, As I have read through your responses, I feel as though you are avoiding the main point coming from most of those providing thoughts or comments: Regardless of how you feel about the NCLEX-RN, it is your responsibility to pass this exam, period. Right now, this is the requirement to become a nurse. Your mentioning of bringing suit for the content of the NCLEX is a little misguided as many others, including those with previous careers or professions, have successfully passed this required exam. Additionally, if you're still wanting to become an RN anytime soon, you need to put your focus into how you can pass, not spending so much time and effort on how you're going to be ultimately compensated for what you believe has been a disservice to yourself. There is a reason why there are so many different platforms, resources, and content dedicated to helping you pass the NCLEX - there is a strategy to the test. NCLEX-world you have everything you could need and everything available right then. I had a practice question once involving a pt who had a previous resuscitation earlier in the day and was now in v-fib again. Two of the answers were start compressions and shock. I chose compressions (as what we are always taught in the real world - jump on the chest) as in the real world, we would do compressions until the AED was charged and ready; however, in NCLEX-world (perfect world), it was already charged and v-fib is a shockable rhythm. Perfect world, without assumptions puts everyone on a level playing field for this test. Also, to your comments about charge nurse questions, I would say that a main reason to know these would be to advocate for yourself as a nurse. These types of questions would help you know appropriate staffing and delegation so you ultimately would be more likely to know if you were receiving an appropriate assignment. Moving forward, I would suggest two study resources for you as they helped me immensely: Kaplan and Nursing.com. My school used Kaplan, but I didn't really appreciate it until I started using it to prepare for NCLEX. They not only have practice tests, but also numerous recorded and live lectures on content and test-taking. They teach strategy so well. Nursing.com was a resource I used just before I started nursing school. They are all about helping students pass the NCLEX and have very good and relatable lectures. I'm a second career nurse as well, graduated with my BSN in May, and passed NCLEX in July. Sure, I thought some questions were strange or too vague, but my study preparation prepared me for those types of questions and the strategies to answer them. You have to remember that once you pass this exam, you never have to take it again. You really need to let go of this frustration and "attack" mindset and just put all of this energy into finding a new study method to pass this required test. YOU have to decide that you are ready to do that. Side note: NCSBN is looking to change the NCLEX to what they call "Next Generation" which will look a bit different from what it is now (just like the current version is very different from past versions). I really hope you will consider my and others' suggestions. Nurses want to help nurses (which you will be if you want it), but you have to help yourself first. Best of luck in making the right decision.

The NURSING website/app is really good with content. They have a ton of lectures in different nursing areas and also have questions. My school used Kaplan, and I actually really liked it for study as they had a lot of lectures on specific content areas and test-taking in general. I really like that they pushed "If you could only do one thing for your patient and leave" concept - this helps with answer choices. I thought about using UWorld, but the cost wasn't worth it for my exam timeline. I took the NCLEX-RN on 7/11 and passed in 60. Try not to stress about it too much, but really focus on prioritization and delegation that will result in the best outcome for patient. Wish you the best!

If this helps, they said over 1000 videos to get through and only 4 recruiters. They said it might take awhile.

If you can afford it, I would say go with the accelerated program. Of course this is very individual, and you know yourself best, but if you are ready to be a nurse, go the fastest, quality route. I will be graduating next month from a 12-month aBSN program, and I couldn't be happier with my decision. Yes, it's a lot of information in a short amount of time, but at this point, I couldn't imagine having to do another year of school work. My mindset now is fully "I just want to work as a nurse!" All programs have their pros/cons, but I was fortunate enough to find a really good program. My professors were/all really invested in each of us and always ready to chat or discuss course content more in-depth. I definitely had to re-learn how to study as I needed to study in a very different manner than I did back with my 1st degree; however, this was not an unbearable year. It wasn't easy, but it wasn't as bad as I was expecting it to be. You just have to ask yourself if you're ready for a faster-paced environment. You'll likely have exams every week (at least initially), multiple assignments (some busy work), and concept maps or care plans that can take a bit of time to complete. Happy to answer any questions! Best wishes in your decision!

I'm actually completing a Lippincott Peds one right now. If you must pass on the first try, I would encourage you to do the suggested readings first (if you have the book). If you have multiple attempts, review whatever you missed - take screenshots if you need to do so. It's usually easier once you become more familiar with the interventions/assessments available in the SIM depending on the specialty. Always wash hands and introduce yourself. Identify patient and ask about allergies. I always start with vitals. Make sure you review the orders to give you a guide of what you need to do or what you need to look out for. Educate at some point. We were recently able to lower the "passing" score for this set of vSIMS when a majority of the class expressed difficulty in achieving 95%. If enough of you are having issues, it can't hurt to ask for multiple attempts or a lower threshold. Good Luck!