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Ned, this information will definitely give me something to work with as I think on my options. Thank you so much for your insight!

Happy holiday weekend everyone, I've spent the weekend doing my homework and researching information on becoming a travel nurse. I just want to say THANK YOU to this forum and all who have contributed! I've gained so much valuable information from extensive searches. I'm hoping to get some updated information from single traveler's who started their journey leaving behind a rental apartment. I've read a great deal on TravelTax and PanTraveler's and have a couple questions. Any advice and insight would be a great help! I've also considered emailing TravelTax directly. My background: - Circulating nurse with 5 years experience in a large teaching hospital, 20 OR suites. - Single with two kitties that I would like to take with me. Current rental apartment is $500/month + $30 for parking. Month-to-month option will be available to me in June 2015. - My motivation to travel is to make extra money to help eliminate debt and to experience working in my birth state of California (I currently reside in Michigan). I would gladly work in other state's depending on the contract, but the west coast is calling me home. Questions: - As a first time traveler looking to increase my base pay, will traveling be financially beneficial if I continue to pay for my rental? - Would you agree or disagree that keeping a "tax home" is practical for the first time traveler learning the ropes (to continue to keep as a back-up)? - "A tax home and a permanent residence are separate items. Continue to keep your drivers license, registration, bank accounts, insurance and mail in one place. You may be able to find a place to move all of your legal ties to take advantage of lower fees." "Although you have no tax home, it is still alright to have a primary home” where you can receive mail, register your car and so on. If this is a compact state for nurse licensure, you may still be legally allowed to have a compact license – check with your state board." - Pan Travelers Would I use, say for example, my parent's address as my primary "home" address? I'm assuming I would forward my mail to my new address in my contract state, however, if I decide not to take my car with me (I'd rather not), that would have to sit at my parent's address. Would I keep my old address on my driver's license until I decide where my permanent residence will be again? - Any experiences out there from new traveler's that decided to work without a tax home? Thank you in advance for helping me to understand these situations. I want to go into this as prepared and as educated as possible so my experience is a happy one!

Hello! This fall I'll be relocating to Minneapolis and I would like to reach out to get some information on the job market as I begin my moving battle plan. At the time of my move, I will have four years as an RN in the operating room as a circulating nurse, with experience in all major services save for ortho. I'm writing today in the hopes to find out information on: - Job outlook for the OR in the Twin Cities - Best agencies or hospitals to work for - Length of time to process license endorsement? Any information is much appreciated. Thank you so much!

Graduation is finally around the corner! It's a little hard to believe it's already 2010 and I'm done in May. I'm looking for additional advice/tips/steps I can take to make my new grad dream job as a perioperative nurse a reality. Resume tips would also be helpful. Since the summer of 2009 I have: -shadowed in the OR on my own time, for a total of three observations -joined the AORN on a student membership and have attended their monthly meetings (very cool group, btw, i've learned so much!) -written an article on the AORN eChapter website about the benefits of becoming a student member (I also citied allnurses.com ) - joined the NSNA and continued to be an active SNA member through my school With a graduation date of May 8th, when would be an appropriate time to begin applying? Many that I've spoken with say start in Feburary. Should I only apply to those positions listed with new grad information, or may I apply to any open OR position? Thank you!

Hi all, My anticipated graduation date is May 2010 and I'm a mission to make my passion for perioperative nursing a career reality! I've recently joined the AORN as a student nurse. I'm extremely impressed with the plethora of educational resources it supplies and I'm working on becoming an active member. I'm sure it will provide me with much information I need to springboard into my chosen career. I was wondering if any AORN members, maybe even SN members, are present here, and if you could shed some light on steps I should take on making contacts in my area. I've joined the eChapter and have also found my city chapter. Would I benefit from attending monthly chapter meetings as an SN? Is the mentor program that I read about the website applicable to SN's? Thanks! Chandra

Great advice all, thank you! I'm also taking the 221 test on Monday...eeek! Looks like I'll be continuing my studies at work...all....night....long... I bought the Saunders NCLEX book and have been doing some the diabetes questions, which seems to help a bit. I'll have to check out the NCLEX-RN Strategies for the Nursing Licensure Exam. Sounds like a winner :)

I did Chapter 20 and some of 21 in our math book and found that to be helpful in learning the concepts needed for this part of the math. Chapter 20 breaks it down using either R/P or DA, whichever you use. Points to remember: -1mg=1000mcg -Know how to solve for mL/hr using one of the two methods -Pay attention to time. Example: one of the questions in the module states you're running/min., so I had to figure out what I was running per hour before I could continue on with getting ml/hr and the drip rate...speaking of which... -When a 60gtt/ml microdrip set is used, the flow rate in gtt/min. is identical to the volume in mL/hr to be infused (page 285 in the math book). Then for weight... -Know how to convert pounds to kg -Solve for min...for hour....convert mcg to mg if needed....solve for mL/hr...and then your drip rate is your mL/hr answer (again, because you're using microdrip tubing). All these concepts are incorperated into the questions from what I'm running into with the mod questions. Perfect example was page 9 of the module, I just had to use everything I knew up to this point, use some "critical thinking" and just roll with it. BTW, this is me when it comes to math ----> I'd seriously rather write a 10 page patho paper. Seriously. I hope this helped though! I'm now going to put the math down and waste some time on Farm Town on the facebook.

wo This was my situation, exactly. I finally saw my award go up on webadvisor in June. Never received anything in the mail, printed out the letter myself and waited 30 min. at the office to turn it in last week. A fellow classmate of mine just got his award letter this week. This is first for HFCC, they've always been pretty timely.

I'm so happy to hear so many of you, like me, who felt OR was their calling as a nurse, were able to land a job as a new grad. This gives me great hope! I'm shadowing tomorrow morning (:D:D:D) at the same OR I had my clinical rotation at! I was able to contact the nurse educator through the hospital's website and had the shadow scheduled within a couple days. I'll heed the advice of tring520 and continue to shadow this summer at various hosptials. Thanks so much for advice, you guys rock.

Hi everyone, To those new grads that went straight to OR...... 1. Did you have the oppurtunity to work as an SNA in the perioperative area? 2. Did you shadow in the OR during school? 3. We're you able to easily find new grad OR programs in your areas? 4. Are there any that DID NOT work as an SNA and still get into a new grad program? Thank you any and all who might answer these questions. I have one year of school left and I'm so excited to start a career in the OR that I want to plan ahead so I may transition directly into a new grad program. I'm already working as an SNA/CNA and I'm currently looking to shadow in the OR. I'm not having very much luck finding contacts, but I'll keep trying. AORN has a student membership I'm thinking about getting. Hoping that'll connect me with some shadow oppurtunities, as well as provide some valuable info.

I stumbled upon that site years ago and have recommended it to many classmates. I like to muster up reactions from my non-medical friends by whipping out my ORlive podcasts

Congrats everyone! Just passed 150 today, one more year!!!!!!!!!!!! WELL DONE to all those who have graduated. Talking to some of you today in the atrium was great motivation before our final. IT CAN BE DONE

St. John perioperative nurse graduate program - what I'm striving for: http://www.stjohn.org/innerpage.aspx?PageID=4771 Good luck Chandra

Hello everyone, Thank you for the info! I'm in the same boat as techraider77. I'm year away from graduation, and I'm seriously considering (more with every passing day, lol) a career as a perioperative nurse. I have video OR's on my iPOD people..... I've been working in a major hospital system for many years as a CNA, on both med-surg floors and ICU's. I've done job searches to try and find OR extern/tech positions at mine and surrounding hospitals, but with no luck. Advice? I was thinking I could contact the HR dept. and submit my resume anyway. Or should I contact the nurse manager for the OR? While I'm here, what are the included duties of an OR extern/tech? Thanks! Chandra

Working. A lot. :-)

Hi! For those who applied and received the MI nursing Scholarship: How long did it take to notify you? How were you notified? Do they send you a check or is there a direct deposit option? Thanks, have lovely night.

Hi there, I'm in my second semester at HFCC and work part-time/single no kids/living on own. Your school schedule is chosen from four options based on a lottery. Below is my first two semesters. This is one of the four options. First semester Tuesday: Lab 8-1or3pm --- or ---Clinical 7-2:30pm Wednesday: Lab 8-1or3pm ----or ---Clinical 7-2:30pm Thursday: Lecture 9-2pm Friday: Lecture 9-11am Currently (second semester): Monday: Supplemental to NRSG155 (optional) 4-5:30pm Tuesday: Clinical 7am-2:30pm Wednesday: Clinical 7am-2:30pm Thursday: Lecture 9-12pm Friday: Lecture 9-12pm With some variations (i.e. I think we have a test on Monday at some point). This is just one schedule, there are others, including clinical and lecture on the same day, PM clincals, etc. People have gotten through the program working full-time, not impossible, but I feel it would tough. Your first semester includes a skills lab on Tue/Wed. You then have to come in on your own time to practice these skills for a eventual evaluation. We started clinicals our 8th week in. When you start clinicals you'll then have weekly paperwork to turn in (assessments, care plans, drug sheets). I've been working about 24 hours a week on a midnight shift (that's the least I can work and still get my health benefits) and usually end up trying to get some study time in on my breaks. For me, I really should be working full-time for financial reasons, but I think my school work would suffer. So, I'm in survival mode. lol I think if you really want it, you can make it go right somehow. You mentioned insurance is more a concern then money, but I would still suggest looking into grants/loans/scholarships (FAFSA). Can't hurt. I'm getting through school with financial aid (thank you goverment). I hope this helps! Take care, Chandra

I'm can't recall the piercing policy at my school, but I'm sure it's much like the policies previously mentioned. I do recall tattoo policy though, mentioned at orientation. HFCC here in MI now allows visible tattoo's of a tasteful manner (our handbook goes into detail). This was decided after a female nursing student was questioned by the infectious disease dept. at the hospital she was doing clinical at. They were wondering why she had a large bandage on the back of her neck (covered her butterfly tattoo). They felt it gave off the wrong impression. Here at the hospital where I work, those with tattoo's just wear long sleeve shirts. I think it's becoming more acceptable to show some ink. :) Chandra

I'm in an almost identical situation. I'm also starting my second semester in January, med/surg. I'm 26 yo, lived on my own since 20. Been working full-time as a CNA ever since. I'm less than 10 minutes from work, 20 minutes to school. My first semester of nursing school was a challenge as I worked 24-30 hours a week + school. Thankfully, being a CNA, I can do a few 12 hour shifts over the weekend and knock out some hours. Bills suffered horribly, though. Had to ask parents for money, numerous times. So, they offered me a room once my lease is up in March. I have a great relationship with my parents, and moved out when I did on my own volition. I've toyed with the idea to move back in, but it would bump my drive to work to 30-40 minutes, and school 1 hour. I would still be paying them rent and buying my own food, but less of course. Yea, they can drive me crazy, but that's par for the course. I'm sure I drive them a little nuts, too. :) But......I'm going to be a little bias. I love my mom and dad, but I also love my independence and proximity to school/work/friends. Can you: Find a roommate? Find a job as a CNA where the pay may be a little better and the hours flexible? Get financial aid? Get nursing scholarships or grants? I'm working on getting a grant next semester to help with expenses. Check your nursing office, state nursing board, google it! I have nothing against moving back home, but I can totally see where you're coming from. It's a tough situation! Good luck!

1)Pathophysiology (W/Cd), Porth Lipp Binding Hard Copyright 09 Edition 8 ISBN 978-0-7817-6616-6 $99.95 2)Understanding Pathophysiology (W/Cd) HuetherMosby Binding Hard Copyright 08 Edition 4 ISBN 978-0-323-04990-0 $96.95 AND they list the PATO Made Easy Book, which I already have. Strange that they list two different textbooks and full price, huh?

I'm looking at the list of textbooks for 155 and see that there are two patho books close to $100 each. Does anyone know which one is more beneficial? Should I get both?? Thanks, Chandra

One semester down, three to go. :)

I only waited 7 months before getting that letter in the mail. Oh, what a happy day that was! :)

I just wanted to second HFCC's program. Really enjoying it. And I know a couple students in the program that have prior degree's. Don't give up! Chandra

Question: This class is not considered a college credit, as I found out when I was trying to register on webadvisor. So, does financial aid recgonize it as a legitimate credit? Not to play down the signifigance of the class or to say I wouldn't benefit from it, but I mainly need one more credit for financial aid reasons. I also signed up for an online class that seems interesting, and it would save me another trip up to the school. Yet, this class is 3 credits, and would be more work on top of nrsg homework. Decisions.....deicsions.... Thanks for any input! Chandra P.S. Happy belated turkey day :)