GilbertDaddy

Hmm, I think you overlooked it. If you go to the nevada board of nursing page and click on "Annual Reports", you'll find it :) Here's the link I found it on: http://www.nursingboard.state.nv.us/annual%20reports/ Doesn't look like they have 07's data up yet though.

Yep, exactly why all girls in my class will know I've got other priorities I don't have the cash for new tires lol

The only thing in nursing school I could ever think of loving would be a passing NCLEX score

Hah, I'm a Type-A personality with ADD who's an eternal optimist lol.. Running out of enthusiasm is out of the question As for the material stuff.. truth be told I'd be happy being able to pay the bills and toss some cash in the bank doing something other than sitting in an empty office all day coding software

Looks like their last grad rate (according to AZ BON NCLEX records: http://www.azbn.gov/NCLEX.aspx) was 11/13 or 84.62%. Not amazing, but definitely an improvement over their earlier scores..

You know there was a quote in that Kevin Spacey movie American Beauty that I'll never forget: "Sometimes there's so much beauty in the world I feel like I can't take it, like my heart's going to cave in." When I was a teenager going through some extremely mental stress with family and friends, something inside of me sort of snapped. Ever since that day, it was like I was able to remove myself from my own body and emotions and for a brief second, see life as it was, and not as _I_ saw it. After that moment, and ever since.. I've spent the rest of my life taking care of others and giving myself to others. Being a single dad suits me there because I'm never bored.. there's always someone who could use more than I can give, so I always have purpose. As I mentioned in another thread, when I was younger I used to spend a half hour at night or so, looking out the window, smoking the silly stuff, and looking at the stars and sort of "centering" myself. I don't do it anymore because the munchies made me lose the muscle I spent the last hour or two building at the gym, but that method of unwinding has still stuck with me. At the rate of sounding pretentious, at that young age as a teen, I realized that _I_ was the strongest one around. I was the only one seemingly unaffected by all the stress. Perhaps I stuffed it all in, but that worked for me *shrug* Now, I feel like I was put here to make other people's lives better. Even 12 years later, it hasn't changed. I don't want to use the term "angel", because I'm far from perfect by any means. But I really feel that I was put here to dedicate my life improving the quality of life for others. I want to make 6 figures before I die, I want to be able to easily afford daycare AND a new lexus someday.. but beyond those personal goals.. I guess my whole purpose is showing my kids through my actions that we're just pawns in a chess game. It's not IF we die.. it's WHEN. We need to spend every last second humbling ourselves so that we can better serve mankind. There are little boys and girls who are beacons of naivety and innocence. They shine like spotlights in the dark and just explode with pure brilliance. I guess a good analogy for this novel (lol), is that I feel our purpose on Earth is to give as much juice as we can to those spotlights so that through our efforts, they can shine bright enough for others to notice Everytime I see young kids it's like being shot by a bullet. I just want to make them smile.. to make them understand that someone out there loves them and wants them to grow up and be good people. Especially in today's society you can't do that too much. But as a nurse, I'll be able to hopefully bring that feeling through the quality of care I give. This world is so dirty and filthy and just covered with crap. If I can shield the little ones from that dirt for just a little while longer, even if it means I get dirty, I'm down for the job. Anything to let them be beautiful and pure a little while longer before they have to play grown-up

You know someone else said something about this kid that was very special. They said just because we see him as different, doesn't mean HE sees himself as different. That reminds me of that 9year old boy you mentioned. What's completely unthinkable for us is just another day of life for these kids. Wow.. my kids were also the same reason. I'm the type of guy that thinks "anything someone can do, I can do better". That ambition has done me well in life, but when my kids get sick and daddy doesn't know how to fix it.. that truly upsets me I'm becoming a nurse so that daddy WILL know how to fix it, or at least know what's going on. I can't imagine how helpless it must feel to be in a situation like that. I think you are honoring his memory as a nurse. Every smile you bring to someone's face is a smile your son would want you to give.

God, that's so tragic =/ Yeah.. I may be built differently there.. Those kids make a grown man like me cry.. it puts life in such a spotlight that you can't help but come face to face with your own mortality. I'm a fulltime single dad and get a lot of praise for loving my kids and doing well by em. Working 10+ hours a day, schooling, and being there every morning and night 7x a week is hard, but the kids are like a sponge.. Every ounce of love you can give, they'll suck up and beg for more. It honestly makes me sad there's not two of me to love em even more.. Kids like the one you mention are the ones who really need someone to depend on, especially when facing disabilities, etc. They need someone to help them realize life isn't over, it's just a little different. To be fair, I don't do so well with older folks. I could never do elderly care.. just not built for it. But I'll take the kids any day of the week. I think as a male nurse, that's one thing I bring to the table.. a lot of boys sometimes need a man to look at and talk with. Somethings a "mom-like" nurse can do, but some things a boy needs another boy to talk about. I'm actually pretty excited about being able to help that balance... there's so many great female nurses, it seems to reason that a few more great male nurses could only help make things even better :cheers:

I remember when I was around 19 or so and I was out in the working world and getting on my own... Everyone was always so negative about life. Always so stressed. I remember that I had planned on spending at least 1 hour a week on a street corner with a sign that said, "Don't forget to smile today!", just to remind some of those people that life is not what we make it - it is what it is. If we don't appreciate it, it doesn't stop or change, it moves on. To not appreciate it, is only a slight to ourselves and that's something we have to work at everyday. Finding new ways to be fascinated and amazed with life and all it gives.. It's late, I have BIO homework and labs that need to get done tomorrow, and I'm loopy from being half awake... Have a great day/weekend all.. I just read this and think how amazing life really is. It's amazing to realize life isn't about the car you're going to buy next year.. it's about the smile you can have RIGHT NOW :)

http://mpolitzer.googlepages.com/ i have two children, a daughter of 6, and a son who looks just like me who's 3. both are healthy (far as we can tell), intelligent, beautiful looking kids. my son's got a cough i need to get checked out, but aside from the little things like that, they can expect a normal life. not too much unlike my own. the issues they'll likely face will be like mine. seemingly important, but largely insignificant in the long run. then i see a guy like this.. michael politzer. imagine that you're the mother of a son who's terribly deformed. do you secretly wish he'll avoid the pain of a terrible life of being different, being under the knife for life saving surgeries? do you tell yourself that it just wasn't meant to be and that god will take him soon? or do you dam those types of thoughts deep inside and focus on the life that _is_ there and just pray that you'll get to see his smile and that tender boyhood enthusiasm? i look at this kid and think.. he's probably lived his whole life in hospitals. by his own admission: i wish he could live a normal life, but then i see his smile and just think man.. if that were my son.. i'd dedicate my life to giving him every second of joy possible. some of our children will burn long like a candle and some will burn through life like a firecracker. i'm hopeful that when i graduate in a couple years and am working with patients, that i'll have the chance to come across such a remarkable kid. it just makes me appreciate, so much, the quality of life i've been given. and not only that, it makes me appreciate the purity of life in general - all material things aside. he may never get to ride a bike, but it doesn't mean he won't laugh and love more than some of us could ever dream to. i don't even know the guy and i wrote him an email telling him how proud i was of his attitude and personality and that i hope that i'll have the chance to show the true appreciation for life that he seems to have, and that we all tend to take for granted. kiddos like this are the reason i want to work with kids when i'm a nurse..

Ah found it :) http://www.azbn.gov/documents/nclex/RN%20NCLEX%20Quarterly%20Reports%20Q3%202007.pdf Unfortunately it looks like UoP has had 3 straight rounds of 100% failure rates =/ I don't see any 07 scores so I wonder if they've since cancelled the program in AZ. Apollo is doing better though. While their average is 66%, the most recent batch is 84% which is a solid improvement.

I don't think you read the bottom :) I am hopeful they do get the accreditation here in AZ.. Any more alternatives to the other programs out there are great to have. Here in AZ, there are less than a handful of colleges with online/alternative programs. We desperately need more. But like I said, though I have considered ponying up the large amount for Apollo College's program, which transitions to UoP's program later on, even if I think it's worthwhile, others still have a negative view of it =/ For example, HR departments in 3 of my last positions over the last 8 years ALL put UoP applications at the bottom of the line. So even if _I_ don't believe it's a paper mill.. the hiring departments of the world, do.. Not sure how it equates to in the nursing business. Hopefully they're less picky. But in business/IT... it's somewhere between an Associates and a "real" BA. When I left my last job, it was disclosed by a friend in HR that my position was going to go to a UoP grad, but they figured my Associates was just as good as their BA. Our experience was the same, but I got the first interview because they put UoP apps at the bottom of the pile. Right now the pass rates for Apollo/UoP in AZ aren't that great (I think somewhere in the 60's?), but it's new and improving. I'm cheering for em. Any alternative is great.

Interesting article that came today.. if you've ever dealt with either company (although the same), Apollo College is especially hard on recruiting. http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/0116biz-apollogroupsuit16-ON.html Perception is reality though.. I know most companies in the business world (all the ones I've worked for at least) consider it a diploma mill. Relevant though because both are now offering Nursing programs. They don't have NCLEX pass rates so they're not certified yet, but we'll find out soon. Personally I'd like to see them rate right up there with other colleges, as they offer an alternative to working parents like myself. But not if it's at the detriment to the education received. Nobody likes a stupid nurse Oh and read through some of the comments.. fun reading there lol

I'm taking the same classes (if you're taking 181) and you're right. Bio is interesting, but chemistry is going to be a bit of a chore

I've heard some bad things about their Fellows program (most folks seemed to infer that the MCC one was by far less problematic), I'd do a search and check that out :) I'm planning on taking Microbiology and A&P I there next semester. I'll keep the board updated on my experiences..

Hmm, good to know. I'm looking to transfer to ASU for my BSN and then onto a CRNA program later.. that's why I'm picky than I probably should be. I think I'll have it switched to a letter grade.. I could see that happening and I'd hate to have to re-take anything :)

Yep, just wasn't sure if a "pass" would be worth less than an "A", etc.

In my Nursing Terminology class, I have the option to take a pass/fail or an actual letter grade. I'm not able to really find any documentation saying why one would be better than the other, aside from personal preference. Have any of you found a reason for your preference? The default is pass/fail. It's an online class (Rio Salado), so I wanted to double check before sending a stupid email to my teacher :)

Phew! Thought I was crazy there for a minute.. those rates were too good to be true =/ And I've been in real estate for 4-5 years now.. we're definitely at least 1.5-3 years away from sort of turnaround on the housing crisis.

Salary.com puts the average around 55k/yr for a "Staff Nurse (RN)": http://swz.salary.com/salarywizard/layoutscripts/swzl_salaryresults.asp?hdSearchByOption=0&hdSearchByOption=0&hdKeyword=Staff%20Nurse%20-%20RN&hdJobCategory=HC05&hdZipCode=85004&hdStateMetro=&hdGeoLocation=Phoenix,%20AZ%2085004&hdJobCode=HC07000001&hdJobTitle=Staff%20Nurse%20-%20RN&hdCurrentTab=&hdNarrowDesc=Healthcare%20--%20Nursing Here are is one thread about L&D pay rates being 25/hr to 27/hr: https://allnurses.com/forums/f135/pay-rates-area-225669.html Here's one with some more optimistic results. 35/hr but without benefits: https://allnurses.com/forums/f135/just-moved-here-where-great-rn-pay-200447.html Here's one job posting for 37/hr: Registered Nurse (Unit Based Pool) Maricopa Integrated Health System http://phoenix.jobing.com/job_details2.asp?JobID=1320601&utm_source=indeed&utm_medium=link&utr Indeed.com had a lot of postings but it was hard to find anything else with salary/pay information Do you have benefits? If so, I'm going to be feeling a lot better about joining the workforce when i graduate..I was expecting much less

Wow you make 34/hr?? I've been hearing new grad hourly ranges of 23-27 or so for the others in AZ. That's nice! I'm still in nursing school so I'd love if 34/hr is truly what new grads are getting.. that'd mean I wouldn't have to take a pay cut when I become an RN As far as buying, I'd still stay away from buying since we're not at the bottom of the slump yet (buying now could mean you could be upside down several tens of thousands of dollars which would mean foreclosure if you had a financial strain out of nowhere), but you can rent some great 4/5 bedroom 2000sqft+ houses for 1100-1400 which is a pretty awesome deal :)

It's hard to explain unless you've lived in the US for a long time. We spend crazy amounts of taxpayer money on things most of the taxpayers don't want it spent on while ignoring education and healthcare almost completely. There's a reason American cars are made in Canada instead of America. America has never been good at protecting its middle class. Be they farmers, factory workers, or IT. The core of it is because our system allows lobbies to spend money to influence votes on key bills and policies. Many times, those lobbies work against the actual worker and for the company or corporation or industry itself.

I'm taking BIO156 at Rio right now and while my instructor seems great, between all the books, links, lab kit, etc. It's an aweful lot. I worry more about just covering all the bases than I do about learning anything. I think after I finish CHM130 and BIO156 this semester I'll take the rest at CGCC. I'd take a math class or other non-lab class any day at Rio, but the lab and science classes have a lot of extra overhead involved

i think this would probably be the most likely of outcomes. the changes would be subtle. we would hear it costs too much for us to be getting time and a half, etc. so we'd get less overtime and whatnot. after all, everyone would complain about pay cuts. but nobody would say nurses deserve higher-than-normal-pay for overtime and that could be squashed pretty easily. remember, without competition, everyone except the patient and the nurse/doctor benefits. lpns and cnas would be given more responsibilities to allow rns to stick to 40 hours max per week. basically putting us on a salary, etc. when the government controls healthcare, there is no more competition. who else will offer nurses a higher wage or better job? where else will you go if not for the private sector? and for heathiam, trust me, i feel the same way. but i'd bet my first born that i'll turn 50 before that happens and i'm rather fond of my first born

honestly i wish this was the case. but corruption has been tied to politics for over a century.. i suppose i'm naive if i see that changing if hillary had a voting record like ron paul, i'd trust her a lot more. but she voted for the things she is against and wants to change now. she voted for the war in iraq when we still didn't have proof, now she's against it, etc. at this point, i'd settle for someone who at least could make up their mind on issues. at least then i could be less suspicious. i can't believe what you say now if you didn't feel the same way 8 years ago. you need to vote on what is _right_ and not _popular_.