haemma

Hey everyone! I am wanting to start working PRN through an agency. I have 1.5 yrs in med/surg/tele. I need to have more flexibility with which days I work due to some issues with my kiddos. Hubby also works 12's so when we are on opposite days we hardly ever see each other. I also need to get some of our debt paid off. I am in the Dallas area. Sooooo.... Which agency do you recommend or like? Which to stay far from? What pay range should I request/expect/look for? (a friend gave amounts for an OR nurse with 13 ys exp. so it wasn't very relevant for me) Is 1.5 yrs enough to try to try to do the Independent Contractor thing?

"the dark ages.." lol, made me laugh! I needed that. On the first one that I failed, I even asked if there was any chance I could come in and they could determine my personality face to face. The answer was no, of course, due to the HR policy. The next commenter was told to never choose in the middle, makes you look wishy-washy, makes sense. Can you tell me if you have noticed for the ones in the 'correct' scoring range, do they answer with only answers on the far left and far right, no middle ground?

I applied for several jobs at a local hospital, and they sent me a web-based interview assessment/test to complete. It is also sometimes referred to as a personality test. I have taken one of these before and I did not score "correctly" and therefore no longer a candidate for the job. I don't know if maybe I think differently or what (???) I know I am a very visual person, but beyond that no clue:confused:. I am freaking out, I was so hoping that they would not use this test, but it seems all the hospitals here do. Any advice or wisdom?

Hi all, I am at a post acute SNF, and am really struggling. Our mars and tars are not organized very well and we can't change them to make more efficient. I know every place will b different, but is there any general advice that can be given to help me organize and prioritize my day?? We do bs, meds, wounds, breathing tx, whatever was passed from other shift, and of course have to chart on all. Have about 23-27 pts. Any wisdom is appreciated!!

As of now, it is 2 short days, usually from 6:30-11:30, and the long day would be 6:30-4:00, these times also depend on what facility you end up at, but it shouldn't be too different. Where you do clinicals is totally random. There is no choosing. There are several in my class that have worked full time from the beginning, most have decreased their hours to part-time or just above part-time (and are now in tech jobs). There are a few who can work full-time and still function - that is not me!! The program is indeed very rigorous and as they will tell you, it does indeed take over your life, however, it goes by very fast! 1st and 2nd semester you will have 4 school days unless you have a 1 long-day clinical then you will have 3 school days, so you are a little more committed with the time you have to be there than further on. Hope this helps.

When you register for the PSB they will give you a little packet of sample questions. I also used these two sites to study for the test. http://www.cfcc.edu/learninglab/PSB/PSB.htm http://www.testprepreview.com/nursing_practice.htm From what I remember, the hardest part for me was the spelling. They had words that I would have never guessed were actually words. To get through it, I tried to go with what made the most sense. Good luck to you! Kad

I am currently in the nursing program there. I agree with everyone out there, all of the programs are very competitive. The program at CCCCD is quite rigorous as well. Don't give up on your dream, if one way doesn't work, try another. Also try to get the most possible points on the PSB, that makes a huge difference. I wish you all the best of luck!:icon_hug:

That is a substantial difference. I am thinking in that case that if you made 20 more per hour that it would almost make up for any chance time off or say if hubby lost benefits. Thank you for your input!

Thank you both very much for the info!!

I have recently been told that there are hospitals in the Dallas area that will give you a higher pay if you don't take insurance benefits. I was told that it could make a $15 difference in hourly pay. I am just 2nd semester in nursing school so I still have abt 1.5 yrs to go, but the idea of this is exciting to me b/c my hubby carrys all insurance. Is this true, is it available to graduate nurses, and can anyone elaborate on it a little for me? Thank you!

WOW, that is so awesome!!! I wish you the best of luck and hope you get the opportunity to touch many people's lives!

They use a point system. you get points for how many pre-reqs you have completed and then you get points for your pre-req gpa, your overall gpa, and for how well you do on the PSB test. Look at their site and it will make more sense. http://www.ccccd.edu/nursing/selection.html Make sure that you study for the PSB because these points can make the difference in getting accepted there - as long as your GPA is about the same. You will see the points for the gpa on the site. Hope this helps!

I understand where you are coming from. I am almost 30, we have 2 - 10 year old girls and a 4 year old girl and a 16mth old boy. I am just starting my pre-reqs this summer. My prob is that do to my age and my oldest child's age that I feel like I need to hurry. I am finding that I am very impatient in wanting this. But there is no way around how long it takes, nor should there be due, to all the knowledge needed in this profession. Look into the online courses where you can work from your home. You can definately do math courses this way and sometimes the lecture part of Biology. I did one of my developmental Algebra classes this way. You can do this. It is never too late if it is something you want. I wish you the best of luck! And best of wishes with the new baby!

Thank You for all of your thoughts!! I will not be working through the summer however I have 3 of my own children and 1 stepdaughter. My stepdaughter will be at her mom's most of the summer. My biggest fear is not being able to study due to the kids. Thankfully my hubby is off work 3-4 days a week! I will think on this a little more to make sure that I am up to the challenge - I do enjoy challenges though!

I am trying to get through the pre-reqs as quick as possible but with the best grades possible as well. I just registered for Biology and A&P I summer classes. I am now panicking at the thought of doing these classes in one month each. Can you please give me some feedback if anyone has taken these in the summer and how hard it really was for you? Thank You!!