cmp715

Got my RN license by endorsement in exactly 4 weeks to the day I mailed my application. I didn't get a temporary one. You can always apply for jobs while waiting for the license - I did. I even interviewed and was offered a job before I received my license.

Also, TONS of golf courses here, I'm sure you'll research it if the area sounds interesting. And it seems like everyone loves fishing around here. Gas is $3.38/gal here, a GREAT perk for me coming from the west coast. As far as hospitals, I know Shands in Jax is a level 1 trauma center and teaching hospital and I've read pays "really" well. I have no idea what that means. Then there are St Vincent's Riverside and St Vincent's Southside that look decent and I'd consider working there. The Baptist Hospitals (Downtown and South) have Magnet recognition but I heard they pay low. If you want to work for a prestigious hospital, modern and good nurse-pt ratio, look for a "Magnet hospital". Then there's Mayo Clinic Hospital - that would be undeniably my 1st choice but I have a huge suspicion that it takes to "know someone" to get in the door there. Flagler Hospital - again, I've heard great things about. Sorry I can't say I'm 100% sure on any of this info - its just from my own research and I've actually been to a few of these hospitals to check them out. Like you, I wish I knew more about their ratios, pay, benefits, but I don't. I posted some questions on these boards but didn't get very specific answers. Hope whatever I shared helps you.

Check out http://www.city-data.com for info on COL and such.. It is an awesome forum. I have found a wealth of good info there before I moved from Cali to Florida. I just moved to St Augustine (just south of Jacksonville) and I have just started interviewing at a couple hospitals here. To me, RN pay is low here compared to California but so is rent and gas! Also, there's no state income tax here so that pretty much evens it all out. I have 6 years of experience so I have been getting calls back from multiple hospitals that I've applied with. I heard that new grads have a very hard time finding a job here but that shouldn't be something to worry about for you with your 2 yrs of exp. I have a job offer in my hand but I think I might get another one next week. It'll be interesting to compare the rates and benefits. They offered mid 20s/hr with about 3 extra for wknd. Night shift diff is about 3 and it's 9 on the wknd. Since I'm new to FL I have NO CLUE if this is a decent offer - which is why I kept interviewing. We'll see if I get an offer next week. Good luck with everything! Let me know if I can answer anything else. Oh, St Augustine is fun. Downtown is packed with bars, restaurants, art galleries, live music. I've only been here a couple months but I like it a lot so far! No clubs here but I'm A-ok with that. Very very old little town with a lot of history. It's on the beach, an hour south of Jax and 2 hours north of Orlando. There are about 6-7 hospitals within a 40-mile radius. Good luck!

Thank you both :) I just got a job offer from a different ED in the area but I really want to interview at more places before I make up my mind. Shands has a job fair next week so I'll be able to talk to recruiters from there as well. Hopefully I will end up making the right decision! Has anyone heard anything good or bad about St Vincent's Southside or Baptist South as far as work environment, ratios, pay, benefits..? And how do they compare to Shands? I'd appreciate any info you guys might have.

Hey there - I am browsing this site in search of the same info you were looking for in September... I am new to Jax area an just applied to Shands ED. Did you ever get a job there or have you interviewed...? Any feedback would be appreciated as there is not much current info out there on this hospital. Thanks!! :)

Thank you so much for replying :) I was leaning toward just applying myself and that's what I will do. I am relocating from Southern CA to Jacksonville area in the next few weeks and I am scrambling to get everything done ASAP. I will definitely write back if I have any questions. :) thanks again.

Hi shell128,I am wondering whether you ended up using that company to endorse your license to FL... Or have you applied with the FL BON yourself?And have you received your license? How long did it take?Thanks in advance! I need to do the same thing STAT.

yay!! :monkeydance: :monkeydance: thanks chris!

rgntna2usa... check your pm inbox

:yeahthat:

YAY! CONGRATULATIONS NEW RN! :balloons:

hey Paul - i used kaplan online... the q trainer tests and the q bank are the best way to go in my opinion... do lots and lots of questions and then GO BACK over them and read all rationales, even for the q's you got right. that's what i did.. and i learned a lot without having to re-read any of my textbooks. the rationales will show you why you should have answered in a specific way, so they help you understand exactly what you are being asked for. about meds.. yes, i got a lot of them on nclex... mostly teaching about them, side effects, when to take them, interactions... what not. there were some i've never even heard of! so i took a few educated guesses there... trying to look at both names of the drug to figure out what it was, what category.. abx, anti-HTN, cardiac... there is no way you can memorize them all.... so just try to look at the big picture.. categories of meds with common s/e, know the basic meds you always give.... antibiotics and the ones i mentioned above... some psych drugs/categories, l&d drugs.... No matter what you do, you will still have some questions on your nclex that you won't know how to answer..... but don't allow yourself to panic!! the answer is always there, do your best to narrow it down CORRECLTY (i used kaplan test taking strategies for that and the 'decision tree') and don't forget that while each question is important on that test, everyone gets 15 questions that do not count against you. anyway..... you still have a lot of time to study, more than i had.... if you worry about pharm and you happen to do kaplan... just do a bunch of questions on pharm and read the rationales... it all boils down to that.... BEST OF LUCK to you... if you graduated, you CAN do this, don't forget that! :)

breeqt - after i was done with my first semester of NS i got hired as a pca/cna at a hospital straight away; i didn't have to have a 'license' per se, just proof that i was in a nursing program. it was as simple as that. i would suggest that you just call the hospital you want to work at - HR dept- and ask what their requirements are. chances are you don't have to go to any classes/exams since you're already a student nurse and you already know the basics of pt care (exactly what a pca/cna does). good luck!

Hey Jen..... do you mind sending it to me too? Just private message me and we can exchange email addresses. Thanks! Hi, Im an RN in IMCU/ICU and I have sheet i use. I pretty much use most of it if not more. I cant attach it, im not sure how so I can email it to whoever wants it. Jen

as i said... i'm sorry for your results and it's totally understandable that you feel angry and discouraged right now.. i would too. maybe nothing of what i have to say will make you feel better right now..... but what i know for sure is that it's not worth it giving up. you worked HARD to finish school and this test is the last step you have to take... i know you failed 2 times, but you should keep trying! there's someone on this site that passed the 5th time! so now that person has a license like many of us here and who cares how many times it took to test to get it? it doesn't say it on the card and no nursing director will ask that in an interview.... so please keep trying because you will ultimately be happy you did! look at what your weak areas are and focus on them even more than before.. take a few days off and then start doing questions again like you haven't tested the 2nd time yet. i really hope you keep going and i wish you best of luck!