msmaximus

I have a friend making $64.00 per diem in San Fran- so actually, it seems more lucrative to just get your CA license on your own, find a roommate on craigslist and forget the travel company? Isn't that easier for the hospital as well?

It's not all over, but, your idealism of being a nurse probably is, now that you know what it's really like; inadequate training, unbearable patient ratios, back-stabbing co-workers, lack of support from administration. It's good to pay attention and double check your work- but realize that you are NOT alone- just google "I hate nursing" or "done with bedside" and you'll see HUNDREDS of horror stories akin to this, Plus some glimmers of HOPE on how to mitigate the hellishness and/or get out of it. I know RNs who have over 10 years of experience (ICU, charge RNs) who were fired unfairly & for trivial reasons. Try to relax, you are doing a better job than most of the general population- sitting at desks- who could never handle the workload/pace that nurses do.

My fiance is a black male RN, and he did ICU 8 mos, moved on to registry, and is now in CRNA school (moved up quickly), are you still in the south? move to a big city, and you will find lots more diversity.

You are doing the right thing. Many hospitals are requiring LPNs to get their RN degree in order to stay, my hospital is one of them, they are no longer hiring LPNs (unless they work as patient care technitions), the bridge program is only one year, and it will go quickly.

I am from Chicago and considering travel nursing in San Fransisco- which would be an impossible city to rent in w/out getting the housing paid for. Does any one have the scoop on travel nursing in this city? What is the average housing stipend?

I had no medical background and quit my business job, took out loans, and went to nursing school. I live in a major city, by myself, so my loans totalled $20k, and my rent was $10K! The coursework is unrelenting, combined with clinicals, I can't believe I did it. I have a good job as an RN now, but I also have debt to pay for two more years. And, this is stressful work, you will be stressed during school and then stressed again as a new grad. If there is a way to go to community college (cheaper), do this! It would have saved me thousands of dollars. I have a prior BA in marketing, and this RN degree was much, much more difficult. Nursing school is archaic compared to other majors- at my school, I felt like administrators piled on unneccessary coursework- 20 page APA style papers, research and statistic courses- none of which I am using now. Community college is just the bare bones- no extra courses. If you can find a short cut, take it! Not sure it is worth going into so much debt for- since the starting pay is a little low- unless you really believe you will love it. Sorry I can't be more uplifting. Take a job as a CNA first- part time, just to see what your day to day would be like.....

Use the Care plan builder, free, online. Type in Ackley + care plan, and then you pick your diagnosis alphabetically, the builder does the rest, it will save you a ton of time flipping through the books. Good luck.

Richard: not to be cheeky- just seriously wondering where you go to school? I don't think the material is super difficult, but it is not easy- the difficult aspect is the enormous amount of (somewhat unnecessary) paperwork, no? ALL of my classmates complain, I don't know any one who is breezing through it.