Amiejayrn

The answer is NO. They pay new grads $29.97/hr for days and if you want to work nights, it is a $6 diff. That is why they have more daytime positions available. If you are a nurse with experience, obviously the pay will be greater. Good luck to you.

Hi, I too am a new peds nurse. I used to work in a pediatric office as an LVN, but I graduated a year ago and just started at a Children's Hospital on their med/surg floor. Although, I love kids and being around them, I am not sure I like it. I am still getting precepted and have until the end of January before I am on my own. This new grad program started in August. When I first graduated, I went to another smaller hospital and was hired as a "transition" nurse (go to each delivery and transition the babies). I still work there per diem and like it much better but left because it was nights (no day positions open full time) and I also felt like I was cheating myself from experiences. At the Childrens hospital, I am learning a lot every day but I just cant decide what it is, that I dont like about it. I am hoping to give it a year, at least, but I hate to put a time table on anything. I was hoping when I got hired, I would love it and want to stay there 4 most of my nursing career. We will see what happens:confused:

It is 12 months long and it has 2 starting classes each year, one in June and one in October.

Concorde is expensive. Have you heard of ROP? I got my LVN license there and all I had to pay for was my books and uniforms. There is nothing to finance. Their LVN program is located in Anaheim. I think it is called North Orange County Regional Occupational Program. Good luck!

It depends on what type of unit you'll be working on. I agree with deeDawntee though, a PDA is great. I had downloaded a program that had 4 nursing books (drug book, lab book, diseases and disorders, and a tabers) while a student and it was wonderful! Now I have downloaded just one book specially for my unit. Also, whatever unit you are on, they usually have reference books on hand for your use.

1hotrn, I have taken the NCLEX 2 times and both times I got 265. I am not a good test taker to begin with but after failing the first time, I decided not to procrastinate about studying (I did that a lot for the first test). Just set time aside each day to study content and quizzes. I used the Kaplan book ($30) and the NCSBN website that has an NCLEX online course. It was cheap, approx. $69 for 5 weeks. I really felt that the Kaplan strategy book helped me to answer questions better. Don't lose faith in yourself, you did get through nursing school! I know how upsetting it is to fail that test. I thought that the first test was harder than the second and looking back on it now, I think that is because I wasnt as prepared as I could of been and also the whole experience was new. Good luck and best wishes!

I SOOO hear you! I came out of school and went to my "dream job", while being oriented on day shift, everyone was wonderful and welcoming. I went to nights, for which I was hired, and I felt like I have been thrown to the wolves! I swear the other nurses watch you like they are waiting for you to screw up. It is very nerve wracking. I felt like wearing a scrub top that read, "Yes, I am a new grad and I dont know jack, so please help". I ended up getting another job that I have not started but from friends that work there now, say it is very nurturing and supportive. So we hope and pray it is! I also was able to keep the first "dream" job and get a per diem DAY spot, just in case. I also wanted to say that it might be better to stick it out with those nurses who have bad attitudes and after some time, they may lighten up when they see you are not going anywhere. Just a guess though.

yes!! Not only is it safer, but it is very easy to draw from the ampule using the filter needle. Thanks, for bringing this up. Being new, I had 2 preceptors and one used them and one did not. :uhoh21:

yeah, we are small. That is why I am starting at a bigger hospital which has a 48 bed NICU and will be expanding to a 72 early next year. I just am not getting enough exposure to learn where I am at. Yes, we do get cancelled but of course, it is the per diem, then the part timers who go before the full timers. We do have the option to floating to Nursery. :icon_roll

our NICU can hold 12 and has been 10 to 12 the past 2 months. Usually it is around 3 or 4 patients. So in our small little NICU, we are busy.

CHOC is "childrens hospital of Orange County" and they are the best in Orange county. There is Childrens hospital of Los Angeles in of course, LA. Mission hospital has a NICU but is considered part of CHOC.

I do enjoy my job very much, but just feel stuck with no more to learn. I am keeping one foot in the door and going per diem day shift as the transition nurse, while I go through the new grad program at the Children's Hospital.

There is a Kaplan strategy book for $25 at Barnes and Noble and it is a quick read with their strategies. I agree that $500 is too much for a review class and with Kaplan it is all about test taking strategy. The book was helpful to me as I am a horrible test taker and read too much into things.

I think if you know the content and are ready to take the exam, then dont postpone it. You are right, you will just postpone the anxiety to go on longer. Bring with you water, snacks, other drinks and take breaks whenever you need while taking the test. I had all 265 questions and was there for 5 hours. I took 4 breaks to stretch and eat/drink or whatever. You can take a break whenever you need. Good luck and I hope the best for you!

I am not really a night person but I am waiting for a day shift position to open up. I get off at 7:30 as well, but dont hit the pillows until 9:30 or 10 and wake up between 3-4p. I have tried to sleep longer but I feel like I am "missing out on what's going on". Some people like to cluster all 3 nights in a row, but I like 2 at a time. I have been offered caffeine pills to take while on shift and told to take Benedryl so I can sleep days but I dont want to go there. I am not sure if your 5 weeks of night shift will be enough to find what works for you or not. Hopefully you will find what pattern of work and sleep will work for you.

well, after going back to work for a few days on, I tried very hard to promote the "skin to skin". I have found that mom usually for the most part, wants you to take the baby and get it cleaned up. So if that is the case, I do as much as I can in as little time possible and then give back to mom. I have been able to get the first set of vitals or at least see that baby is stable when mom is holding baby initially. Most of the moms (not all), are exhausted and start to doze off and would rather you care for their baby (all cares, even bath are done in the same room). We do have a nursery open 24/7 and unfortunately the well ones come in to be babysat. For some reason, our postpartum nurses who do "couplet" care, offer the babies to go to the nursery at night so mom can get her rest. This means for the pp nurse that she is no longer responsible for the cares of that baby, nursery nurse is. I used to work in the nursery at night before I did transition.

This is a very interesting thread to me as I am a new grad and I am on orientation as a "transition nurse". Our hospital's policy is to do exactly what you were talking about Smilingblueyes, but NONE of the nurses follow that. And it is not just the transition nurses who do not follow it, it is the L&D nurses who are on them to "get things done". They (the L&D nurses) know that once they have mom and baby stablized, they can ship them to Postpartum and be done with them. We do have a nursery but it is small and not staffed unless needed, so baby stays with mom the whole stay, unless she requests the baby go to the nursery. Otherwise, we do vitals q 30 minutes X3, bath and eyes & thighs while mom is in her LDR room. I guess the rationale that I keep hearing from the ones who are supposed to be precepting me, is that they want baby dry and temp checked often before they walk away. For me being a newbie, I would feel comfortable to dry baby completely, get one set of vitals and do the eyes before mom does "skin to skin". I could do all that in 5-7 minutes tops. I do want to support our hospitals policy but I just want a little peice of mind knowing the vitals are WNL. Am I on the right page here? I would like to hear others opinions on this topic. Thanks

I think if you talk to your nurse manager and let her know how you feel, they can try and put you on another unit in the hospital. I mean, they have already invested 3 months in you. What is it that makes you feel like it isn't working out? I think that all new grads go through this around the 3 months marker and continue to feel that way because they are about to be on "their own". I dont know, I may be wrong. How much more precepting do you have to go?

WOW!!! what an accomplishment! That is wonderful and congradulations to you!:balloons:

Congrats to you!:balloons: I too was offered a job in a level III-c NICU. My orientation starts in August and I am so exited! I graduated 12/06 and just passed the NCLEX 2 weeks ago and so I am just getting started.... Cherokee, good luck to you and again Congradulations on a great position!

:smiley_aa congrats to you rn2007!!!! i got on the computer just to check and see if you had posted you passed, and you did! way to go! i am so happy for you and i know exactly how you feel right now! :biere:

Tomarrow is a brand new beginning for you and you are going to do well! My thoughts and prayers are with you tomarrow.

That Kaplan strategy book helped me to look at the questions differently. As far as the test being harder, It looked and seemed the same to me. I felt after just a couple of questions, "oh no, this is still hard to me", even though I prepared as best as I could. I think if your doing well during the test your questions will be harder, but look at it as a good sign and keep going! I was more anxious and worried the second time around always second guessing myself but I did study content (NCSBN), and read that short strategy book which helped me to see things differently. I was never good at tests at school either. I just know you will do it this time and I will be thinking of you on Friday. You are on your way to adding "RN" after your name!