zenurse

I love my Birkenstock clogs--I have the "Boston" style, in white.

One of our instructors gave a GI lecture and talked about the digestive track...

So--here's an update: I interviewed for a Nursing Assistant position at another hospital, and left my educational background on my resume, because I really feel it is a part of my qualifications. I was interviewed by two women, one from human resources, and one who was the nurse learning specialist for the hospital. The first thing the HR woman said was "Wow--I've never met someone with such an excellent education" and I was thinking uh oh... So I just chuckled, said "I hope that's a good thing..." then went on to say something like "well, it's an entirely different field, but I do think it has helped me to know what to expect in terms of the rigors of nursing school..." That was all that we said, and the interview moved on from there. They were really most interested in trying to get a feel for how I solved problems, and how I communicated in difficult/sensitive situations...the interview felt good, and I was offered the job four days later! I've also since found out that the place where I didn't get hired (even though I was told I was an excellent candidate) actually filled all of its positions with folks who already worked for the hospital, or who had a relative who worked there. I'm just glad that the hospital that hired me is willing to give me an opportunity! I'm so excited to start! Again, thanks to everyone for the advice and opinions.

:specs:Right on! Can you tell I tend to overthink things sometimes?! Thanks for your level-headed responses.

Can anyone give me any advice about whether or not I should send a thank you letter after I've accepted a job offer? I interviewed last Thursday, promptly wrote thank you letters to the two interviewers, which they probably received Tuesday because Monday was a holiday. They called this Thursday to offer me the job (for a Nurse Aide position). Is another letter of thanks overkill? Thanks for any opinions!

Thanks for all of the advice; I really appreciate hearing everyone's take on the situation. :)

Timing probably wasn't an issue--I was among the first to get my application in--this interview was back in February for a position that starts in June. As far as being overqualified, well, I'm a nursing student applying for a nursing student extern position. The pay is a set rate. I guess I'm still somehwat disappointed, and I'm trying to understand if there is any validity to the advice offered by my professor. I think I'll go with the "downplay my degree" tactic. It's just hard to feel like an outsider and to feel like who you know is more important than what you know/may be able to accomplish!

Yes, I'd call this area rural suburban--former farming/industrial area now attempting to adjust...I've been here three years, and I didn't grow up here, so I don't know a lot of people. I really would feel dishonest hiding my education. And I don't make a big deal out of it--I mention communication/writing/teaching skills as being one of my strong points. I thought that coming to nursing with some expereince in the work force and a strong academic background would either be give me a bit of an edge, or at least not hurt my chances.

Thanks for the replies, and not just because I feel vindicated. The whole experience of interviewing for the nurse extern position seemed to go so well--and then many of the positions ended up going to people who know someone at the hospital, or who already work there. I certainly understand wanting to support current employees, but why the big dance of saying that the criteria is GPA and recommendations? I guess I'm just starting to really worry about finding a job once I graduate. I think there is no nursing shortage here...

I just finished my first year of nursing school, and after our finals on Monday we all went to a local restaurant for a little fundraiser. I was talking to my professors, and they asked what I would be doing this summer...I told them I wasn't sure yet, because I was not offered a nurse externship from our local hospital. I told them that I had applied to several other hospitals (all of which are 30-40 miles away...the nearest to us other than our local) but that I hadn't heard from any of them yet. They seemed shocked, because I am a 4.0 student, do well in clinicals, have great recommendations, etc. My advisor then suggested that I not tell prospective employers that I have a masters degree (in English). She thinks that this may be scaring away potential employers. Another professor agreed with her, saying, "Yes, they are probably intimidated." I should say, I live in a town that is not very urban/cosmopolitan/progressive. I am currently attending an ADN program at a community college. I have lived in large cities, and my masters degree is from an ivy league school. I've always assumed that my previous degree has given me a good foundation in communication skills, and it has certainly helped me to cope with the rigors of studying and time management that nursing school requires. I really don't think that I should hide my education...on the other hand, if it is getting in the way of opportunities, should I consider leaving it off my resume? My gut is saying that an employer who would consider this NOT to be an asset is an employer I wouldn't want to work for... Thanks for taking the time to read this. Any opinions, advice?

Yes, some schools do have very stringent policies regarding past transcripts. They may see failure to provide all transcripts as an ethical violation.

I'm in my second semester of a four semester ADN program. We use ATI, and our school has a 96-99% pass rate for the past several years, which I think reflects, to some degree, the predicitive nature of passing the ATI tests. We have to pass each module in order to move to the next semester, and in our final semester there is a cumulative review/predictor. Although it's one more thing to worry about each semester, I honestly find it helpful, and I think the books are a handy resource in addition to our textbooks. Depending on which textbooks you use, the ATI module book may pretty closely follow the content of your textbook. Hope this helps!

I'm not against it in principle, but there are some people who just can't seem to control themselves when they've got gum. I think we all have to abstain because the few crackers, smackers, poppers, and open-mouthed chewers have gone too far....:anbd:

Just a student here--I am curious about a nursing student providing "standing orders"--wouldn't that be the role of the physician? Wouldn't the nurse provide more of a care map, that addressed such issues as pain management, hydration, monitoring I & O to ensure hydration, allowing for rest, grouping care activities to provide optimal rest, passive range of motion exercises to maintain joints...., and educating, educating, educating? Let us know how it is going!

I'm a nursing student, and many of my nursing instructors still work as floor nurses, or in community practice. I personally appreciate their perspectives--they've seen how things change, what stays the same, and they seem to really like still being active in practice. As a student, I've noticed one particular instructor, who is not a current practitioner, sometimes provides information that seems "old"--like she's been giving the same lecture for 15 years and hasn't even read the revised version of our textbook! :uhoh21: I think it's great that you want to remain active in practice! I hope to do the same!

Maybe an ambulatory surgery setting would work, where many of the procedures are shorter...

Thank you! And I'd like to also thank you for your many invaluable posts. I learn so much from them!!

Daytonite, Are there any pathology/physiology reference books you would recommend for a student nurse? I have my pathology book, and my textbooks, but I am wondering if there is one book that you often find yourself reaching for--something that includes disease pathology as well as s+s and nursing interventions... Thanks!

I'm not really sure that this is the most important ND, I was just trying to suggest one that might apply to the evidence you mentioned. Have you considered Maslow's hierarchy in order to prioritize the patient's most significant problem? It may not be related to this wound at all, you know?

Impaired tissue integrity?

I am a nursing student and I have not yet done my psych rotation. I have, however, visited psychiatric hospitals and units, and I have a family member who has been a patient. I'd like to point out that he described to me being very confused as to who was coming in to talk to him. The patients MAY, as one poster said, know that they are in a hospital, but they really may NOT know that the person speaking to them is a nurse, a physician, a psychologist, a nutritionist, etc. He felt confused at times, and I think we can all agree that many patients in these situations may not have the ability to scrutinize someone's name tag, if they are wearing one.

I'm just a nursing student with limited experience in the clinical setting....but the irony here, in my opinion, is that we're in health CARE and there are some people who seem to lack that fundamental idea of CARING.

For #1, the question asks for an intervention--is it acceptable to answer A, which is an assessment? I'm pretty new to all this, but that might throw me off.

Our school uses the ATI program--we must pass to move to the next semester. We are able to take practice tests at home as much as we want before we take a proctored exam at the end of the semester. I like them for review before tests, and it's pretty easy reading compared to the rest of our dense and sometimes repetitive textbooks, so it doesn't feel like extra work to me. The cost of this program is built in to our tuition. It sounds like you school has a solid pass rate--ours is 96%, and I think that the ATI is probably a good, reliable tool to ensure the pass rate stays high.

Here is a link to the review book that I used to prepare for the NLN. It gives a review of math, reading/English, and science, and provides lots of practice questions and practice tests. I can highly recommend this book. I worked with it almost every day for several months to prepare! http://www.amazon.com/Review-Guide-Entrance-Exam-Pre-Entrance/dp/0763724866/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-6671807-0235236?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1188517782&sr=8-1