JanessaG

Hello. I would love to move to Kauai from the mainland. I'm an RN with experience in PCU/stepdown nursing. I'm willing to do any kind of nursing :) I've heard Kauai needs nurses, is this true? Would it be difficult to get a job there? I've also heard that I shouldn't even think about applying for jobs until I have a local address.... Any advice/information is much appreciated :) If Kauai is impossible, Maui is my back-up plan. I'm coming one way or another, just trying to do my homework before I come.

WeeBabyRN, I read this post several months ago before I started my very first job as a nurse, before I fully understood the stress and pressure of what the actual responsibility of being "the nurse" felt like or what it really meant. I started in March 08 and have been on a very similar roller coaster! I remembered your article as a co-worker was asking for tips to give to her daughter who just started her very first job as a NICU nurse. I decided it was time to reread this myself. I too started in a specialty and have felt the many ups and downs that come with being new and on a very intense floor. I just want to say thank you for writing this article! As I read it again, I realize I am at that turning point (7 months in) where things start to really congeal and get a little easier. I can see myself at the end of my first year feeling like this was indeed the right choice and that I will be an excellent nurse! The learning curve and ramping up takes much more time and experience than any other job I have had, which is difficult for me since I've always considered myself a fast learner. My coworkers have been so supportive and wonderful and I am finally able to see that I am growing into this "job". Thank you for this article, I have remembered it often to help keep myself going back in for every shift. I am so glad I stuck with it, it is the best choice I've ever made! One thing my manager has told me that rings so true is "you can't teach someone to care, everything else can be taught or learned from". :redbeathe

It can be really fast.... or it can take forever. One of my friends waited 10 days and another waited 4 long weeks! Both passed

I think it is totally different depending on where you go. I know of one hospital in my area that offers 8 weeks of orientation. The hospital I work at has a versant program and it is about 5 months of orientation. Everyone I know who has completed this program says they were really well preparred. I would say, from what I know and have heard, you would want to look for an orientation period of at least 8 weeks. Good luck on your upcoming interviews!!! :heartbeat

I took it in January with 2 friends. 2 of us got our results in 3 business days. My other friend had to wait 10 excrutiating days..... but she passed. I wouldn't stress unti it's been longer than that, which I realize is easier said than done. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!! :redbeathe

I don't have any personal experience, but my former clinical instructor (whom I know work with) finished up her NP about 6 months ago. She interviewed for a lot of jobs, mostly in doctor's offices. Bottom line, between working 5 days/week and the added long hours of charting, reading labs, etc, etc, she said she would actually make far less than she does now. She is still working the same job she was before, and loving her free time (she works 3 12s). I'm sure she got a pay increase for having the NP, but I often wonder if it was all worth it for her. I'm sure others will have far more words of wisdom for you than I, but I thought I'd throw that info in for you :) Good luck with whatever you decide to pursue! :heartbeat

Thank you for this post and to all who have responded! Not only was it entertaining , I learned a few things that I will use should the occasion ever arise. I hope I do as well as you did, if this situation should present itself to me, and I'm sure one day it will!

That's hilarious!

:ancong!: You are a nurse woohoo!! :cheers:

Another thing to remember is that whether you pass or fail, you are only getting 50% of the questions right. This test is set up to take you to your highest level of knowledge, and once you reach that point, it drops you back down, then up, then down again. I took Kaplan and part of what they teach you to do is understand where you are at while testing. So if you had a lot of prioritization and discrimination questions, you probably passed. From what they said, the fewer "easy" (one correct answer only, pure knowledge based) questions you get, the better you are doing. Think positively, it sounds like you went in really well preparred Keep us posted! I'll keep my fingers crossed for you! :redbeathe

I say both! I also did very well in nusrsing school. However, this does not necessarily prepare you for NCLEX. As has been said before, it is a test that is half based on your knowledge and the other half is understanding how this test works. I took the Kaplan Complete course, so I attended their class and studied on my own. It worked for me, I passed in 75 questions :wink2: Good luck to you! And.... if you have a job lined up already check into reimbursement. My hospital reimburses for Kaplan once you've passed the NCLEX.

Unfortunately I have no words of wisdom, I can only say, OMG, no aides??? :uhoh21: I am also on a stepdown unit and we take 3-4 patients. I could not survive without our aides, they rock! I don't know how they expect you guys to do it all without lowering the ratio..... I can only say good luck to you and I hope it gets better. :heartbeat

It can't hurt! I bought a suit myself for interviews. Although it's nursing and we wear scrubs, I think it pays to show the same respect to HR and the hiring managers that you would show in any other profession. I think some people seem to forget that. First impressions can make or break your chances of getting a foot in the door. Once you get that far, you can shine. Think of it this way, say 4 applicants walk into the HR office with resume in hand: one in flip flops, one in scrubs, one in jeans, and one who is professionally dressed (I have actually heard of people doing this!). Who would you choose to interview? When all you have to base that first impression on is how one presents themselves, it always pays to be well dressed. My friend who is the manager in HR tells me stories all the time.... I'm just saying, make a great first impression and then show them how great you are during the interview! :redpinkhe

If I were you and these programs have not begun yet, I would put on a suit and personally go down to the HR office with resume in hand. I would sit in their office all day if there was the possibility of speaking with someone. If nothing else, the admin in the office will see that you are serious by the way you present yourself and maybe that will help get your resume a closer look, and later an interview. I have a friend who works in HR and to hear the stories of how people come dressed for interviews and what they say..... you would be amazed, people can be idiots! At least someone in the office would have a face to put with your name and a good first impression! Good luck!

I was drug tested once for school and once for my job. I think we signed a form that said we could be drug tested at any time for school.... I believe they only did further testing if they had a reason to suspect there was a problem. But I definately agree with other posts, whether its for school or a job, we have people's lives in our hands..... drug testing should be allowed at any time for any reason.

I passed NCLEX in 75 questions and took Kaplan. I had a couple tests in the high 50's, most were in the 60's somewhere and scored one 70. I think the most important thing to do with the Kaplan tests is make sure you are reading the rationale for the right AND wrong answers. If you are doing that, you are learning more than you realize to pass NCLEX. I feel this is more important than your scores because even the answers you get right, you may not have gotten them right for the reason NCLEX wants. Focus more on the rationale and doing as many questions as possible before your test date and you will do great!! Good Luck!!

Nope... they provide ear plugs, you cannot bring anything in with you. I will say tho, I asked for ear plugs in case I needed them, but it was very quiet in that room. EVERYONE was in deep concentration mode. The only distraction really was if people finished or took breaks, but that only lasted a minute or two..... I found the ear plugs to be more distracting than the room..... I could hear myself breathe too much!

I know this is not quite the same.... but I remember following a nurse who had been working for only 6 months. I was in absolute awe of her! She was so fast and she knew so much, I could not believe she had only been working for 6 months. It gave me hope that I really could get there! I know your situation is different, and that would be weird..... But, remember how far you've come in those short weeks and she was probably feeling as I was when I followed that nurse. I look forward to the day and dread the day students follow me..... I only hope I can inspire them the way that nurse inspired me, and as I'm sure you inspired her! :redbeathe

If there is a specialty that you truly love it helps to do your preceptorship or externship in that area. Most specialty areas only hire new grads into them if they already have some sort of experience there - as far as I know, anyway. If this is not a possibility for you, then take a job in med/surg and apply as an internal candidate when something you want opens up. Good luck!!!

I would have to agree with you on that one!

Well my opinion... and you know what those are like , is to go where your heart tells you, where your interest lies. This is a great way to figure out where you fit without having any long-term commitments. If their tele unit is similar to (or is) a stepdown unit, that may be a way to go as well, I know that varies depending on the hospital. I know we are supposed to say med/surg, med/surg because it gives you the most well-rounded experience and allows you to start trying to manage a heavy pt load, but I've also had a lot of experienced nurses tell me they wish they had not listened to that because it just wasn't where there heart was. Anyway, since you are already gaining experience in med/surg I say follow your heart! :redbeathe

1. how many questions did you get (those who did not get 75 or 265)? 75 2. did you pass? yes 3. was your last question easy or hard, in your opinion? i thought it was easy, but it was dealing with a subject that i knew a lot about 4. do you feel you got your last questions right or wrong? right, i think 5. did your questions in general vascillate from easy to hard, stay pretty difficult throughout or remain relatively easy? started out in pure knowledge based questions, then went to prioritization type questions. 6. did you play any mind games with yourself during the test? for example, determining the level of difficulty of each question and wondering why it got easier, watching the clock or question number, panicking when it didn't shut off at 75, rereading the questions and/or answers over and over again, losing focus or any other forms of panic, etc. i just paid attention to what kinds of questions i was getting once i got up into the passing (prioritization) type questions. i know i dropped down into pure knowledge based questions twice and was there for 2-3 questions, then back up into prioritization again. i only did this because there were a number of questions that i wasn't sure about so i kept thinking "ok, i must be doing alright, i'm still in passing questions".

I agree with grinnurse. In school and now, I have been determined to be good at starting IVs. I know practice and experience will come.... but, I just walk in telling myself I'm going to get it. Sometimes it takes me two tries, but I usually get it, which helps build my confidence. Other times I have to get some help. When I get help always one of two things happen, the pt turns out to be a really difficult stick and it's not me and/or I learn a new technique. It's amazing how many different ways of doing this exist depending on the vein and the nurse, but everyone seems to have their own twist on how best to start them. I think going in with confidence makes all the difference in the world. Even when doubt enters my mind, I just tell myself I'm going to get it, and this keeps my hands from shaking. So far, and maybe I've been lucky, my pts have not been upset with me when I need to get someone else to help. In fact most of them end out telling me that people have trouble getting the start or that this has happened before. Your experience will come in time, as will mine. I know for me being new is so hard. I watch the experienced nurses and I want to be there so badly. But I also realize I am at the bottom of a large learning curve. I read something once that said something like "one year of experience takes approximately 12 months". I try to remember this and have confidence in what I can do and what I do know, and just remember the rest will come :wink2: We will get there! Edit: Sorry, just realized how old this post is.....

I haven't dealt with fetal demise before.... However, I have a friend that has. I believe this is a totally different kind of death, at least to me it is and it takes a very special person to handle it well. My friend would tell me stories and it would just break my heart and I'd be in tears listening. She always has a different view of it though. She focuses on how she helps the family through this horrific time and what she can do to support them and get them what they need. She said it's a hard situation but that she thinks back to when she had her kids and tries to do what she would want done if she were in that situation. Although it's a situation no one wants to go through, when I listen to her talk about supporting the family it is a really beautiful experience. She says she is sad about the situation, but she is able to go home feeling good that she did everything she could to help the parents memorialize their baby and help them cope with what has happened. I don't know if this will help.... but I hope somehow it does.

Good luck studying! I'm glad to hear that you feel the Kaplan book is useful. I'm sure you will do great on your next exam!!! Keep us posted!