Mirasol

Wish $44.00/hr. were true, but Schroeder and Trauma are right on target. I am a new grad in southern IL. and that is the range at which new grads start at. Wonder where the $44.00/hr. came from? I'm origianlly from southern CA and even they don't pay that much for new RN's!

Well I am majorly new to PP, but here is what i have learned so far.... it takes very little circular motion to make a fundus firm (as a rule anyway) yes you do have to push down to check the fundus for firmness and if they are real boggy blood can gush out. But for some people the fundus is just an inch from the surface others you have to dig deep to find, so their can be some "pushing." I don't know about expressing clots. Maybe someone else can answer that. But I can understand that it would not be wise to express clots without the fundus being firm, you are just going to have a pt. bleeding more and producing more clots. So I check the fundus for firmness, if it is firm great, watch to see if blood spurts out when I push. If it is boggy massage till firm which is usually very quick, and the pts. can feel the cramping. I know that sometimes a pt. will not stop bleeding and a drug is given- methergine or pictocin is given in a iv bag sometimes, I have not had to use it. Anyway that is my small amount of knowledge, I am sure an experienced nurse can give you more detailed info-- good luck!!

Well here is my two cents. Get the RN, not that I don't know of some great LVN's, but from what I know the LVN schools are quite pricey!! Like $20,000 or so because they are private schools. The community colleges are much more economical to get an RN, I believe it is @ $23.00 a unit. What a steal!!But as a rule you can not get on a waiting list for the RN program without your prereq.'s and this all takes time. If you have the time I'd go for the RN. But if you have the $$ get the LVN then do the bridge, the C.C. I went to had a very short bridge LVN to RN waiting list if you do choose that route. And I think (but I've been wrong before) that you make @ $10.00 more/hr as an RN. By the way I went back to school at the age of 38 and at the age of 42 became an RN. You have plenty of time-- your just a pup!! Good Luck in what ever you do!!

i will never understand how one person can get results in 3 days and another person has to wait a long torturous month!! mind boggling!!! anyway congrats again danilo.

Okay it is time for an update. First I so appreciate all the post I have received. It has all been helpful. And now for the news- we are officially moving to Southern Illinois this summer. My husband was just offered a job near Benton. So now we just have to find a place to live! YIKES!! I was kind of hoping for a little more south, but this job was just too good to pass up. So Benton?? Any takers?? What are your thoughts on this town?? I have to live no farther north than Benton, because I'm going to work at the Carbondale Hospital. More of a drive than I had hoped. We could also live in Carterville, which is still my first choice, but I am trying to be flexible. Any thoughts?? Thanks again to all of you previous posters it was very helpful. Especially the tip on what hospitals to avoid, I heard the same sentiment when we visited. Here's to a fast move and looking for a buyer for my home!! Mirasol

Major Congrats!! I am so glad that things worked out for you!! Welcome to the nursing world!!

I've got my fingers crossed for you also!! I agree waiting is tortorous. Hope you hear soon.

So sorry to hear your name is not on the website. I have a good friend who did not pass too. It is heartbreaking. I wish there was more that i could say. One idea is have you gone to a NCLEX review before?? Sometimes its not just knowledge, but also understanding the ?. A test strategy class might be helpful. I wish you well.

Thanks for the website. And now I have a headache for sure !! I can't believe all the paperwork I have to do!! It is so overwhelming. I hope I can get the tempory permit quickly. Thanks again Mirasol.

Thanks again for all your help. I will look into vieena and goreville, sounds pretty good!!

That doesn't sound good. I will apply at once!! Thanks for the tip.

To those of you have read my other post about our possible move, I did get a job offer at Carbondale, as you probably have read above. Why is the pay so low?? Any Carbondale nurses out there? Are there any pay scale raises in the future??? We are looking into possibly moving out there, my Hubby just needs a PE teaching job and we are set. Crossing our fingers!!

I'm confused and need help. I have a RN license from CA and want to get an IL license. Do I go through IL to get it and how? I looked up the IL licensor board but couldn't figure it out,where to find the right form or what??!! How long does it take? I already have a job offer and might need it by July. Do they give temporaries if you have a job lined up?? Please help me!

Oops, I forgot, i would love more info on Vienna. What kind of town is it?? Size?? How big is the High School. Real Estate?? Any info would be great. Thanks Again!!

I read your reply on the other post as well, thanks for the info. We actually drove thru goreville and talked to the principal or superintendent of the school and a real estate agent there. It is a really pretty area. I was offered a job at the Carbondale Hospital so I would prefer not to be too far from there, but it seems doable from the Goreville area. How is that area on new comers, being we are from CA? Some small towns don't like newbies. Unfortunately they don't pay as much as i had hoped. I am a new nurse and was hoping for a bit more salary than $17.25 for new grad. Although I will have 6 months experience come summertime. Does the hospital in Metropolis pay more?? Do they have a L&D?? And where are the hospitals you mentioned in Kentucky?? Starting salary?? Hope I haven't overwhelmed you with my ??'s. PM me if you prefer. Thanks!!

And remember it was Easter that week and Good Friday. The board could have had an extra day off for the holiday. Don't panic yet. There is still time for your name to appear.

Sorry to hear you have no results, waiting is the worst. Wish I had some magic words to give you. Most people pass when they get 75 questions, but I have known of a few who didn't. But I would say the odds are in your favor that you passed with only 75 questions. Even though the ?'s were hard do you feel like you narrowed down your answeres to two every time and that some ?'s were kind of easy or where you just guessing your way throurgh all of it?? Have my fingers crossed for you. You should know very soon. Good Luck!!

Samclaug Thank you for the info and personal thoughts. I was just concerned that Carterville would be so competitive that he would not be able to play or that being a "newbie" would hurt his chances on getting to play. Some small towns don't like new comers and I don't know how Carterville people feel about transplants. Anyway thank you for your input. Anybody else have any thoughts on Carterville or other small towns in the area??

I know of a few. pm me if you would like the details for Northridge, Holy Cross in Mission Hills, Olive View in sylmar and a few others. I don't know about a lot of the hospitlas in the heart of LA. Mirasol

Oh, I ment to add that my school sent the info to Sacramento before graduation. I graduated mid December and had my letter to register less than two weeks later. So it really depends when the state receives the info from your school.

You will get your letter from the state allowing you to register with Pearson-Vue once they have received confirmation from your school. That usually takes around 4-5 weeks. Once you get the letter you can sign up online with Pearson-Vue and Pearson will give you a testing # once you have registered and paid the fee. I paid over the internet and got my ATT # immediately. When you scheducle the NCLEX date you get a high priority the 1st time you schedule, if you reschedule your prioirty is a bit lower, but there were open slots 3 weeks or so from when I registered. Good Luck

I recently graduated from the community college in Valencia Ca, College of the Canyons. The wait list is two years as a rule. Strictly a numbers wait list. I have heard that Ventura is about a year on the lottery system. Good school and difficult, from what I've heard. If you are going to live in Ventura I would recommend you try and go to Ventura College. When you do clinicals you have to drive to different hospitals. VC goes to hospitals within the county and 30 minute drive is usually the max. If you live in Ventura and have to commute to Valencia to school and then LA area hospitals, not fun!! Lots of traffic!! I think VC would be your best bet. Don't know much about Moorpark. Good Luck!

I'm originally from a small town near Bakersfield and it is Hot, Hot, Hot in the summer and foggy and cold in the winter. Not the prettiest place in CA. I currently live in Ventura County. I was never a nurse in Bakersfield, but the experiences I've had as a patient and relative as a patient has not been the best. My sister who lives in Bakersfield drives to UCLA for all her medical needs. I think that sums up the kind of Doctors we've encountered there. I do know of a few good doc's but, I've seen a lot of quackery there as well. I think Jokerhill has it right, take a test drive before you commit!! The city is growing leaps and bounds and cost of living is less than Ventura County. The other post are correct, pollution is horrible, and getting worse. Housing prices had been going up and are now on the down slide. Even though it is a big city the shopping is not so great. Lots of places to choose from for eating. Sorry i don't know anything about being a nurse in Bakersfield, but i hope this helps on a "living in Bakersfield" note.

Hi folks! To those who replied to my previous post about Southern IL, I thank you. My husband and I went on a "whirlwind tour" of small towns in Southern IL and we really liked what we saw, but picking one town is a bit difficult. I liked Carterville and Herrin is their anyone with some info on these two towns? I have 3 boys who would be attending the H.S. and one will attend grammar school. I've heard the Carterville is a very good school and athletic school. I know very little about Herrin. My oldest would be a Junior in H.S. and i was wondering how difficult would it be for a newbie to get into the athletic program, basketball and baseball that is. And how friendly are the small towns in this area about transplants?? Any info would be appreciated. Are there any schools/towns you would avoid. My husband likes the real small schools like Goreville and Benton and such, but I'm not so thrilled about a town or school that small. Anyway any thoughts would be appreciated!! Thanks !!

Well it doesn't take much to confuse me!! But i truly do appreciate the info. Hey, the more choices i have the happier i get What a great thing to be a nurse and have so many opportunities!! My husband is a teacher so we are both able to move simi- freely to find our new home town!! Thanks again to all for the replys!! You have all been so great in responding to my endless questions. What a great forum. I hope I can return the favor soon and give someone some helpful advice. Advice I've got, helpful??? That depends!!! Anyone else have an opinion please feel free to add your two cents Now to the INTERNET to search for more town info!!