AML09RN

I'll preface this by saying I'm a very lucky woman! Alright, I have an interview scheduled at 2:30 with HR at a nearby hospital (Hospital A). Initially, I thought I really wanted to work at this hospital because of their new grad pay rates, insurance premiums, tuition reimbursement, etc. As to not have all my eggs in one basket, I applied at some other hospitals just in case in the end I wasn't offered a job at Hospital A. Well, a week ago I applied for a new grad. position at Hospital B in the middle of the night not thinking I'd hear anything from them until interview at Hospital A was over with. Boy, was I wrong. I was called the next day and had an interview and job offer within a week from Hospital B. Here's my dillemma. Hospital B is 115 mi from "home" whereas Hospital A is 40. I'd most definately have to relocate. Hospital A has patient:nurse ratios of anywhere from 6:1 - 8:1 while my ratio at Hospital B would be 5:1. I know what floor I'd be on at Hospital B (ortho/urology) and Hospital A is unknown as of yet. I'd have every 3rd weekend off at Hospital B and would work every weekend at Hospital A. Pay and insurance premiums at both hospitals are relatively the same. Hospital B does offer student loan paybacks, though. So, what do you think? I guess I truly don't have a problem until I have a job offer from Hospital A, but it's still on my mind. Thanks for letting me "talk this out" with you guys. a.

Nope! Actually I was surprised at how fast I was offered a job. I applied for a position on Wednesday night, was called by HR Thursday afternoon, interviewed Tuesday, and got an offer today. It's unreal.

Hi all! Currently I'm a 4th semester ADN student in KY. I should be Andrea, RN in June. After reading some of the posts, I'm kinda discouraged about even attempting to get a job as an RN in the Atlanta area. Granted, I'm not planning on moving until AFTER I get my KY license and work here for a few months, but from my reading I'm gathering that it almost seems impossible. Is this just banter or am I in for a rough ride? Thanks for all your help, a.

We started classes on August 18th. So far we've had 3 exams, 3 observation papers due, and a careplan, h & p, patho paper due. Mine was over 10 pages and some of my classmates' were longer than that. In addition, the first three weeks of class we did a management portion and had assignments we had to turn in online along with a discussion board we had to participate in. While we get satisfactory or unsatisfactory for our papers, etc. the only thing that we get points for are our exams. Oh, I forgot that we started clinical the about a week after we started class and we have continue until the beginning of December. Nursing school---fun is had by all!!!

The days I have clinical, I have to be at the hospital around 0640 since we begin at 0645. I have a 40 minute commute then a 5 minute walk from the student parking lot to the hospital. All that has me waking up around 0500 to eat a bowl of cereal, get dressed, and out the door. So really, I've been up for about 2 hours before I even see a patient. I'm already awake, no coffee required. lol.

I answer questions....lots and lots of questions. It has been especially helpful in med surg. Even though the questions may be harder or easier than the material presented in class, they allow me to think. That, in turn, prompts me to look over my notes and read a little more in my books. "Thinking like a nurse" is something that comes with time and practice. It's starts with the most minute thing like remembering to carry alcohol swabs with you all the time to delegating patient care based on acuity. Time, practice, and patience.....

Check out your state's board of nursing website. In Kentucky, on KBN's website they have a link to the previous year NCLEX pass rates broke down by each college/university. Here's a link to the file: http://kbn.ky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/21D3F7FF-E555-4E77-8BB2-5185DAB76952/0/NCLEX_Pass_708.pdf

This year I'm really going to work toward keeping my stress level to a minimum. I'll do this by: 1) Utilizing my Wii Fit. I love the step aerobics and hula hooping. 2) Not letting assignments sit around 'til the last minute. 3) Enjoying the time I spend with family and friends.

Finding someone you can PRODUCTIVELY study with while in nursing school can be hard. Sometimes it requires letting people go because they're not a good fit. In fact, one of my close friends that I met in nursing school was one of them. We had different learning styles and she just wasn't grasping the concepts. I felt like I was always pulling her along and finally got to the point where I couldn't continue. I ended up having to just explain to her that we didn't click as far as studying was concerned. I told her I'd help her when I could and academically, we went our separate ways. Some of us study better alone, while others like big groups. Personally, I have ONE fellow classmate I can study with and if I don't work with her, I go it alone. By the way, I'm still close with the girl I couldn't study with. Good luck to you.

I bought a maxiscope made by ultrascope last semester and I LOVE it. Yes, the bell is a little bulky but I hear much, much better out of it than I did my littman. I spent about $40 and they come in numerous colors.

So keep them comin'!!!! If anyone else knows information, feel free to share. :wink2:

I'm actually from W.KY so either Lexington or Louisville being that I'll more than likely have to relocate anyway. Thanks!

Hey everyone! I'm coming to you for some information. Does anyone know of any hospitals that offer loan buybacks in Kentucky? I'm not graduating for another year, but I'm starting to explore my options now and would love to find a place where they'd help pay on the MOUNTAIN of student loan debt I'm accumulating. Thanks in advance, A.

I have both a Littman S.E. and I recently purchased a Maxiscope. It's AWESOME! You can do a search for maxiscope and you'll be directed to their website. Check it out!

I purchased a pair of dansko's on Ebay for 60.00 bucks (professional clogs). They were in PERFECT condition. If you have the time and/or inclination, Ebay and amazon are good outlets to look for things you'll need for nursing school. I also got a littmann classic II S.E. for 55 dollars (new, in the box) from Ebay. I figure I'm going to be out enough money with books, I may as well save where I can. Good Luck!