LaruaRN

How did the exam go? Hope you passed! I am in the process of studying for the exam and have heard it is difficult.

In the current economic conditions I would recommend that you keep your current job. Use your paid time off for a vacation. It might take months to find another position, even an on-call position at a hospital. Best of luck to you.

The ANCC study guide is not expensive, only about $75. Your employer might pay for it (and the exam, if you pass) if you request to use your education dollars for it. You might get an increase in pay after passing the exam too, so think of it as an investment in yourself.

I like the Wii Fit Plus program. It is helpful with motivation and tracking results such as weight, BMI, calories burned, etc. I have only been using it for a week but I am finding it very helpful. I like that I can work out at home at any time. I am a nurse with two years experience and my weight did not go down after nursing school. In fact, it has gone up slowly but surely.

DWLS in Florida is not a felony. If you only have one charge, it is a misdemenor, and that's what your narritive indicates. There are exceptions to this...see this link to this Florida lawyer's web page for additional details. http://www.ticket-lawyer.com/licensesuspensions.htm You should not have any problem with the Florida Nursing Board if this is all you have. DWLS is NOT a crime of moral turpitude. Please look into hiring counsel if you have a serious problem with this issue.

We use one that has columns for staff initials, pt. location, and a wider column for a description of pt. activity. pt. location is coded BR Bathroom RR Room Resting RA Room Awake GR Group Room DR Dining Room AMB Ambulating ADM Admit Room 1400 SI DR Sitting at DR table reading Hope this helps...

Yes, I do feel that it is valued, especially since I work in an inpatient psychiatric unit. Are you planning to work psych nursing?

You asked me to compare social work MSW program to nursing RN school. In a nutshell here is my experience...:twocents: Social work school involved tons of reading, writing lots of 20-50 page papers, statistics and research, lots of theoretical models, two nine month practicums, not so many tests...lots of opportunities to research topics of interest in depth, choices of classes. Nursing school involved tons of reading, not so much writing, lots of technical training and hands on experience, clinical rotations which changed every quarter, lots of tests covering a very wide array of topics, a set curriculum. Best wishes for your future, no matter what you choose.

I have heard that the hospitals in Detroit are engaging in a bidding war for nurses, giving flat screen tv's etc...

I work in a small inpatient psych evaluation and treatment facility. We have a team comprised of nurses (RNs and LPNs) and mental health professionals (social workers, registered counselors). We work as a team to maintain a safe milieu for everyone. It is hard to say that one group has more contact with patients than another. However, the social worker doing discharge planning has to spend a significant amount of time on the phone and as a consequence is not as involved in the milieu from moment to moment as other team members. However, she is one of the most respected team members because she plans for housing and financial assistance and medical follow-up for our patients. As an RN and MSW I personally find psych nursing tremendously rewarding. Night shift in my facility gives me the opportunity to spend time with my patients and believe me there is always somebody awake! If I had it to do over again, I would become an RN rather than a social worker first. However, my training as a social worker is invaluable to me in my work as a nurse. Best of luck to you in your career!

I have not heard of the concept of anchor hours before. Is there a reference for this research? I have been working night shift since June and feel like I have adjusted for the most part but this might be helpful for health and just feeling well. It is difficult switching from nights working to days off and wanting to get things done in the daytime world. Thanks for any info on this research.

Jelet, you might want to consider training to become a certified nursing assistant. It is a requirement for admission to some nursing programs. It takes only a few months to complete, will qualify you to take the certification exam and will help you get your foot in the door to work at a hospital. You will get paid to find out what you think of nursing first hand. I am sure you will appreciate some of the difficulties nurses face if you do this.:wink2:

If you are currently an F-1 student at the University of Central Florida, you can apply for practical training upon graduation. This should go for about one year. Contact your foreign student adviser on campus for the details. If you wish to remain in the United States after your practical training, you'll need to apply for permanent residency - an 1-551 or 'green card' - once you've found a place to work that will help you complete all of the occupational and certification requirements with USCIS (Formerly INS). Be warned, this can take some time so get started early! For more information you can visit the USCIS website: www.uscis.gov I hope this helps!

Lower Columbia College in Longview, WA has an LPN program.

I got my results from my state board website (Washington State). I was totally shocked to hear on the same day. This thread was so helpful and supportive. The suggestions were really valuable. I took a three day review class and did about 1200 questions on the Saunders CD, 300 were pharmacology questions. I also studied with a friend and we shared info and ideas about test-taking. She passed with 75 questions too!! Thank you again to all who have posted encouragement, support and strategies, and congratulations too. I appreciate it! LaruaRN:nurse:

Hey, I took the NCLEX this morning and got my results this afternoon!! I passed with 75 questions. I am so happy! I don't know how to change my user name to get rid of SN at the end...I'd rather be LaruaRN now. Good luck to the rest of the April NCLEX takers! I have learned from your tips and want to say thanks. :redbeathe

Hi everyone: Best to all of you!! I am taking the NCLEX on April 10th. Please count me!

I just found this thread and would like to join. I'm taking the NCLEX on 4-10.

My nursing program requires us to take the nurses assistant training and become certified before starting the RN program. This is a great way to get an introduction to the nursing field. Many people in nursing school work part time as nurses assistants too. Good luck to you!

If you really want to become a nurse, you should go for it. There are programs which will look only at the GPA for the pre-reqs and your grades in those are very good. Don't give up until you do your research. There are also programs which will choose by lottery method and they are not concerned with GPA if you meet a minimum standard. And, as someone has stated previously, the private programs are less concerned with GPA. This should not keep you from getting to your goal!! Good luck...

Just keep moving toward your dream. Don't stop. I'm 51 now and will graduate this spring. Its been hard, especially financially, but it is so worth it. You are setting a good example for your children to follow their dreams and you will be in a position to help them! Life is too short to stay in those dead end jobs. Carla, your mom can't tell you now, and I am sorry for your loss, but you have her words to live by. I will say that if you've come this far, you can do it. Think how proud she would be...

I have had a great experience at St. V's too. The nurses there actually like working with students and it makes such a difference to feel welcome and valued. A great learning environment. I love the computerized charting there too. Computers in all patient rooms make it very efficient for charting assessments, vitals and for medication administration.