mobileLPN

It's probably Summit or Alta bates. It depends on what unit you work on. I know nurses who work med-surg and ICU at both places and love it. I also have a friend who worked one shift in the ER at summit and swore she would never go back. Both hospitals are very busy, as are Kaiser-Oakland and Highland. I don't know what they pay nurses they are sponsoring for a visa. I imagine it's in the mid 40's (USD) an hour, but that is just a guess. As far as living there goes: I have lived in Oakland, and I now live in San Francisco and commute to the East Bay to work. I know several nurses from overseas who do this as well. I understand that Sutter (the corporation that runs both hospitals) often pays for a hotel in the City while you look for an apartment. Oakland has some very nice areas and some of the most dangerous neighborhoods in America. It does have a nice diversity to it, but it lacks the amenities of SF. Specifically, dining establishments that are open after 3pm. I guess Gertrude Stein was right when she said "There's no there there." Wherever you choose to live, the Bay area is awesome. Best of luck.

I took mine this morning at 0800. The BON had issued an RN license by noon!!! Check your boards website, I was anticipating a few days wait (or the unofficial pay-for-results after 48 hours), so I am happy today!!!

Just do it now!! SF is magic. I was able to make ends meet here on an LVN (that's LPN in the rest of the world) salary, with a very nice studio apartment. Now that I'm a new grad RN, it's even easier. Sure things are more expensive here. It's certainly worth it. This is among the greatest cities on earth. There are a few things you can do to economize, some of which have already been mentioned. Get a roommate, or a studio. Check out craigslist for both. Two neighborhoods to avoid are the Tenderloin and the Bayview/ hunters point. the rest should be ok. If you both live and work in the city, rather than commuting to the East Bay, Marin, or the Peninsula, get rid of your car. Parking alone will eat up between 100 and 200 dollars a month. A MUNI pass is only 45 dollars, and is good on all the metro, bus, and cable car lines. If you need a car, get a CityCarShare, Zipcar, or Flexcar membership. Eat in the ethnic neighborhoods. SF has great diversity and that means, among other benefits, good value food. A gigantic veggie burrito in the mission is less than 4 bucks!! It's easy to find lunch plates in chinatown for $5. The farmers market is your friend. Buy live theatre tickets at the half price booth at Union Square. Many shows open here before they hit broadway. SF has a wealth of museums, make friends with someone who has a membership at one or more. Memberships get the member and a guest in all year long. If you would like any more info, just PM me through this site.

Eric, not a dig at all, we posted at the same time, I didn't even see yours till mine came up. I'm just frustrated from years of post disaster "we're here to helps" Your post is right on target about nursing duties. Thanks for posting that link, It looks like that may be a great resource.

So... the Red Cross is to blame because they ask you to attend an orientation before sending you to a disaster area, and that they ask you to wait your turn with the other 1/2 million spontaneous volunteers? I see......... While far from a perfect organization, the Red Cross has learned a few lessons in over a century of responding to disasters. #1: Do not send volunteers without an orientation to a disaster area. This will make the disaster worse. #2: If you want to be a good steward of the donated dollar (and you do) then you don't pay to train, transport, house and feed a volunteer who can only stay a week. By the time you get there and figure out what it is you are doing, it's time to go home. There are obviously plenty of people who can give three weeks. #3: This disaster will need volunteers for a long, long time, months to come. If you can't give 3 weeks now, maybe you can next month. Also, please understand that disaster relief nursing is not usually ED/Trauma nursing (there are a few exceptions). It usually ranges from checking incoming shelter residents for lice to helping replace meds lost in the flood. If you want to do trauma care, join an NDMS team. But guess what, they also require you to join and drill BEFORE a disaster strikes. Many of the folks rushing to volunteer now, also wanted to volunteer after Hurricane Andrew, The OKC Bombing, 9/11, The Tsunami, etc, etc. Guess What!?! That was the time to get involved! The people who took the time ( a few days of classes) then to become trained volunteers are already deployed on this disaster. Don't blame the Red Cross because you waited till after you were needed to make yourself available.

As a 15 year vet of Disaster relief ops with several organizations, I have some points you might consider. License issues are handled by exceptions built into most states Nurse Practice Acts specifically for emergency use. It's also been noted that FEMA is a federal agency, and like the VA, all that is required is a valid license from ANY state. While the American Red Cross is not a government agency, it was chartered by the US congress and that carries certain quasi-governmental benefits. Please do not go to the disaster area unless you are affiliated with one of the agencies mentioned in this thread. An earnest desire to help often results in spontaneous volunteers getting in the way more than providing actual aid. Cash, even a little bit, is by far the best thing you can send to relief agencies. It doesn't rot, it doesn't need trucks to carry it around, it doesn't need to be warehoused, and best of all, it allows agencies the flexibility to deliver exactly the needed aid at the needed time. Also very important. If you cannot go to this one. THERE WILL BE MORE!!! I promise that this is not going to be the last major disaster to befall America. Soooo, when the next one happens, will you be ready to help? Call your local Red Cross NOW and start the process of becoming a trained disaster volunteer. Nurses may want to ask specifically about volunteering in the Disaster Health Services function. Find your local chapter at http://www.redcross.org

You and I are in agreement on the need for LPNs to have experience before attending EC. What I don't understand is why CA didn't just do what WA, KS, and OK have done and require some precepted hours as a GN. It seems they wanted to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

NLNAC accredits nursing programs only. They do not accredit a college for gen ed requirements like Human Development and Anatomy and Physiology. The agencies that accredit colleges for these classes are Middle States and North Central Associations of Colleges and schools. Even within these organizations, schools can be accredited differently as Vo-techs and colleges. A good test would be for you to take your transcripts down to your local community college and ask if they will give you credit for those individual classes (and not just for having LPN status). If they will not, it is unlikely that EC will either. As far as IV certification, I had the same problem. My LPN program in OKC included IV certification. Most states I've traveled to just accepted that. California was different. I had my transcript indicating IV therapy training sent to the CA LVN board. They sent me a letter stating that it didn't count because the training wasn't done by a CAli. Licensed RN!! Like that makes any difference in the world! So I had to jump through the hoops to get IV certified for CA. Good luck with your studies.

Because these classes were at a vo-tech, even a great one, they will be lumped together under "LPN Training" which will let you skip NC-2. They are not college classes unless one of the local colleges has agreed to grant credit for it. If that is the case, you will have to send the transcripts from the college that grants the credit. Colleges are accredited by different agencies than Vo-techs. (The NLN accredits both, but for different reasons) I too graduated from a vo-tech (or Technology center, as they call them now) in Oklahoma, and this was indeed the situation. To get this from the horses mouth, call EC and ask to speak to a nursing advisor. Realize that EC offers exams for the Human Growth and Development and Anat and Phys that you can take for a lot less than taking the classes.

You are smart to consider all these things. Several times during my EC studies, I wished I had attended a traditional program. This was especially true during the CPNE. Old fashioned clinicals would have been cake compared to that stress.

Where are these hospitals? Name them. Did you hear this from them, or from some of the "Califorrnia EC students that have no nursing experience or knowledge but have passed the required exams"? I have several offers from all over CA. As far as the Long Beach CPNE site being closed, how is that relevant? The majority of EC students will have to travel to their CPNE. I went all the way across the country for mine. EC has never once guaranteed a specific CPNE site to anyone, and they are certainly under no obligation to make a general announcement when they close or open one. When you are qualified to take the CPNE, they will find you a place. I too have met inexperienced EC grads. I have also met traditional program grads who couldn't distinguish between an IM and Sub-Q injection (Hired right into the ER from a BSN program!). However, the vast majority of grads from both programs are functional AT THE NEW GRAD LEVEL.

Just finished Excelsior last month. I already have several offers. One recruiter was like "Oh wow, you're pretty hardcore to do that program". Just be aware that not all states recognize excelsior. Most do, so call your board of nursing and check before you enroll.

Remember, you can always work at VA, IHS, USPHS, and US military facilities. Cali has many of all of these. The BRN has no authority over these federal facilities. The contracts for the military bases are particularly lucrative. All that is required, is a valid license from ANY state

EC itself doesn't do background checks. They do advise students that have criminal convictions that they may not be eligible to take the NCLEX. You should call your state board of nursing and ask them about your particular situation. They may have you produce documentation detailing the charges and terms of probation, and that it was successfully completed. Most boards seem to be pretty reasonable about this kind of thing. It seems doubtful that they would prevent somebody from taking boards for an offense like you described. Something else to consider, is that if you are using a 3rd party loan company to finance your EC education, they will probably run a credit check as well.

All the other major hospitals in Portland need nurses. Read the article in the Oregonian from a few weeeks ago. It discussed how Salmon Creek has attracted thousands of applicants because of its "new" status. Everybody (understandably) wants in on the opportunity to be a part of something like that. The same article discussed how other hospitals will see their staffing problems worsen because of staff heading to the new facility. If you must live and work north of the Columbia, (As a Portlander, it's easy to forget that side of the river is capable of supporting life) try SW Washington Medical Center. They are a Top 100 hospital and a very busy Level 2 trauma center. They have the busiest ER in the PDX area and in some years have been the second busiest Trauma center on the west coast. You can view the Oregonian employment classifieds for free at http://www.oregonlive.com/jobs As of today, there are 540 RN openings posted. As an aside. I have worked in California, as well as the Pacific Northwest. I've found that while Cali has the highest pay, they have the lowest standards, and narrowest scope of nursing practice. Give me Oregon anyday.

I worked at a facility where we did 1o hour shifts, four days a week. It worked great. It provided overlapping coverage during the busiest hours, and was a good compromise between "working all day", and "working all your days". I worked 11a-9p. Some worked 7p-5a or 7a-5p. I really enjoyed it. Just out of curiosity, which OKC hospital is considering this? PM me if you can't post it.

While people who post on this board can tell you their personal experiences, you MUST call the Board of Nursing yourself to find out the current law. Last I heard, Illinois does NOT recognize Excelsior college grads until they have been licensed in another state for two years. I also heard that there may be some movement within Illinois to recognize Excelsior grads. Call the board at 312-814-4500 to get the scoop.

Actually, Excelsior posted notices both on it's website and in its printed materials that they did not encourage anyone interested in practicing nursing in California to enroll. The problem is with the BRN, not Excelsior. There are however, ways around it. As was also stated in the Excelsior state board prep manual, A valid RN license from any US state qualifies you to work as an RN at federal facilities in ANY state. For most nurses this means working at the VA. There are also opportunities available at Indian Health Service facilities as well as with agencies that have contracts to staff military hospitals. The BRN has no jurisdiction in these facilities. Further, see the thread in this forum regarding legal action against the BRN. Weigh the pros and cons, and that may be a road you decide to take. Best of luck. "You must be the change you wish to see in the world" -Gandhi

Best of luck on the CPNE. Are you done with all your gen ed requirements? When did you apply? I'm still waiting on my date, but it's only been 3 1/2 weeks.

I don't know what healthcare world you practice in, but very rarely, does the patient "pay the bill". Federal state and local government, along with insurance companies pay the vast majority of recovered medical bills. As the payer of the bills, they get to set the rules of care. That's why we all jump through JCAHO hoops and such. Several posters have suggested giving the pt the option of paying for RN care through hiring a private duty nurse. Your MD analogy falls similarly flat. I've worked in ERs where PAs worked with remote (meaning not physically there) supervision by an MD. If a stable pt demanded to be seen by an MD rather than a PA (as would very occasionally happen) they could feel free to take themselves to a facility that had an MD present. We certainly didn't get one for them.

Keep it up Jamie009! Lots of us are with you. Do whatever it takes to PERSONALLY attend that meeting March 16th. Do your homework. Don't rely on a petition. Get an attorney to attend with you. Get the numbers from the board of how many Excelsior grads are currently practicing in KS. Get the list of disciplined nurses and break it down by school to show that Excelsior grads are as safe as any other. Make sure that every excelsior student and grad you know in KS not only shows up, but speaks!! Take your CPNE study guide (The Carjack), show it to the board and ask if any of them would be comfortable taking the CPNE. With a lot of work, it just might change things. If it fails, then it's on to the courthouse! We'll be cheering for you. "First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win." -Gandhi

I think you're confused. It's not a class, it's a test. Much like CLEP or AP exams. You study for the exam using either the textbooks they recommend or other appropriate sources, then you pay the fee and schedule a test date. Then you sit in front of the computer at your local Prometric test center/ sylvan learning center and answer a couple hundred questions. You answer enough right, you pass and get credits.

TMB= Too Many Birthdays Some pts need referrals to the Follow Up Care Unit (FUC-U) DX: Hypovicodinemia. They aren't frequent flyers anymore, they're "Experienced consumers of healthcare services". ICP Immaculate conception pregnancy. "But I can't be pregnant!" VicoProFlex: The s/p MVA combo of Vicodin, Ibuprofen, and Flexeril. Status Adolescencus: Teenage brats

I just took my final NC exam on 24 january. I too am ready to sign up for the CPNE. I haven't gotten the packet in the mail yet (It's only been 3 days, can you tell I'm excited). I'm in the SF Bay Area and I called excelsior and they said cali sites are booked until july, but New York may have some dates in may. If anybody else is getting ready, contact me and we can compare study/prep ideas. Aaron

Many seem to think this issue about EC. It is not. It is about the excessive power that state BONs have. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I've heard that Deaconness isn't approved by the New York state BON. Deaconness is a NLNAC approved program. I would strongly encourage Deaconness grads and students to fight this through legal action, lobbying, whatever. If it takes 10 years or 20 years to change the system, we must begin working now! It won't be cheap, and it won't be easy, but it must be done. It should be a four pronged approach. 1. Litigation. Lawsuits on every longshot state and federal legal theory imaginable until you find a judge who agrees with you. 2. Lobbying. Our efforts to win the law changing votes of BON members, legislators and the public must be tireless. 3. Excellence. We must constantly critically evaluate ourselves as nurses and as alumni to make sure the message we send is correct. It is not enough to be good, or safe, or competent. We, and our schools, must be excellent. We must generate a reputation for our schools of such excellence that BONs would be embarrassed to consider slandering our program. This means setting the bar on clinical practice, research and education. The more grads we have who have MSN or PhD degrees, the better. The more books published by our grads, the better. The more grads we have TEACHING nursing at traditional schools, the better. You get the idea. 4.Join them. Depending on the state, the governor nominates nurses to the BON. Next time you hear of an opening, call the governors office and suggest an alumni or like minded nurse. Then, publicly lobby for their nomination. We should make it our goal to have grads on the majority of state BONs within 20 years. Start Today! "Never underestimate the power of a small group of committed people to change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Meade