Hisown

Thanks Neferet for all the tips! Would be really helpful to me in my practice as a new nurse.

Have answers to these questions prepared: your strengths and weaknesses, why you want to be a nurse, why you want to work for that particular hospital/organization, why you should be chosen for this particular position, know what unit you prefer to work on and why and also let the recruiter know that you're flexible. Have a brief 30 second sales pitch prepped if she asks you "tell me about yourself". And just in case you call and she/he does not pick up, have a voice message prepared ahead of time...and remember to smile whiles you talk on the phone with the recruiter...always makes one sound much warmer and more personable. All the best!

My exam stopped after 75 questions and the trick definitely worked for me!!! Thanks to whoever discovered this!

Staylost, sometimes it makes a difference if you personally walk into HR (dressed to impress in your classic interview attire and armed with a bunch or resumes) and request to speak with a nurse recruiter without mentioning (yet) that you have previously applied for any position. Face time would give you a better chance at really selling yourself and at landing an interview. You could also ask for a tour of the unit you're interested in, if the recruiter has a few minutes, and hopefully she will introduce you to the unit manager or you can at least find out the name of the nurse manager/director while on the unit (so you can call or email them later). You can also try calling the hospital's main line and asking the operator who the nurse manager is for whatever unit you're interested in or if you have the name already, just ask to be transferred to their line and leave a well-crafted message to sell yourself. All the best in your search!

Hi jlharris1, I dont quite remember when the residency positions were first posted. The first time I remember seeing them online was in October 2009. See u at orientation

I applied online for the residency program and received a call from one of the recruiters. She then invited me to attend a Dream Day - and after shadowing nurses on 2 different units, I got to interview as well. All the best with your job search!

I took my exam earlier this morning and did the trick about 2 hours after I got home. I got the good popup!!! i'm really keeping my fingers crossed that I passed! Congratulations to everyone who passed!

I look forward to meeting you both! Congratulations to Happiness5

Working as a CNA or even a unit secretary (sometimes) is one big foot in the door! All my classmates who worked as techs or CNA's were hired either on the same unit or were placed on another unit immediately after graduation! Definitely a go!

Come up with a brief 30 second (to a minute) sales pitch for yourself and be prepared to answer a few basic questions they might ask you like what your strengths and weaknesses are (with examples of situations that prove these and also how you are working on your weakenss to turn it around), why you want to work at their hospital, why you want to be a nurse and what you bring to the table that makes you a unique hire. Practise with friends and family, and remember to smile while having a phone conversation - let's your warmth and personality shine through your voice. Also prepare a carefully crafted voice message you can leave for the recruiters to return your call - enunciate your name and mention your number twice. My advise - visit the nurse recruiters if you can and ask for tours of the units if possible. You may get to meet unit managers and possibly get an interview. In the meantime, try to shadow nurses at your local hospital or volunteer at a hospital to increase your chances. Whatever you do, try not to keep applying online without following up with the application - online applications are often dumped into a huge database never to be reviewed again. Keep calling! Don't give up! All the best in your search

working in the medical-surgical area

Are there any other new grad RNs starting at Washington Hospital Center in the February Residency program? What speciality area would you be working in? Would also be great to hear feedback from RNs who started there recently or who have worked there for a while. I'm super excited to start!!!

Have you considered working with the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps? It's a branch of the uniformed services but under the Surgeon General (and not the Department of Homeland Security so no deployment to war). My Husband is a member and he loves it. They have great health and retirement benefits! If you don't mind travelling or moving you could work with the Indian Health Service, the FDA, CDC or even NIH etc as your career grows. Check out their website - www.usphs.gov and if you have any questions call 800-279-1605 for more info

You can even get scrubs patterns (sometimes) at the sewing section of your local Walmart. They usually have drawers full of patterns. Look through the pattern catalog the pattern number and search in the drawers for the right pattern. Also find patterns at any other sewing or fabric stores

Thanks so much! Ih ad the old link that's currently inactive...this is a Godsend

Check out Marymount University in Arlington, VA. I graduated December 2009 with a BSN from their accelerated program, and I initially started there doing my prerequisites in the Spring (A&P 1&2 and Microbiology). They allow you to enrol in the program even if you don't have the prerequisites, so that you can take the prerequisites before starting the core nursing classes.

Graduated from a 2nd Degree Accelerated nursing program with a BSN in December 2009! Thank you Lord!!!

Ladybrett, I took both A&P courses at the same time at Marymount University and made straight A's in both courses. It's doable, you'll just really need to put in some hard work. I took both classes along with Microbiology. All the best!

Hello Ikkyu, if your school has an international students office you should definitely get in touch with the director and also speak with other international students on campus about their experiences. These people are a huge resource you should take advantage of. Many universities also offer English-as-a-second-language courses on campus (if you think you need one). Another thing to do is to use the learning center on campus if you need it. Most schools also offer free tutoring for many courses. If your school has a nursing tutor, seek their help when studying. I can tell you already have a positive attitude..remain driven and strive for excellence. Read ahead of ALL your classes and don't be afraid to speak up or ask questions in class if you have any. For every single one of your courses get to know your professors and make sure they know you. Let them hear you ask and answer questions in class..let them see your face everday (ALWAYS sit in the front of the class even if you're more inclined to hide in the back!) When your professors know you're working hard and making an effort to learn, they're more likely to go the extra mile in helping you succeed. All the best in your studies!

memorizing anything you study does not necessarily mean you don't understand it. It's simply committing what you're learning to memory so you can recall it later...if you're studying in a way that's actually allowing you to recall information for an exam, as well as to fully understand what that information means and how to apply it, you are memorizing. From where I stand, memorizing is a part of learning...if we simply hear information and understand it but do not somehow commit it to our memory (whether consciously or unconsciously) how do we remember this information when we need it? Hearing (and sometimes seeing) information, analyzing and understanding it and then assimilating it is all part of the learning process

Ladies! I found this amazing yet simple solution to keeping my shower spotless without ever having to rub and scrub (at least not more that once a month) Basically, get one of those tilex after-shower sprays...dilute it to half the stregth with water, and leave it in your shower to spray every day after you shower...if you have a handheld in the shower just give the walls a quick rinse after bathing to take out the suds before you use the spray on the walls. alternatively, you can keep a large cup in the shower like I do to wash the visible suds off. Other homemade 'recipes' for the daily shower spray are simply 10% alcohold and water solution, 10% bleach solution , or 10% of your favorite shower cleaner and water...personally I found another cleaner recipe i love...mix 1/4 cup rubbing alcohol, 1/4 cup peroxide, 6 drops dishwashing soap, 4 tbsp dishwashing rinsing agent and 24 oz water. Pour in a spray bottle and use every day! This has worked like magic for me..I'm a full-time nursing student with an all-white tiled shower so believe me when i say this has worked wonders for me :)

I would say definitely go for the BSN/MSN level of education to obtain your RN. Accelerated BSN programs usually offer a solid foundation in the research aspect of nursing, and also a good foundation in management, leadership and delegation. As a BSN graduate, you would have more opportunities for advancement (especially into management) and also qualify to obtain a wider array of certifications in various fields of nursing. This is not to say at all that being educated at the ASN level is inadequate...the percentage of associates level nurses we have in teh workforce alone disproves that. Many associates level nurses, though, still do go on to get their BSNs so I would say do it now and have it under your belt :)

I'm almost done with my first semester in an accelerated program and I'm hoping to graduate December 2009 (woohoo!!!) I have a bachelors and masters in business so I've done quite a bit of school.....but let me tell ya..teh accelerated program has been the toughest program I've tackled yet. It's a whole new ballgame for me and its really challenging in terms of the pace, content and the amount of work!!! At the same time, I believe I can do it..with God :) and with the right mindset, attitude and amount of determination I believe you can do it too. In an accelerated program, you have to read read read!!!! Cramming before exams is not a good idea... most nursing exams will probably be multiple-choice with a huge number of application type questions on simulated nursing-patient situations. Get yourself an NCLEX-RN review book and familiarize yourself with the style of questions...get a good Medical-surgical book or a fundamentals of nursing to read before you start. You'll be fine. It's tough but you can do it! All the best

Thanks for your story! I'm a nursing student and have never heard of a prolapsed uterus or rectum! Would have to do my research :)

Thank you so much for being that model nurse who passes on your knowledge to students and really enjoys teaching them! I'm a nursing student and have had many different kinds of nurses...I've been on a med surg floor( clinicals) for the past 7 weeks and it's been really exciting. We are allowed to give all medications and I've done a whole lot of IV pushes, piggybacks, Sub-Q's etc! We are also being taught to document on the hospital's database as well. I love to meet nurses who truly have a passion for their profession and who would take their time to teach you, query your actions, direct you and correct you when you go wrong. I pray that one day, I'll be that kind of nurse!