gothichipchick

Probably a long shot but has anyone been successful finding a preceptor in an overseas military treatment facility? I am in Okinawa and I hope to get the credentialing for the clinics here so I don't have to go back CONUS for clinicals.

I sent you a PM. I just arrived in Oki and would love to meet other nurses :)

Sent you a PM. :)

Hi. Congratulations on getting in! I will start in the Spring semester. If you don't mind answering, I do have a question about the clinicals. The schedule says 45 hours of practicum for advanced health assessment; since we find our own preceptors can I do the 45 hours on my own time (as long as I do it within the semester)? I mean, I want to finish all 45 hours in say 2 weeks (if the preceptor agrees of course) and then just focus on the lecture/online assignments afterwards. Is that possible?

I know this an old post but by any chance, OP, have you found a school that will allow you to do practicum overseas? Thanks.

Get the physical book. Aside from what all the posters above mentioned, you can always sell the book when you are done. An even better option is renting it. It is 1/4 of the price, you send it back when the class is over, and most of the time they pay for the shipping both ways. I've rented books from Amazon before vs. from the school and the price is usually lower. Save your money for coffee on finals. :)

If you want to become a NP, you still have to take the state boards to be able to practice. I assume this will be like the NCLEX - timed.

I just cancelled my membership with ANA since I have not seen any benefits to me. $200+/year adds up and I'd rather pay membership to my specialty group and my liability insurance for less than what I am paying ANA. I am also back in school for my BSN so every little bit goes to tuition money. I want a loan-free degree! :)

That sucks. I hope it gets better. I currently work in a onsite family practice clinic and although there's a huge pay cut (vs hospital), there is less stress. Sure, those "customers" still need to be satisfied but I am in a position where I can tell them why they can't get an appointment NOW vs tomorrow. I am also in a position where I'm still a nurse who can teach them, advocate for them, etc. and not the maid. I love my job, my patients, and the people I work WITH. Those I work FOR is a different story. People who have not been in the shoes of those they manage, sometimes make crappy managers. I am not generalizing so please don't flame me. You know who I'm taking about. :) Sometimes I dream of the the grass being greener on the other side but don't we all? Of course, there's a big difference between hospital and ambulatory care as well. Hospital nurses, I admire your tenacity. I am in the process of completing my BSN (seems like forever because I'm paying for it cash vs cows, gold nuggets or loans) because like everyone else, I want to "better" myself and maybe become a FNP one day (at least before the zombie apocalypse comes). I am a mom of 4 and I also homeschool so it's a juggling act to say the least. What has been helping me when I become disillusioned with this career is that for two years now, once a month, I volunteer at a homeless/indigent clinic just because it gives me a different perspective - it really reminds me of why I went into nursing in the first place. People who are grateful for your help and appreciate what you have done for them because they have nothing. I remember a long time ago when I told my dad I wanted to be a nurse. He said I should just become a journalist because nurses wipe people's butts and get nothing for it. I wonder sometimes if the old man was right all along. :) OP, I hope you find your mojo again. Keep chugging along with school even though it takes forever. We both know it's going to be worth it. Good luck, glorified maid. Yours truly, Fellow Glorified Maid :)

Awaiting response. I received an email from this company and will be attending the online orientation next week to learn what they are all about. I will post once I get info. Anyone else?

This is an old post but I will reply to it because I wanted to let old "new grads" know that there is hope. I graduated in Fall '09, got my license a month after graduation and then immediately (as in 3 days after I took the NCLEX) moved overseas due to husband's military orders. I did not realize how bad this situation was going to be for a new grad RN but what else can you do, right? I wasn't going to tell my husband I wanted to stay here in the states with the kids while he serves a 3 year overseas tour on his own. Anyway, as soon as we got settled there, I started volunteering at the only hospital (Naval) that served the military population in that continent. They don't hire new grads but what they told me was that some unit managers hire volunteers after they have spent a year volunteering at their units. Basically, they can count the hours spent as experience as well as the clinical period of nursing school. It sounded like a great deal so I went ahead and did it. After a year, the unit manager had to "transfer" to another duty station so the "deal" was forgotten. The new unit manager had a new way of managing her floor so basically all my efforts went down the drain. But because I had a great preceptor, I stuck with it because I was truly learning a lot from her. I didn't care anymore about the military hospital's constant changing policy of hiring new nurses. I was only there to keep my skills up and because the corpsmen and nurses that I worked with were supportive and great people. A year and a half later, I was offered a position as a substitute nurse at the DOD (Dept of Defense) school on the base where we lived. It was per diem but I wasn't picky so I took it. The school nurse was ALWAYS there so I never had a chance to sub BUT I told her I was interested in volunteering anyway so I could at least learn something and so I did. Basically, the while time we were stationed on that island, I was a "Professional RN Volunteer". I did La Leche League, PTA, Red Cross, and any medical related volunteer activity available. Fast forward two years later, we are now back in the states and I could not find a job. Surprise! I was an old new grad. I couldn't even think about where my batch mates are at in their career because it only made me depressed. The "curse of the military spouse" is the blank or job-hopping spots on her resume. Still, I kept up with my volunteer work - local military hospital, homeless clinic, visiting nurse association, and another clinic for the uninsured. I volunteered 16 hours or more per week combined for a year. I still kept applying and I got better at making cover letters, researching companies, and tailoring my resume, etc. that I was able to secure an interview for a new grad position. I did not get the job but I was able to get the contact info of the nurse managers. Yes, I sent each of them a handwritten thank you note. Now, I don't know if this had anything to do with it BUT when I received the "rejection" letter from the HR recruiter, it was not the usual generic "we regret...blah..blah" but it was carefully and professionally tailored to me. It sounded really genuine and warm. In the end, there was also an invitation to apply for the next cohort. All in all, the letter gave me hope that despite the fact that I was not chosen at that round, I did not suck. Fast forward this week - I got a job offer working part time for a family clinic. One provider, 1 RN, 4 hours, 5 patients = one on one care. The position required 2 years experience - I applied, interviewed, and got the job. The director was impressed by my resume and how the interview went that the HR recruiter later texted (yeah, texted) that they were going to "up the offer to $__". I was flabbergasted, I didn't expect it but there it was - I GOT A JOB. True, it isn't hospital experience. It isn't full time. It will not be the same as a new grad internship position BUT it is a job (a paying) and it is a start. Now, I don't know what I will do if the new grad internship spot opens up again but I will cross the bridge when I get there. For now, I am thankful for the job. Oh and for moms out there, I am a mom of 4: 17 y/o, 7 y/o, 5 y/o and 17 months. I homeschool my kids and thankfully, my supportive hubby works full time. I went to nursing school while I homeschooled and hubby was constantly deployed. That was harder than giving birth but it can be done. Okay, this was a long one but here are the lessons I have learned: 1. You don't suck. If you survived nursing school, you can survive anything but if you don't get a job right away, take comfort in the fact that when God floods the world again, nurses will get a seat in Noah's ark. :) 2. Don't be lazy in tailoring your cover letter and resume to the company you are applying for. Lots of people mentioned this over and over again. Lazy doesn't get you anywhere so start Googling! 3. Send a thank you note even if the interviewer or recruiter/s treated you like crap or if they made you feel like you didn't want to work in their unit afterwards. It doesn't matter. Manners are important - ask your mother. 4. If you secure the interview, Google "Top 10 Hardest Interview Questions" or something like that and force yourself to answer each one of them. If you have to write down the answers, do it. Muscle memory, remember? Thinking you can "wing it" is lazy. Besides, **** always seems to hit the fan when you are nervous and then you don't remember anything when the interview commences. Write it down! 5. VOLUNTEER and do your best to keep your skills up when you can. Do not be idle. Network. Be nice to everyone you meet. Even minions will be able to help you one day. You already know this so I don't need to repeat it. :) So there you go. That is my story. Thank you for listening, good luck and never lose hope.

Dude, that was their opinion. LOL!. :)

So you did admit you did a stupid thing. Congratulations! Next step would be to face the consequences - good or bad. If you get fired, man up just like what some folks here said, try to not to burn (or blow up) the bridge, exit quietly with whatever dignity you have left. You seem like a good person who just made an unwise decision so I am sure that there are other coworkers out there whom you can use as a reference. If you don't get fired, work there until you reach one year but at the same time, keep looking for a job at another place. Then leave the place in good terms. It will be a fresh start for you. OP, you really are going to be okay. Things happen for a reason and perhaps somewhere down the line several years from now, you will look back and think about this incident and tell yourself that you DID survive and have become a wiser person because of it. Good luck! PS. This IS a public forum so people are allowed to express their opinions (good or bad). You willingly aired your laundry out for the entire neighborhood to see. The good thing though is that we truly don't know you from Adam's housecat because we are all hiding behind our computer screens. So, take no offense from those who offer advice, flame, condemn, or even crucify you for being a horny bastard.

Check out the link and you should be able to see if you qualify for the position or not: http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/nhoki/CivPers/Pages/default.aspx#employment HTHLulu

Hi. Are you still here in Oki?