MedicVeronica

Wasn't even mentioned but Med-Surg Nurses Week gets a big write up in the daily email with week long activities/events. Guess we really are the bottom of the food chain.

I live south east of Mt. Airy and commute to the WHC. It takes an hour, but is a straight shot down New Hampshire Ave. Anything near Silver Spring/Takoma Park would be a relatively easy commute.

You are never too old to learn! I did a second degree BSN program and graduated when I was 47 - went straight to the ED and love it. There are so many ways to use your RN - no matter what your age, interest or weaknesses. Go for it!

Check out Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, MD. http://holycrosshealth.netreturns.biz/NewsReleases/Article_Detail.aspx?id=d3ecd1db-4f4e-43bf-a976-fb0b53d24778

We were slammed last month! Every Monday in July we had a "top ten" day in terms of pt census and the acuity has been very high as well. Would just love a "lull"!

Wanted to be a nurse as a kid - talked out of it by older nurses. Went to college - didn't get good enough grades for medical school. Went to business school, got an MBA. Managed an architecture firm for 20 years and hated it. While working full time became and EMT-B then paramedic and loved volunteering. Started nursing school at 45, graduated at 47 and have been in the ED for almost 3 years and love it. It's never too late!

Try HRSA.gov for scholarships and loan repayment programs. Also - Georgetown University has teamed up with WHC for a program that pays 80% of the tuition at Georgetown's ABSN in exchange for working at WHC afterwards. Check out the school's or hospital's website.

Try HRSA.gov - there are programs to pay for tuition while in school and a loan repayment program when you get out. bhpr.hrsa.gov/dsa/

Specifically: # of RN's to patient: depends on acuity 1:1 or 8:1 # of techs/CNA's per patient or RN: techs vary, some days we have 1 per team (3 teams in the ED), other days 1 for the whole place # of ED beds: 40 on the regular side, plus "fast track" or ambulatory care area daily # of patient's seen - just above 200/day, but we have had several days of 300 type of area you serve: rural, suburban, urban: all urban Trauma designation: level 1, but they are a separate area with 3 or 4 bays of their own. Adult/Pediatric/mixed - adult, we have a full children's hospital across the driveway

There is a state grant for nursing students (to help cover living expenses) - had to live and attend school in MD, and a requirement to work in MD after graduation. try http://www.mcfrsit.com/e%2Dlearning/ePCR/BLS1-personal.html Try HRSA.gov - grants to attend school and even some to repay school loans once you are working. Good luck!!! I too couldn't find anything - since I already had 2 degrees, had done financial planning for retirement, owned my own house and was debt and dependent free. Since I lived in MD, but was going to school in DC, I was not eligible for the MD grant.

I did one on the history of emergency nursing. It was actually pretty interesting to do - especially since I hate research and writing papers.

Acclerated programs for BSN? You already have an BA or BS in something else? There are several in the area: Georgetown U - $70 K - takes 16 mos, check out the program they have with Washington Hospital Center - give a couple of years to WHC and they pay 80% of the tuition. (I went there, graduated in 2007) Catholic U - 18 mos, also about $70K Towson - just north of Baltimore - similar time frame, less tuition Johns Hopkins - in Baltimore - 13 mos, $70K or so George Mason U - northern VA, think it's about 1.5 years, no idea about tuition U of MD in Baltimore - you get an MS, NOT an MSN, from the School of Nursing and are "clinical nurse leader" - really just an BSN, about 1.5 years and not sure of the tuition. UDC - don't know much about their program. I think there might be others in No Va. - but I didn't check into them. All the schools have decent websites and several of them start programs in both spring and fall semesters. The accelerated programs are really packed - so trying to work and do school is pretty much impossible. Have you finished all your pre-reqs and how old are they? Towson, U of MD and Johns Hopkins wanted me to retake most of mine, but Georgetown and Catholic took all my really old stuff (like chemistry from 1978! - yes, I had college credits older than some of my classmates). Had to consider how long re-doing all the pre-reqs would take and work that into the financial decision. Best of Luck!

Pokytroky - try HRSA.gov for student loan repayment programs. At WHC you can get up to $10K per year for tuition, but I don't know if there's any requirement for working for a certain amount of time afterwards.

I was 47 when I graduated from my second degree BSN. There were about 35 in my class - 1 was a year old, then a ten year gap to the 36 year old. Most were in their mid-twenties/early thirties. We did have a couple of 21 year olds fresh out of college. I loved being around the "youngsters" - they included me in their social stuff (imagine getting carded for a beer in Georgetown by a bartender young enough to be my kid!) You will do fine and really have a great time. You will find that your life experience will make nursing so much easier for you than for them!

I was hired in Feb 08 and knew about the commitment from the flyers about the internship program. The flyer stated that "RN's accepting Fellowship/bridge prison sign a contract to work for WHC for 18 months following the completion of the program; if the commitment is not met, the RN must pay back $100 for each classroom day for their Fellowship/Bridge program.” I can't find any contract beyond my acceptance letter - and it doesn't mention the commitment either. Good luck with this! Which unit are you on?