Berta

I too covered all my books. I bought clear sticky/type covers at walmart. They worked great and you really couldn't tell they were covered. Plus, the covers remove fairly easy when I sold them back.

New grad pay rate here in Massachusetts is $23/hr plus diff.

[oops, duplicate post

I have used a company called Jack l. Marcus http://www.jacklmarcus.com and have have great luck. I'm a plus size gal and find there prices to be far better than the local uniform shops. They have plenty of solid colors and prints. Plus, free UPS shipping with order over $50.

Have you applied to Massasoit?? I attend their nursing program and I love it. It's not that expensive. I'll be happy to answer any questions you have, feel free to PM me. Berta

Hi, I am a senior nursing student. I am working on the south shore as a nurses aid. The pay isn't too bad. I make a little over $11. I had no luck trying to find a job as an aid by myself. I applied to all the local hospitals and got no response. Finally, I mentioned to one of my instructors I was looking for work and she hooked me up with a nurse manager. I got hired right away. Good luck, Berta

I don't know what the pay scale is in the immediate Boston area. I am a nursing student getting a little over $11 plus diff working on the south shore.

I am a senior at MCC. YIPEE...Yes it is difficult to get in. Last year, when I got accepted, the had something like 500 applicants and took 50. How did I get in? I am not really sure. I am a solid B student, scored ok on the placement test, and had all of my prerequisites done. I really beleive that having all the requisites done is what got me in. Good luck, Berta

Wow, I have never heard of this. I assume they only reimburse you if you are accepting the job with them. What happens if you spend the money to fly out and don't accept the position? Are you out the money you spent? Sorry to sound stupid, but this doesn't happen in my neck of the woods. Heck, my husband recently had to pay $25 for parking for an interview and didn't get reimbursed.

What kind of interviewing cost are you refering to?

I am in the same boat. My kids are 9 & 4. I cannot afford to pay a sitter so that I can study. I have come up with a few solutions....I hope they help you. I find that trying to study while my kids are around is pretty much a big waste of time. They interupt me for each and every little thing. I usually end up rereading the same thing over and over again. Four hours of studying with kids is equal to 1/2 hr studying without kids. I stay at school (library) each day an extra hour to study. My mom will watch my youngest only while I am at school. I get up real early in the morning so that I can get all my chores done, so that when I come home all I have to do is cook supper, spend time with the kids, bathe them and send the 4 y/o to bed by 7 and 8pm for my 9 y/o. I "go to bed" at 7pm and read until 9pm. My 9 y/o comes in at 8pm for me to go tuck her in bed. This works best for me. Lastly, I bring my notes or my book with me wherever I go to squeeze in a little study time. I usually get a 1/2hr in while waiting for my daughter to be dismissed from school. Parent cars line up and wait for their kids at the end of the school day. My 4 y/o usually falls asleep and I can study.

Here's what my daughters pedi suggested for a stubborn diaper rash.... a mixture of maalox and corn starch. Mix it well and spread it on like frosting, nice and thick. I truly thought he was bonkers, but the darn stuff worked overnight. :rotfl:

I am a student too and work as a CNA at a hospital. One of the duties that I sometimes have to do is "sitting" with a patient. It is actually a position that the hospital hires people for and pays them about $9 per hour. All they do is sit in the room and make sure the patient stays in bed and doesn't pull out any lines or such. The sitter does no patient care. The sitter can read, study, watch TV, etc. When I have to "sit" I use it as study time. It really works out quite well. Yesterday, I had to sit for 7 hours. I look at it as being paid $11 hr to study. The down side is that you CANNOT leave the patient alone for any reason. Nor can you sleep. You must get coverage to go to the bathroom, breaks or lunch. :uhoh21: Overall, its a pretty good deal.

Ok...I'm gonna be honest...I'm gonna spend it all on ME, ME, ME. My next check I am going to make a huge donation to the public library that I have used as my study home. Also, thanks to them for having movies that kept my kids entertained so I could study. I also plan on donating a paycheck to church. I know that I am not making this on my own. It has all been by the grace of God. After that, I am paying down debt, making home repairs, buying a new dining room and living room set. Lastly, I will pay back my 401k plan. That poor thing has been drained almost dry.

Wow!! It makes me so glad that I refused to do CNA work in a LTC. Having said that....I am an RN student, currently employed as a CNA at a large hospital. I am working on a med/surg floor and truly love it. Yes, I am tired and a sweaty stinking mess at the end of the day, but I have learned so much. My nurses and staff are great! They don't always have the opportunity to show me stuff, but when they do, they take the time to involve me. Certainly, there have been days when I've wiped more puke and poop than a tester at a toilet paper factory. Yes, some days are less pleasant than others, but I try to keep it all in perspective. One thing I can promise is that once I am an RN I will remember what it was like being a CNA.

I agree...sooner in...sooner out.

Jeni, Here's what worked for me: Study a little each day. Dedicate a special time each day to study. Write it in your appointment book if you have to. I usually put in an hour at the library after class then an hour or two after my kids have gone to bed. Always have either you notes, notecards, or textbook with you. You never know when you can sneak in a few minutes of study time. I've studied in line at the grocery store, waiting for appointments, and while waiting to pick up my daughter at school. Ask the teachers if they tend to ask test questions more from their lectures or the textbook. I could have saved a ton of time and gotten a better grade if I had asked this first semester. Our teachers test mainly from lectures and very little from the book. Tape record lectures. Granted, I never listened to half of those tapes, but it sure came in handy on the days I reread my notes and realized I missed something. Find a place to study that is away from school and home. I use several local public library. If I try to study at home, I ususally find something more urgent to do...like laundry, play with my kids or dog, or eat... :rotfl: Read the chapter summary first, then read the chapter and answer the questions at the end. Use the CD in the back of the textbook. There is usually great animations on it. Read assigned chapters before the lecture, then scan them again after lecture and fill in any missing points. Teachers will usually repeat "key" items more than once during lecture. You can almost be gaurenteed that will be on a test, so pay attention! As soon as a project is assigned to you, do it right away. Its just amazing how quickly a project becomes due. Sit upfront during lectures. You will be more likely to pay attention. Also, the fear of being called upon will make you do you reading in time for class. Hope this helps. Good luck, Berta

There were really no qualifications required. I did have a good reference from my nursing instructor. Having said that, there were quite a few people in my orientation class that had no nursing experience at all. The hospital is interested in them because they become potential nursing employees in the future. So don't let inexperience stop you. Also, during my first semester of school, some of the LTC begged the nursing students to apply for aid positions. They are willing to train you. My official duties as an aid at the hospital include: vitals, assisting pt wash, bed making, ambulation, taking blood sugars, emptying foleys, charting I & O, feeding pts, obtaining urine and stool samples, and sitting with patients. My "unofficial" duties include anything the nurses are willing to teach me and let me perform. Good luck, Berta

I just finished my first year of nursing school and took a job as a nurses aid. I am learning so much. All the nurses on the floor know that I am a student and make an effort to teach and show me stuff. Also, when I come across something I am not familiar with, I jot it down and look it up when I get home. The experience has been wonderful. It is really helping me apply a lot of the material that I learned this year in Nursing 1, 2, & 3. Heck, I am even learning about pharmacology, which is a major weakness for me. The money isn't the greatest, and there isn't always time for the nurses to take time out to show me stuff. But overall, its been really worth it!! Berta

:balloons: :balloons: :balloons: AWESOME!!!!! I am proud of you!!!!! Berta

Good thoughts... Good thoughts Good big thoughts Good huge happy student is gonna pass thoughts..... I just know you passed!!!! Keep us posted, Berta

Do I enjoy nursing school? Yes and no. Some days, I truly loved it and others I didn't care for it. The days I didn't like were usually those that were double session. You know the ones... you sit in one spot for 6 hours and try not to think about how many other things you could be doing. :rotfl: As a 35 y/o mother of 2 kids (ages 4 & 9), I do find it hard to juggle school and family.

Unfortunately, it rarely has to do with the persons profession. It usually is just a lack of manners. Yes, I agree with Tweety, that sometimes our mind is at other places. However, there is no reason for rudeness unless it is a true emergency. Now for my little rant...I too am an RN student. I have heard lots and lots of complaints about how inept the "lower" staff is. Well, I just came off of a solid week training for a CNA position for the summer. I can now quote the HIPPA laws inside out.I spent two days learning their computer system. But quess what they didn't teach?? Patient care!!! :angryfire Can you beleive it? Some people in class didn't even know how to take vitals. Granted, they showed us the Dinamap, but never showed how to use it. Or for that matter, what needed to be reported to a nurse asap. We were told, "just put the readings on the flow sheet". Thank God that I am a RN student and know how to assist with the ADL's, take vitals, etc. How sad. Its no wonder why the "lower" staff are "idiots". TEACH us. We want to do our job well.

I just finished my first year RN program and got hired at a local hospital as a CNA. I start June 7th. The pay rate is $11 hr plus differential. According to the job description, duties include: ADL's, ambulation, bed making etc, vitals, blood sugars, ekg, and whatever the nurses tell me to do. I was told to be sure the nurses know I am an RN student, so I will be shown things. However, you need to be very careful to only work at a CNA level not as a student. Berta

Must haves include: 4 inch binders, tons of index cards 3 1/2 by 5 and the really big ones too, yellow highlighters, calculator, black pens, stapler, hole punch, medical dictionary, drug guide, watch with a second hand, at least two clinical uniforms, comfortable shoes for clinical, and a nursing process book. Nice to have include: tape recorder & tapes, rolling back pack, white out, xtra printer cartridges, computer, plenty of computer paper, bookshelf just for nursing stuff, stethoscope, penlight, RNotes notebook, and extra set of clinical scrubs to keep in the car for when pt pukes on you. My personal favorites: huge bottle of Tylenol, even bigger bottle of Tums, extra copies of blank care plans, plenty of cooked ahead meals in the freezer, backup babysitter, gas cards (the distance to your clinical site is in direct proportion to the amt of miles per gallon your car gets. The less miles per gallon your car gets, the further away your clinical site will be. :rotfl: ) roll of quarters for pay phone, lunch bag to bring food from home, colored pens and markers for making notes, and a special spot to study away from school and family. Good luck, Berta