benegesserit

Yes, it is probably normal. Places with adequate staffing don't need constant per diem coverage. When I was per diem, I usually got called once a month to arrange coverage for planned vacations and so forth, and then only sporadically other than that. Going a few weeks between calls wasn't unusual.

We were soooooooo skeptical when they decided to do away with alarms in my facility several years ago. But it is really much more pleasant, and I don't think falls have increased. It gets a little frustrating sometimes with residents who probably could benefit from an alarm. But alarm creep happens, and suddenly everyone has an alarm, they're going off constantly, and no one is paying any attention to them.

At the time I enrolled, Statistics had a time limit of, I believe, 5 years. So, if yours is recent enough, it should transfer. Mine was 15 years old, so it didn't... but I found the WGU version incredibly easy and quick because of my previous exposure.

They sent out a survey to alumni a few months ago asking about interest in FNP and DNP programs, among other things. Didn't respond, as the options they gave didn't really fit my personal situation. Whether I would personally pursue another degree with them? I don't know. It would depend how the program was structured. While I think WGU is a good school and don't hesitate to recommend it, it wasn't really a great match for me personally. I do find myself looking at the Informatics MSN, but I'm currently in an MSN program elsewhere, so it would be a bit in the future.

It's possible that this individual responded to the thread without realizing it was about a specific school.

When I decided to apply to a Masters program, I was working in a small rural ER. There were many nights when we had *nothing*, or nearly so. I could work on outdates, stocking, or other busywork for hours, and still have plenty of downtime. Professional development was explicitly stated in policy as an acceptable downtime activity. Of course, there were also nights when we were slammed the whole time. I looked at the slow nights as a chance to get ahead, rather than a chance to finish things at the last minute, since I couldn't count on having that time. I've also worked LTC nights, and often had a lot of downtime, but that varies a lot by facility.

Because it is self-paced, "usual" isn't really an useful concept with WGU. According to the chart on their website, approximately 20% finish in 1 year, 25% in 1.5 years, 30% in two years, and the rest take longer.

This is very very valid. I recently switched to 5 8s, and found that, despite a pay increase, I'm earning around $1000 a month less because of lost overtime/per diem opportunities. If working nights is impacting your ability to pick up extra shifts, it may well not be the financially better option, even if the hourly rate is better. As someone else said, your physical and mental health are the most important considerations. If you can't bear to switch back to nights after working days, then maybe that job isn't a good career move for you. Some people can't do night shifts. I'm pretty sure I'm one of them (though not totally sure, as I've never had a really ideal night shift schedule -always split days/nights, which is worse).

I looked into a public health master's options when considering which MSN to choose. I wasn't looking at quite the same thing, since I already had a BSN, but this is what I found. You've basically got three options. MPH, MSN/MPH dual degree, and MSN with a pubic health emphasis. You should be able to be admitted to an MPH program based on your previous bachelor's. MPH is the industry standard for public health, and programs are widely available. Ideally, you want a program that is CEPH accredited - it may no matter if you're planning on working only within your local community, but it will maximize your options. MPH will generally not take the place of a BSN for jobs that require BSN. I'd imagine most local public health departments would consider ASN + unrelated Bachelor's + MPH perfectly sufficient. However, if the job you're interested in specifically requires a BSN, it might be a good idea to ask first. In MSN/MPH programs, you earn both degrees. This is, from what I've seen, the most time/work/money intensive way of doing it, since there is some overlap in curriculum, but you're still doing two different master's programs. This would give you the most employment option, since you actually have both degrees. I do not know if there are any RN to MSN/MPH programs - if the university offer both RN-to-MSN and dual MSN/MPH, it would likely be an option. There are some MSN programs with a Public Health emphasis. These won't qualify you for jobs requiring an MPH - it's just a quirky MSN emphasis (I say that as someone who came close to enrolling in such a program before discovering something that was a better fit, not as an insult). For what you want to do, it would probably be fine. There aren't a whole lot of these programs, but they're out there. Grand Canyon University and UNC Charlotte have RN to MSN-PH, and if those two exist, there are probably others. Both MSN options would take the place of a BSN as far as employment goes. Also consider that there are relatively quick and cheap RN to BSN options, and doing that would expand your program choices, since you wouldn't be limited to those that have bridge programs. If your goal is teaching, an MSN Education program might be a better fit, and RN to MSN Ed programs are very very common. Most local public health departments are not going to require a Master's degree for this sort of position, let alone something specifically public health focused. I've seen 100% online options for all of these.

I screwed up my first round of university. Hasn't mattered in the slightest. I did an RN to BSN program, and am currently working on an MSN. RN to BSN programs don't tend to be particularly selective. You've proven yourself capable of the work by making it through nursing school.

Yes, we had an event at my facility - I was there that day, but it wasn't actually my patient. A co-worker took most of the fallout from the event, but I'm 100% sure the situation would have happened the exact same way if he'd been my patient, and I have no hesitation saying so to anyone who brings it up. And it does still come up in conversation about my facility, nearly 5 years later. It was a systemic problem. While maybe some small amount of responsibility is actually on the nurse, it's definitely the tip of the iceberg.

Well, combining a lasix shortage and a urinal shortage just might work out.

https://allnurses.com/western-governors-university/if-you-went-837412.html The quick answer is that yes, plenty of people have gone on to MSN/NP programs after WGU. You will not be coming out of it with a 3.0 GPA because you have previous college coursework. The 3.0 from WGU will probably end up accounting for about 25% of your total college GPA. So if your previous GPA is relatively high, you should be in pretty good shape. I went to WGU, didn't pass a few classes the first semester I took them, have a very roller coaster academic record in general, and still got into an MSN program at a very respectable state university. (Not an NP program. I didn't apply for any NP programs so I can't say if I would have got in).

I knew where I wanted to work. Like you, I'd volunteered in a certain setting, and that's what led me to nursing in the first place. Clinicals didn't change my mind. I found that I liked most other areas just fine and could potentially be happy with a job in any department, but I still had a preference for that first department. But life led me other directions. I ended up elsewhere and, while I wouldn't mind working in that original setting, the direction I'm currently headed makes it less likely I ever will. And that's fine.

I agree that contacting your BON is the answer, but keep in mind that all sorts of schools shut down - it isn't a problem limited to for-profits. The state university I'd thought about going to shut down their nursing program (good thing I didn't go there, as it shut down when I would have been in the middle of the program!). They can't possibly go yanking everyone's license when the school closes, or there would be a lot less experienced nurses!