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!

Having gotten pregnant during nursing school (not on purpose), I think both are a bad idea. I know biological clock is ticking and all, but if you're "getting close to 30", you do still have time to hold off for the time it takes to get yourself through school and established - that's like another 1-2 years, not 10. 1. You don't know how your pregnancy will go. You might end up on bed rest. You might end up with horrible morning sickness - that was me. I think I probably would have dropped out if it had been earlier in the program. As it was, I'd established myself enough that they were willing to give me leeway in clinicals to meet my needs (when I needed to eat, I really needed to eat!). I'd only choose to do it if I felt that dropping out and returning after the baby was born was a potential option. 2. Taking time off after school may make it harder to find a job as a new grad. Not impossible, and it depends on the job market in your area. But harder. It also puts a lot of pressure on you to go to work ASAP after the baby. 3. FMLA kicks in after a year of employment. If you start a job while already pregnant, you will not qualify for FMLA at the time the baby is born, and you'll have no legal protection of your job if you need or want to take time off beyond whatever sick time you've accumulated. YMMV. I know someone else who got pregnant in her last semester on purpose and absolutely loved the timing. Just be sure you're going into it with realistic expectations. Pregnancy, even a relatively smooth one, can kick your ass physically and mentally.

In theory... we have a computer connected to a UPS which doesn't rely on network access which we can use to print out paper copies of the MAR. Not useful if there was an EMP that knocked out all electronics or something, but fine for most situations. In practice, I'm not sure much of anyone knows how to use it, and I'm not sure how well the system has actually been tested. The times I've been there and the network has gone out, we've just waited it out (which may mean meds being delivered a bit late, but it's never lasted more than a few hours). Ideally, perhaps we should be printing out a copy of all current orders nightly or something, though that's a heck of a lot of paper. I think trying to maintain a set of paper MARs, while maybe ideal, is going to be prone to error and neglect. I think the important thing to remember is that you are not alone. Barring very unusual and unlikely situations (you're the only nurse working in a small SNF on a mountaintop and get snowed in? You have really really horrible management who won't come into work in the event of an emergency that threatens patient safety?) you will have other people there to help with decision-making. Unless you somehow have no backup, you should not be making unilateral decisions in this situation. Giving meds by memory is a bigger concern, IMO, than "if it wasn't documented, it wasn't done". You can always document on plain old paper, but memory is fallible (or simply doesn't know about a recent change in orders). But for the sake of thought experiment... I would verify the instructions on the med card with a practitioner and document on paper, or at least get a blanket order to give according to directions on the med cart. And then hope the cart was well maintained. If I were truly all on my own with no backup and no endpoint in sight, like if it was a zombie apocalypse and I was the only non-zombie staff person remaining, defending my residents against the zombie hordes and still managing to give them their meds... I'd just go by the instructions on the med card and hope State would take extenuating circumstances into account on their next survey. Though undoubtedly we'd run out of supplies before then.

This doesn't seem right given the info they publish. Based on the sample schedule WGU publishes, the clinicals seem like they would require a lot of time off work (at least a week or two every two months, increasing towards the end of the program). Total program length may have some flexibility, but the actual nursing portion of the program has a set minimum length because of the clinicals. But maybe what they publish isn't accurate, and it's more flexible than it seems? You sound like you're speaking from experience - what did it look like in reality? I do agree - there are few nursing programs that are going to accommodate a full-time job, especially a 9-5 type. WGU is certainly not unique in that.

Why is it not sanitary? If it is sanitary enough for housekeeping, shouldn't it be sanitary enough for nursing? I do agree about it being confusing for residents with cognitive deficits, especially since aging can lead to decreases in color perception. You could find studies on that if you wanted ammunition. I think staff has good reason to be upset any time the dress code is changed, assuming they buy their own uniforms. Even if a stipend is provided to buy new clothing, you've suddenly got a wardrobe of scrubs you can no longer use.

Is it possible? Maybe. Is it likely? Not really. People have made it through 31 or more CUs in 6 months. The program has been restructured such that making it through in six months is less common, but it apparently still happens. 31 CU is a fairly average amount to have to do for the RN to BSN program, and most people are going to take 2 semesters (at least) for that. But there's absolutely no way anyone here can say whats possible for you personally. People who make it through quickly tend to be very motivated, not procrastinators, good at self-teaching, and have few outside commitments. Often they only work part-time or have a job that allows lots of time at work for doing schoolwork. Some has to do with whether your student mentor is facilitative or obstructive, and that's luck of the draw.

Definitely not all facilities are the same. I worked at one where staying several hours late to finish charting was not unusual. At the other, even 15 minutes late was uncommon, and tended to indicate that something requiring a lot of paperwork had happened late in the shift. Agreed. Agency nurses are expensive - you're paying both the nurse (who may be making more than the facility normally pays nurses) and the agency. They're not going to go through an agency unless absolutely necessary, and they'll often utilize as few agency nurses as they can - in other words, not enough to actually fix the staffing problem. And staffing problems are a red flag for other issues at the facility. Maybe it's an area where nurses have their choice of jobs, and are simply choosing not to work in SNF/LTC. Or maybe the facility itself is an undesirable place to work. I've also heard of agency nurses getting stuck with the heaviest/least desirable workloads because the facility is not concerned about their retention and long-term happiness.

Say what you want about WGU, but it is not a for-profit school.

I agree. I know multiple nurses who have been found responsible by the board of nursing for patient deaths who still have their license and are still practicing (Which is not to say I agree with the board. In at least one of those cases I know for absolute certain that the nurse would have been me if I'd been assigned to that hall - I think it was a systemic problem that was unavoidable given the systems in place at the time). I know a nurse who hit a resident who apparently still has her license. They're not going to take your license because you went outside the two hour window delivering meds to 35 residents or some other problem associated with SNF workload, or none of us would have licenses! It generally takes serious willful wrongdoing.

Go there and ask to take a look around. Talk to current staff - do they seem like people you would want to work with? Do they seem reasonably happy, or excessively stressed? Look at the residents - do they look clean, well-cared for, and overall reasonably happy? Look at the activities calendar and current activities - do they seem to have worthwhile things going on, or is it all BS and TV? Does the facility seem clean? How does it smell? Facilties are required to post their census/staffing. Look at that. Does it seem reasonable? Go to multiple facilities if possible so that you have a basis for comparison. Even if you have no intention of applying, going to multiple places will give you a better idea of what is normal. All facilities are going to have some occasional smells, residents with behaviors, alarms going off, etc. But some more than others. Look at what the facilities provide compared to your career goals. Some facilities have post-acute rehab, ventilated patients, and so forth. At some you'll do IVs, blood draws, and complex wound care. Others have just fairly straightforward long term care patients. A facility with more acuity and opportunities for skill development is a better option for a newer nurse hoping to transition to a hospital. For that matter - is it affiliated with a hospital? If so, it could be a foot in the door, giving you networking opportunities and access to internal job postings. On the other hand, someone whose isn't a skillsy person, who is looking for a slower-paced environment, or has LTC as their long-term career goal might want a lower acuity facility. Look at online reviews, keeping in mind that people who are unhappy are more likely to post reviews, and that you're only seeing one side of the story, which may not be totally accurate. If you know hospital nurses, ask them. They're likely to have some opinions on based on patients that are transferred to them. Look at Nursing Home Compare. That will give you an idea how the facility is doing, by official measures, compared to others in the area. That said, don't write off a facility based just on that - I've worked at both on-paper "good" and on-paper "bad" facilities. The "bad" facility proved to be a better fit for me. Use the info to find things to ask about during your interview or when talking with staff.

I'm not going to say never, but I rather doubt that it will happen within the next 10 years. Around my parts, nursing homes are having a lot of staffing trouble. LPNs have no problem getting a job in nursing homes, let alone ADN RNs.