vokaybo

Grand Canyon University is a real school on campus and online. You can do either. Some nurses have to work to support family and do not have the time to attend classes on a physical campus. I obtained my BSN from GCU and plan to do my DNP there. I would like to add that it was one of the hardest programs I have completed. It was harder than my AASN or MSN.

I am planning on doing my DNP at GCU. I obtained my BSN from there. I am about through with my MSN at another college and want to go back to GCU.

Any input from anyone on choice of schools for DNP? Grand Canyon is my Alma Mater but I like Chamberlain's set up. Any advice from grads of either program?

My husband is a RN and he left nursing after only 2 years of practice. He keeps up his license for a backup plan but he went back into the electrical field where he makes 4x the money as an industrial electrician. He had taken a position in ICU just to get his foot in the door.He hated being in ICU and wanted to do Outpatient and Inpatient surgery but every time he applied they would choose someone else. He was really stressed and just couldn't take it anymore. He is much happier now.

Can anyone tell me from first hand experience about any "totally online" DNP programs? I am looking at Grand Canyon University currently as I completed my BSN through them. The school I am attending and about to graduate with my MSN from, does not offer doctorate degrees in nursing. I just want to know what all my options are. I do not want to travel anywhere for even orientation. Thanks...

Pixie, Did you finish? I am in 521 and 551 right now. I have 680 in the summer and then the capstone in the Fall. I am really having a nervous fit about these courses. Are they fairly straightforward? Leary about two classes at the same time.

After 28 years with an Associate degree, I earned my BSN and now I am working on my Masters. I think it is very important to keep going and keep growing. I am 48 years old however. I don't think if I were 60 or over I would want to go back to school that close to retirement age. But who knows...I once worked with a nurse who was 80 years old and could outwork everyone around her. Education is one thing that can never be taken from you. You can lose just about everything in life but the knowledge you gain through education is yours to keep so it is never a bad thing to further your education. I wish I had done it sooner.

Forgot one thing.... If you could get your CNA and go to work some hospitals will pay you to go to RN school if you sign a contract with them to work for so many years after graduation. Also, many will reimburse you after you pass each class so you would pay for the class up front and when you pass, they would reimburse you for it. You could then use that money to pay for the next class.

I don't know where you live, if you are straight out of highschool, how good your grades are or what but Kentucky has a college called Berea College that is free if you can get in. One of my friends went there and another friend's daughter is going there now. Like I said, I don't know your situation but if you are nearby it might be worth a shot. They have a great nursing program. If this is not an option, have you considered a student loan? Some states, like North Carolina, will pay off your nursing student loan if you will stay in the state and work for a few years after graduation. Check into your state. You don't have to pay student loans until 6 months after you graduate and you wouldn't have to pay them long if your state will pay them off for you. That is all the advice I have...

Make a complaint with your state board of nursing first. Issues dealing with narcotics are usually mandatory to report. File a grievance with your HR department against your supervisor and complete an incident report as to what you found. Speak with your Risk Manager. The BON will likely discipline the supervisor for failing to report. The pharmacy will have to file a report with the DEA. Drug screens will likely be administered to all personnel who worked the days the documentation was forged to test for diversion. Our facility does hair drug tests. It could be that whoever did this is selling them also so they may not test positive themselves. Don't let this go unaddressed.

Housewife

Try Tri-County Community College in Murphy, NC. It is about an hour and a half from Kennesaw and there are several Georgia students that attend there. He could at least get his ADN and then could do BSN online.

It seems as though he is doing well in his other classes since he has a 3.5 GPA. If possible, he may need to get down to the core reason he can't seem to get through this class with a passing grade. Often students do need tutoring in difficult subjects. You didn't mention which class he was having difficulty with. Tell him to keep his chin up and encourage him to go after his dreams of being a nurse. If you weren't in Georgia I would tell you to have him check out Excelsior for his ADN but he wouldn't be able to work in Ga until he fulfilled the requirements for hours worked. There are options out there. He just needs to explore them. Hope you are able to find him something...

A CNA is required in our state's community college system for nursing students to even be admitted. I believe it would be beneficial to you in whatever state you are in.

Business casual...

It's a tough world out there. I was a Med/Surg manager for 5 years and I can tell you from experience that you must be careful not to hire too many new grads. The reason for this is patient safety. Seasoned nurses are more knowledgeable of care because they have been doing it longer. Their critical thinking skills have matured over time and they are excellent resources. That being said, new grads are great for a unit too because they bring fresh, new ideas straight out of school and seasoned nurses can learn from them as well. A unit just needs a good mixture of seasoned and new nurses. Many things are not learned in the classroom and are needed to give the best care possible. Seasoned nurses can give guidance to new grads. Hope this helps and good luck with the other interview. I think you should do it. No doubt, the manager will be asking about your first interview from the one that interviewed you. The unit you are applying to may have plenty of seasoned nurses and it could go well for you. Just don't give up...

Have you done a review? I suggest doing that. They are quite helpful.

NANDA

I took online statistics at UNC and it was a booger but ended up with a B (1 point from an A). I am terrible at math. With statistics it will depend on your teacher too. Good luck... It is doable.

There are usually policies on how long you have to stay on the unit before a transfer can be applied for. Check your facility policy.

Call Human Resources and ask...

NICU is a hard unit to get into for seasoned nurses. You are a new grad. This opportunity does not come along often because most people stay in NICU once they get there. I was there for 14 years. Med/Surg is good for learning but you can learn it later if you decide NICU is not for you. I was also a Med/Surg Nurse, Charge Nurse, Supervisor, and Manager after I left NICU and it is a "hard" place to work. It is probably the most tiring job of any other type nursing short of ED.

What does your policy say on Chain of Command? Are you in a hospital? NH? Rehab?

You have a legal right to your drug test. In my state you can have your license tagged for that and require rehab before your license can be cleared. Hope everything works out.

I was a NICU nurse for 14 years back in the 80's and 90's. I knew nothing either. You will pick up quickly and it is really quite an exciting job. It can be sad at times but for the most part is very rewarding. You will learn a lot. I will say though, after 14 years, I had to relearn a lot when I went to a different adult position in Med/Surg. You lose a lot of your everyday knowledge. Premies do not use as many drugs as adults and it is difficult to keep up with all the new drugs for adults when you are concentrating on babies. Most people stay in the NICU field and don't have to worry about this but I got burned out and decided I wanted to move on. Good luck! You should love it...