smn2010

If you have an interest in psychiatric nursing..... Apply with the Commonwealth of Virginia (State of Virginia). Eastern State Hospital (ESH) in Williamsburg, Virginia is hiring!!! Disregard the salary range listed on the state job listing site. Regardless of what you may think, the state pays well. As a new nurse, you will make about $46,500 base pay annually but then you must include the shift differential to this. If you are able to work 3pm-11pm, the shift diff is about $5.75 hour (which is an additional $12,000+ annually = $58,000 annually). Not bad for a new grad!!! For those with years of nursing experience, the state usually provides 10-15% salary increase about your current job salary when hired. With Eastern State Hospital you can work in either of two new buildings: (1) Hancock Geriatric Center is building 1 (2) Adult Mental Health Treatment Center (AMHTC) is building 2. Building 1 contains geriatric patients 65+ in age as well as patients who are younger than 65 but have medical conditions (cardiac, amputations (usually knee), PEG tubes, etc.) who cannot be cared for in building 2. Building 1 also has newly units that will contain patients who are preparing to be released to the community. These patients are like you and I however they have criminal backgrounds and basically served their time at ESH versus the local jail or prison. The new units will help these patients prepare for the outside world. Building 2 contains civil (civilly admitted) patients and Forensic patients (the criminally insane). The forensic units consist of men/women who have been adjudicated Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity (NGRI). These men/women may have committed heinous crimes (murder, brutal rapes/serial rapists, pedophiles...) which you must disregard while you care for these individuals. I work with the forensic patients. The job is exciting, interesting and at times, mentally draining. The criminally insane are not "stupid" --- they are just crazy/insane!! (smile!) and there IS a difference!!. What I mean is, they are actually very intelligent. They are much smarter than most and can easily manipulate their caregivers (RNs, LPNs, CNAs). The forensic units are dangerous so you must be aware of your surroundings at all times. The patients usually get transferred from local jails. Once at ESH, the patients can be "off the chain" !!! Combative, threatening, inappropriate (walking around naked, urinating/defecating (urinating/defecating is rare; but it has happened)....) You will go through training on how to protect yourself as well as your staff. Your staff, in turn, are there to protect you. Every few months, we (forensics) do get patients that take weeks to get under control. Most of the jail transfers are not medicated (they can refuse their psychotropic meds while at the jail) so it does take days or weeks (2) before the medication becomes effective. Once this occurs, the patients are fine; but prior to this it may be constant - holding (of patients)...administering IM injections (buttocks usually)....placing patient into a seclusion room. I can only say....it is NOT as bad as it sounds. The first month you are on the floor (out of orientation) you will be a "little" scared because it is all new to you; but once you get to know your patients, what their "triggers" (what upsets them) are it will be no different than a medical-surgical unit at your local hospital. Many people will say, "I can't work psych" but keep in mind, EVERY nurse that goes to work on a med/surg, cardiac, oncology, etc. unit deals with psych EVERY DAY. There are many people/patients who are taking psychotropic meds so you will deal with the schizophrenic, narcissistic, schizo-affective personalities at your local hospital and not focus on it since the patient is there for reasons OTHER THAN psych issues. The bad thing is, you (the nurse) just won't know what they are capable of. You can be punched, spit on, kicked, etc. in any Emergency Room as well as the usual units in a hospital at any time. At least with psych hospitals, you know what you're dealing with-->right when you walk in the door. I actually feel safer going to work at ESH than walking inside the local mall. I say this because there are patient's who literally have beat innocent people to a pulp just for "looking at them the wrong way" while walking in the mall. They were arrested for the aggravated assault and the judge determined them to be NGRI and now they are at ESH on the forensic unit. So if psych is your passion, decide whether you want to work with forensic patients, civil patients, geriatric patients or those patients preparing for release.... When you submit your application on line, PLEASE add a cover letter (Hint: find out who the director of the human resources department is and address your cover letter to him). In your cover letter, PLEASE indicate which area you are interested in/what your preference is. If you are hired, you will enter into an orientation period; however, you won't know what unit area you will be assigned until about 4 weeks into the orientation process. This part is a bummer!!! If you prefer forensics, you may find you are being placed on a geriatric unit. So, for this reason, be clear and SPECIFY what your preference is in your cover letter. If you get an interview, be clear and SPECIFY what your preference is!! Commonwealth of Virginia employment website: https://jobs.agencies.virginia.gov/applicants/jsp/shared/Welcome_css.jsp Just do a search of "Registered Nurse" or "Nurse".... If psych is not your interest -- consider public health with the state of Virginia (use the same website). Additionally, check each cities' employment site (Norfolk, VA Beach, Chesapeake, etc.) and look for nursing jobs with crisis rehabilitation, substance abuse, mental health departments. The jobs are out there. Also for psych nursing positions, consider Virginia Beach Psychiatric Center (First Colonial Road in Virginia Beach) and other establishments like this because they hire new grads. Their website: www.vbpcweb.com Think "outside of the box" when looking for nursing jobs. For now, forget the local hospitals and "think" about other places that nurses are needed (Patient First, dialysis centers...). It will be easier to find a job this way since most new grads will be bombarding Sentara, Chesapeake Regional, Riverside, etc.... I've written a short novel... So sorry, but I get carried away when it comes to helping others find jobs!!! DON'T FORGET... CREATE A GOOD -- SPECIALTY SPECIFIC -- COVER LETTER !!! (I have cover letters written specifically for psych, urgent care, doctor's offices, etc.) Best of luck to you --- in whatever field/specialty you pursue.....

The plans for this facility are constantly changing.... They now have plans to build housing on the property!!!! Old building will be demolished and replaced with new housing to allow the patients to experience a home-like atmosphere while learning, if they are able, to cook, clean, etc. But, this current plan could change tomorrow!!! You should have already interviewed for the position by this time. Hopefully, you asked the right questions and you now have a better idea about the workplace and future plans for the facility. Good luck!

* pay: the pay should have be listed within the job description you applied for. if not, look at another rn (or lpn) position with the state (same city) and you may see a salary range. if you placed the salary of your last employer on your application, which i hope you did; be expected to be offered 10-20% above this as a starting salary. if you did not indicate your salary of your last employer, good luck; because you may be offered the minimum for this job position. often, you are asked to bring in the last few pay stubs from your previous employer as proof of your actual salary. this may seem strange; but, there have been nurses who have falsely "elevated" their previous salaries so we must now show proof. (note: when applying for a state or government job, always place the salary from your current, last employer on your application...otherwise you may lose out when it comes to salary offers. with any other organization, i would not indicate my salary; but i know that state/government jobs offer 10-20% above your last salary.) * benefits: do a search of "virginia state employee benefits" and you will locate the human resources main page (http://www.dhrm.virginia.gov/). click on the blue "employees" link. you will find all the benefit information you need (pay days, holidays, insurance info., retirement info., etc.). working for the state will provide you with many benefits (vacation, family leave, education/community leave, etc.) that allow you to have many days off in a given year.:loveya: the longer you state a state employee, the more hours/days you will receive. if you are offered the job and you take the position, keep in mind that you can always transfer to another facility if it is not a good fit for you. * working conditions: i work for the state but i don't work at this facility. it is in a part of chesapeake that, to me, is out in the boondocks. but, i honestly haven't heard any complaints from the nurses that work there. i work at the state psych facility in williamsburg. i have friends that work at the training center in chesapeake as well as in petersburg and they love it. keep in mind, you will always come across those who have negative comments about their place of employment/employer. you must just decide what works best for "you"... and keep it moving! during your interview will be the time to ask the questions that will help you determine whether you want to work there. ask: how did the position become available (promotion, transfer, departure, etc.)? what is the average tenure of the nursing staff? can you give me an example of an "average" day (...a hectic day?...)? what have you found to be the biggest complaint/concern of the nursing staff (i.e. lack of sufficient supplies/equipment, call outs, etc.? what are the staffing ratios (staff to patient) for each shift (i.e. rn/lpn/cna/techs)? what are your expections for a new hire in the first 6 months, 12 months? hope this is helpful! good luck with the job. if you want it....i hope you get it!!!

$1200 month is doable. check craigslist. it will give you an idea of what's out there (search for newport news) in the apts/home rental section. don't limit yourself to just newport news. for additional information, check the city-data website - city-data.com forum: relocation, moving, local city discussions go to the virginia forum. then hampton roads (for newport news information). right now, someone has posed the question re: neighborhoods in newport news!!! you will be surprised at the amount of information you will find. if you don't find the information you need in a search, just create an account and ask the question yourself. :) everyone is very helpful and they will point you in the right direction. good luck!!

just a suggestion.... ...if you are not sure of what an appropriate pay scale/amount is for your years of experience/background, you should always turn the question back around to the interviewer and ask: "(considering my xx years of experience...) what is the starting salary range for this position." in doing so, you are not putting the interviewer on the spot because you are merely asking, "what is the minimum and the maximum" salary range based upon your years of experience. i will tell you the interviewer will hesitate to answer (and let them!!! don't say another word!!); because he/she expects you to offer an amount---at which point, if you are too low they will be very happy... if you are too high, you may not hear back from them after the interview. ...just a suggestion...

try sending an exploratory cover letter directly to the director of nursing (don) at long term care (ltc) facilities in the area. i know that kindred is always hiring. they have several facilities in hampton roads. you would want to work on their skilled unit in virginia beach or on the 2nd floor acute care unit of their norfolk facility. on these floors: virginia beach--skilled unit--you will learn trach, ng-tubes, g-tubs, iv's, colostomy/ileostomy, etc. norfolk--2nd floor, acute care--you will deal with short stay patients (2-5 days) who are there for rehab (i.e. ortho patients)/step downs from hospital, etc. prior to going home. i would suggest the norfolk facility (harbour pointe in the ghent area) because it is similar to a med-surg/ortho environment of a hospital. new grads start at $24-25 hour ($49,900-$52,000 annually, base pay before adding any shift diff -- 40 hour work week) which is better than the sentara system which starts new grads at only about $20-21 ($37,440-$39,312 annually, base pay before adding shift diff -- 36 hour work week). and it may only be $19 and change, for new grads, i'm not sure... sentara is a large medical organization; however, they are placing all their funds into new buildings/restructuring and they have not been paying rns what they should. i say this because rns with 3 years of experience at sentara are only making $22.40 hour base pay ($41,932 annually, base pay)!!!yuck!! another option would be westminster canterbury in virginia beach, va. they also start their new grads at $24-25 hour. both kindred and westminster have websites that display their current vacant positions; but i would "suggest" you send a cover letter with your resume directly to the don as a start; then apply online. a recruiter will call you, if they are interested, after you apply online; however, the don can start the process also. there are other ltc in the area, just call them to find out if they have a skilled or acute care unit---unless you like working strictly geriatric; then, it doesn't matter what ltc facility you apply to. the state psych facility in williamsburg is hiring (forensics, adult treatment center and geriatric units). they hire new grads and still have positions available. base pay is $45,681+ with no experience (which amounts to about $22.00 base before you add your shift diff. this new nurse starting salary is equivalent to what rns with 3 years experience at sentara are making so you would be starting out ahead.... shift diff for evenings (3p-11p) is $5.72 so that amounts to $27.72 hour!!! with a state psych job in williamsburg, the base salary goes up from there ($45, 681 with a negotiable end range based upon years of experience/background experience at the psych facility). so, don't let the low starting salary on the website for any rn positions turn you off. if you are a good negotiator, you will not have to start at the minimum starting salary. if you decide to apply online with the commonwealth of virginia to work at the psych facility, please incorporate information about your psych rotation in school. also incorporate what you liked about the rotation and provide information as to why you would like to work at a psych facility and what positive assets you will bring to the environment (hint: search the psych posts and read why nurses love their jobs---the ability to see small improvements over time...working in a field that has much stigma where nurses are truly needed...etc.). as someone else stated, the public health departments are also hiring. search positions using the word "nurse" on the commonwealth of virginia website. commonwealth of va website is: https://jobs.agencies.virginia.gov/applicants/jsp/shared/welcome_css.jsp if you're okay with working psych, also apply to virginia beach psych (private facility) located near virginia beach general on first colonial road. check online http://www.usajobs.gov/ and do a search for positions at the v.a. hospital in hampton, virginia (zip code 23667 will make the search easier). some people don't like to travel from virginia beach to hampton; but you get used to the distance in no time and it is really not a big deal. the v.a. hospital (govt. jobs) are slow with their hiring process. you can apply online today and may not hear back for 6 months so get your application/resume/cover letter in and wait it out. it will be beneficial in the long run. since your husband may be military, state and govt. jobs are a better option for you in regards to transferring from job-to-job, within the system, as he moves around. also, consider large medical practices (cardiology, orthopedic, neurology, etc.). don't wait for a position to be posted in the paper or on a website, call the medical practice and get the first/last name and title of the individual who does the hiring and send your exploratory cover letter and resume. you really have to think "out of the box" in today's economic state. you may not be able to get a job in nicu, icu, peds, med/surg units right now; but you can get into another area in the meantime. be patient. a job will come your way before you know it! sorry for the long post...i get long winded at times... :)

There are many patient report sheets and other docs that can be found within AllNurses. There was a post where nurses provided copies of what they were using on their unit. They have a specific name they used for them; but I can't remember what they called them. Here are a few that I saved to my computer. I hope they can help you. I prefer the second (bottom) document..... Hang it there. It will get better. :) If not, talk to your unit Educator/Manager about a move. Also talk to other nurses at your facility to see what's going on where they work. You might feel more comfortable working on another unit. In the end, you have to find your own niche. Hope the attachments help! Good luck! FORM_PATIENT report sheet - from AllNurses.com.doc FORM-Patient Report Sheet - from AllNurses.com.doc

dee tonia is so, so right about sentara and the tidewater/hampton roads area. no money for rns here in the sentara system, unless you work straight weekends and garner the $9 per hour shift differential. without that, there's no real money with sentara. base pay is too low to get any where with. i don't see how nurses can afford to live in hamton roads using sentara's base pay. chesapeake regional and riverside are not much better. sentara does not pay additional money for a assoc./bsn degree either! new grad to 5 years of experience you make less than $44k a year base pay. i too was embarrassed about my rn bsn salary while at sentara!!! sadly, i know of rn at sentara who constantly "brag" about themselves for the mere $1 per hour more they get for a certification...when their base pay is only $22.25 (with 3 years experience)!!! i do believe er and icu nurses get a dollar or so more to work in their areas but.....it's not worth it!!! too much politics with sentara and ever worse at depaul!! after graduating with my bsn, i left hampton roads to go to work at what is considered "rural" hospitals, just so i could have a better starting salary. my starting salary was over $24 base pay as a new grad. much better than the $19-20 sentara and other area hospitals were paying at that time (less than 3 years ago!). i was in central virginia, off of route 58 and i-85. the facilities in these areas truly appreciate their nurses and credit you for your associate or bsn degree by offering $1 more per hour for each. in addition, they even credit you 1-year of nursing for each year you worked as a certified nurse aide (cna), pct, ncp, etc. prior to your rn career! surprising that sentara built the spah and now plans to turn a unit at virginia beach general into a psych specialty area but can't manage to increase nurse salaries to where they should be. for this reason, i will only work for the state of virginia or on an acute care unit of a ltc now that i have returned to the hampton roads area. with the state my base pay is over $27 hour now and i have only 2 years of experience! so, with my shift differentials, my annual income is nearly $70k year (40 hour work week, not 36---work 3 days, off 1, work/off/work, off the weekend) and i don't miss 3-12's any more!!. i don't have to think about doing overtime any more either!!! my base pay now with the state/commonwealth of virginia as my employer is more than the base-plus-$9 shift diff combined together that sentara was offering me! ? years ago, nurses (and other professions) "ran away" from state jobs because they paid so little. now, the state has caught on with their thinking and nursing salaries have greatly increased and continue to rise. needless to say, the federal government (hampton's v.a. hospital and area military clinics) will pay me even better; but, i'll wait until i have 5 years of experience before going that route. dee tonia - if you are still working with the sentara system, consider working for a long term care (ltc) facility that has an acute care unit (like a med-surg). in particular, try the kindred system (harbour pointe) in norfolk and virginia beach. the 2nd floor of their norfolk facility is acute care and consists of patients who are there for short stays (2-5 days) as they go through rehab (ortho type, hospital step-down type patients) before going home. also consider westminster cantebury in virginia beach. both start new grad rns at $25 per hour.....

consider apply for positions in areas that may have been your third, fourth, fifth option. i.e. if you've been applying to hospitals (med/surg, progressive care units), consider skilled units of long-term care facilities (ltcs). also look for state jobs: public health, state psych facilities, etc. also city jobs like a school nurse or even at physician offices. while these may not be your top choices, you can at least get more opportunities to find employment. long ago, state civil service jobs did not pay well; but now, they pay more than private industry!!! in virginia any way. don't let the salary range listed with a state/city job posting turn you off to applying for a position. if you are a good negotiator, you can/will get the salary you desire, even if it is your first rn job!! if state employment isn't of interest to you right now...down the road, after you've worked some where for awhile and you want to consider a change...try a state job. the state will pay 10-20% more than your current nursing salary as an incentive to get you to work for them. again, in virginia any way. by the way, the only time i list my salary on an application for my current job is when i am applying for a state job because of the fact that their (the state's) intent is to increase the pay 10-20% above what you are currently making. if you haven't already, send "exploratory" cover letters of employment with your resume. don't wait for a job to be posted in the newspaper or online. contact facilities, get the full name and title of the individual that hires rns (don, recruiter, office manager, etc.) and send a letter directly to him/her stating "dear mr. abc, i'm submitting this letter to explore possible registered nurse positions that may become available within your organization. the attached resume will provide you with information regarding my education and work history... (end of paragraph #1). then go on to sell yourself (education/skills/abilities) in paragraph #2 and in paragraph #3 explain why you feel that you will be a good rn/an asset working for him/her at this particular facility (...why are interested in working there specifically---here do some research about the facility and what they do...) ...." don't give up. these are hard economic times right now. there is a job out there for you! :)

i agree with nedrn. it's good that you feel that travel nursing is something you might be interested in; however, it is not something you get into "just for the great money." most travel agencies require rns to have one solid year of nursing under their belt; but, i don't think this is enough. as nedrn stated, when you work as a travel nurse, you will be expected to hit the ground running!!! you will not receive weeks of orientation. you might only get 1-2 days!!! that's it!!! if you happen to be working in a paper charting environment as our first rn job and travel to work at a computer charting environment, you will be expected to teach yourself the computer/software after you spend.....maybe....a few hours.....maybe.....one day.....watching someone use a computer as they do their daily rn routine. then you "might" be given a computer manual to "teach yourself" what you need to know, overnight, so you are ready the next morning! you're onyour own as a travel nurse basically. once your co-workers show you where the supplies and equipment are located on the unit, you start your assignment shortly there after. no playing around. so imagine.....one year of nursing, not familiar with computer charting, start working as a travel nurse where you're placed in a computer charting environment....you have to remember door codes to supply/equipment rooms while learning a new facilities' protocols while you care for your patients after only 1-2-3 days of unit orientation.... you should hold on to your interest as a travel nurse and for now focus on being a good/great floor/staff nurse first. :) i'm pretty sure that you will be working as a staff nurse for 2 years, minimum, before you even begin to feel comfortable enough to travel. as a new nurse, "you don't know--what you don't know" yet and this will come with time---usually after more than one year. once you start your first rn job, that is the time for you to inquire about travel nursing. you can talk to travel nurses that may be at your facility. you may even find that you coworkers were once travel nurses and utilize them to get more feedback. there really are no "suggestions" as to which agencies you should work with. too many to choose from. that's up to you, what your expectations are, what region of the u.s. you want to travel to, your specialty, etc. the longer you work as a nurse the more information you will find out as you communicate with those around you while on the job.... best of luck with school....the nclex....and finding that first great rn job!!! :)

So, so sorry everyone! I completely overlook Australia/New Zeland in the original post. It's a shame your orientation is so minimal where you all are..if you can even call it "minimal" since it is next too nothing compared to what we in the U.S.A. receive from our hospitals in regards to training. For new grads, orientation is 12 weeks minimum for us here in the U.S.A. If you are accepted into an internship, the time frame changes to 6 - 18 months dependent upon the department/facility, etc. (example: 9-12+ months for RN in Intensive Care/NICU internship/orientation, 18 months for a Operating Room RN orientation). Again, my apologies for not realizing where you all are living. :)

I think you are doing yourself disservice by not applying for RN positions. Orientation for new graduates is usually 12 weeks. This is enough time for you to get your feet week and be ready to get out on your own in your unit. Just make sure you are not placing yourself on a fast-paced unit (i.e. Progressive Care, "large" medical-surgical unit...) While a new grad program can be 6 months to a year in length----which is great, you need to get in there and practice the skills you've learned in school!!! If you take the route of a Long Term Care (LTC) facility, I would suggest you try to be assigned to a skilled nursing unit (you will gain practice with trachs, NG-tubes, G-tubes, IV's, PICCs, colostomies/iliostomies, etc.) but better yet request to be placed on an acute care unit (some have ortho patients right after surgery who are there at LTC facility for rehab before going home and patients are of all age ranges because with ortho patients these are usually elective surgeries which are usually only done on patients who have been deemed "healthy"; patients are usually there for 3-10 days at most). As an FYI....most new grads/nurses never feel fully prepared for their first assignment/job. It takes as much as 18+ months before a new grad really feels confident with their work. Each day is a new experience so you're always learning, learning, learning. Basically "putting all the pieces" together between what you've learned in school and what actually occurs at the workplace. Shake off the bad nerves and look a job on a unit that you will feel comfortable in that may not have that high of a nurse:patient ratio (i.e. 24-hour/short-stay unit, cardiac cath lab, step-down unit--a particular unit where patients are placed before being discharged home, etc.). Once you've done this for about 6-9 months, I'm pretty sure you will want to branch off into another unit where you can advance your skills. :) Best of luck to you!!!

i suggest: * change your font to times new roman, it will look more professional. * not sure why you used a table format. removing the table format allows for more spacing on the page. * not sure why but your font changes from 9-10 throughout each section so your square "bullets" are not the same size when the change occurs. * you are using single and double dashes within our text and it is easily noticed. determine which you prefer (1 dash or 2 dashes) and make it consistent throughout. note: when you type two (2) dashes together and then hit the space bar, you get a longer "dash" appearance. take a look at your resume with this in mind and you will easily notice the difference. * remove the entire column that contains your name and address. it is taking up too much space that could be used in the sections below. place your name/address at the top of your resume--and centered (or at the left margin). you could even place a double line border under it (going the full length of the page) as a separator for the address and body of your resume. * you have a 6pt and 12pt spacing throughout your resume. much too much. if your preference is to utilize point spacing rather than a carriage return, after your name/address, change your spacing to 2pt before/2pt after your headings (employment history, clinical experience, etc.); then use single spacing throughout your resume, except where i referenced above. once you change your spacing, you could retain your section headings at the left margin but indent each section's information a "little" more and your section headings will stand out more. * in your clinical experience, if you were at the same hospital for mulitiple courses, list the hospital only once. (i.e. abc hospital, 06/2011-12/2011 and 01/2012-03/2012 - cardiology/medical-surgical i and ii). also don't use italics for your dates, just place them in parenthesis followed by a colon. * remove the "references" section. all employers are aware that references will be provided when requested; so it's not necessary to place this on your document. i tried all of the above myself using your document .....you will now have a one page resume now!!! :) i used to prepare resumes as a part-time job so i'm just providing my two cents.... NursingResumeDeidentified-Revised.doc

IKnowYouRider: Thanks for your comment. My intent is NOT to anger anyone. As I stated, I was playing devil's advocate. :) Everyone needs to keep in mind that the outward skills/abilities that you may know about your competitors (when seeking a transfer/promotion, etc.) are not everything. Noone tells everyone all about themselves. Especially when it comes to past work experience. Don't assume minimal years of experience, lack of working in a particular unit (psych), etc. are all that is involved in the hiring process. It's previous experience/history, interviewing skills, etc. that can improve one's chances at getting a job. And, this "previous experience/history" may be something that you/others are not even aware of. The right job for you is out there. Just be patient. :)

Sambo: Don't know if you saw this in another link; but another poster provided it to assist with those who are new/curious about Travel Nursing: Travel Nurse Help | Hospital Information for Travel Nursing JobsWhat I found interesting was the salary range for non-travel nurses. Something to look at when you prepare your next contract. You will receive responses from current travel nurses in time, just be patient. Additionally, as you travel, you will meet other travellers. Befriend them and find out who they are contracted with, what incentives/benefits are being provided to them, what their contract consists of (housing, auto, stipend, etc.) without getting into exact monetary amounts. You will learn alot from all those around you. Once I get my youngest child into college next year, I plan to work as a travel nurse also. I already have agencies contacting me for assignments; but can't accept them. So I am building rapport with them until I am ready to start travelling. Enjoy!!! :)

i agree with hollywooddiva. i provided ways for you to determine average costs (in each city you're assigned to work) in my original post but forgot to state the obvious. housing and auto rental are usually handled by the travel agency (with them giving you adequate funds to continue to pay each weeks' rental fees, once you get there). since it's not, you'll have to do your own homework (determine the best costs) as far as getting the most (best value) for the money. keep in mind, you will find differences with each agency you sign up with. so be aware of these differences with each assignment, each new contract. it's your first assignment--a positive learning experience. :) just be ready to hit the floor running (whether paper or computer charting environment, etc.)!!! just know that your training/orientation with the facility will be a few days at most; then you're on your own. you'll enjoy casper, wyoming and each city where you are assigned to work. a new place, new people and activities. facility may not meet your expectation; but 13 weeks will pass by quickly. if you like the facility and want to do an additional 13 weeks, you can negotiate a better contract. :yelclap: additionally, if it's allowed within your contract/agency, line up other agencies that you can work with once your 13 weeks are up. i have a friend who worked with 2 different agencies when she was in her "travel" mode. her last assignment put her in california and she's been there ever since. that was about 2 years ago! before that she traveled both coasts, got assigned in seattle, washington and ended up staying there for about 2 years after her travel assignment ended. again, enjoy your travels and each assignment. :) you'll learn something from each 13-week experience. you'll be surprised at what a great (salary) negotiator you become with each new assignment.

in all honesty, you should have done much research before entering into any contract!!! you have to do your own homework sometimes. but enjoy the experience!!! :) $1150 a week amounts to $31.94 base pay an hour for a 3-day/12 hour shift work week [color=#ffa07a]---or---- $28.75 base pay per hour for a 5-day/8 hour shift work week ($4,600 month). travel allowance seems low at $800 but i'm not sure what the distance is that you are traveling from (home base to wyoming) or if you will be utilizing a u-haul to carry any personal belongings. the $800 may need to be applied toward your initial sign up fee for your extended stay hotel rental. so check into the rates if you are not being given extended stay apartments to live in. $230 week for car rental amounts to $32.85 a day/7 days. if you have worked as a nurse, determine what the per diem nurses at facilities in the area are making. you can call the nurse recruiters at most your assigned hospital/area hospitals to find this out. based on their response, you will have a better idea of what you need to be expecting. i'm used to hearing my girlfriends who are travel nurses say that they make from $35 and above; but i don't know about casper, wyoming. don't know how many years of experience you have so you would have to take that into consideration also. salaries check this site for average salaries at top cities in the united states: click on the top cities tab the look at wyoming registered nursing schools and training programs (rn schools) casper, wyoming appears to pay a little less than cheyenne, wyoming based on the statistics provided. information is from 2008. state government nursing jobs in wyoming pay nurses as follows (search wyoming state government employment): minimum monthly $4,151 market premium position monthly $4,883.00 maximum monthly $5,860.00 hourly rates of pay based on an allnurses.com recent post regarding a wyoming nurse salary: a new nurse in cheyenne, wyoming wrote: https://allnurses.com/registered-nurses-diploma/salary-comparison-685690-page4.html mar 18 by ~mi vida loca~rna cheyenne, wy new grads asn and bsn are started at 25 p/h base pay. they just gave everyone a dollar an hr raise. we are so short staffed that they also just announced this week that anyone that works a 4th shift during the work week will get bonus pay on top of their time and a half. rn's it's 10 dollars more per hr so a new nurse working a 4th shift will be making about $48 per hr. their is also no state tax and no food tax here. i love it! [color=#b22222] i graduated in may and i make 25.50 p/h differentials are mid shift 8% and night shift 12% so based on what the new nurse indicated above, a new grad/new nurse working nights with 12% shift differential would be at $28.00 per hour ($25.00 base plus 12% ($3.00) = $28.00 per hour base+shift diff). keep in mind, the facility referenced in the post/link above is on a 8-hour shifts per day/5-day per week schedule...if you are not a new nurse....and most travel agencies require at least 1 year of experience....and you are working nights....($28.75 hour using your weekly travel rate).... you are making only 25 cents ([color=#a52a2a]$25.50 base + $3.06 shift diff for nights = $28.56) more than the new grad!!...based upon your years of experience, you decide. i would think that you would be making more than this....more like $35-40+ per hour. but then again, she is in cheyenne, wyoming and you will be assigned to a facility in casper, wyoming. i would do some research on the facility!! look for hospital employee reviews. is the facility in a remote, rural area?? seems as though it may be in an area that is hard to recruit or possibly has harsh working conditions (nurse:patient ratios). as a travel nurse/agency nurse, does your contract state what your maximum nurse:patient ratio will be??? when i was being recruited by an agency/travel, i asked and they specifically stated (in ink) that staff nurses at the facility could have a 1:7-8 ratio while i mine) would be maxed at a 1:5 ratio (keep in mind, i might only have 1-2-3 patients, but no more than 5 patients--no matter what!!) of course, i realized that i would probably be assigned the worst patients on the unit!!!! apartment rentals based upon the apartments.com website for casper, wyoming casper apartments for rent | casper, wy - apartments.com 1 bedroom apartments rent from $625-860. also, you should check craigslist.org (enter casper into the rental search option) to see what apartment rentals might be going for. car rental i would suggest that you get a membership card for a couple of the rental car agencies. this way, with each use you gain points, discount $$$ for future use. in time, you will be able to get really cheap rates for you rental cars and you can bank the excess/unused money being given to you from the travel agency---to possibly put toward something else (food!, entertainment!). contact enterprise, avis, etc. in casper, wyoming to determine what their exact weekly fees are. **************************************************** well, this should help a little bit. if anything, you have some resources to look at when you make your next contract/assignment. remember....research, research, research....beforehand.....so you will have an idea as to what your requirements will be when preparing a travel contract. enjoy your travels!!!

you will need nursing skills in most all medical environments. chad collins provided a good example. also, if it is a large practice, you may have the opportunity to utilize computer charting, do initial assessments (head-to-toe, psycho/social, med history, etc.). these are skills that you will need in most hospitals if you work as an rn bedside nurse. you will need to decide if your preference is a hospital setting, office setting, public health, psych, etc. as time goes by. additionally, if you were to work with a dermatologist, you can always look for a prn (per diem, no benefits, but higher salary) on a hospital floor/unit and pick up part-time hourse once a week/twice a month, in order to experience the hospital environment. *********************************************** you would want to sent an "exploratory" letter to places you are interested in working but they do not have any positions posted. i have sent exploratory letters to companies that did not have open positions; however, they retained my resume and called me before they were even in the process of placing an ad in the local paper. first - call the facility/practice and determine the name/title of the individual who oversees applications (nurse recruiter, hr manager, office manager, etc. i have gone so far as sending my resume to the ceo (who then sends it downward to human resources....and got the job! :)) example of an exploratory letter: ...this may sound a bit cheesy because i'm not using my actual letter wording; you will word it in a manner that suits you... paragraph #1 - this letter is being written to explore possible registered nurse > positions that may become available within your organization. the attached resume should provide you with information regarding my education and work history. paragraph #2 - i am a recent graduate of >. i received my > in nursing in >. i passed my national council licensure examination (nclex) in >. if you have no previous health care experience, briefly describe each of your clinical rotations in school >. if you have been working as a nurse, briefly describe where you have worked >> paragraph #3 - describe how your college education (or your previous work experience) has provided you with the skills and abilities to do the job that you which to have. i.e.: i have utilized microsoft office software applications (excel, powerpoint, word) on a daily basis when i worked as a unit secretary on a bariatric unit. while working as a unit secretary, i learned to prioritize my work and multi-task while meeting deadlines for nurses, physicians and other multidisciplinary team members, in a fast-paced work environment. i am able to incorporate each of these attributes, while utilizing my nursing knowledge, skills and abilities, as a registered nurse. ...i know...a bit lame but you get the drift!!... paragraph #4/last paragraph - something like: i communicate well with others and i am willing to take on all new challenges that are put before me. i am eager to learn and will go the extra mile to be the best nurse that i can be. if you feel that my skills and abilities might fit the requirements that are needed for any rn positions that may become available >, please contact me at (123) 456-7890 or via email at [email protected]. note: as for the position in the dermatologist office, you may want to incorporate why you have an interest in working at an office like this (i.e. your school clinical experience may have been at area hospitals/community facilities and you have an interest in office nursing); because, if you are called for an interview, i'm sure they will be asking this same question. do some research online to see what nurses in a physican's office/dermatology office deal with. what procedures are performed in-house that you will be assisting the doctor with.... sorry for the long post. hope this helps!!! congratulations on passing the nclex!!! :yeah: good luck with your job hunting!!! just be patient and know that the right job for you is out there....

right now, all you have is an "web interview" (which is usually psycho/social testing to determine if you are a good "fit" for the facility/unit (usually takes 30minutes-1hour to complete). until you receive an actual job offer that you "accept" you really have no reason to even mention your trip. after your web interview, i'm quite sure a telephone and/or a in-person interview will be scheduled. during your in-person interview (which i hope you get to have :) ), you need to ask some important questions: how long is orientation? what will orientation consist of (computer based learning, amount/length of preceptor-orientee time, time learning new equipment, is additional time allotted to orientation/training, if needed, etc.) among other things. the answer to these questions will give you an idea as to whether or not you can expect a positive outcome regarding your trip. if your unit is currently short staffed and in dyer need of nurses on the floor, an extension to your training schedule (even 1 week) may not be easily accepted. note: if a decision is made (job offer) based only upon a web interview alone i would "question" the job, unit, facility etc. and would suggest you make a visit to the facility/unit to shadow a nurse for a few days (at your expense) before accepting the job. after being offered a job/hired, you will need to schedule some time (face-to-face meeting) with your unit manager/director and/or nurse educator (who may be handling your training schedule) to discuss your training schedule and your travel commitment. your management team does not need to know the trip is "non-refundable" or where/why you are going on the trip, they only need to know that you have a previous commitment with flight arrangements already made and you would like to be able to schedule your training "around" this week long trip (hopefully it is not longer than one week). as another side note, if you are offered the job, i would suggest that you never miss a day of work, other than this trip, during your orientation/training or make any other changes to your training schedule. ...be prepared, just in case, if you cannot make adjustments to your training schedule to accomodate your trip.... have a plan b in place (i.e. someone you can sell your ticket to...or place on ebay...) best of luck with the web interview and a job offer. enjoy your trip!!

natyloo: sorry, it's been a while. i can't even remember the name of the school, let alone the city/county it was in. i will try to locate the name of the school that allows you to transfer credits. last i heard (and it's been some time), this particular school had made changes to their transfer process (making it a harder--or more costly---to get in but at least you could still get in) because so many students where leaving one program in order to get into theirs!!!! give me a day or two and i will pm you or respond back here o.k. thanks!!! :) ******************************* abr1121: if you have been calling to the campus (i'll assume you are referring to the college of virginia beach (covb) located at towne center), and no one has returned your calls/emails, this should be an indicator as to what you will have to deal with down the road. disorganization! that is what you can expect from hampton university -- either campus (main or covb, although main campus has a one teacher ***per tos do not post names of school personnel***** who is great; but she can't do everything alone in order to improve the program!!!). don't limit yourself to one university/college. apply to odu and norfolk state and tcc, so that you will have a plan b, plan c. as for the accelerated program -- your clinicals will be limited. this is the main problem with hampton university--covb. they can't keep clinical instructors because they don't pay them.....for months!!! then these people don't ever come back!!! you will spend more time sitting in front of a computer completing computer simulated clinical assignments versus spending time on an actual hospital unit. and...to make matters worse, if the teachers at covb don't "remember" in time they (which they usually forget!) the covb usually won't have hospitals to go to for clinicals. if there is a hospital and covb waited too long to request clinical time (usually the nursing programs in the area get together with local hospitals and work out a schedule to allow each school/program to have time in the various hospitals in the area) you and your classmates will be stuck "shadowing" on a hospital unit---not doing anything but "watching" what nurses do!!! suggestion: ask if you can sit in on a few classes (in the back of the room) and listen to what is being taught, listen to what the students are saying/asking and how all are interacting with one another. also, go to the covb library and talk to the students in there to see how they really feel.

...got picked for what job??? a management position?? a lead nurse position??? a routine clinic nurse job dealing with outpatients/people (vets) in the community???..... not knowing you personally or your character (i.e. how you come across at work to others) makes it difficult for anyone to answer your question. you need to realize that job openings, when filled, are not solely based upon certificates you hold, years of experience, etc. often times it is how you come across during the interview. additionally, you do not have to be a psych nurse to "have" psych experience. all nurses deal with psych issues, whether they realize it or not. med-surg and er patients in particular often have secondary (underlying) diagnoses that involve, bipolar disorders, depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, etc. so the other nurses you referenced do have experience dealing with psych patients whether you which to admit that or not. as for the new nurse with one year of experience, you did not indicate what her previous work experience/background consisted of or do you even know??? . maybe, he/she is an ex-vet, has previous experience working at a clinic or in a similar environment, worked on an outpatient treatment team (...whether as a nurse or not...)!! behind the scenes much information that you are not privey to holds the key as to why one person got a job over another. additionally, i have found that nurses who hold certificates in certain fields tend to hold themselves in a "holier than thou" positions and have superior/self righteous attitudes when they do not need to. often, perceiving themselves as "better" than others because of a certificate. i'm not referencing you here, ....i'm just saying (in general).... but, you may need to ask yourself, "how do others perceive me???" do i work well with others (not just other nurses but with secretaries, aides, techs, etc.) ask yourself, "do i interview well?" have your previous annual performance reviews been positive? ask yourself, "did i come across as "a cockey psych know-it-all" during the interview?" when you find the answer to these questions, you may have an idea as to "why" you did not get the position. if it bothers you that much that you did not get the position that you seem to feel you had easily "in the bag," maybe you should ask the hiring entities where you were "lacking" in the interview process. just ask in a professional manner what you need to do to make improvements, if necessary, should another position become available. no offense, just my 2 cents; but....just playing devil's advocate here in response to your question.... find out the answers to the questions, talk to the individuals that made the final hiring decision....set your mind at ease once you receive the results....and.....make changes, if necessary, in order to prepare for the next job opening that becomes available.

lyttlemomma - many long term care facilities (ltc but nursing homes as you call them :)) are also rehabilitation centers also. they always need rns and are open to hiring new grads because you will come into their facility with an open mind, eager and ready to take on all new challenges that are put before you. many of my classmates went directly to ltc facilites that had acute care floors right after graduation and they now work on progressive care units at large hospitals. in hampton roads (virginia) there are ltc/rehab (acute care) facility combinations. they are not just geriatric. the facilities have separate units where they admit patients that transfer in from area hospitals after knee replacement, hip replacement, back surgery, etc. and come to these ltc/rehab facilities for physical therapy before going home. there are also various other patient skill sets here also. patients (young and old) stay only 2-5 days. so, you will gain experience working with ortho patients, for example, that have colostomies/ileostomies, g-tubes, possibly ng-tubes, along with the typical secondary health concerns such as diabetes, gout, gi concerns etc. these facilities are always looking for part-time/prn rns. a ltc/rehab facility on their acute/short-term stay floor/unit (not the geriatric side) would be a great avenue for you to check into as far as a part-time job is concerned. for one, you won't have the "stress" of a hospital setting. ltc are more laid back although some facilities may not be as "modern" with computerized charting. but, don't let that stop you. you get a lot of experience when you utilize paper charting because you gain a better understanding of the nursing process, time management, charting (handwriting) as you go. so hand charting will be helpful for you if you must do it. although, most ltc's are slowly transitioning their patient/resident data to the computer system so you have some paper charting and some computer charting at the same facility. but, all ltc's have to be computerized by 2014 (i think that's the year?! )... so, don't let paper charting hold you back if you want a job in ltc/rehab while doing your psych. :) as a side note, when looking for any job, don't just apply to facilities that have positions posted online, in the newspaper, etc. take some initiative and send an "exploratory" letter to the director of nursing (...or to whoever is in charge of the nursing staff (chief nursing officer, director of hr...) you may have to call human resources to get the correct name (or email address) if it is not located on the facilities website). by sending an exploratory letter, you will be letting the person in charge know of your interest long before they may be thinking about placing an ad online or in the paper. ...sorry for the lenghty response...... i just get carried away/excited when people find a job in today's economy and with so many nurses applying for the same position these days...:yelclap: p.s. while on the new job, don't let the unhappy nurses (or other staff) ruin "your" day with their constant negativity. listen quietly, take the information "in", retain the information, smile, but mainly focus on "your" new job/responsibilities that need to be learned. in time, you will become more and more aware of the highs/lows of your employer/coworkers so you don't need the senior nurses drowning you with their complaints when you first start working. enjoy the new job!!!

Congratulations on the new job!! As a psych nurse for a first time job, I think you WILL be marketable as you gain more experience and make attempts to move into other fields of nursing. Keep in mind, PSYCH is EVERY WHERE!!! I often hear med-surg nurses say, "I'll never work with psych patients!" But guess what....med-surg nurse DO work with psych patients---EVERY DAY!!!. Many, more than you think, patients that come to an oncology, med-surg, OB unit have PSYCH issues!!!! While their chief complaint may be diabetes, GI issues, cancer, etc. many patients in today's world also have psych issues (PTSD, schizoaffective disorders, bipolar, etc.) So your new job as a psych nurse actually puts you AHEAD OF MOST in regards to patient mentalities.... Consider it a "stepping stone" to all the nursing experiences that you will encounter. Best of luck on the new job!!! Advise on what NOT to do.... Don't be a best "friend" to the psych patients. Psych patients are smarter than you think. They listen to EVERYTHING you (and your coworkers) say and they watch EVERYTHING you (and your coworkers) do. And...they will use this against you without you even knowing...if you allow it. They even know who your workplace enemies are before you do! Also, don't talk about where you life, who you live with, where your children go to school... Keep your relationships professional. I say this because I have worked on forensic units of state psych facilities, and I'll tell you this, the murders may appear to be the quietest patients in the day room but they know everything that's going on in the building!!!..... Once you get comfortable with your new psych position (about 1 year in), look for a part-time, PRN/per diem position at a facility that allows for "self scheduling" where you can select the days you want to work. This way, you can get some correctional, med-surg, oncology (or whatever your desire) under your belt on a part-time/per diem basis. Then, after awhile you (and only YOU) can determine if you want to continue in psych or try another field of nursing to add additional skills to your resume. As for your new psych position (and any nursing job for that matter)....ALWAYS be aware of your surroundings. Be safe!!!

regarding salaries: as an fyi....the sentara pay scale for new grads begins at "about" $21.00 for new grads. for rn's with experience, add about $0.30 per hour for each year after that. they stick closely to this because it was determined that (years ago), many nurses with little experience (especially those coming from the central and northern areas of virginia and out of state) were coming in and making more money than seasoned/senior nurses at their facilities. the rn's max out at $32.00 (i think, it may be a little less...). for this reason, many new rn's stay for 2-3 years to get experience then move on to other, higher paying areas. keep in mind, sentara has their own bsn program so they pull their nurses from the graduating classes first then hire from the "outside." this is one of the reasons whey new grads from outside the sentara school system are not being offered jobs as often as in the past. most of the new graduates at sentara went to the sentara nursing program for free and now owe sentara two years of work to pay off their free tuition. while the starting pay is low, you do make up a big difference with the shift differential....especially if you work straight weekends....with a shift differential of $9.00 per hour. so this shift diff (for example) plus $21 hour base pay amounts to $30.00/hour for a new grad (calculation: $30 hour x 1872 hours year (3-12 hour shifts in a year) = $56,160 annually. not bad for a new grad!!!! if you don't do straight weekends (fri-sun; sat-mon or some 3-day variation of this) the regular shift differential is $4 dollas (weekdays) and $6 on weekends. also, for those thinking about where else to work in virginia, consider doing rural nursing (central virginia, western virginia, etc.) these areas have pay incentives if you have an adn or bsn...plus....they even give you credit if you were an lpn....and even credit you for being a certified nurse aide (cna)/patient care tech (pct). there is a hospital in emporia, virginia and petersburg, va that will pay $0.39 per hour above their base rate ($20 or $21, i can't remember what my friend told me) for each year you worked as an lpn, cna/pct and on top of this pay $1.00 additional for a adn/bsn.... so in response to the initial statement of $60-65k annually in the hampton roads are of virginia....no way for a new grad unless you are incorporating shift differentials and other incentives to increase your base pay rate. i hope this information helps!!! wherever you work....don't get caught up on the (low) base rate.... consider shift differentials and other incentives along with your base pay...before you make your final decisions on an job/offer. i say this because there are facilities out there that will provide you with a base pay of $25+ hour but their shift diff is $1 to work nights which "sounds" good on paper but $26 x 1872 hours/year (working 3-12's a week) = $48,672 annually)!!! forget that!!!??? looking for hospitals in the area...for any u.s. state??? ... access this website: www.theagapecenter.com/hospitals just select your state of interest and hospitals (with their own web links) will appear!!!! don't forget the links on the top left-hand side of the page. good luck with your job searches everyone!!!

paolountalan26: congratualations on your upcoming interview!!! i don't think anyone from carilion or anywhere else can tell you what questions will be asked. unless you are interviewing with a city/state or federal agency, every job usually is being posted by different departments, different managers, who have their own group of questions. just be prepared to answer interview questions, in general. i would suggest you do a search of "interview questions for nurses." if you "practice" answering these questions prior to the interview, it will help you tremendously; however, don't be too eager to respond too quickly when asked a questions because you will look as though you memorized your answers. i am not sure what specialty (i.e. correctional, psych...) you are interviewing for; but you can also check the allnurses.com website, by specialty, because there is usually someone who has asked a similar question. good websites that have nurse interview questions are located at: http://www.nursecareers.com/questionstoanswer.html http://www.characterbasedleadership.com/health1.html http://www.udel.edu/csc/pdfs/nurseinterview.pdf http://www.buzzle.com/articles/interview-questions-for-nurses.html http://www.job-interview-site.com/sample-nursing-interview-questions-and-answers.html believe it or not, these days, most interview questions are asked to determine how you handle, conflict between co-workers, patients, patient family members, etc. rarely are you asked about your actually clinical skills. questions are geared to get you to communication by expressing yourself as you explain the answer to "scenarios" that are involve common workplace problems (i.e., you witness a coworker acting intoxicated, what would you do??? you suspect a coworker is stealing narcotics from the unit's med system, what would you do??? what was the most recent conflict that you were involved in while at work and how did you handle/resolve it...) know your strengths! (examples: ability to multi-task, compassionate, good work ethics..) know your weaknesses; and don't be afraid to say what they are!!! (examples: my time management is often affected because i like to take the time to get to know my patients as i build a repoire with them.....because i like to review my patient medications before they are administered, i sometimes take a little longer during my medication pass when i have new patients or new medications that i am not familiar with....) these "weaknesses" are actually "strengths" if you can convey them properly; and the interviewer will probably tell you so. additionally, be abe to provide the interviewer with ways you are working to combat these weaknesses so they become strengths. ...didn't mean to write so much......just trying to help out. but, look at the questions in the links above. take your time and actually write a response to each of the ones that appear "difficult" to answer, at first glance. this will help you to organize your thoughts, if the questions are actually asked. i bet you will get similar questions during your interview you will be prepared, in advance. good luck with your interview!!!