featherzRN

No, mine is not a multi state license as I do not live there. Needed it for a remote job so it's just a single state. ?

I just did this, and I got my endorsed license in four days - all the problems I expected didn't happen! ? I didn't read this first, unfortunately, as it seems going through 'fieldprint' could be cheaper than 'printscan' (which is likely the same machine in the UPS store). I am in NY - cost me $110 to apply for the license., $30 for nursys, $120ish for the fingerprints. Nothing to mail in via snail mail- applied on Monday night, did fingerprints on Thursday, got license on Friday. Was amazed it was that quick!

I finished the program last year and was happy with the experience. My employer accepted without issue. That said, I work in Clinical Documentation and not in informatics by choice! :) WGU doesn't require GRE or recommendation letters for any degrees. I had heard that some of the enrollment counselors can be pushy - rest assured it gets better once you get past them. You can also request a different EC if needed.

I have certs that DO matter for my job - I work as a clinical documentation specialist and have two certs for that as well as a coding cert. Those I will keep for now. But certs I no longer use? Nah. Plus the ambulatory care isn't as prestigious as the CCRN, in my opinion. No one seemed to give two hoots about it when I was job hunting.

My ANCC cert (amb care) appears to still be offered, but honestly I'm not planning to renew it when it's up next year. Work paid for the first one, but I've never seen a benefit for having it except for the RN-BC status. Plus it's super expensive to renew and I doubt I'll be in ambulatory care again any time soon. At least I hope not. I am sure the benefit is still there for some of the certs!

You want a school that is regionally accredited. Some/most employers won't care, but I happened to have a job that did - so it's best to cover all bases. I went to WGU, but Capella is also regionally accredited. Aspen still does not have that accreditation, as far as I know.

OP keep going and take that opportunity. It reminds me of when I was 21 and signed up for a brick and mortar BSN program (I was an LPN at the time). Running through my head was 'OMG I'll be TWENTY FIVE when I graduate' - so I ended up dropping out and taking an ASN instead, RN at 22. I FINALLY got my BSN.. at 45. If I had just stuck with the program I woulda had that BSN 20 years earlier but I got hung up on being 'too old' (LOL). FWIW, I just turned 51. MSN at 49. I'm still ticking and you will be too :)

There are actually stats on 'how many pass on the first try' - I just checked and for US educated grads, so far in 2018 almost 90% pass on the first try. Nothing against OP, but there are stats to back up that most of us who say we passed on the first try actually did so. :) 2

That's the point here - I'm on the side of the nurses, not the racist patients. I don't think the patient has the absolute right to request a certain race (unless perhaps with language or disparate religious issues) but who would want to be the unwanted nurse? This happened to me once, a long time ago.. (and I'm white, not that it matters). I was *VERY* happy to not have to take care of the racist patient. Never even thought to sue, just 'fine, that's what you want? sure thing!'. Working a 12 hour shift with someone who does not want me there? Nah, not worth it.

Non AA here but I have long hair and have seen tons of natural hairstyles that are gorgeous - the only thing I would add is that it's just like any other hairstyle - needs to be neat and not down enough to get into anything when you bend over. I usually wear my long hair in a braid. I highly doubt it would affect hiring - and if it did it might not be a place you wanted to work anyways. :)

I got my BSN, MBA, and MSN all after 40 (WGU). All three degrees cost me less than 10K and I paid cash so no loans. For me it was worth it, if only as a bucket list item (the MBA) and just to keep my brain working. :) The BSN at WGU took me just over three months to complete. I now work in a job that allows me to work from home that would not have been possible without AT LEAST the BSN. Even in my podunk area the hospitals are BSN mandatory for anything not bedside and soft mandatory (within 5 years) for bedside.

I have three degrees from WGU (MSN MBA BSN) and agree with everything meanmaryjean says. I didn't have to take the first class she mentioned because my BSN was in 2013. But other than that and the capstone for the MBA, no group projects/discussion boards, etc. I did all my degrees each in under 3 months but that's a huge YMMV. WGU is on your schedule, so you can do it accelerated or at a normal pace, whatever works for you.

I'm late to the party, but had to say I was a primary care nurse for the last 10 years or so in a tick infested area. I did tick checks and removed the ticks before the provider poked their head in to write a script if needed. Ticks are actually a nurse visit here- we would have never booked a tick with a provider unless we had tons of open slots. And even then we would have gotten stink eye for doing so. :) That said, probably would have been quicker for the person in the room to do a quick look, but seems it's now all worked out.

OP, why are those the only two choices? You know WCU is expensive and has an iffy reputation. If you don't want to go to WGU there are TONS of other online MSN programs you can pick instead! :)

Have never heard of a problem getting into anything post WGU - however, if you decide to go elsewhere, not a fan of West Coast - they charge an insane amount and don't have a great rep at all. There are TONS of schools out there so look around if WGU is not for you.

Currently, the capstone/field experience does not really require you to do anything at your workplace other than evaluate an EMR and make a powerpoint about it. You'll need someone with a masters degree to sign off and possibly some sort of agreement with your workplace even if you don't actually 'do' anything there. I didn't need my preceptor at all and there are no clinical hours required. I keep hearing rumors that will change at some point, but to this point it's still the same - and those rumors have been going around since I graduated last year.

Lack of 'clinical' did not matter to me as this was a bucket list item, however technically you DO need an MSN preceptor for your capstone. Do you ACTUALLY need one to complete the task? No, but you do need one to sign off. You could use that opportunity to work with your preceptor if you wish. I have heard rumors that the capstone will change, but I am not in a position to know anything official since I am just a grad not an employee :).

WGU is fully accredited, inexpensive, and has degrees in both HIM and MSN/Informatics, although I do not believe they have a healthcare "informatics" degree (just health info management). Do you want to work with medical records/coding/compliance/etc, or work as an informatics nurse and analyze workflows to make changes to the EMR/processes? Both are needed and both can be rewarding. I have the MSN in informatics from WGU but I work in HIM, so it can go either way. :) That said, many MSN/Informatics grads I know find it difficult to get a job with JUST a degree. If your main goal is to work in nursing informatics, start looking for entry positions - analyst, superuser, etc. The MSN degree along with those positions could be helpful.

Check for co-working spots near you.. I am rural and even we have a few, which can be monthly or daily. Thankfully, I do have cable internet but I have looked up these sites just in case the 'net is down as my cellphone service is nil out here.

I worked on an AIDS unit in the late 1980's. Even then, we didn't wear gloves for random patient chats or even things like chair transfers, etc. We did wear them for injections, IV's, etc. Still here!

Can't speak for WGU, but I did drug testing for a large hospital system a job or two ago. Adderall was fine, as long as you disclosed and had a valid current RX.

As a few peeps have already said, while $20 an hour isn't great, it's not horrible in some areas. New grads where I live make only a few bucks more than that. And I applied a year or two back for an "RN required" non clinical job - they called me back and warned me the pay was only $16/hour (low even for here). I'd be willing to bet OP would find takers unless the standard payscale was a LOT higher in Wisconsin. Still, an LPN should be considered - that would be excellent LPN pay where I live (about $15/hour is the norm). And part timers/per diems would be even better!

I didn't need to take any vacation time and I worked M-F 9-5. You pick a topic that you can work around your schedule. I did disaster preparation, which allowed me to visit places that were off-hours like fire stations. There is no mandate that the hours cannot be done on weekends, after work, etc - it's all in the topic you pick. Oh, and they aren't 'clinical' hours, it's more of a community observation and interview project. No patients or clinical at all.

If you are looking into remote coding, seems most inpatient employers prefer the CCS credential through AHIMA. That said, from what I hear it's difficult to get a job without experience and the CCS requires experience to take it. I work remotely, but I am a clinical documentation specialist. If you could find a place that would train, that's a thought - however, you'll probably have to put in a few years on-site, get certified, and then apply for remote positions. I know there are CM/QA type positions through insurance companies that hire remote?

If you can find a job that trains, clinical documentation improvement is great and also gets you into the coding world. After a few years and certification, remote jobs can be available. ACDIS (acdis.org) has an relatively inexpensive 'apprentice' program that supposedly gives some basic training, not sure if it's useful in getting a position. The RN coder training courses I have seen are MUCH more expensive and honestly, most coding positions will want an AHIMA credential.