Jilly1234

No offense, but you probably crashed their system, LOL. I understand the stress of waiting, but trying to register over and over again isn't going to tell you if you passed or not. My recommendation is to relax and call PV tomorrow to have them credit your credit card.

Any new nursing job is a challenge in itself...learning new policies, intervention, medications, etc. With 10 weeks orientation, I think that's great! I've worked a year in acute rehab, nursing homes, and SNFs. I also worked for 2.5 years in an outpatient peritoneal dialysis clinic. I started on a med surg floor about 6 months ago with only 6 days of orientation. It may be the hospital I work for or maybe it's because I work with some awesome people, but I personally find med surg more organized and not as crazy as a SNF. I work on a pretty busy floor with a patient turn over rate that's pretty high, but the admission process is soooooo much easier! I remember working SNF and the admission process was a nightmare. I feel that anyone that can do SNF can do med surg. The CNAs on my new floor have so much down time, it's funny hearing them complain because I feel that there are no harder working CNAs than the ones I've worked with at SNFs and nursing homes. You got this! Just make sure that you ask a lot of questions and get familiar with policies and procedures. You'll never stop learning. And if your hospital is like mine, things change all the time, so what we do one day might end up changing later down the road. You'll be surprised at how much you already know, but remember to double check their policy. What I was able to do at one nursing job, I couldn't do at another.

I have a few friends that work for Sharp and really love it there. I work for Scripps and they have been voted one of the top 100 places to work nationwide by Fortune magazine, now for several years. The benefits are great, and the pay is competitive. They are family friendly and allow for growth and learning. It seems like everyone there really cares about their jobs, the facility, the patients, everything. They constantly take surveys to see how happy the employees are, and the last I read it's been over 90%. Good luck!

The thing about the pass rate...the percentages are percentages. Whether it be 10 or 107, only 77% passed. If I am going to be paying that much money to go to a school, I would want the pass rate to be a little higher. MCC has consistently kept a pass rate of 100% over the past several years. The NCLEX community college students have to take are the same that expensive universities take. The pass rate speaks volumes. I do know several people who attended Rivier and were happy with the education they received...but are still unhappy about the thousands they owe even 8 years later. If money was no issue or you could get a scholarship, then do what you think is best. For me, going the least expensive route with the school that had the best pass rate was all I cared about. I'd hate to be thinking that all the money I am making now is going to pay off my student loan debt...that would just suck!

HEre is a link to the NH BON nursing programs pass rate http://www.nh.gov/nursing/education/documents/dec_rng_rpt.pdf

Pretty much the people I know who have gotten jobs at hospitals are people that already worked there as an LNA, or they knew someone. There are 2 others that got jobs there, too, but they were top of the class and very involved with the nursing school politics. I've applied to so many positions, but got one call back. It happened to be at a place that I really didn't want to work for. Their starting pay was $19. Um...no thanks!! I've had one other interview and one tomorrow. Monday I will find out if I get hired and tomorrow I will see what happens with my other interview. They are both per diem, and I am fine with that. The first one starts off at $27 an hour, but the hours aren't always guaranteed. I pretty much accept the fact that I will have to start at the bottom and work my way up. SNF and long-term really don't sound that bad to me. Of course, getting med-surg experience makes you more marketable, but I can't even get that without some other experience. Oh well...gotta start somewhere. This is what I get for not working while going to nursing school and getting more involved with the NSNA!! haha

It worked for me!! I passed!!

Just got done taking the NCLEX and I got the good popup. It stopped at 75 and I felt good walking out of there, so hopefully it's a good thing. Will post back if I passed!

What's a SATA??

IF I remember correctly, they had us pick a lab at orientation. They gave us forms to register for the actual nursing class, then Charlene sat and signed off on all of them. If they are doing it the same way, I would recommend sitting in front of the class and making sure to be the first in line so you can get that signed off and run to the registrar's office to turn it in. Otherwise, if you want a lab and lots of other people want that time slot, you have a better chance of getting it. As far as clinical sites...you don't get to pick. You can be at the VA hospital, CMC, the Elliot...and in my case, I was in Nashua for my first clinical assignment...at Greenbriar. They will try and work with you if you have a preference as to the time. I can't do evenings because my kids are in daycare and my husband sometimes travels out of town, so each semester, I wrote them a request for days. But now they have you fill out a form with your preference and reasons for a certain time. Are you in the medical field right now? After the first semester, you can get an LNA certification (or license..whatever it is), and if you complete the third semester, you can take the exam for LPN. I didn't know this until the second semester of nursing school. There were a few people we lost this semester and they decided they were just going to get their LPN and come back next year.

It was ok for me. Just a few more weeks left and so ready to graduate. I honestly don't think it was too bad...as long as you make the time to try and do all the readings (I admit, I didn't always do the readings because sometimes they give sooo much), do NCLEX questions, and try and keep what they teach you fresh in your mind, you will be ok. I almost had a panic attack at orientation because I felt so overwhelmed with all the tasks we had to do (books, CPR certification, immunizations, uniforms)...it really seems like a lot coming at you, but remember, you still have months before the programs starts and plenty of time to get what you need done. They say the first and third semester are the hardest...the first because you are just getting used to the whole nursing thing and finding out what to look and what's the most important. The third....because it was heavy on physiology type stuff, but I prepared myself and made sure I studied well before each test and was my best semester. I had absolutely no experience in the medical field so it was all new to me, but I am doing well. Don't ever get discouraged if you don't do well on a test. There were people that were not doing so well the first semester but who are now scoring in the 80's and 90's on tests. I know it can be discouraging if you don't get a good grade...and stressful...but just study until you understand what the instructors were wanting you to know. I've had friend's who got a 70 on one test, and the next test a 94! Don't give up.

Congratulations on getting accepted! I would be interested in selling you my books after graduation. (May 19th), but I will recommend that you get a copy of the required texts so that we can compare and see if they are still the same. If I remember correctly, we got a copy during our orientation....

Yeah, I think you pretty much have to take the NCLEX-PN exam in order to get your LPN. Manchester Community College also has that agreement thing with UNH and Franklin Pierce...basically, as long as you pass the NCLEX-RN, you are automatically accepted into their BSN program. Does anyone happen to know how long that will take to complete??

At NHCTC-Manchester, they offer a 2 year RN program. After the 3rd semester if you pass, you are eligible to take the exam for LPN, then after another semester you can get your RN. If I were wanting to become an RN, I would go that route. After you get your RN, you can apply to schools such as UNH or Rivier and go through the RN to BSN program. I know many of the classes are offered online...or so I am told.

Nicole, Don't worry...there are actually several people in my nursing class who took A&P 1 the first semester, A&P 2 the second semester, and micro during the summer. It's doable. What I would do is try and study as much as possible for the NLN exam you have to take in order to get in. I also have 2 kids and can't imagine having to do any other classes on top of nursing. Last semester, I did the online Developmental Psychology which was pretty easy. It's doable...the people I know who took those other classes in addition to nursing also had kids. Good luck!!!