redeyefan214

I'm really glad I posted this question. I'm getting a lot of good feedback. I did contact our BON and they didn't know some facilities were suggesting new grads do that. Thanks so much for all of your responses. I'm gonna keep checking back.

Wow - thanks for the feedback. This has been bothering me for awhile. I need to double check w/our BON. I'm just surprised so many employers are telling new grads especially to just take an aide job and then "hopefully" you can move into an RN job. It could be they just want to pay you LPN pay vs RN pay on some, too. I figured I was on the right track in feeling uncomfortable about it.

Just curious - a lot of places out here (in Hawaii) are suggesting new grads apply for LPN or NA positions. Has that occurred anywhere else out there? Just wondering how kosher it is to do that. I know there are a lot of RNs currently out there working as aides because they were already aides while going to school and just haven't been able to get hired as an RN.

Aloha, 1st Year Nursing Student - and all the others who are new to your nursing programs: That overwhelming feeling is quite natural. I returned back to school in 2002 to pursue a 2nd degree in nursing. Going through A&P and stuff was okay because I wasn't dealing with patients yet - it wasn't until I actually started clinicals that I had this overwhelming feeling of - "am I going to be able to do it". "Am I going to know everything I need to know to start working as a nurse"? Fortunately, I had some great teachers and one of them even admitted she was overwhelmed. The good thing - you WON'T know everything. It's not possible. Get all the basics down and you'll learn a lot as you start working. I got to start working as an RN 4 months ago in a nursing home setting and was nervous as anything wondering if I was going to remember anything and I did. Still have to work on charting verbage, but don't have to worry too much since it's mostly narrative - no SOAPs or DARs-thank goodness! Hang in there, take each day at a time and accept the fact now that you're not going to know everything by the time you graduate. You will continue to learn with each new patient since each patient is different. Give yourself some space. And have fun!!! :-) Mindy

no problema - you could always call them. They've been nice to work with so far and I'm just a nursing student. And yes, it's always political - I don't think there's any union that isn't (my husband is part of one - his is mandatory). How do you like working for an agency?

Probably your best bet would be to go to the HNA website (http://www.hawaiinurses.org). From what I can remember, HNA represents the nurses that want to join. There are representatives at each hospital. Each of the Big Five have nurses that are part of the union. The HNA group is really easy to talk to if you want information. Just call them up and ask or go on the website and see what you can find.

Aloha - soon to be graduating nursing student just stopping by to say "aloha". Hope to get some good info on this site. So much info out there. Thanks for starting this.