Spazzpup

Yikes! Yeah that's me. The only experience I have is as a volunteer and front office worker. Hospitals need to meet us halfway if they want to solve this "nursing shortage". I know it's expensive to train a new grad, but there are still great benefits to hiring a new grad. Are you in the ATL area?

Ok! The end is here! I have a ERI test this Friday and final exams next Friday! I can't believe the end is finally here! I'm kinda scared though. I hope something off the wall doesn't happen to where I don't pass... I hope I pass the NCLEX... I hope I have money to graduate... I hope I find a hospital that is hiring a new grad. It's amazing but the Atlanta area is really yucky when it comes to having available nursing jobs for new grads. Any words of advice? I know it's all normal end of nursing anxiety (anyone have an Ativan?) I'm trying something new. I signed up for twitter and I'm "broadcasting" my end of nursing school progress on there. Check it out please? I need more followers :-) twitter.com/spazzrn I know I need to stay focused though it gets hard at times. I know I'm jumping ahead when I need to worry more about the obstacles in my way now, but WHAT IF I DON'T GET HIRED SOMEWHERE?! AHHH! Someone please tell me that hospitals talk to you more after you have already graduated/passed the NCLEX?

Thanks! That gives me more of an idea. How did it go being pregnant while "learning your job"?

A bunch of nurses/nursing students might be able to chime in with their own personal experiences or what worked/didn't work for them or someone they knew. I'm not asking anyone to make up my mind for me, I just need some feedback.

You want to know the truth? You'll find out after you take the test. LOL Sorry but that's how it works at our school. Sometimes we are so mislead and study EVERYTHING. We end up not being tested on content from the book, we're tested "word for word" from a lecture. Frustrating LOL

A house and a black Mazda 6. :heartbeat

My husband and I are really looking forward to having our next child. I have 2: a 13 year old and a 4 year old. We want just one more. Thing is I'm already 31 and I've put having a baby off for years just for nursing school. Now I'm tired of waiting. I graduate in May. Should I wait until I graduate, pass NCLEX, and get a job? Or would getting pregnant in the next couple of months be ok? I don't know what I have to anticipate after graduation. I don't want to get any older to have my next baby. I'm already diabetic and have high blood pressure, both of which are under control. I don't need age against me too. Please give me some ideas. I'm tired of waiting.

Yep I agree with cornpooh. The program is very unorganized and you find yourself (students in general) being blamed for their organizational problems. There was a big issue last semester with being ready for clinical that next week with drug testing. Different hospitals in the past had different demands. We weren't told until the last minute where we were assigned and then BOOM we were supposed to already have our drug tests done. Very frustrating. I spent SO much money (that I didn't have) last semester on drug testing. Finally they announced that we were supposed to go through AdvantageStudents.com and were already told that at semester orientation. Ask anyone: this was not true. Fortunately it all worked out. But very stressfull and irritating. Not to mention frustrating because you're being blamed as a class for one instructors mistake. I also agree with the open door policy. I have never taken advantage of it and I wouldn't either. It doesn't stay anonymous. Plus I feel it would just set me up for being the target of some of the faculty. BUT I have to say I'm proud to be a GPC student. They do have some remarkable faculty. We are pushed nearly to our limits and when we survive we are said to be the best of the best (according to the hospitals). Hope that's the truth. It's alot like a sailor going through SEAL training. It's hard and exhausting. Maybe more than it should be. You lose many along the way and that's real rough. But in the end you are the best of the best. But you have to ask yourself: Can you handle it? Are you willing to risk it? For some people the potential risk is too great and that is totally understandable.

I graduate this May from GPC. I had all my sciences done before I started nursing. But when I applied I still had to do micro. In A&P 1 I had a B and A&P 2 I had an A (figures right? LOL) I had everything else done except for my humanities. They accepted me on my first application. If you're Phi Theta Kappa I think it looks real appealing to them and as long as you have most of your sciences done you're in. I would highly recommend having most, if not all, of your classes completed before starting nursing. It's incredible how much time this one class will take up your time. Most classes are 3 credit hours, nursing is 9 or 10. So it's like taking 3 other full time classes. AND THEN SOME LOL Good Luck!!!

I started last fall and I think I got my letter in April or May.