stelon

Have you completed all your schooling in the US? And how long ago was high school? I took the TEAS 6 years post high school and studied only using the study guide they sell. 94% first shot. I really don't understand the fuss over TEAS. Save the stress for your actual nursing program.

33.78/hr plus a $4.00 differential in So Cal. Pretty good. :)

Work any connections you have. I've been at my hospital as a nursing assistant for several years now, and still almost did not get a job. However, I asked my manager and department director every time I saw them about new grad positions, and my director tried that much harder to get spots approved for myself and a few other internal new grads. Despite being denied these spots previously, she went back again on our behalf and I should be starting as an RN in the next few weeks. When things were looking bleaker, I was asking anyone I knew and/or work with for leads on jobs. As a result I was no longer just a number in some hospitals databases--I actually was in the process of putting together a packet for an educator at another hospital (put in contact with through a co-worker), and another co-worker was going to speak with her manager and HR at her other job for me. Fortunately, everything is settled now, though I'll be sure to thank said educator for being willing to give my application/resume a more thorough look. Also on my list of things to do was getting in contact with the nursing recruiter at the hospital I did clinicals at in my last semester. They have no new grad positions listed, yet I know several nurses left the facility during my clinical rotation. It never hurts to send out feelers/call and ask.

jsanchez--how did you possibly find your name on the license verification for CA BRN? They haven't even updated their license verification page since 7/29, same day we both tested. I've been watching it like a hawk. Technically the 7/29 update didn't even hit until the wee hours of 7/30. And nothing since then. Where are you looking?

Soon to be in a similar boat myself, but you better believe I won't turn in a two weeks notice! If they want to let me go for being "overqualified" they'll have to do it themselvs. If you put in your two weeks notice, you won't be eligible for unemployment. If you lose your job on THEIR end, you should be eligible. At least in CA. I also don't expect them to try and pull that on me, leaving me jobless with absolutely zero income. I'll need that unemployment bad at that point.

Nope, just graduated. :) But I was in your exact spot a year ago, just finishing the TEAS at LA County School of Nursing.

mialvnrn, make sure you submit your TEAS scores to PCC. I was also an alternate and emailed my TEAS results to their office. I never recieved a reply, and when I followed up, was told that "Oh yeah, we got your email, but we couldn't open the file." ....evidently, I never would have known if I hadn't followed up. It was just a simple adobe attachment. I ended up printing the results myself and hand delivering them. The next morning I was accepted to the program. :)

I found that most places I looked in this area will tell you up front that getting into a bridge program under the 30 unit option can be really difficult as they give preference to bridge students going for the degree. That said, Pasadena City College admits students by lottery once you meet their cut score using the Chancellor's Formula. (Which I have no clue how it works). It's obviously chance-y, but I know several people who got in on the first try at PCC. Took me two tries.

Affordable housing in Pasadena is nonexistant. The best you're likely to get is surrounding areas. Try Sierra Madre.

...I live and work in Southern California, was offered a job at my first choice hospital before I even finished my program. About a week out. Starting pay was well above minimum at the time and has increased since I was hired. Granted this was 5 years ago now, BUT my hospital also just hired a new group of CNAs who have zero experience, one even onto day shift on the highest acuity unit we have that uses CNAs. Jobs are out there, it just requires a lot of perseverance. That said, LVN prospects are worse than CNA out here. Everyone uses CNAs whereas many hospitals have phased LVNs out. They are out there, but I was unable to find an LVN job even with 5 years of acute care experience as a CNA. Don't waste your time and money--go straight for the RN. Not to say that the RN new grads are having an easy time of it, but it's better for them than the new grad LVNs. Hopefully my years working as a CNA will pay off when I finish my RN in April--hoping to stay on at my current facility in a new role. :)

PCC's program probably isn't any easier than Moorpark's. I'm in third semester and a good portion of us are barely passing, despite previously being A and B students. Roughly 25 LVN's bridged into third--meaning somewhere in that ballpark must have failed out before third to make room. A lot of students are also currently failing. Test questions come out of left field a lot of the time and leave us scratching our heads trying to make sense of it. Don't choose PCC because you think it will be easier. It's definitely a difficult program. That said, anyone can fail any nursing program. Just because your sister failed at Moorpark doesn't mean you will. Going to PCC probably won't make much difference one way or another. Read and study as hard as you can and hang on tight.

For the record, the LVN and RN programs are completely separate. I bridged in with a large amount of PCC LVN grads and no one was prepared for what we're going through. I was always one of those people who shrugged when others talked about how hard the RN program is, figuring "Oh well. It won't be that bad for me.", because hey, I've always done well and saw no reason to worry. Fast forward to now and I'm barely passing as are many of us. I've never done this poorly in school ever, and there are some in my class who would argue I shouldn't complain because at least I'm passing. Be ready to spend any and all spare time you have reading, or feeling guilty if you're NOT reading. Speaking of which...time to go study some more.

I'm pretty sure it HAS to be HS transcripts, as they need to be official. A diploma is too easy to forge. Most schools I applied to were very clear about not accepting diplomas as proof of graduating. However, my high school registrar has been amazing in helping me get the things I needed to apply. One transcript got lost in the mail and she even resent it for me without charging me again. She also was my lifesaver when my immunization records were nowhere to be found. I called to ask if they were still on file at the school and she emailed them to me in a few minutes. Saved a lot of stress and hassle.

Blue Jeans, currently one of my friends (the one who graduated Spring 2011) has still not found a job. The market for new grads is unfortunately grim, but she's hoping to apply for more positions with the next crop of new grad jobs that open up various places. I'm also giving her resume to the nursing manager at my work. Hopefully this will help her get past the initial HR processing. My other friend who just graduated has done the same as I have--we've both been working at our hospital for several years now as CNAs. Because of this, it looks like she has a very good chance of getting hired with the small group of new grads they're taking in the next couple months. Having a foot in the door and being a hard worker (so that management WANTS to keep you) are extremely beneficial in this kind of job market. I'm hoping things work out similarly for me when I finish. :) Other than that, try to make and keep good relationships with people you meet during clinical. The usual new grads that have not been working at my hospital who get hired tend to be students who did clinicals with us that the nurses on the unit particularly liked. Our manager has been known to come out to the units and ask around about new grads who apply and had clinicals with us.

If they need to be cleaned up, they need to be cleaned up. How is this an infection control issue? If you're using proper hand hygiene it should not be an issue. But leaving a patient in soiled linens/diapers for the duration of a meal can cause skin irritation and breakdown, especially when incontinence is an ongoing issue. We clean them up as needed at my hospital. I'm surprised to hear it's different in other facilities. Can't imagine leaving my patients sitting in it any longer than necessary.