NewRN12109

I am crossed trained for both home hospice and the in pt unit. I do not or have not done both at the same time only because I am full time on call 4:30PM-8AM Mon through Fridays. I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE working both of those jobs though. I really enjoyed the unit the time that I was there and I really enjoy being on call. There are 2 of us and we average 3 calls a night. Some nights I don't go out at all. If they ever called me to work in the unit I would in a second as I really enjoy that as well.

I graduated nursing school and got a job as a GN on a med/surg/oncology floor. I worked that for 6 months when I accepted a job offer at a in pt hospice unit which I work in for 8 months, I LOVED it but get bored easy. It was the same thing morphine, Ativan, Atropine turn and fluff. After the 8 months I had a chance to take a full time on call position salaried M-F from 4:30PM-8AM working from home. I average 1-2 calls a night but go on the call and turn around and come home again. So this said to answer your question I think the 6 months of med/surg/oncology was the best thing that I ever did. Going into the hospice unit I was scared and not sure but caught on quick and the AMAZING nurses on the unit taught me all I need to know. I am confidant and do very well in the on call position and there isn't much that I cannot do or have to call in on. I say if thats what you really want GO FOR IT but the 6 months experience on the med/surg/oncology really prepared me well for hospice.

I work for a hospce/home care agency and we also have a in pt unit for hospice. In the unit we where scrubs. Out in the field we are bsically allowed to wear what we want to as long as it is appropriate. Most of the time I wear the copany logo polo shirt with scrub running pants. On occ I will wear tee shirts with my RN title and name on it with the scrub running pants. Our home hospice pts do not like scrubs and have requested on more then 1 occasion that we NOT wear them. They chose to die at home in a home atmosphere and feel that scrubs belong in the hospital. The scrub pants I wear look like running pants with the stripe down the side. Wouldn't even know thats what they were if I didn't buy them from a medical place.

Hi There, I just wanted to let you know that I am an RN and took my ENTIRE courses online. I started with ALL of my pre reqs except A&P 1 and 2 online. I then got into the Southside Regional Medical Centers School of Nursing online program. They are in VA I am in PA. ALL of my classes were online and then I did clinicals 2 days a week through Phoenixville, Pottstown, Brwn Mawr and various out patient facilities in the area. I graduated in August of 08 Had a job already as a GN, passed state boards in 1/09 and started my career. I just updated my license for the first time and I am working as a RN in Hospice. I think that the online program was BETTER then actually going into school. They were so much MORE demanding and we did something like 350 MORE hours then a "traditional" school did. I LOVED IT!!!! I have 4 children so it gave me the opportunity to be a Mom and still get the career that I wanted so badly. I won't lie it was a TOUGH ROAD lots of ups and downs but so worth it. I am now in the process of deciding what school to take my BSN from and will do that online as well. Any help I can give you just give a shout. I am a STRONG SUPPORTER of online schools.

I believe the GPA is 2.5 but as stated earlier they may do away with the online program. I heard they are going to a ASN program and getting rid of the online but it is up in the air right now.

hi happy jax, i know exactly what you mean. i am a brand new nurse just graduated a year. i got a job straight from clinicals on the med/surg/oncology floor. i knew in school that i was not a med/surg nurse but my clinical instructor said to take 6 months to a year to get stronger in skills. while in school i just felt drawn to the hospice field and after discussing it with many friends they thought that i would be wonderful at it. while still on med/surg i decided to see what would happen and put in my application and resume on a in hospice unit and low and behold got hired on the spot. i quit the hospital and am brand new to the hospice unit but loving it so far and am so glad i did the what if. i can see that i a going to be a very happy nurse for a very long time and hospice is truely my calling. you never know where things will take you until you make the plunge my advice is just don't burn bridges from where you came from in case you have to go back.

Hey There, Just wanted to put my 2 cents in for what it is worth. I was lucky and landed a job right from school in the hospital that I did clinicals in. After being there for a year I decided that it was not my cup of tea and I wanted to go into my dream job or at least see if I thought it was. I found the place I wanted to go I got my resume, cover letter, and an application off of the website and after finishing the paperwork went down to the post office and express mailed it to the manager and made her sign for it. 3 days later she called me for an interview and a week later when I went in for it she hired me on the spot. She had told me that she recieved 24 emails that day but chose me because of the way I sent in my application. Now I am starting the job I so desperately wanted. Not saying that this is a shirefire way but heck I beat out 24 applicants doing it that way. Good luck and I hope you find something fast. You may have to settle on anything just to get in. Then get your experience and look around that way while your looking for what you want your still in the field. Hope this helps.

Our cutoff is 2:00, 10:00 and 6:00. Not too much over flow from night shift onto dayshift. some overflow onto evening from dayshift and some from evening to night. If I'm caught up with other patients. I will do as much as possible for the admission including paperwork. The little stuff flu, pneumonia shot, living will, take orders off, pain, eyeball assessment, water, room, pain, potty, position. If I'm not caught up. I put them in the bed take vitals, orient to room, pain assessment water and position then pass it on. It works great for our institution. I don't believe the 12 hour girls not sure how they work it to be honest.

Not sure where you are. I don't think PA has weekend programs but again I will ask for you. I don't know about VA if you are there you might want to call and ask them. Hope this helps and if you want to know about PA I will certainly ask on Friday Good Luck:D

I don't know where you ladies are. I am in PA so I have no idea about Virginia you would have to call them and ask about the program if you are in VA. For PA though you can log in whenever you want to day or night as long as you get the work in by the designated due date. You basically take all your nursing classes online everything you need med surg,oncology, nursery, labor and delivery, psyc, OR, open heart, peds everything pertaining to bookwork is online no classroom most of the tests are online as well you do have to go into the lab for finals and they may do a few tests at the lab other then that you just go in the 2 days a week for clinicals. Hope this helps out.

Yes, that is going to cause you a problem Clinicals are 2 days during the week from 630-330 or 4pm. They do not have any weekend programs as of yet. I will ask though on Friday. I work at one of the hospitals on the same floor that they do clinicals.I'm good friends with the instructor so I will ask her for you but I doubt it. I know right now she is the only instructor at our hospital and she doesn't do weekends. Sorry:madface:

Hey, They are like 630AM-3 or 4 in the afternoon. They leave the hospital floor at 230 but then you have to do what is called post clinical and that is just spend about an hour talking about your day.

Hi Tiff, Clinicals are 2 days a week and it depends what pod you are in. They are either Tuesday and Wednesdays or Thursday and Fridays and they are all day. You HAVE to do them with everyone else on those particular days and times with your pod. It took 18 months to do the program and you went through summer. I started in Jan of 07 and graduated in August of 2008. I am now a RN YEAH:yeah:and loving it although very tired it is a tough job:bugeyes: I would not have done it any other way though. :bugeyes:You don't have to write alot of papers or essays or we didn't. There were some but not tons just a couple. Any other questions feel free to ask. I'd love to help you out if I can. Good luck.

Hi Dolphin, I worked in PA as a GN. I retested Jan 21rst and I PASSED:yeah:WHA WHO. I am now back at my job where I did my GN and LOVING IT. I took the 2 months off and prepared with Suzannes plan and went in and passed with 87 questions:yeah:. I still stick to my story to graduate and prepare with Suzannes plan then take the test without working. I lost 2 precious months and 1,000's of dollars because I didn't do it right the first time. Good Luck

Hey keep your head up and don't assume:bugeyes: I PASSED:yeah::bowingpur I know that you are worried but one step at a time. It sounds like the questions I had and I passed so I think you may have passed as well. Good Luck let me know