mmm333

start applying for other jobs now. It is obvious that these people are looking for ways to mainstream you onto their team, but rather to get you out. Don't take it personally, yes they are too lazy to mentor you, and yes you have some problems you need to accept responsibility for. Apply elsewhere now while you are still employed. It is harder to get hired once you have been "de-employed".

Also if you are targeting a specific job/practice area like hospice, dialysis, or med surg, then try to complete a CE certificate in that area so that you can put that prominently on your resume. This will show that you've done something substantial to orient yourself to the job. One CE course is not very substantial, but a certificate showing broader exposure to that area may at least get the attention of a hiring manager and give them something to justify hiring you. Even better, a training course with a residency (if you can find one and afford it) will give you a clear inroad and could lead to a job right where you do the residency.

Remember, managers like to hire people who are already employed. It means you won't waste their time, because you just passed someone else's screening process so you'll probably pass theirs as well. You become a "safe bet"... Your first few jobs are rapid stepping stones. As soon as you get one, start working on that "next step up" immediately. Update your resume again and get it out there. Integrate any lessons learned from each job interview. For a new grad, go give shots or clinics for an agency right out of school. Boom, suddenly you are not an unemployed new grad without any experience. HR managers hate that "fresh new grad" title so shed it immediately. A few weeks later, apply to an LTC / nursing home. They'll probably hire you and give a short, limited orientation. Work for a few weeks and start applying to Med Surg units aggressively, be ready to work nights or eves. If you can't find a med surg, go for a SNF that is more post-acute or more subacute (with trach patients). If you can't find that, look for a Home Care position or hospice. But don't give up on LTAC, post surg recovery / stepdown, or med surg. If you fall into the SNF realm, you could get stuck there until you either burn out or just get used to that being your life. You'll be hard pressed to find a SNF with a healthy work environment. You may be too tired to apply to hospitals while working in SNF, but make sure you keep applying, and make a move before you burn out.

I am a male nurse and I wore the 3 men's zippered tops I bought after school until they fell apart. Unfortunately they only sell to students now.

Wondering how the U. Mass Boston Online BSN experience was for you. Sounded pretty good from your post at the outset, but now that you've finished, what was the cost and duration from start to finish? And did you enjoy it and get the grades you wanted?

Or become a medical transcriptionist or some other job that uses some of your training. Chances are you can always work in a nursing home.

Yes those transcripts were in the system. I sent the rest along with DD214. They said the same thing, I'll get in. My only problem now is that I went to UC for undergrad (they do not require one since there are many presentations in their "discussion groups" that follow lectures). So now I might need to take a "Public Speaking" course. However, I would love to find a way around that one... I can't take a course like that and work my current job.

Yeah it's all over the map- some medics to trach intubation/IV/IO, some don't. The have massive overlaps and some lacking knowledge in the sciences and the patho in many cases. In general they get shortchanged but once in a program they will have an advantage and then another advantage in the job hunt when people select their resumes first. I would tell any corpsman or medic to use GI Bill, knock out the prereqs, go nail the BSN, and get hired. Or wrap their PA prereqs into the very end of a BA/BS degree in health science/chem/pharmacology stuff and then go to PA for grad school (GI Bill can cover it all that if you save your money and budget everything out, pull all the strings, and go to a cheaper state to do this. I would say skip the LVN unless you can just test out and grab that right away and use it to work SNF for some money while getting the rest done. I think at a minimum we are going to see Obama push more states to allow corpsmen to challenge LPN.

It gets complicated. Every SEAL and SWCC gets trained as a "medic assistant" (enough to call them combat medics) roughly at the EMT-B level + IV therapy and medevacs. The "lead medics" attend at a minimum, the NSW combat medic course which automatically allows them to challenge EMT-P. From there they can get a number of advanced courses including the 18D special forces medic course. IDC etc. NSW medics are among the most highly-trained medics in the military. However, unless becoming a Corpsman first beforehand, none of these people must be or need actually be a Corpsman prior to this! This is because SEAL (SO) and SWCC (SB) ratings were recently created for them to focus on their main skills and not get caught up in the "big Navy" details or have to study that stuff in order to advance in rank. LVN can be a mismatch with the acuity these guys are used to. However they do run sick call and clinics as well. Most of these guys are going PA or RN, not LVN, after getting out. They usually get the Navy to pay for that and stay in 10 more years after their badass days are over, OR they get out and use GI Bill to start a civilian career. My lead medic is the one who recommended that I become an RN before I got out (which I did using GI Bill). We talk about owing our vets, well- has anyone checked how much the post-9/11 GI Bill pays out for school + living expenses? It's a hell of a lot! We're doing a pretty good job of making it possible for them to become nurses, they just need the info shared with them. A number of schools give MAJOR ("shoe-in") preference to vets such as CSU East Bay and other CSUs. In general there is another HUGE and somewhat lesser known benefit- most schools give "priority enrollment" to vets (first seats, no waitlists to get into high-demand majors/classes/prerequisites, etc. right behind the disabled students, dates are always before anyone else can pick their classes and sign up). This allows vets to get all prereqs knocked out faster because they always get the class and schedule that they want.

Good. I'm a veteran applying to the RN-to-BSN program for fall 2013 and heading back to the military once accepted. They are currently accepting applications. You need to have your ducks in a row and get all transcripts in one time. Does anyone know if they hold on to transcripts sent in a year or two ago (I abandoned a previous application midway due to getting a new job)? Or do all of those transcripts have to be resent again?

If you are losing heart in nursing school already, you need to figure out a way to cope. The reality of nursing after school is truly soul-crushing for those who don't develop a thick skin. There are books on the topic that you can buy. And of course people here to get advice from. Think of it as a problem that needs to be addressed and use the nursing process on yourself.

"I drive a windowless van and sleep in it most of the time so commute time won't be an issue."

This post just took a wonderful turn. Humor therapy.

That's not to say that an MSN from Yale, Georgetown, or UCSF isn't going to impress more than one from one of the for-profit online schools. But BSN is really just a box-check, the curriculum is pretty much standard.

and Winston Churchill said: "Courage is the ability to go from one defeat to another, without losing enthusiasm" because sometimes you run into long periods of adversity before any glimmer of hope appears, and you have to keep on plugging away regardless.