CorazonDeOro

I had this problem. I had a BA from WSU and did not want to pay another 20-30k for a nursing degree. I also found that it would take me longer to get into a BSN program (second degree). I went to Macomb, paid mostly out of pocket, got a job in a hospital during my nursing program and got hired as an RN immediately after I finished. Now my work is paying for some of my RN-BSN/MSN at Oakland. Its worth doing if you have financial reasons. A lot of people asked me why I went backwards (several people in my nursing class had previous bachelors) but at least I didn't add debt to my already existing debt from my BA. I am now at OU and only need 11 classes for my BSN (all online).

I was hired as a nursing assistant after I was in nursing school, I did not have to get my CNA license. Some hospitals hire nursing students as PCTs (patient care techs) as well.

I think it really depends on where you are from. In some states low 20s is the norm. I work in a GI clinic inside a large hospital and I make the same as inpatient RNs (but our department fought to keep the pay the same, while many other clinics inside the hospital pay less). I make a little over 25/hr (which is what I made as a floor RN with only 1.5 years experience). We also get call pay and overtime if we are called in. I make more than I did on the floor since I work 40 hrs instead of 36 now.

I think your plan sounds pretty feasible. Don't let anyone tell you its "impossible" to get a nursing job with "only an associates." My ADN class all had RN jobs shortly after graduation and a lot of them had offers before graduation. I went to Macomb and I think their program was awesome. Great instructors and I felt very prepared when I hit the floor. It also helps to work in a hospital while in school.

I work Mon-Fri but some of the RNs I work with work 3 12s or 4 10's or part time.

Last year we had the mask option, this year that is not a choice. Its flu shot or fired (unless you have a documented religious or medical reason with some long form to fill out). Its ridiculous.

I had the same issues as you about a year after becoming an RN on an acute surgical floor (same floor I worked on while a student). I recently left acute care and went to Endoscopy. I work mon-fri (on call 1-2 weekend days a month). Stress level is much lower, patients are generally nicer. We also do inpatient scopes under anesthesia so I still have acute care type patients (and we go to the ICU to scope vented patients). I am a little worried I might get bored sometimes but there is a ton to learn and the stress is just so different than working on the floor. I come home with energy and I am not constantly running around answering ridiculous call lights. Maybe look into something like this? Especially since you're in school.

I was/am feeling the same way. I have been an RN on a surgical unit for just over a year (and an extern on the unit for a year before that). I am completely burnt out. I work 3 12's but my manager likes to make me work days with random 11a-11p shifts thrown in (with no rhyme or reason to when they are). I love having 4 days off a week but I spend most of them exhausted. I decided to apply for a job I thought I had no chance at getting (my hospitals gastroenterology/endoscopy clinic (inpatient and outpatient). They prefer ICU nurses but picked me over some of them. Its Mon-Fri 10-7. Weekends off/holidays (except call on the occasional weekend). I think this is just the change of pace I was looking for. More focused. I told the manager in my interview that being pulled in a million directions by 5 or 6 patients at a time was becoming too overwhelming. I suggest looking into different areas that have more flexible shifts or a better pace. There are lots of opportunities out there, even with only 1 year experience I got calls from all sorts of jobs (outpatient surgery centers, pain clinics, ER, etc).

We have a pod set up, you get assigned 5 or 6 consecutive rooms (acuity doesn't matter but they will try to split up contact isolation and trach rooms). Sometimes empty beds are part of your 5 or 6 sometimes they are not, based on staffing. We are surgical and have a million admissions a day.

Depends on your hospital's policy. Per my hospital you must be in float rotation after 90 days (post-orientation). If you refuse you get written up. Its not that bad once you get over the first time. Sometimes I have a way better assignment on the other floor anyway.

I actually got offered the position today. It is admit/recovery and procedure (including inpatient and outpatient). It includes all procedures (ERCP, EUS, liver biopsy, manometry, etc). The way it works is that inpatients come to a separate floor/endoscopy suite than the outpatients(and the nurses staff both units depending on staffing and how many patients). The on call portion is only for inpatient emergent cases. I decided to take the position and I was excited to be chosen. I even got picked over an ICU nurse. I feel very lucky and I can't wait to learn GI nursing!

Has anyone transferred internally at their place of employment? I have worked on a surgical floor at a great hospital for 2 years (1 as a tech 1 as an RN). After 12 months in your current position you are allowed to apply for internal jobs. I applied for several and got an interview in my hospitals GI clinic. I had 2 interviews. Today I had one with the nurse manager who said she would like to call my current boss for a reference. My boss should have no issue with me, I have always gotten good reviews. I am just wondering if I should call my manager and tell her I interviewed BEFORE the new manager calls. She told me I have the position as long as I get a good reference. This is awkward, I don't want to burn bridges and I want to do everything right! Anyone have advice?

I thinking asking for a tour or to shadow an RN would be appropriate but I would NOT ask to be a CNA on the floor. You are being offered an RN position and if you ask to work CNA duties it will look like you are unsure of yourself as an RN. Its normal to be nervous, and you have every right to ask for additional orientation after the initial 4 weeks, but don't come into the position asking for these things.

Depends where you work at Henry Ford but on a med/surg type unit you get about 8 weeks orientation as a new grad. Pay starts at $25.31/hr plus shift differentials which I can never remember. I think its $2 for weekends and some percentage for afternoons and midnights.

Hi there! I know this has problem been posted a million times and I have been reading a lot of the posts, but I just wanted to get some advice from RNs who went from floor med/surg nursing to gastroenterology. I have a year of RN experience on a busy surgical floor. 5-6 patients on days, fresh post op patients, transfers from ED/SICU, high acuity (lots of fresh trachs, blood transfusions, screwed up vital signs, calling residents all day long to clarify nonsense orders, management doing "patient rounds" and breathing down your throat because transport, MDs, pharmacy, are all taking too long, etc. You know, the usual. I primarily work 7a-7p but randomly get rotated to 11a-11p shift whenever my manager decides she would like to change my schedule. I have an interview for GI at my hospital, hours are 10:30-7p mon-fri (on call one weekend a month). I am wondering if anyone has gone from 3 12's to 5 8's. Do you like it? I am afraid I will miss having 4 days off a week (although I usually spend a day recovering and have to go to bed super early to get up at 5:30 for a 12 hour shift). Not to mention I am so exhausted after work that I never go and do anything.. I am also wondering how you like GI compared to acute care. I am interested in learning something new and being able to get good at one thing (as opposed to 8 surgical services that I currently care for). I am excited about the interview but I keep second guessing myself and thinking I should just stay on the floor I am on. Its busy and crazy but I know everyone (I was a nursing assistant there as well) and I know the patient population well also. Any advice would be appreciated!

I am not a new grad but I am also looking to possibly relocate to Seattle. I have one year experience in med/surg (post-op unit) and an ADN. I applied at Harborview on Thursday last week (a general posting for several RN positions they had) and got a call Friday from a recruiter! I was really surprised. She asked me if I currently worked at a level 1 trauma hospital (since they are one as well). I asked her how the interview process would work and she told me they do not do phone interviews and I would HAVE to fly out there to interview. That is a real bummer so if I did go interview I would ideally hope to have several interviews lined up. I can't answer about new grads but I had heard they prefer BSNs but that did not seem to be an issue. I am still really on the fence about going out there. Anyone know the pay for RNs at Harborview? I have heard that RNs in Seattle make about what I make here in Detroit (and we have a WAY LOWER cost of living). Good luck to you! Maybe we will both end up there!

I am from Michigan and also contemplating a move out to Seattle. I fell in love with it the second I visited. I have a year of experience on a surgical floor. I was surprised that I received a call from a hospital out in Seattle the day after I applied. I just have to figure out if its worth flying out for an interview. I am terrified to move since I do not know anyone in the area! My boyfriend works in the IT field and will move with me if he can find a job. Its very scary and exciting! Any advice from RNs in Seattle is appreciated! The hospital that contacted me is Harborview. Is this a good hospital? I know its a Level 1 trauma hospital which is what I was looking for (since I work in a very large urban teaching hospital right now).

I actually work at Henry Ford Hospital (although not in neuro or ER) and as far as I know we are under a system wide hiring freeze for all external applicants. This was just announced a week or two ago. This may explain the lack of response to your applications. I would take what you can get but keep applying in the mean time. Providence/St. John's system is pretty big though. I would apply for positions at their location in Detroit if you want a level 1 trauma type environment. Or work at the job you are offered for a while and then transfer. DMC/Detroit Receiving is also really good for trauma/ER.

Everyone (except maybe 1 or 2 people) in my May 2011 ADN class had jobs within 6 months of graduation/NCLEX. I am in metro Detroit. I worked on my floor as a NA and then an Extern and was hired immediately after passing my boards. My manager likes new grads and hired about 7 all at once. I had the same fears you did but getting in to a hospital while in school helps tremendously. I also had a BA in another field but took the ADN route due to cost. I am currently finishing my BSN online at a local university. I only need 12 classes.

I tend to be introverted and shy as well. When I started clinicals in nursing school I was TERRIFIED of pts. I remember having a classmate go with me to do my first assessment I was so scared. What helped me was taking a job as a nursing assistant. I was still really scared but I kind of got used to meeting pts and dealing with them. It DOES get easier, the more confident you become as a nurse the easier it gets. I try not to let other RNs affect my attitude toward the patients. I always get report that at least one patient is "rude/crazy/noncompliant/verbally abusive/etc" but I try to ignore the opinion of that nurse and not to let it affect me. If you go in to that room scared the patient will sense it and may be really difficult for you. Just go in with a smile and introduce yourself, the rest will come with time.

I work in a large urban teaching hospital and BSN get paid exactly the same as me with my ADN. I think thats true for all hospitals in my area, or most of them at least.

My job has a pretty liberal policy (they call it no-fault because for whatever the reason you are not penalized unless you go over the maximums). The rule is 3 in 30 days=write up on the 3rd. 4 in 90 days=write up on the 4th, 7 in 120 days=write up on the 7th. It is pretty liberal so people call in kind of a lot. Calling off for 2 consecutive shifts (even if there are days in between that you are off)=1 occurrence, if its more than 3 consecutive shifts you need a Dr.'s note to return.

As part of our protocol we routinely give 40meq of K-lor at one time. I usually mix it with juice because it tastes awful, but I have never had a patient complain of gastric irritation (unless they were already nauseated and/or vomiting, in which case I would just order the potassium IVPB anyway).

Also never heard of it.

I have an ADN and landed a great Externship a year before graduation, and had a job offer at the same place before I took my boards. I graduated in May and I would say 90% of my classmates are now employed as RNs in hospitals (several in specialities such as ICU and ER). I think the school's resources and reputation help a lot as well. I had amazing instructors and I always asked for letters of reference after clinicals with certain teachers. I don't think having an ADN held me or any of my classmates back. I would suggest getting a foot in the door at a hospital before you graduate, whether you do a BSN or ADN program.