KTSNurse2b

Wow, really interesting about the POLS test out option. I don't know...I'm skeptical you'd really need to study all the books for the course in order to pass the test. Aside from the WY gov open book test (which was based on the WY gov book that you had to have), it was all just a repeat of high school civics class. Definitely a ton of stuff I had forgotten, don't get me wrong, but nonetheless, the class was a refresher. I can't imagine that reading the constitutions as they suggested and brushing up (maybe by reading the summaries at the end of each chp. of the main text) wouldn't be enough to at least get a 70%. I don't know....MAYBE worth a try. With my instructor, the POLS class was divided into 3 sections. Each section you had to read 3 debate chapters from the debate text and write up a 1-2 page summary of each of the 3 debates. Then you had to choose 2 of 4 essay questions and answer them in 2-3 pages, and take a 50 question MC test (open book). I never actually read any of the chapters, just used my book to look up the answers to the tests. Our instructor did put together a little mini lecture for each section which I read to help on the tests and on the essays. There were also several discussion questions posted for each section that you could participate in (wasn't required, but would be "considered" when the prof was grading the debate summaries and essays). All in all not too hard of a class, just annoying having to write all those papers! Patho I found to be extremely easy. Mind you, I am coming fresh out of nursing school-just graduated in May, so the "book" aspect of nursing is fresh in my mind. If you've been working and have real life nursing that is fresh to you, it may be much more of a challenge. The content that you are suppossed to learn (errr...teach yourself if you have the horrible instructor I had) is insanely detailed, difficult, and overwhelmingy vast. I would go into each test thinking that I would fail and come out with an A. Despite how difficult the sections of the class seemed while studying, the tests were just basic patho stuff I can't imagine anyone that had gotten through RN school wouldn't be able to answer. For this reason I found it frustrating that this class is even required. I can see how it is "upper level" compared with the A&P classes I took pre-nursing school, but my god, nursing school itself was just as upper level as this class...or at least the content that you were actually tested on. Anyway, as far as registering for classes, esp. the nursing ones (not the prereqs), I'd call your advisor and explain the situation and see what they have to say. I feel like there should be room for all of us to take the classes that we need...otherwise they wouldn't have accepted the # they did into the program. For the pre-reqs, I know when I was registering for the 2 I just finished, I had to keep checking back each day for an opening that would allow me onto the waitlist. Good luck!

i would write about exactly what you wrote about in your post. the question asked not only about community involvement, but also activities and personal interests. well-your family and school were your activities and personal interests and there is nothing wrong with that, especially given the situation you described. not only would crafting a well written essay out of this be true, but it would also show how dedicated, passionate, and hardworking you are in going after what you want, supporting your family, and bettering yourself despite your numerous personal commitments. you don't need to make excuses for not having time for volunteering in your essay, just focus on what you mentioned as being your priorities-family and excelling in school.

Call HR, like the first poster recommended. Not only with that give you the straight scoop on how to proceed, it will also give you an excuse to not only get the name/contact info for a nurse recruiter, but talk to them first-hand and hopefully set you apart from the other soon-to-be new grads that are applying. These little connections are key!

hi all experienced home health nurses! i'm a new grad about to start my first job in home health and i'd like a little advice. to start, i am very aware that home health is not the best place for a new grad, but it is my only option right now and i have to take what i can get vs. being unemployed as i have been for the last 3 months. i am in minneapolis (just moved here after graduation in may) and i started applying for hospital positions back in march when i found out i'd be moving. once i had graduated and passed nclex, i took a day to hit up the hr offices at the four hospitals that seemed to have the greatest prospects for new grads. i had a nursing portfolio in hand (with letters of recommendation) and was hoping to be able to put a face to my name and stand out amongst all the other applications they get. no go-i was headed off by the receptionists (nicely, but firmly), told they won't take anything paper, all they want is the info on the online application, the nurse recruiter will call me if they are interested, they are getting 150 applications for each position that doesn't require experience and preference is going to those with experience first, then those already working for the institution, then those that did clinicals there, then, bsn's, then adns.... so, i finally starting checking craigslist and was surprised to see several agencies hiring for home health and extended care that were open to new grads. i applied and boom-after no one from the hospitals wanting to touch me for months i had 5 interviews within a week. most are extended care shifts with agencies, so i'd be working 1:1 with a trached/vented/gtube client. one position that i should find out on monday whether i got is actually a case management position where i would be doing skilled visits and some supervision of pca's. i'm not sure yet what that position would pay, but i've been offered $26/hr full time days with the private duty agency that i liked the best. should i actually be offered the case management position and the pay is equal or better to private duty, i think i will take that position because i will get to see a greater variety of pt.'s. however, from what i understand the skills will certainly not be as complex-i won't be getting any trach/vent experience and will more be doing dressing changes, med set ups, maybe a cath change every now and then. but the hours are better with the case management position: m-f office hours, flexibility in scheduling your week, and only having to take call on weekends occasionally. would you all agree that this would be the best choice for me? it seems like i am having to make a choice between variety and using less of my skills, but then again the case management position will give me more career advancing opportunities...at least it seems. i'm also afraid i would get bored with the same thing day in and day out that would be encountered with extended care shifts. i worked 2+ years as a cna on a busy med/surg floor of the hospital while i was in nursing school, so that is the pace i'm used to. that said, having seen (but not experienced) the reality of hospital nursing, home health certainly sounds appealing. i wouldn't mind having more time to breathe than the chaos that i saw the hospital provides, but at the same time i don't want to be bored to tears either, like i'm afraid i might be with the extended shifts. by the way, in the 5 interviews i've had so far, i saw quite the gamut of sketchiness and total professionalism with home health agencies. both the agency for the case management position and the extended care agency i've already been offered a position with seemed top notch and i feel pretty comfortable with the orientation they have described. especially in comparison with the other agencies i interviewed with. so-any words of wisdom or insight as to how i should proceed if i am offered the case management position and end up having the opportunity to choose? if the case management position ends up being a pay cut from the extended care position, would you still recommend that i take it? thank you!!!

I've been accepted for this Fall too. Likewise, I've sent in my confirmation and done my background check, but haven't seen anything more official yet. My impression though is that the nursing classes aren't just open for general enrollment because you must have been accepted into the nursing program to get in. So you just need to sign yourself up for them, ensure you've selected waitlist and then they will clear you and you'll be officially enrolled. I am taking the upper level Patho class and POLS right now (will be done in 3 days, yay!). Anyway, I was on the waitlist for both of these back in May and didn't have any trouble eventually getting in. Just keep holding out and you should be fine. Also, in regards to POLS...I talked to my advisor yesterday and she mentioned that there is a test out option with a WY gov test so you don't have to take the class. I was shocked...I had heard nothing about this and now here I am almost done with the class. I would have loved to have saved the time, tuition/book money, etc. to just try and opt out. I'm skeptical as to if this is actually true though, as I feel I would have heard about it. The class is actually just a general gov class and at the very end you take an open book test on WY gov, specifically, so I am wandering if she somehow got confused with that info. But anyway, something to dig around and find out!

I'm confused....are you deciding between getting an associate's in nursing vs. a BSN OR are you deciding between a BSN vs. an MSN. Regardless, you are not currently an RN, right?

Central VA, Charlottesville specifically. I'm not saying that this a place to relocate to though.... I think my classmates did so well in getting some great positions because of connections they made during clinicals. Without those connections I think the market here is much like everywhere else-tough.

Where in MN??? I am in Minneapolis and in the exact same position as the OP....applied to hundreds of positions since March and not a single bite. I'd love to do home health but all the positions I see posted require at least 2 years of experience. Please let me know, thanks!!

Unless it is an area that is super super desperate for nurses right now, I think ANYWHERE you move with no connections is tough. I just moved from VA to Minneapolis and am having a horrible time finding a job...every nurse recruiter I've managed to talk has told me the same thing..."we're getting hundrerds of applications for each position posted that doesn't require experience and we give preference to current employees and students that did clinicals at the facility." Meanwhile nearly all of my classmates back in VA have jobs lined up (many of these are people with no healthcare experience at all that landed a job at a major teaching institution in specialty areas such as L&D and NICU!). My 2 cents-it's all about the connections. If you move to a brand new area you're probably going to have a tough time as a new grad no matter how steller your resume

Community colleges are the way to go to have your exams proctored in my opinion....especially if you don't have an avenue through an education dept. at work. Just call around to the testing centers of the community colleges in your area. Some will charge a fee, but usually with enough calling you can find one that will proctor for free. I've lived in two different cities and have had no trouble getting my tests proctored for free at a community college that I am not even an official student at. Testing center hours are usually pretty convenient as well.

Thanks for your helpful reply!

I just wanted to get a little insight from those more knowledgabe. Here is my situation: I have a previous Bachelor's degree in Social Work and I am about to graduate from an ADN program in nursing this May. Based on the reality of the job market right now for those without BSN's, I am already starting to look at applying to and starting a RN to BSN program concurrently with my job search. I am already having some regrets about choosing an ADN program over a 2nd degree BSN program and I want to make sure I am not going to have the same regrets over choosing a RN to BSN program over an RN to MSN program in the future. I'm afraid I'll finish up my BSN, finally be able to get a job, work a couple years to gain experience and figure out more what I want to do with nursing, and then decide that I want to go back and get a masters. And I'll wish I had done this instead of the BSN in the first place, just as I wish I had done the BSN over the ADN to save time (not really money though...). The problem is, none of the general MSN tracts offered by RN to MSN programs seem appealing to me. It's hard to tell what I might want in a masters until I have some solid nursing experience, but right now I see myself (if I ever did want a masters) to be more interested in FNP, midwife, CRNA, etc... Money is an issue, so cost-effectiveness is a priority and I would really like an on-line program. I also want somnething I can do at my own pace, because I hope to eventually have an RN job while I am finishing up my RN to whatever. If I did opt for an RN to MSN program, I am not sure whether a program that offers a BSN partially through completion would be a priority?? Any thoughts? Thanks in advance!

I am a student RN and I recently had one of my patients in clinical (a very sweet older man who sings in a bluegrass group) ask me to write down my name and phone number so he could call me and let me know when his band played at one of the local restaurants again so I could come and hear them. I had been working on establishing report with him and we had been talking a lot about how long he had been in the band, where they played, etc. Even though this particular man in no way seemed like he had ill intentions, this still sent off a red flag in my head, as I know it would be neither within professional boundaries or safe to give this info. I just don't know how I could have tactfully told him I couldn't give him this information without seeming rude, which is how I feel I came off. Any suggestions for the future??

You might want to consider researching and doing your presentation on the "bath in a bag" products-they are basically an 8 pack of wipes-they make Peri-Care wipes with special skin protector built in, and regular bath wipes with moisterizer built in that are housed in a warming device until used. A lot of hospitals use these now because studies have shown that there is a much lower infection rate compared to the plastic bath basins that become a petri dish for bacteria between uses....

I don't know about your program, but for mine the score on the TEAS didn't matter, you just had to have passed it by some ridiculously easy percentage (like 40% I think). Anyway, I used the Unofficial Practice Guide that is at the link the last person posted, and really just focused on the math since I am horrible at that. I didn't practice much total at all, maybe a couple hours, and I got a score in the upper 80's. You've taken the GRE's-I can't imagine you'll have any problem whatsover. Best of luck!