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Crickett, I'm sorry. I was reading and thinking about two posts at the same time. In California, we can get ours quickly however if your name is not posted there still is a chance, or not. The BRN has up to 30 days to notify you. It's one of those things, nothing is for sure until you see it on the internet or in the mail, black and white. You just go crazy waiting!!!

Hi there Jayvee, It's been awhile. How is the studying going?? And the rolercoaster times? In response to your last post, apprximately 2-3 days after you take your board, you can log onto the website for the California Board of Registered Nurses and click onto verifying licensure. You can verify anyones. It tells you what county, what your licensed for and when you passed, which will be you soon. Don't give up hope, just learn all you can. Theresa

Hi, I am a new grad and NICU nurse. What is HFOV? Also, is it a policy and procedures thing or is it doctor's discrepency from pt to pt as to what age of the premie that the infant will or will not be resesitated??? Right now I am training on the intermediate side: the feeders and growers. I think I am going to be an NICU nurse for the long haul. I just love it. Theresa

I am a kinetic learner-hands on, whatever name to give it. Just reading books, notes doesn't help. The way I got through school was study groups: discussing the content. But for obvious reasons theres not a "group" of n-clex students and my friends had gone on to work (which was my plan). Anyhow, I just passed it 11/20/03, this was my second time around. I was so down and at times I was just even keeled, kinda numb. Unless it was brought up or a sad song on the radio. I don't know what drove you folks through nursing but for me at 36 y/o with two children and a step child and a very successful husband (a man who can accomplish anything he puts his mind to with minimal efferts) it was something I had to prove to myself that I could do. It was something i needed to mark off my list of things to do in life. I needed to prove to myself that I could finish what I started. Now I passed and nursing is something I want to do to be able to be there for other people. This is not a tangent....After I failed, I devoted so much time studying that i actually got SO much more out it than just preparing for a test, I'm prepared to take care of people. God always knows what is best and how to prepare me to bless others. I just wasn't ready before. What did I do differently? I had a little notebook next to my computer and everytime I worked on my n-clex cd roms, I would write any rationales, lab values, facts, etc in this book that I lacked knowledge in. Whenever I left the house, I took this notebook out to review what I had read. It really helped. I started retaining better than I did in school. Try it for 1 week. I started waking up with disease processes in my head and it started actually driving me into my text books. This is exactly what my study group had done for me. You say you did Mosby. Did you try it's cd. I've been told by other nurses if you can get 80% on it's tests than you are ready. I started in the 50%'s and up til the night before (it became addicting!) I was in the low 80%'s. I know you can do it. Set your pace, a would-be work schedule and study as though you are at the hospital working on patients and being paid for it. Log in those hours because those are going to be your trophey hours. Let me know how the studying is going. Congradulations in advance! T.Satton, RN :)

Peaceful2100, my heart goes out to you and your daughter. Counseling is a great thing, even to vent. I know how confused your daughter and your parents may feel. It's tough being a single mom. I was once one...very very stressful...now put in a mix of nursing school, and a dash of high hopes in the nursing field. You are not alone and your are not an idoit nurse. WE new nurses will make it through and I know that because other nurses have made it before us. One of my instructors once told me (which I held through out my heart in school) If it were impossible then there would be no more nurses. Get some time in with a counselor and don't forget your God time! Also, contract situation is not impossible. There are hospitals willing to buy your contract out. check it out. Apply at other hospitals and ask them if they are willing to buy it and make sure they have a very supportive preceptor program:p One more important thing to remember: God is incharge of you wherever you are. He is bigger than the people at work and is all knowlegable about your challanging daughter. Just call on him. Theresa:

How sad Jayvee. I feel real bad for you. Been there. For the last 3 months emotions were like a roller coaster. I just felt despaired because my family was really counting on me. hang in there and study hard. Study with the n-clex cds. They constantly give you feed back by showing your weakness and strengths. Also, keep a notebook, spiral, whatever and make notes of questions and the rationales that you get wrong or that you never heard of. You will be so better prepared the next time and i think that you will be more prepared for your patient as well, when you get to the floor. The patient is why we're really suppose to be prepared, not for some "n-clex" . That's what I got out of my growing pains these last few months. keep your chin up, your head in the clouds with God and your brain in N-clex..sounds like fun, eh? Theresa

Myabutrn, use a notebook. leave it next to your computer and everytime you run across something new or you vaguely remember, write it down. Just write write write. And whenever you leave the house to go do something, take that notebook with you and open it and read it when your sittling somewhere with down time like a doctor's office, etc. . if you wake up in the morning with a disease name in your head (studying will do that to you) and you can not identify the information that you learned, get up and look it up. if you can't find it in your little journal notebook, get out your medsurge book. This has truely helped me. I did this for three months after failing the first time. This last test was a homerun. I think I would be a little stressed if I only had one month, than again, i think I'm a little slow to catch on to acedemics. Good luck to you.

I passed on my second time (recently) after going through the Mosby cd rom and my trusty notebook next to my computer. Everytime I ran across a new subject, rationale, etc. I wrote it down (no special organizatioanl manner) and whenever I went to pick my kids up or went somewhere,where I would have a few minutes to read, I would bring this notebook and review what I had written: It really worked! I am not the kind of learner that learns things in passing and this computer program really helped. It catagorized my testing, showed me where I needed more studying. I only wish I would have done it the first time around but as one of you had written earlier, I am so much more prepared analytically (critical thinking!) to go out on the floor and know what's going on and so ready to learn. It has given me a hunger to learn and now I really can't wait to work. One more thing, I think I value my license more than ones who passed it the first time..it has been a very humbling experience. You go girl You can do it! Theresa

The review course sounds good. i did it and it only helped me slightly. I failed the n-clex (after the review) and after that a friend turned me onto mosby n-clex cd rom. I learned more from that cd than two years of nursing. I just passed 5 days ago! Even if you are going to do the review (and i would, especailly if the hosp is going to pay for it and your hourly) I still recommend the cd rom. It is like training for a track meet: A brain work out and be prepared to pull your books out at the same time. you will not be dissappointed and neither will your patients when you go back as an RN. Theresa

I just picked up an application today and have an appointment on Wednesday to interview. Can you believe it I have to take an entrance test..haven't I taken enough tests?!!

Thank you all for the congrats. Jayvee, did you hear anything yet?? I know last week I could think of nothing else. I hope you are holding down better than I was. Theresa:)

:roll I passed! I got my results on Friday morning and you will probably get yours on monday morning. To locate the website type into the search engine california Board of registered nurses and click on verify licensure. I am so releived and looking froward to a new chapter in my life of learning and applying nursing skills. I will be applying at kern medical Center in the NICU. It's such a dream come true::) I've been in school for five 1/2 years and I was beginning to wonder if I had done the right thing. The commitment level is so overwhelming and effects every part of your life (as you all know), and now for the dividends. My family is very happy also- even my teenager boys. my stepson came up and gave me a big hug and congradulated me:) which the likelyhood of that is like there being an earthquake on the east coast. Wow! I'm looking forward to my endeavor and continue to pray for those waiting for results and for those struggle in school. Very sincerely, Theresa Satton, RN

I have checked online and nothing so far. It's usually 2-3 days..however a friend of mine did her test on a Friday and her results were on line on that following monday..i was hoping mine would come back that fast. I was so anxious and sure i passed that i called a local recruit..I can't wait to get out and work. I'm applying for an NICU in a county hosp. ...oh pls. Lord...give me confirmation!

I just took my n-clex on Tuesday for the second time! I think I passed. The computer shut off at 78. The people there read me a section in there it will test you until you show 50% competency. The questions were so hard. At times non of the answers seemed correct. I've worked soooo hard to become an RN for the last 5 yrs and well, I just want to know now. I can't seem to quit thinking about it. I just want to know how long it took everyone else out there to get their passing results (I already know from experience 2-3 wks to get the big "failing packet":confused: :imbar Please give me feedback, I really need it right now. Theresa

The hospital that I use to work in (before nursing school) had dept colors for non nursing personell: x-ray was teal green, US was purple, unit secretaries wore dressy street clothes slacks, RT were in blue, andhouse keeping did NOT wear scrubs : dark blue slacks with corderoy light blue, long sleeve shirts. etc. nursing wore all the cute and professional multi design colors taylored to their own departments (peds had cartoon type charact) Anyway, as a non nursing person, i could identify nursing from afar and I couldn't wait to wear my pick of scrubs when I was to become a nurse (a sense of pride and accomplishment) and now that I have graduated and worked in the ER this summer to see that the unit secretary is excited because "we are dressed alike, you must've copied me" No, i'm a nurse and you are a secretary...it just kind of took the pride of dressing as a nurse away because i just look like everyone else....I know what the real accomplishment is, is ability to care correctly and knowlegably for my patients not the fashion design. It would be nice to be group uniformed with other nurses. i worked hard and this is what WE all accomplished (i'm not putting down non personel either) I'm just suggesting continuity for pts and visitors to be able to identify their nurse and a sense of comradary..JUST NOT WHITE It's see through underware, bras, tatoos: Yuk! Also, one more incident to add: When I was doing my rotation at L & D, everyone wore the same color scrubs, including enviromental services.. As a student, I was sitting at the desk doing some charting and an ES personell was nearby. She had no broom or mop or whatever in her hand and some family members came down the hall asking her where their mom-to-be was and of course she pointed to me and I was able to help and not more than 5 min. went by and a doctor's office assistant came by with some medical records on one of our clients and was about to hand them to the enviromental services person, not even asking if she was a nurse here (they were in a hurry) and i immediately got up and told them politely i would take care of them. What do you all think of this???? Theresa

You go girl! and also congrads to Christine! I was following some of your scripts and wondered. It is VERY encouraging to hear this. As my weeks go by, I seem to be getting very emotional over this (with good reason!) Thank you both for letting us know. With this in mind, I will go off this post and get back into studying! N-clex. n-clex. n-clex. signed second-timer too, Theresa

Oh, it is so good to know that i am not alone. i took my board in Aug and failed. i retake it next month. I'm really scared. Where would you even look up a peroneal nerve..maybe in the peds book under bucks traction. i would agree with you, Christine, on the potassium: irregular pulse..low k+ causes arrythmias, high K+ will knock the conduction system out completely: heart failure. What were some of your other options? LovlotB, when you said that you got 265 agian, did you mean that you got the same identical questions or 265 different ones...that would be discouraging for me because if i had the same questions i might still answer the same way. It's a scarey thought!

no kidding! makes me want to brave the heat and move to texas! NOT. New Grad RN ER 21.10 / hr Bakersfield, Calif.