Teacher First

I took Advanced Assessment and Pharm at the same time. I think if I had added Patho at the same time I would have caved. I was working full-time also.

Liver enzymes and alk phos can be elevated with fracture. Joint pain common with low Vit D. Thyroid ok? Overhydrated?

(b) a Texas NCLEX candidate has approximately 75 days to take the boards as specified by their ATT (Authorization To Test). If this is not done by the expiration date, the candidate will forfeit everything- cost of the NCLEX, application for licensure, authorization...everything. A Texas NCLEX candidate is given a temporary permit to practice as a GN for 75 days from the time it is issued (if they have met the requirements to test and if there is no outstanding eligibility issue.) If you take the NCLEX during that 75 days, you will either pass and be granted a license, or you will fail after which you must cease to practice as a GN immediately (no matter how much time remains on the permit. (Texas BON Rules and Regs 217.3. Temporary Authorization to Practice/Temporary Permit.) If the candidate does not take the NCLEX before the permit expires, they do not lose anything except the right to practice as a GN. If you schedule the NCLEX through PearsonVue, and you miss the test without rescheduling it, you will lose your $200. You will have to pay the $200 when you schedule it again. If you think you will not be able to test at the time you originally scheduled it, you can contact them and you can reschedule it without losing your money. A Texas graduate from an approved program has 4 years from graduation to take the test, and can take it as many times as they like until they pass it (at $200 a pop). If one does not pass the NCLEX in 4 years, then that person must go back to school if they want to pursue nursing as a career. You do not lose your fee for application for licensure each time you take the test. Ok, probably more than you wanted to know. Please read the Texas Nursing Practice Act or the Texas BON Rules and Regs....it's like your Bible for nursing!

I don't want to get into a long explanation (and I do not teach for UH), but the BON can make visits to schools for many reasons. Sometimes the school can ask for the visit as well. I am sure that the students and faculty will appreciate any advice the BON can give for making possible revisions, if that is required. About the percentage pass rate...it is not because the students took the test later that they failed (or passed.) What it means is that the numbers are skewed, and we are dealing with very small numbers of graduates so for instance if there are 10 who take the test, each one counts for 10% toward the pass rate. If the student who has not taken the test would have taken it in 2010 and passed, then the pass rate would have been 80%. The pass rate is lower, but it IS a new program. The second degree program is tough wherever you take it. Just FYI, I have been a nurse for over 30 years...not a big fan of any second degree program. Let's see, I am an English teacher, but I want to be a chemical engineer....think I willl take a couple of rereqs and then go to school for one year and get a job with Exxon! Sorry for the rant, no offense intended.

http://www.wcjc.edu/ed_programs_n/allied_health/associate_degree_nursing/default.asp

Argo, are you currently working in Vail? I have often dreamed of working there....would love to work there in the summer! Do you know if they have "seasonal" positions?

Seriously you should all invoke safe harbor. Safe harbor protects your license from sanction during the time the issue is undergoing peer review, but it does not protect you from civil liability. When you invoke safe harbor it must be done before accepting the assignment you are concerned about. You may then continue with the assignment or refuse the assignment based on the the provisions for refusing outlined in the Nursing Practice Act. Please read all pertinent information regarding this legal alternative to unsafe care. Your patients and your license are definitely at risk. The link is noted above in Orange Tree's response. You must follow the directions exactly, and there is protection for you and others to prevent retaliation. I don't think many nurses understand this provision in the Nursing Practice Act. There is also information under the Nursing Practice section on the home page at the website. Please read your NPA! Is administration aware of this? Is your manager following mandates "from above" or is he trying to make his numbers look good? I have to say that I would not put my license on the line for this. This is the kind of situation that makes nurses look to collective bargaining groups for change. Good luck, and protect your patients and your license!

Mine was a post master's program.....started in August 2007 and finished in May 2009 while working full-time. I got so little sleep that I think I really hurt my brain! Took about a year to "recover." Pace yourself!

I suppose I am lucky, everywhere I am affiliated with has good housekeeping personnel!

I went back to school in 2007 at 53 for a post-master's FNP. I finished last year and passed certification just after my 57th birthday. I think I have a lengthy career ahead of me, so I say "Go for it!" and Good Luck!

Please don't feel like a failure, it is a tough test. I have been a nurse full-time for 33 years and have worked in critical ICUs and almost 20 years in the ER, as well as having taught for over 26 years. I took the AANP exam last October, and I agree that it was quite different than I expected. I thought that a lot of the information did not look remotely familiar, then I started looking at the questions from a teacher's point of view:idea:!! I had "marked" 25 questions, and when I looked them over the second time, I tried to see exactly what they were asking for.....go back to nursing process, Maslow's Hierarchy, etc., and answered based on that. I really thought I had failed and was so excited to see that I had passed that I got tearful! My heart was pounding throughout the test, I was spending quite a bit of time just trying to relax and calm myself down! Yes, I did pass, but I agree with someone else who posted that there needs to be a review of what is being taught in schools and what is being tested for on these exams. Good luck on your next exam!

I am more disturbed by the OP's reaction than I am to the patient calling him. I think you need to get a grip, and learn to manage your own emotional response to such situations. I would not want you for my nurse if you are not able to control yourself professionally in a stressful situation. There have been many replies that have offered very professional responses to this situation, I hope you take them to heart.

Just a chuckle,...I was born there 56+ years ago. I didn't know it was still there! Good luck! There are many nice places to live, just ask around. As noted before, there are many nice parks, shopping areas, and people are generally nice!

Oh I hated this assignment!! Our teachers did not help at all with this, I had to search like crazy to find it. I have been a teacher for 27 years and I have never left a student "hanging" to find a resource. I won't do the work for them, but I certainly have no problem telling them how to find the information. Now that that vent is made....I finally found the long form by searching library databases, and found the book by Friedman on Family Assessment. I don't have access to the citation at this minute, but if I find it I will share it! Good luck!

I agree that if we give you the answers you will be less likely to read the rationale that goes along with gaining the knowledge. Looking up the information not only will garner the answer but also help you learn how to find answers to questions in the future. The suggestion to google the information is a good one, as is looking in a good text or NCLEX review book. These particular questions are relatively basic knowledge, and it should not be difficult to find the answers. Good luck!