sam4cnm

Sorry to hear this. I just graduated in May and understand. As a new nurse you can't work anywhere but Med-Surg at a hospital. Everywhere else wants experience, heck most of the hospitals near me want experience for med-surg. I can say that April-June is very little time to develop those management skills needed to deal with all the patients needs, delegation, etc. I wish I could get 6-7 patients. We are expected to take 8-9 right out of school in a Med-Surg, some high acuity. Possible....yes....safe...no. Be strong, be honest, calm down so that no-one perceives you as whining (which gives them more of a reason to let you go), and rationally discuss this. Maybe this job is not meant to be.

To anyone who will help. I am a recent RN graduate. I now have my license and have been applying for jobs. A few interviews and one possible offer. I am going on in school to become a nurse-midwife and would like L+D experience, but obviously tough to find right out of school. I may be accepting the Med-Surg postition for experience. So to the problem. I have been offered the opportunity to participate as a birth assistant at a local birthing center. It is not an RN position but I am concerned about doing this in addition to practicing as a nurse. I am comfortable that the CNM would not place me in an awkward position and I know what is considered an RN scope of practice. Will this opportunity lead me to trouble? I would love to find any experiences that will help my get that L+D job in the future as well as guide me towards my midwifery career. During school I did some work as a doula, but have since stopped since I got my license. How does all this work? Can I work at one location as an RN and do birth assisting/doula work on the side for the experience? I live in Florida in case the reference is needed. Thanks!:)

Well I see classes have caught up to you all! No posts in a couple weeks! Hope you are all doing well...take care from your friendly sophomore!

lol....get used to the disorganization. It is a running theme throughout the program. Though I think it helps us cope with stress for when we become RN's! LOL

No luck on the food last year. I think there were water bottles, but no food. Maybe you guys will get lucky.

You are all so lucky last fall when I started I had to argue my way out of federal jury duty on the orientation day. That is in addition to all the fun stuff you guys are working on. Then they suggest a new date for my jury duty....1st day of classes! I just couldn't get a break last fall. I was eventually excused altogether, bu I know how you feel. Stay calm, have fun, and good luck! Oh on a side note this fall is turning out to be pretty stressful too!

we found out our campus assignment and teacher/hospital assignment at orientation...have fun tomorrow!

Oh I don't believe mine was $100 it was like $70 something, but that was last Fall though...

Hey guys....you sure are extending this thread quickly. If only I had this type of support when I was starting. Anyways. The lab kit I purchased when I started last fall is for 1st and 2nd semester. It included a BP cuff, PPE (gown, mask, etc), gauze, abd pads, various dressings, wound care stuff,wound measurement equip, flushing equipment, iv lines, enema supplies, Foley catheters, and gloves. Basically the supplies you will need to practice skills for labs/evals. There are multiple of everything in the kit for practice purposes...if you had a good instructor you could probably just share one, but at East campus they were pretty stringent about making sure everyone had one. You also get all new stuff for skills evaluation. Hope that answers that...but know that I still have about half of my supplies from my lab kit in my closet and I now have to purchase a new kit for 2nd year. E-books are essentially online copies of the books. I never used them...some students did find them helpful. Instead of dragging all your books you could just use your laptop or phone with internet access and log in and do your reading. They have some study questions/answers online. It is a personal preference thing I would suspect. Nothing was different than the book version (they both were full of errors). As far as ATI codes....we were just given them at the beginning of the semester. You registered yourself but everyone's codes were the same. So unless they changed how the do that don't worry you already paid for it with your class fees/test fees. I liked the ATI practice tests and reading material...seemed more helpful. Hope this helps.....sorry for the delay in my reading I have been preparing for my vacation before starting 3rd semester. Let me know if I missed something.:)

Umm yes the time of the month....well luckily if you are "normal" you will generally only have to wear your white uniform 2 days of your monthly visit. I always doubled up to be sure though! lol

Probably because the NP expects teenage girls to see an OB/GYN or specialist for that care whereas male patients only have their primary care practitioner. Just a thought....

I personally got the packets when I started since I wasn't sure what I would need to succeed. After the first semester I got the books individually based on what I knew I would need. So get what you thinks works for you.

Oh...additional note....course manual is from the bookstore...it also contains the syllabus. In my original packet I got when I start NS last year I got a price list of total costs...no individual book cost. Though I remember the total being something like $730 for books. That is only like $50 less than tuition. First semester was the most expensive since you start with nothing....it gets a little better. Less books, manuals, supplies to purchase once you start.

Hey everyone....Just dropping in. I wanted to say a few things. Our uniforms only have one patch on them. The second is on your lab coat which you wont need till second semester. Books are a racket. PHCC orders special bundles so the isbn numbers wont match. Walk into the book store and write down the number off of each book in the packet. Most packets include the study guide (which I never used) and an evolve password (which I never used). Some find that stuff helpful, but not me so choose what you think will work for you. As far as buying books from students. You would have to get graduating students, because you need all the books for each new semester. Then they add more. I have a closet full. What else....oh typos get use to that all the materials have typos and poor grammar. Even some of the nursing books. East campus instructors are great. They are polar opposites....one easy going and one strict... you will learn a great deal from each. They are both very easily distracted. Pasco Regional is a paper hospital while FHZ is computer based (my preference). Take care!

For the RN program at Dade City you will be at either Florida Hospital Zephyrhills or Pasco Regional. I don't know about clinical placements for north or west campus. Several classmates of mine received sponsorships. They worked as a PCT like 8hr per pay period required, the hospital paid the school fees directly to the school. The students are required to work an allotted time after graduation for the hospital (approximately 6 months per semester paid) if you don't then you must pay back in full.

you need AHA BLS for heath care providers CPR cert....that is what PHCC offers but you can get it anywhere as long a it is AHA

I believe it is 3 semesters fall/spring/summer

the school offers a cpr class for non credit. but you can go to any AHA BLS for Healthcare providers to get certified. just look it up on the AHA website if you can't got to the one at the school

I would think so as long as it has the specific list of what the school wants...let me pull out my physical form from last year and see.... Polio vaccine or titer Tetorifice vaccine within 10 years Rubella/MMR vaccine or titer Varicella PPD annually Hep B vaccine I think that covers the vaccines/titers

oh and I just googled your shoes....If you were in my class there wouldn't be a problem. I can't speak for the west campus instructors but they should be fine.

you said it all. Shoes are up to each instructors discretion. I was at east campus and they were really laid back as long as the are overall white I wouldn't worry too much. If you can count seconds on your watch yo are good...though I got one with minimal detail on the face and band as well as a rubber/plastic band. You wash your hands a lot and don't want stuff sticking to it and living in little crevices. I have a green stethoscope with a frog on it...so as long as it works it is ok. Oh while your buying stuff pick up white underwear....sorry a little tmi....but some students in my class made the mistake of trying light colors or nude and everyone can tell. HMM what other advice do I have...get pens black (legal records you know) with lids not click tops. They will unclick in your pocket while your lifting a patient or something and write on your nice white scrubs.

Hey All congrats on getting in! So I got a PM from someone (you know who you are) but I can't PM back yet. So you need your CPR card to walk into clinicals so get it before classes start. On East campus they weren't real particular about shoes white all over (maybe a little colored icon or something). Some people had sneakers and others nurse mates...I don't think they are that particular. Stethoscopes get a good one... it is not the place to cut costs you need to hear the right stuff! Watches that can count seconds so you can do respiratory and heart rates. Mine had a black band and no-one ever said anything about it. Get your physical done ASAP as soon as your packet comes (after you send in your acceptance letter) because vaccine titers take some time to get back. You must have TB test and Proof of immunity to Varicella, Hep B, Measles, etc (by titer or vaccine) before clinicals start. Umm I am sure I missed a question, just let me know....Congrats to all again! Oh and when I applied last year they told us if two applicants had the same scores, gpas, residency they used reading score to break the tie. Now that was with the NET so maybe TEAS is different but FYI.

Hey All congrats on getting in! So I got a PM from someone (you know who you are) but I can't PM back yet. So you need your CPR card to walk into clinicals so get it before classes start. On East campus they weren't real particular about shoes white all over (maybe a little colored icon or something). Some people had sneakers and others nurse mates...I don't think they are that particular. Stethoscopes get a good one... it is not the place to cut costs you need to hear the right stuff! Watches that can count seconds so you can do respiratory and heart rates. Mine had a black band and no-one ever said anything about it. Get your physical done ASAP as soon as your packet comes (after you send in your acceptance letter) because vaccine titers take some time to get back. You must have TB test and Proof of immunity to Varicella, Hep B, Measles, etc (by titer or vaccine) before clinicals start. Umm I am sure I missed a question, just let me know....Congrats to all again!

Hey everyone! I loved micro....such fond memories....you should watch this Animal Planet show called "monsters inside me" ( i think). I try to guess what the people have from what I learned in Micro. It is fun and I will admit I am pretty good. So as far as nursing school. Yes you have to wear all white....horrible right. The pants aren't very particular, but the top is only allowed to be a specific style. It is in the student handbook on the website. The white was pretty awful on lunch break. I personally invested in both Tide and Clorox to go pens. I would find a good pair of white shoes to break in now (your feet will thank you), a nice stethoscope (play with it at home), and some sort of organizer. Organization will help, trust me. Read and work ahead when possible as time for final exams comes up you will be glad to have the time for studying! Good luck and hopefully we will hear soon that you were all accepted!

Hey guys, I am sure I seem so weird posting so frequently on this board when I have already been accepted, but I was in your boat just a year ago and nobody reached out to help me. So.....As far as hospitals go I only know about East Campus. The options are Pasco Regional or Florida Hospital Zephyrhills depending which instructor you have. I don't know about West Campus, sorry. Sponsorships are great if you want one and yo can usually get one at any point during the program. It involves the hospital paying your costs, you working like 8 to 12hrs a month as a PCT during school, and a contract for work after licensure (depends on how much school they paid for). Also you usually find out which instructor/hospital you are in at the orientation. There was quite a bit of negotiation for switching hospitals at my orientation. Check into sponsorships early if you want one....they only give out so many a semester. Good luck to all!