momofstudent

American Sentinel program is 30-32 months, FNP is 26 months

Long story here. I left the USA in 2002 at age 52 to travel after some miserable nurse jobs. I met a Portuguese/Brazilian and we married 18 months later, I went to live in Brazil and Portugal. 2012 I returned without the husband to the USA and did not work or think about nursing until 2020 when I started volunteering. I have worked in LTC a few paid shifts per month and in a few weeks I will be starting a Psych/mental health NP Program. I am 71 with incredible longevity in my family. 95+ is not unusual. My father's sister died 1 year ago at age 103. Sharp as a tack and lived at home, alone. I guess I'm starting the NP Program to cover myself if I do live to my 90's or beyond. If not, oh well. Education never hurt anyone!

During Covid I was feeling that I should do something to help in light of the nursing shortage. Because I had been out of nursing for years I felt LTC would work. I found an agency and worked hard to fit in with absolutely no orientation. I had to learn the computer program myself. I found the regular staff to be touch and go. A bit of sleeping at night and manipulating things that forced day shift to do more work. Crisis staffing was ridiculous the last few months. I was sent to care with only one assistant on floors with helpless people. Of course I had to help the assistant turn patients and lift etc. My rotator cuff was torn in one move. Now, I am at home and in the process of applying for jobs that will be impossible to short staff.

I'm sorry that you feel it necessary to compare yourself to others who are actually taking a different path. Please consider that each individual has different needs and opportunities. I attended a brick and mortar for my bridge from ADN to BSN and I can tell you that I wish the course lectures had been online. Most of the professors were a joke and knew nothing compared to some of the students.

As an experienced expat, this question deserves a better answer. It doesn't matter where in the world she is, she is still working for an American company and her paychecks will go into an American account. Foreign banks do not even want to open accounts for Americans because of the complex reporting laws the USA demands. All she needs to deal with is a visa for the length of time she stays in foreign countries. She easily has 90 days visa free in EU countries. She can typically extend that to her required 4 months as a "tourist"

there was a thread last year with links to FB

What is the problem that you speak of?

please try another school. you had bad luck where you went.

Look, I know most of you are very good and have great resumes etc. But do sit down and do a serious self examination. Do you really interview well? Those doing the hiring have tons of experience with hiring and they can be pretty discerning. I agree with older nurses and instructors who say they have seen tough job markets before. Why? Because we have had many tough job markets. Just because there are people in recent years past who were offered 10 NG positions with lots of benefits plus flowers doesn't mean you should ever have expected the same reception. so, do that self exam, take a look around and do what you have to do. I commuted 100 miles for my first job. I found a room in Portland during my work week. Heck, after 6 months I was hired in my home town. There were 30 unemployed nurses from my graduating class out of 50 graduates sitting in their little home town waiting for something to open up. I made the sacrifice in 1974 and was working before most others and many had much better grades, better work experience during nursing school. Good luck, if you want it it will come. BUT, you have to do your part!

I just went to read this for a second time. I feel those nurses who sit around making comparison statements need to get back to work. I don't even know these schools but I am sure there are good, excellent and mediocre nurses from each.

What about talking to other schools who might be willing to take you as a transfer? This HESI thing has got to go. I disagree with using it as a final gate before graduation. The NCLEX should be the final test, not some commerical program used by schools to artificialy boost their NCLEX rates. My suggestion is that schools should pay for and offer NCLEX prep courses.

I think before you do anything make sure you know what nursing is all about. Do some volunteer work close to patients. Nothing would be more discouraging in life than to go into another field only to find you hate that too. I am saying this because maybe your dissatisfaction is caused by something deeper than you realize and I have met many nurses who hated nursing and wanted to change fields.

Whoa, scratch that. I posted to the wrong thread.

I think before you do anything make sure you know what nursing is all about. Do some volunteer work close to patients. Nothing would be more discouraging in life than to go into another field only to find you hate that too. I am saying this because maybe your dissatisfaction is caused by something deeper than you realize and I have met many nurses who hated nursing and wanted to change fields.

I would like to see others chime in here on this subject. The reason to apply to the MSN doesnt't seem entirely rational. Masters programs are going to be teaching at an even higher academic level than the BSN programs. Are you understanng what the difference is and are you prepared for that? There are BSN programs that will look at the entire picture not just undergrad GPA. I understand your desire to stay in California but what is your highest desire, becoming a nurse or living in CA?

It looks like they try to cover important areas but the time, 6 hours is far too short. They are too expensive for 6 hours also. There has to be something else available.

Taking care of yourself is for you AND for others. Don't become one of the slob nurses that I have had to work with through the years! I think nurses standardly go down that road because they are busy or lazy and think no one is watching. I cared how you looked, I was sensitive when I had to look at dirty hair, nails, clothes, dry flaky skin, chapped lips, grown out hair color jobs. JUST THINK HOW YOUR PATIENTS PERCEIVE YOU. Remember this, the French believe that it is disrespectful to others to go out in public with an unkempt appearance. Believe it yourself, you do not have to be French to absorb this little bit of wisdom! I don't mean excess makeup or 2" acrylic nails like street hookers, just a clean, presentable appearance with a bit of blush, lipstick or gloss, sparkling clean nails and a GOOD HAIRCUT!!!! Your patients will appreciate it and have more of a tendency to believe you will care for them properly and professionally. Based on actual studies, women and men who present well in any profession are judged to be more successful in their profession.

Hey, in another solar system people might call you a self promotor or even overly proud. But I call you a terrific nurse and when I go to a cardiac floor I want you as my nurse!!!!

Sorry, what? Which country are you referring to? I live in Portugal. Every one with a bachelor degree here is addressed formaly as Doctor. I kid you not. My bank sends my statements to Dr Rosemary (in reality Dra =feminine form of doctor) . . . . With this in mind maybe physicians should be addressed as Physician John Doe. Nurses could then be safely and clearly called Nurse Jane Doe and nurses with a doctorate could be called Doctor just as the economist or poet is addressed.

Arterial line? could be anything, newspaper jurnalists can be really bad when it comes to medical terms. I saw recently where a journalist mixed up Typhoid with Dengue in an article saying that Dengue had a vaccine. JEEZ!

Yes, I second that too. The best doctor I ever had was a nurse practioner!!

Hey, Chancie honey, first of all anyone who says they hate kids has a very deep problem. People who talk like that have had some terrible childhood trauma. Maybe mentally ill parents, sexual abuse etc. So just feel their pain and move on. Do your best. Forgive me if this next part hurts you but I need to be frank. Maybe you are trying to type quickly but your spelling and grammar leaves a bit to be desired. 35 years ago students who had trouble like this were not allowed to continue in school. You will write exams and eventually you will be required to make entries on charts. Others will judge you to be incompetent based on your writing skills. If your entry is representative, please get some extra help or tutoring. You sound like you will make a good nurse, don't allow a lack of communication skills hold you back.

With 30 years of nursing experience in different fields, I have to say that corrections was one of my favorite places to work. I believe the clinic work is safer than walking most US streets. Remember you have trained corrections officers everywhere. I think the most important thing to remember about this field is that you are first of all a nurse and last of all a nurse. You are not a corrections officer, a judge or police officer. You are there to deliver healthcare alone. Your clients are human beings just like any human being in a hospital or on the street. Treat them as so, just as you would treat your brother. "There but for fortune go you or I" I must also add that you will see things you have never seen before and you will learn to be strong or you will need to leave for another environment. Some of the people you will meet people never learned to care for their bodies, some will have long term untreated disease and untreated injuries. Some people will come from jail wards of county hospitals recovering from gun shot wounds, sometimes inflicted by a family member. Guards and inmates do not regularly wash their hands for lack of facilities or ignorance. And yes, you will see inmate on inmate violence and guard on inmate violence or threats that make your hair stand up.

Why do you think you need to accept an offer on the spot? every job site expects potential employees to take their time to make a decision?

Like everyone says, rest for a while, don't give yourself a bad time, you were just one of those 15%ers. Use EFT for emotional control and dedicate yourself to a study plan. My 2 closest friends failed. We were the 3 musketeers. It made me feel like a fraud and like I did something or treated them badly. Survivors guilt all the way.