WTXgrl

Keep in mind I’m a new grad with 4 months under my belt. I work CPCU nights and we are supposed to have 4 patients. It usually turns into 5. (2 on cardiac drips, 1 s/p CABG, 1 going downhill needing Bipap, and 1 med/tele) Not to mention at least 3 of them needing q4 accuchecks. Usually we have 2 CNAs for 46 patients, but sometimes we only have one. The only saving grace is our Unit Secretary. She’s been there for 15yrs. She is a lifesaver. (Our lives LOL) Computerized charting but paper MARs. The unit is always shorthanded. Staffing calls every day I am off work to see if I can work. Talk about burnout!!

I am a new grad and I am currently working at Desert Springs Hospital (DSH). I can say I enjoy working there. I have found for the most part everyone is very friendly and helpful. When I was hired my NM explained DSH is making changes to improve customer satisfaction and employee collaboration. With that said, not all areas are equal. Unfortunately, I have former classmates working in a different area than I and they are not as happy. I think this is due to the continued transition. With any facility there are pros and cons. Good luck in your job hunt.

Don't think that it is you. Unemployment is the highest in the country here. I Graduated May (in Vegas), took the NCLEX July and started looking for a job. I was getting depressed after a month of applying for anything for an RN and getting rejection letters by the dozen. In school we were told how to get a job is to go and see the Nurse Managers. I did that with no success. I then began to taking my resume to the HR departments with still no success. Finally, I made a folder with my resume, letters of recommendation, skills checklist, final semester evaluations and even made a business card. I went in and finally got to see a Nurse Recruiter in HR. I received a call back about a week later. The next day I took the NCB test, interviewed with a Nurse Manager and signed papers the same day. Long story short; market yourself. Stand out in the crowd. IMHO I don't think just applying online will get you anywhere. Hope this helps. Good luck.

I agree with Bella39841. Selling yourself is very important. I graduated May 2011 from ADN program in Las Vegas, NV where unemployment is HIGH. I sat for the NCLEX in July and began applying for jobs once I knew I passed. I applied online to the hospitals with no success. I then began to meet with Nurse Managers and HR for about two months with no success (only with a resume in hand). I was becoming depressed. I looked introspectively to see what I was missing. I realized I had a license to practice nursing. I was a business all on my own so why not present myself as that. I went to the Office Max and bought some professional folders and some do-it-yourself business cards and brochure paper. I made some business cards promoting ME. ------- ------- R.N. Patient Advocate providing holistic care, Interdisciplinary Team player and added an area with address and phone number. On the back of the card I put my certifications (BLS, ACLS and memberships). I made a color brochure about ME; where I went to school, areas of clinical experience and a brief background (which contained no healthcare experience but I was a small business owner for 17 years) Threw in a few clipart pictures for flare. In this folder I put my resume, letters of recommendation, clinical skills checklist (from school), a copy of my last semester clinical evaluations the brochure on me and placed the business card in the cut out for it. I picked out the hospital I really wanted to work at. I dressed up in professional attire and went BACK to see the hospital's HR department. Initially, it was just like all the other times I went there. I told the secretary I was looking for an RN position and that I was a new grad. She then told the nurse recruiter and she came out to see me AGAIN. She then told me there were no new grad positions available and AGAIN I thanked her for her time. I then presented my folder and asked her to please keep my information and consider me for any future positions. She brought me into her office to look over my folder. She smiled and said she had not seen anything like this before. She looked at all of my paperwork, brochure, and even plucked out my business card to look at it closer. She noticed the back where I put my certifications. Her eyebrows went up and I could tell by the look on her face (hum, impressive). She then told me again she didn't have any new grad positions but that she would keep me in mind. I wasn't able to go to another hospital (to do the same thing there) for a few days but when I did I was driving to the second hospital and I received a call from the first HR lady. She asked me to come in for an interview for a Med/Surg position. Whoo hoo!! I went in and took the NCB test and she told me I did very well on it and then asked me if I would consider a position in IMC (a step-down unit from ICU) instead of Med/Surg. Well, heck yeah I would!! And that's how I did it. I am now in an IMC course for 6 weeks, which by the way is kicking my A$$ but loving every minute of it and then I will have 6 weeks of orientation. It took me about 2.5 months to get a job but in that time only a few days once I presented myself correctly. Keep in mind you have a license to practice nursing. You have a scope of practice to practice within and you are, in a since, a business all on your own. The way I look at it is you are a business working for another business. Your business is nursing. Their business is being a hospital. Hope this helps.

I graduated May 2011 and nursing is a second career for me. During my last semester the instructors posted to us that since the hospitals are becoming resistant to having student nurses in their hospitals due to liability so they (the school) will be implementing more lab time to make up with lack of clinical time. I will be honest. I would have high anxiety during my clinicals. However, I think it may be from not having enough clinical time. Once or twice a week of clinical really is enough. My mother-in-law is an RN and back in the day (early 1970's) she attended a diploma program. In that kind of program they are, in a sense, free nursing care for the hospital and in turn the students get daily clinicals. She admits that she had some nurses that didn't want them there but for the most part, the nurses took the time to show them and included them in the care of patients. She says it helped her to learn how to organize and prioritize her day. By the way she is 69 and still works 12 hour shifts in IMC and still loves her job and works in the hospital she did her clinicals in. LOL During my clinicals, MANY of the nurses I was paired with didn't want to have a student. 90% of communication is non verbal and boy do they let you know it. (Hateful 'ole bats) I'm not a spring chicken anymore so I know when I'm getting the brush off. Sorry for my rant. Back to the subject at hand. Lab can only instruct skills, but it is much different when you are caring for a real person in the real world. More hands on is the solution with nurses (in the hospitals) that want to pass on their knowledge. Just my opinion. PS I am starting my new job tomorrow in IMC. I am so very thankful for the 6 week IMC course that is comprised of a combination of computer-based modules, lecture/workshops and clinical days. After that I get 6 weeks of preceptorship and more if I feel I need it. Whew!!

I am a new grad as well. I graduated May 2011 and passed NCLEX in July. I was also having a difficult time finding a job. I would go to the HR Dept. at the hospitals and had no positive responses. Finally, after several weeks of applying on line to anything starting with RN, I bought some really nice folders and a package of do-it-yourself business cards. I put in my resume (on resume paper), a copy of my BLS, ACLS (in color to stand out), letters of reference, skills check list and my final semester student evaluations. I placed the business card I made in the slot provided for it. I thought, what do I have to lose? I marched down to the hospital's HR and spoke AGAIN to the rep. and gave her my folder. She said she had not seen anything like this before and was impressed. However, she didn't have any positions open for new grads nor did she have an open orientation slot until the first of the year About a week and a half later she called me for an interview for Med/Surg. I happily accepted and went in for the NCB test. She said I did very well and would I consider IMC. Of course I said YES!! So now I am scheduled for orientation starting Oct. 3rd (hummm, I thought there was no orientations till after the first of the year?) Oh well, don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Moral of my story; don't always believe HR when they say they have no jobs for new grads and think outside the box on the presentation of yourself. Persistence removes resistance. PS I was also in the process of making a color tri-fold brochure on myself. That could be something new that HR hasn't seen before.

Here's the info for the NSNA convention. January 15, 2011 (8am - 6pm) at the West Charleston Campus, K building in room K-101. Go to Nevada Student Nurses Association | Convention to register for the convention

WOW !! How ironic. This is the same one I bought to start nursing school. I can tell you I have dragged it around a million miles and it is still going. The only drawback I found was if you carry your laptop you cannot put your Potter & Perry book and a large 3 ring binder in the back compartment. My solution, use a 1 inch 3 ring binder. Other than that I love it.

You are very welcome. I remember standing in your shoes. You can ask questions anytime.

The first part of the semester you will be at long term care. You will not be required to go the day before. However, the last part of the semester you will be in a rehabilitation facility. You will need to get your patient info the day prior to clinical. The information gathering is not really that difficult, but the making of med cards can be daunting. The med cards you do at home. My advice is, if you have a late class the day prior to clinical then an early clinical the next day, I would consider changing the pharm class. If you have a later clinical you should have time to do the med cards that night and the first part of the next day before clinical. Remember, you may have a difficult time changing your pharm class at this point. If you cannot change then you gotta do what you gotta do. If you have to leave straight from your last class and go to the facility then go home to do the paper work till late then you have to ask yourself is it worth it. IMO it is sooo worth it. Last semester (2nd) I had to go get Pt. information for two Pt. the day prior and stay up alllllll night then go to an early clinical with zero sleep. I will be honest, I would sometimes breakdown and cry about 3:00am thinking I would not get all the paper work done but I got it done. My instructor was such a stickler on paper work. Some instructors do not require so much paper work. It just depends on who you get for second semester. Yes, it was hard but I feel that I am a better student nurse for it. I didn't feel that way at the time. I would recommend a clip board that you can store your paper work in. In first semester I had one that had a calculator on it but it quit working shortly after I bought it. I would get a regular one that you can Velcro a small calculator to the inside lid. As for the goggles; you will not use them much. I used mine for G-tube feedings and meds. (Oh, don't forget the goggles and steth for ACE during the G-tube stuff!!) I forgot my goggles and I had to shuffle around with a friend so it looked like I had my goggles LOL!! I could have had 3% taken off. Yikes!! Yes, I am getting ready for finals and getting careplans and paper work turned in. I wish you the best on this journey. It is a lot of work but it is sooo worth it. I can remember my first semester waiting at the elevators and seeing the forth semester students and felt like it was so far away and now I'm going into the forth semester and thinking wow how time flies. Just remember, this semester what they want from you is to learn to communicate with patients, gather information, i.e. history, assessments, identify normal from abnormal, and learn the meds. The one thing I wish someone would have told me is to go into a patient's room, sit down and get to know them. Talk to them like you are getting to know a friend. It is difficult at first. At long term care, just ask them about their kids, grandkids, family or what did you do before you retired. They love to tell someone about their life. Put yourself in their place. They were once young, had a home with a family and now they are in a strange place (not their home) and friends (many who have died) and family, only to have visits once a month or once a week if they are lucky. I had a patient that became an RN late in her life like I am doing. It was so interesting to hear her stories about nursing school back then. I hope this helps.:)

There was a student who insisted on using a digital watch and the lab instructor had a BIG problem with it. It was a big enough of a problem that all other instructors talked about it for weeks. Do yourself a favor and fly under the radar. Go with a watch with a face.

Jimmah555 I looked at the Dickies and should be fine. However, every teacher is different. They will let you know on the last day of ACE. As for the apron-like organizer that clips around your waist and the pocket organizer, me personally I would return it and save your money for a good laboratory and diagnostic test book for next semester. You won't need it for this semester but a must have for next semester. Trust me you will just end up chunking your stuff in your pockets. The organizer gets in the way.

[SIZE="2"]Hello to all and congratulations to the CSN Spring 2011 class. I'm currently a 3rd semester student, going into 4th at CSN and here's my advice to survive nursing school so far. Uniforms: LaIsla seems to be the least expensive place to buy uniforms. I have two sets. It is easier when doing laundry. I sewed my patches on and have never had a problem with bleaching. It is just as easy to sew on the patch as it is to sew on Velcro. Besides, it looks better sewn. IMO As to the pants, I bought the elastic waist ones with pockets the first semester and didn't like the way they fit. Second semester I bought the tie waist and no one has checked. Girls, invest in white big girl panties and guys, tightie whities or white boxers/briefs. Shoes? Just as long as they are white and you can clean them. Diarrhea splatters. I know this as fact!! LOL Equipment: Don't skimp on stethoscope. I have a Littmann II and it has served me well. However, get the cheap scissors, hemostats, pin light etc. Trust me you will probably lose at least one of these during nursing school. I bought mine from LaIsla. Invest in several name badges and keep them everywhere. (Car, backpack, purse etc.) Try the bookstore, Office Max, Office Depot just as long as it similar to the one issued to you. They will pop you on not having a name badge!! ALWAYS have a watch with a second hand. If you think you can get away with saying "There is a clock in the lab or in the patient's room" you will still get 3% taken off. Classes: BE EARLY to clinical and lab!!! One second late is LATE! I am always at least 30 minutes early and I am not an early person by nature. I tell my friends that if I am not in class, look in the morgue because I must be dead. I set two alarm clocks for morning classes just in case. To me it doesn't matter how tired or sick I am I will be in class. Oh and if you are sick I would suggest to medicate well and do not look sick. I know, I know, not good for patients but just remember HAND HYIENGE. The APG doesn't care what your excuse is. VERY FEW people get an excuse for missing clinical or lab. Make friends early. You need them and they need you!!! You cannot survive without them. You will see that you will constantly ask them or they ask you, "Hey, what's due this week". Keeps your butt out of trouble. Stay organized. Get a dayplanner and use it!!! Do not forget to do you modules for lab and print the results for safekeeping!! It is easy to forget about them!!! Do not fall behind in reading. Yes, I know there is a lot of reading but it has to be done. Make note cards. We all still do. Lol Consider study groups. It really does help to hear it from someone else. Remember you can print your powerpoints in the computer lab for FREE. Well, that is all I can think of for now. I wish everyone well for Spring 2011.[/size]

No problem. I remember how I felt went I first moved here 3 years ago. Congrats on your new job here in Vegas. I wish you well in your endeavor.

Oh, one more thing. I would invest in a GPS unit or an app on your phone. I have lived here for 3 years and still use it at times. Map Quest is good but a hassle when you want to jump in the car to go somewhere.