momin96,98,99

Congrats to all who made it into CSUEB. I graduated 12/2011, and it is a great program. I have worked as PHN and now on a med/surg-tele floor, compared to other new nurses I meet CSUEB does prepare you!! When you get to clinicals challenge yourself and it will help you, I had the hardest instructor my last clinical and it really made a difference. It is true that one of the best skills you can learn is time management. Good luck to all of you.

As was stated in the previous posts, expand your search. Look at your county or surrounding counties, some will post openings for Staff Nurse etc. you can request a job alert so that when a new position is posted you are sent an email, also the job posting for internal applicants will be posted at the local clinics etc. and sometimes with the managers contact information. If so even though you are an external applicant you can still express your interest and either request to meet the manager or email expressing your interest (this worked for with a position I applied to, the manager actually took the time to tell me of locations that had job openings and actually led to the job offer I just received). I understand your stress as I graduated in December and finally got a job offer. I applied to any job that I could and sent out over 160 applications with locations ranging from 5 to 100 miles from my home. Make sure to have a friend or someone critique your resume/cover letter and customize it for each facility your are applying to. Sign up to volunteer, red cross, hospice, health clinics, etc. Just keep trying, and while you are waiting practice answering interview questions. I wish you the best, and just know that you are not alone in the search.

I was a single mother of three during my nursing program, my youngest was 9. I would record lectures and listen to them when driving to/from school or to/from clinical's. I would study while waiting to pick them up from their school's, or at their soccer practice and games. I also explained to my kids what to expect when I first started school, that I would not have the same time as did before to spend with them and how important it was for us as a family for me to graduate. I was always with them when not in school, but my mind was focused on the care plan I had to write or the test I had to study for. They learned not to try to talk to me when I was in study mode, unless it was urgent. For some of my clinical's I carpooled with a few other classmates and we would quiz each other during the hour drive, which helped. I also found that playing classical music while I was studying helped. You just have to find what works for you.

I recently graduated from CSUEB, and I personally thought the program was excellent. We had great instructors and were more than prepared for the NCLEX, although when it comes down to taking the NCLEX no matter how much you study you still do not feel prepared. As far as how difficult the program is, that depends on your study habits, support at home, outside responsibilities etc. I can say that for me this was the most challenging thing I have ever done, and I loved every (almost) of it. I learned so much and looking back can understand why the program is designed the way it is. Each program will have different choices for clinical rotations, ours were all over the Bay Area, it is not something you can individually choose as each nursing program (and there are many) must request specific floors, dates/times etc for the x number of students. My clinical rotations were at John Muir, Alta Bates, Kaiser, Children's Hospital, Sutter Delta, and there were others but I only recall the ones I went to. For our preceptorship we were able to request which hospital and department we wanted to precept in, I know a few that went to LPCH. There was no problem getting books, they were not cheap, but some people were able to find great deals online. I am guessing I spent over $2500 on books, it was not all at once. For choosing you will have to think about commute times to and from school and clinical rotations, if you live on the outer area it may be challenging to commute to SFSU. CSUEB offers the choice of going to the concord or hayward campus. Congratulations on you acceptance in to the nursing programs!!

I passed!!

My ex sounds much like your boyfriend, he was upset to learn that I wanted to go to college yet changed his mind when he learned what could be earned.... i wanted to do this because I love nursing. Look at all the options available, you will be amazed at how much help is really out there. I had no family nearby, began a divorce just prior to finding out i was accepted into the nursing program- I was scared as to how I would do this, I had never taken a full load of classes and felt that maybe I would not be able to do this on my own. Everything just seemed to work out, and looking back what helped was not looking at the end result but what I had to complete within that week, month or quarter. Just taking it one day at a time. Take care of yourself and your children, talk to other women, talk to groups such as STAND, abuse happens in many forms, whether it physical, emotional, or psychological. Help is available. Your dreams can be realized don't give up!!

I am so sorry to hear, this entire process is so stressful. Don't give up- you now know what the test is like. You can do this!!!

same here, still waiting for my results- checking the BRN site everyday!!

Thanks, but really need to see it on the BRN site to believe it, and best wishes for your test on thursday!!

1/17/12: took the NCLEX today after spending the last three weeks preparing- spending all day studying, 8am-6 pm. I did over 4000 questions from multiple sources. Completed the entire Kaplen Q-bank in 5 days, did Davis and LaCharity. My kitchen table looked like I was still in nursing school!!! I tried to think of all that I did not know- in the scope of nursing practice that left me clueless as to what to focus on. I did the best I could. During the test I kept looking at the number of questions, 45, 60, 70 and then 75, hit next and the test was over.... all I could think was this was it, the culmination of all I have given to be an RN, based on 75 questions. I was overcome with emotion, shed a few tears and walked out stunned. I drove home and did the Pearson Vue trick- and got the "good" pop up, still not sure even after all that I have read if it really works, I tried it again 12 hours later, and will keep trying until my name is on the CA BRN site (no quick view available). This entire journey to become a RN is like holding your breath- and waiting to exhale, from the prerequ classes, to being accepted into program, to passing each and every test during nursing school, the NCLEX and lastly finding a job. Please I hope that I have only one more step to complete (finding a job)!!! Thanks for letting me vent- !!

I am enrolled to start nursing program this fall and have no clue what to expect (orientation is not until July/August). I will be a single parent of 3 and would like to know what your school schedule has been like. How many days a week, what time did school start/end. Were clinicals started 1st or 2nd quarter what time did they start/end? I know that I have 3 classes besides the program to take, 2 I will do at LMC. As the program progresses do you attend full time? It would be nice to have some idea of what my schedule will be like. Thank you in advance for any help.:)

Thanks for all who have posted, I think I will just get the blackberry as I recently upgraded my phone, but have 30 days to exchange it. From reading other posts it seem this is used most frequently and I am not a fan of ipod. I just want to make my life as simple as possible, and will just have to see if I prefer book reference or hand held. I just don't know what to expect going into the program, and I don't want to buy something I won't use. I am not sure if my school will have it as a requirment, California State East Bay. I will try to contact the pre-admissions and see if they know.

Found this online hope it helps, talk with the doctor about it. I would recommend to complete the series, (viral example) my father in law had a mild case of chicken pox as a child, so he would test immune for virus, yet as an adult he got a full infection of the virus because he did not have full immunity. How much protection is provided for babies, teens, and adults after each dose of hepatitis B vaccine? Among a sample of vaccinated persons, 56%-62% were positive for neutralizing antibody 14 days after the first dose, and 94%-100% were positive at one month. Other studies show that after one dose of vaccine, protection ranges from 5%-35%; after two doses, 50%-90%; after three doses 85%-100%. The estimates vary a great deal from study to study, even using the same vaccine and the same dosage. However, considering the fact that the vaccination series alone works very well after exposure, and that the exposed person does not get even a second dose until at least 1 MONTH after the exposure, most would agree that there is good (but probably not long lasting) protection even after a single dose for most persons.

I also wanted to go for my ADN, but after waiting 2 years to get into the program (pure lottery), I took the classes to apply for my local BSN while waiting to apply. Here I am after 4 years of applying to that ADN program and I did not get in again, but I got in my first time applying for the BSN program. So I am not waiting any longer. But I think I will keep applying to that ADN program just to see how long it takes to get in!! Don't limit yourself to just a few schools, apply where you can, keep taking classes towards your BS, things always seem to work out for some reason. For me I had 4 more years as a stay at home mom. Talk to the local hospitals or where you would like to work, see what they prefer, in my area I have been told a BSN is preferred over ADN, even though the pay is the same.

I will start the nursing program in the fall, and my orientation isn't until late July/August. (I want to get organized now!!!) I would love to hear from current/graduated students what extra material they have used that has helped, (bookstores have all kinds of pocket size reference materials for nursing students), also would a PDA help or is it frowned upon by teachers or not allowed for use as reference during clinicals? Any advise would be greatly apprecitated.