kalami08

I'd definitely do Kaplan again, since it's free to retake. Try to do all the Q's in the q bank, listen to all of the content lectures, etc. I was scoring about where you were, and after a certain number of questions, I all of a sudden started scoring much better. For me, NCLEX questions just took a while to "click", and I'm sure they'll click for you too. You're so close! Good luck!

Definitely search directly at clinics/hospitals in your area. Look at a map online, center it on your house, and search "clinic" or whatever word you want. Then you can start looking at websites or calling for more info. That will give you a good starting point to see what is out there, what kinds of positions are open. I got overwhelmed by some of those massive job sites as well, and found that simply searching your area on an online map was a much easier way to start to "get my bearings". Just my 2cents!

Twice a year, and I think the next one may be in August.

@ashleew84: Just so you know the 12's aren't necessarily in a row. You work whatever shifts your preceptor works, which probably varies. So don't count on being able to have chunks of time off! Also, it's an 18 month commitment. @m2theRZA: Nope, no uniform. Get whatever scrubs you like!

We work 12's, but for the first two weeks of orientation it's 5 x 8's. I'd definitely apply - they hired 94 out of about 140 they interviewed (and I'm guessing may have offered positions to more than 94, as some of them may have declined). So chances are good! They also hired a lot of people from out of the LA area, so I don't think location matters as much to them as for some other hospitals.

I don't know... I got ACLS and no one seemed to care at my interviews. I got much more feedback about the number of letters of recommendation I had, my GPA, the school I went to, etc.

Grab volunteers from the class to act out different "roles" - patient, patient family members, MD, RN, etc., to show them how things would play out in real life.

Oops, now I see the program you're looking at is Canadian. Sorry! Don't know much about the nursing school application process up there. Good luck! :)

I had a few interviews before being offered a position, and I also found that none of the hospitals cared that much that I had ACLS - they only wanted me to have BLS. What they cared most about were things like my GPA, letters of recommendation, and the school/program I went to. So once I started highlighting these things more and redid my cover letter, I started getting call-backs. Most recruiters are super swamped with applications, so when I wrote my letter and revised my resume, I thought about what I would look at from the perspective of the recruiter. I made it as easy as possible for them to see my qualifications without wading through unnecessary material, knowing that at this point, they just need to see the necessary info. I really saw results this way.

Could you push harder to be transferred to another unit? Maybe say something like how you feel that xyz unit would be a much better fit for your interest/skill set, and could you start floating over there to get used to the unit and possibly transfer?

Is a HON degree an honorary degree or an honors degree? If you have a degree already then you can definitely try for an accelerated BSN program. Look into the schools you're interested in and see what the prerequisites are. You'll probably have to take chemistry, anatomy, physiology, microbiology, and psychology. Some schools also require classes like developmental psych, statistics, organic chemistry, sociology, and public speaking. Personally, I wouldn't go with a "pre health" program like the one you linked to, because different schools have different requirements, and you need to tailor your class load accordingly. I personally had to take all my prerequisites at community college, as my first degree (liberal arts) didn't have much to carry over to nursing, and I did just fine and got into an A-BSN program.

I'd probably go with a budget motel as well. Not as much of a commitment, and plus you can start doing it now while you look around for a cheap room, and then switch later.

The best advice I can give you, as a fellow reserved person, is this. At first you may feel very awkward walking in "cold," introducing yourself, taking vitals, etc. But remember: the patient is used to this! Especially in oncology, the patient has had MANY nurses take care of them, and for these patients, what you are doing is completely normal and not awkward in the least. For me, that helped take the edge off my nervousness. Hope it helps! :)

90%? I wouldn't do it. I can understand 80%, but 90 seems excessive. And it's for each exam, not for each class? That's even worse, since you can't get like a 87 on one test and make up for it with a 93 the next test. I have a pretty high GPA, but I did have my "off days" now and then when I only got a B on a test and had to make up for it with others to bring up my grade. Maybe there is lots of extra credit offered. That's the only way I'd risk all that money, personally.

Definitely go for BSN if you're thinking of community/public health. In my state (CA), I just had to do like another 70 hours of documented public or community health hours (in addition to my public health class and clinical), in order to get public health nurse certification.