loriann BSN, RN

So, I haven't been to this site in quite awhile, but it served me well in the past, so I figured I'd give it another go. I graduated in May 2012 with my ANP/GNP. I will take the boards in the next 1-1/2 months and have been offered an NP position at...

Hi Everyone: I have 2 more years till I finish my NP and have started to think about areas of the country I would like to live and practice in. I realize this may be a bit premature to do, but I like to plan. My question is, what is the best way to ...

I've actually heard some great things about Minnesota. I guess that's one to keep in mind!

Thanks for the replies everyone. I have family in Houston and they constantly tell me about the opportunities there, however, I just don't care for the heat. A friend who is an NP spoke to me recently about having to make a decision about location ...

Wow!!! $160,000 is a lot to pay for an NP degree...possibly any degree. I'm spoiled in that my current job pays for my NP education. Is it possible to work and go to school, maybe a staff RN position where there are education benefits?

Thank you for your responses Juan de la Cruz. I know that getting experience in NYC is probably the smart thing to do, but I'll be 42 by the time I graduate and I've lived in NYC for so long and want to leave asap...never planned on living here for ...

So, basically, by the time I graduate, it would probably be difficult to find an NP job in San Francisco, especially given I will have no experience as an NP? I'm in NYC and really don't want to stay here. I was hoping to move to an area that I lik...

How is Illinois given the AMA presence...just curious.

I have an MSW and decided after 8 years to become an RN, which I did. I did an accelerated BSN and graduated in 2006. So, I have 2 years into my RN career and am happy that I switched careers. My experience as a social worker definitely helps, so ...

Columbia Presbyterian in Washington Heights is, but NY Presby-Cornell is not union.

I would definitely take the boards first. I didn't, but found that orientation can be stressful enough, and add to the boards critical care exams...a lot of stress. So, if you can afford it financially, take the boards. HR departments take foreve...

I second the CNA job, however, I'm not sure how long it would take you to become certified. It would be great experience and put you ahead of the curve in terms of floor experience and total patient care. Good luck!!

NY Presby has 13 shifts per month. Would love to get rid of the extra shift, but since we are not union, I doubt that will ever happen.

I'm not in a relationship with anyone who smokes, but since I'm dating, I often worry that I will find someone I like who smokes. It's really a deal breaker for me, as I can't imagine kissing the person, smelling the smoke and all that. Hopefully sh...

When nurses say "I did my time in M/S and so should you," the picture I conjure is one of a prison where a person is expected to x, y, and z before he/she can move on. Seriously, I didn't start in M/S, never want to go there and never will. I don'...

I agree, patient care suffers. I see it all the time. You feel like you are doing medication drive-bys and treated like a waitress at times. I think there are probably several reasons we have such large nurse to patient ratios...too many to list. ...

I agree that Tele is an excellent place to start!!! I am on a telemetry unit and find that we get a mix of patients, both critical care and med/surg types. We obviously need to know our cardiac drugs, rhythms, etc., but we often end up taking board...

Hospitals can take a very loooong time to hire. Basically, they're huge bureaucratic messes with lots of red tape and hoops to jump through before you are hired!!:chuckle I actually worked at this hospital I work at now while I was in school. I sen...

Based on what I've seen, you typically will see ratios of 1:8-10 on med-surg type units, 1:4-5 on stepdown/telemetry units, and 1:2-3 in ICU settings. I think the acuity of the patient obviously plays a role in the final number, but I wouldn't assu...

It seems most people are talking about Nurse Educator roles in the colleges and universities. Does anyone know what an MSN Nurse Educator would earn in the hospital setting?

I think when people talk about going to "The City," they are picturing sights of Manhattan in their minds, not the outerboroughs. Nothing against Queens, Brooklyn, etc., but tourists generally don't leave Manhattan. My native NYC friends who live in...

I'm from Syracuse and I know the cost of living is fairly low. I'd love to hear what nurses living and working in the area have to say!!

I honestly don't think hospitals look at where you went to school. I went to a state school and the complaints that I had about their lack of organization, problems with clinicals, etc., were the same complaints that my friends who went to NYU, Colu...

Very funny...unfortunately I can't get the song out of my head. Wonder what Justin Timberlake thinks?

Is it possible to be a nurse extern? Is that the same as a nurse graduate? I know of some hospitals that allow for nurse externs.