csleepykitty

Should I get my BSN in nursing? I just got my ASN and I am finally licensed as an RN, but I am just not sure if I should go ahead and continue school or take a break. I am trying to weigh the pros and cons of either decision. On one hand it may be very expensive to continue and after not working for 2 years it would be hard. Then I think if I go now I won't be getting out of study habits like I would if I wait. Do I even need a BSN? I have heard the argument my whole life from family members who are nurses saying that a BSN being a requirement would never come to pass. My professors say it is happening. In a way I think becoming certified in certain fields would be more beneficial, but I am really not sure.

Everyone has their thing they don't like or are afraid of. Don't give up on your dream if you want to be a nurse. I was scared of vomit, but when my first patient got sick I quickly cleaned it like I would for my kid and did not even think twice about it. FOR THE POOPY SMELL WHICH NO ONE LIKES, GET SOME BABY VICKS SALVE FROM THE PHARMACY before clinicals, rub a little under your nostrils before you walk in a room and it helps.

On a personal note, the ATI I failed 3 times but I was doing good at home using other sources like Lippincott, Mosby, etc. I took the NCLEX for the first time yesterday, and I have been out of school for 7 weeks. Well i just found out I passed the boards, just remember only you can determine what works best for you. For me Lippincott computer CD was awesome, it did not have the same questions, but the same style and same subjects. If you are a visual learner Mosby's Illustrated study guide is great to help you learn something you may be stuck on. Overall I really think you need to know the basics about diseases and medicines. Don't freak out when you get a question you have no earthly clue about:eek:, I had a lot of them and still passed with the computer cutting off at 75. I think the NCLEX is designed to ask you questions you could not answer unless you think about the disease (THAT CRITICAL THINKING STUFF THAT HAS BEEN DRILLED IN OUR HEADS). If you don't know the wierd off the wall question about Parkinson's disease take your scrap paper during the test and write down what you do know about it. Then you can think your way through to rule out the other answers and succeed. Just remember 90% of people walk out of the NCLEX thinking they failed, but they passed. I cried the whole way home from the test and was up sick to my stomach all night, so don't freak after the test, focus on what you did know, not what you did not know. Good luck!!

I am delighted today to find out that I passed the boards and I am officially an RN. I am needing some advice about the job search. I have applied at a lot of hospitals (about 20) and only had one interview. I was beat out by someone with more experience, but have had no call backs about anything in over a month. I took advantage of that time and prepared for the boards. A friend of mine said the problem may be that I am willing to work in any department, weekends, days, nights, anything. She told me I would be better off updating my resume with a mission statement and a focus. She told me to pick a couple of hospitals that I would like to work at, think of which department I would like the best, and shift preference. She told me to reapply with all of this. She said this does not mean I would not take another offer, but I would not look as desperate if I am focused. I think I will take her advice, but besides that is there anything else I should do or include in my resume to help catch an employer's eye? Is there anything special I need to put on the application? I am wondering if I am doing something wrong, or if employers just did not want to hire me until I passed the boards.

I don't know where you took your test, but I took mine around 11am yesterday in FL and logged on at 8am and results were in. I passed with the 75 questions. Good luck!

I love all of the great ideas, since I am a complete bundle of nerves right now I think the practical thing will be for me to clean, then maybe catch up on some TV series that I have not seen in a while. Maybe I can even convince my husband to entertain the kids and I will lock myself in my room, take a bubble bath, and eat some junk food. Wow, relaxation that would definitely be a treat!!

Just remember you have a variety of sources to use to study, not just ATI. I have friends who used all of the ATI books, DVDs, and loved them. Myself I thought the three day review was a good overall review, but I don't think the ATI was a good predictor for everyone. I also did not care for the ATI books and DVDs, but I am a very visual learner. I think you need to find an NCLEX book that you understand easily and take the information from the ATI that shows what you are weak in. You have plenty of time, don't stress out. I worked on my weak area for 2 days, read about the things I could not understand or remember, googled them, and took notes. I reviewed them a couple of days before the test. I did practice discs from every area, even the ones I thought I was great in over the next few weeks. I'm not sure if I passed yet, but I do feel comfortable with the fact I did everything in my power over the last few weeks to pass and did not take for granted any areas that I always aced. I gave them the same study time as the rest. You never know what subject or types of questions you will have. Good luck!! Since you are so worried I am sure you will do fine, just turn that worry into motivation. When you are closer to NCLEX day you may want to take the NCLEX predictor again, I am sure that after studying you will pull those ATI scores up to a 70%.

I feel your pain. Mine shut off at 75 today too, don't freak out. Two friends of mine took theirs in the last couple of days and got 75 also, with no math questions and only 2 or 3 check all that apply. The good news is that they passed. I was losing my mind today thinking the worse, then I realized that I need to be positive. Please think positive and get some rest. I felt some of the questions looked easy, but they were actually very difficult, I am sure you were not getting lower level questions. It was just a really strange test. I studied for the last 6 weeks since graduation and still felt underprepared. I honestly think the test in FL was so wierd that studying more would not have helped. I think it is a test more in critical thinking and figuring out how to choose something you don't know from what you do know about a disease or drug. Nothing was straightforward.

I think the ATI review was helpful, just for the overall review. I did not think the predictor or the books were helpful. I spent most of my time studying Lippincott NCLEX Review and feel I learned more by doing their practice questions. They seem to be less wordy and set up more like the ones on the NCLEX.