paisley87

Those are great tips--thanks!

I'm a recent RN graduate and was promised a job at a facility I was an aide for. I had a perfect record there--no call outs, never late, great patient care, but ultimately they decided to hire someone with experience. I felt like I'd been lied to so they could squeeze some extra CNA shifts out of me before I took my test. So I kind of got thrown into the jobhunting game a lot later than my classmates, and I'm feeling a bit jaded about the whole thing. I applied to many places already, no callbacks. I'm going to a career center soon for advice but I wanted to hear from other nurses about what works. - Resume and cover letter. I know resumes are a given, but if they don't request one (and their policy is "come in and fill out an application"), should I include a cover letter? People have told me definitely do it, other people say it's going overboard. - Clothing. I have a lovely, work-appropriate blouse and skirt I usually wear for interviews, but everyone's telling me the dress code is "Black blazer, black slacks, white shirt." Will employers really judge me if I'm not in a suit? - Calling places back to ask if they received my application. I've done this for smaller places where I met someone and talked about the job, and called to say I'm still interested, but what about a large hospital, where I had to apply online? They automatically send e-mails saying "Don't contact us, we'll call you if interested." - Thank you notes after interviews. Still done? What should I say? I'm thinking "Thank you for the opportunity for the interview" and then I go blank. Thanks for any help. I'm a bit in over my head here.

This too. I wonder why this works though. Do HR people sit around and think, "Well, if they REALLY wanted the job, they'd call us"? Or does it just show that the person's willing to go for that extra effort?

I would downplay the fact that you're a "soon to be nurse" and talk about why you would be a great fit for them. With each cover letter you send, customize it to include the facility's name and why you feel you'd be perfect for the job. Maybe start it off with "I am interested in a position as a nurse at XYZ facility. I graduated from Mohawk College Practical Nursing Program, and feel that with my experience..." and then talk about your relevant clinical experience and how it applies to the job. Everyone graduates nursing school with med/surg clinicals. If you've been a CNA or done any volunteer work or special projects in your program and they're applicable to that job, mention those too. Try to stand out from the crowd. Other than that, not much advice I can give--I'm in the same boat, applying for jobs. :)

Well, apply and see what they offer you, and decide then.

If they're willing to offer you better pay, more training, and tuition assistance, then definitely take the job if it's offered. Even if you don't like it, you'll have your RN in a year and will have earned additional skills.

I never thought to say I'm a nursing student! I'll probably get in lot 3 or 4 then. They didn't seem too far away from lot 2, but maybe I'm misremembering. How often does the shuttle come around? At HCC it was something like every 10-15 minutes starting at 9 a.m. It'll be my first time taking classes at STCC, so everything is new to me.

I got a call today that the uniforms and name badges are ready. Also, how do I set up my Blackboard and e-mail accounts? All I have now is access to WebAdvisor.

This. I have a cheap, no-frills plan right now. But if it makes it cheaper/easier to read textbooks, it'll probably be worth the cost. Have they said what books they want to put on it? Also, I passed summer A & P! With a B-. :)

I'm psyched about the Smartphone, but what exactly is it? Do we have to change phone carriers (and if so, how much will it cost)?

Thank you for the advice, tero. I'm definitely looking into extra help. Wish me luck!

It's A & P II. It's looking like I'll finish it, but I'm a bit stressed over it. Thanks for the help.

If for some reason I can't finish a summer class (prerequisite to the nursing program, and I start in September), what are my options? Can I take it again during the fall or next summer, or is that not an option?

That seems kind of strange. I don't think emergency responders would appreciate someone calling 911, not knowing it's a "training exercise," and like tero said, how would they know it was nursing students? If I walked in to class one day and a professor said "Quick, what would you do if someone passed out suddenly and wasn't breathing?", then that would make more sense.

That makes sense. Thanks. :)