ShadowAngelRN

Greetings, This might get a little lengthy, so get some coffee. I have lived, and worked, in the Hudson Valley my entire life. I'm 48 (How did that happen?) now. I was an LPN for 4 years (I went to vocational school & high school at the same time), and got my AAS & RN license in 1989, while working EMS for a private ambulance company. For the majority of my career, I've worked in acute care hospitals. For the past 15 years, I've worked in various aspects of critical care- Trauma, ICU, CCU, ER, and a little PACU. After many years of listening to all the huffing and puffing about BSN's (I dropped out of a BSN program in 1986), and having many interviews turn sour with comments similar to: "We would love to hire you, but you don't have a BSN," (since, obviously 25+ years of experience,and numerous certifications, are meaningless) I went back to school, spent somewhere around $25,000, and graduated summa cum laude with the sacred BSN in August 2014. Although numerous facilities in the Hudson Valley are advertising vacancies, seemingly no one is being hired for them. I've been job searching since I got the sacred BSN that was, supposedly, precluding my job search- nothing. You newbies aren't getting hired because you don't have any experience yet, and no one wants to invest the time or $$$ in training you. Nurses like me, who finally got sick of the "no BSN" excuse, and got the flipping thing, aren't getting hired either, because no one wants to pay what we deserve... Blessings to everyone out there searching. With that said, here are some notes that might be helpful: 1: Generally speaking, the further south (toward NYC) you go, the more you will get paid- at least in the Hudson Valley corridor. I don't know anything about western New York. 2: Agency, Contract, and Travel jobs pay more than regular staff positions, but usually require some experience, and there are "trade offs" to consider. Your hours (therefore salary) may not be guaranteed or consistent. You may not be offered medical, time off, or retirement/401k-type benefits. Some companies even expect you to keep track of, and pay, your own taxes. If you take a travel assignment, and the company tries to sell you on the "tax-free" housing stipend, check with a tax professional! The last I knew, the location of the assignment had to be 50 miles, or further, from your legal address of record- otherwise you end up paying a hefty tax at the end of the year. 3: St Francis Hospital in Poughkeepsie is now MidHudson Regional of Westchester Medical Center- they are still paying St. Francis wages from what I've heard. 4: Vassar Brothers Medical Center recently announced plans for a multi-million $ expansion project- seems they are doing ok financially, and, historically, have always paid a little better than St. Francis, even though they are less than a mile apart. They are part of the HealthQuest System that also includes Northern Dutchess Hospital & Putnam Hospital. 5: Kingston & Benedictine Hospitals (as well as Margaretville Hospital) are under the umbrella name Health Alliance of the Hudson Valley. I've applied for numerous positions, over the past 2-3 years, but have never gotten a single response. 6: St Luke's Cornwall has 2 campuses- 1 in Newburgh & 1 in Cornwall. Newburgh is an inner city environment- best to know before you go. Last I knew, pay was reasonable, and slightly higher than all those previously mentioned. 7: Catskill Regional Medical Center in Harris is much smaller than its name implies. I don't know much about the place, but understand that they have recently received a pretty sizable grant for upgrades, and should grow if the whole " we finally got a casino" thing works out as expected for Sullivan County. 8: Orange Regional Medical Center in Middletown is the result of the closure/combination of Arden Hill Hospital that was in Goshen, and Horton Hospital that was in Middletown. I've not heard much good. Staff turn over seems to be very high, and patient complaints plentiful. 9: Ellenville Hospital is a tiny little thing. I'm not sure if it is still open actually. I know absolutely nothing about this one either. It is also near the casino impact zone in Sullivan County. 10: Good Samaritan in Suffern, St. Anthony's in Warwick, and what was St. Francis in Port Jervis are all Bon Secours Health System. Good Samaritan is large, and pretty metropolitan, the other 2 are small & much more rural (think farm country). 11: Nyack Hospital in Nyack is almost as large as Good Samaritan, but a little further south. Hope this Helps!

Mimi, Here's the latest. Received reply from idiot. She feels perfectly justified in her grading and sees no reason that there should be a problem with that, despite all the examples I provided her regarding the previously established precident. So, it's up to you. I have now written the professor, and will then go to the dean. I'm sick of these people. Best of Luck & Brightest Blessings.

Mimi, I will absolutely post to let you, and everyone else, know what happens. I should have known I would end up with another psycho to torture me to the bitter end... I may drop too, just to get away from this one. She told me, in a previous communication, that this is the first time she has TA'd for this particular class, so either she is trying to impress the higher ups, or she always stinks, but they had no one else available... For Gerontology I had a similar idiot that told me "You got what you paid for...ha ha ha" when I explained that there is some weird glitch in my word processing program that kept me from putting "running head" on the first page of my papers- either it appears on all pages, or I would have to take it off, so none had it, no matter what I tried- she took off so many points for that one single thing that it dropped me an entire letter grade. I HATE these people.

Thank You. To be honest, I threw the 6th edition APA manual in the garbage a week after I got it. I've used OWL the entire time. I sent this TA an email with examples of discussion postings, from every single nursing class I've taken- all 8 of them- including the grades ( full points ) and comments "good APA" . I'm not going to look for her reply until tomorrow, so I won't be too angry to sleep AGAIN tonight. This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever done in my life. I can't wait until it's over. The only thing I've gained is a vehement hatred for institutional learning, which is sad, because I was always the weird kid who cried and wanted to go to school on snow days... Worth two years of my life, numerous grey hairs, even more numerous wrinkles, time with the people I love that I will never get back, and all the things I really wanted to do, but couldn't, all for this stupid piece of paper that someone decided we all MUST have, or be declared worthless? I think not... Thanks for listening, as well as your encouragement...

Ok Good Nurses... I need HELP!!! Present participants, or those who have already taken this class (especially you guys & gals): What is the flippin' deal with this class? I am in section 1059. TA (C.S.) is already making me insane. Every single previous class- had to reference websites using : "Retrieved on (insert date here) from: http:// whatever website" NOW, in the last class, it's wrong??? Also know that if either a website or doi are not included in your references, even if you don't have one, that's wrong too. The assignment instructions are NOT clear, as usual, and I really have no idea what we are supposed to be doing here for our PhD in APAology... ANY thoughts, tips, and/or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!! Thanks!!!

You're not kidding! It tastes like Apple Pie with vanilla bean ice cream! I am SOOOO done- completely fried. Thank Goodness Chem @ Clovis is reasonable & not a torture fest like this! I can't believe I'm going to tell you this- I used to want to bop people in the head with a frying pan when they said it to me- but, it really does go by fast... YOU CAN DO IT!!!

I'm in too! This & finishing Chemistry @ Clovis Community College, then I'm DONE!!

I'm in too! This one and Nursing Excellence to go, and I'm Dooooooone! It would be wonderful if we didn't have to write papers for this one...

Hi All. I spent a great deal of time trying to get all my **** appropriately pre-approved too. The entire thing was massively delayed due to numerous unanswered emails from OU nursing, as usual. After being told that I was going to be 4-5 credits short of the 120 required for degree conferral, I am already in the process of taking my music appreciation, and personal health (for additional elective credit) at CCC this semester. I requested pre-approval for fundamentals of personal well being (for more elective credits), as well as CHEM 113- thanks to all of you! ( I was previously told that I had to take CHEM 151, by OU, and nothing else would do, and CCC wanted me to take a placement exam, or all these algebra pre-req classes to take it. ) This time around, after writing to one of the associate deans, since no one else would answer me, I got CHEM 113 pre-approved!!! Thank You Everyone!!!! I'm now registered to start in January with the rest of you. Just for your amusement- can't even begin to explain how FURIOUS I am- they did NOT approve the fundamentals of personal well being class, because, apparently, they "forgot" to put 20 transfer credits on my DARS, from my LPN program/license!!!! I never needed to take ANY extra credits at all!!! We are paying these idiots to educate us.... Ridiculous!!!!

Sorry I'm a little late to the party, but I'm in the same boat with the rest of you. #1 DB post "Direct quotes should be used sparingly if at all." Whaaaaaat? Gave me full points though... Still waiting on grade for paper- no idea how I'll fare on that, given I used direct quotes in that too & was completely confused between instructions, rubric, and two sets of "tips" from TA... This is class #7 of #9 nursing classes for me. Seemingly, each one gets more ridiculous than the last... Can't wait until it's over....

Cincinursemary, My book came today- Happy Halloween to us... I'll be enduring this one with you ;-)

Jandm855, Thanks! Perhaps there is still hope. I'm trying to take stats now & am about to lose my mind. On top of it, I've had wicked bronchitis with 101+\- temp for almost a week now. Did you have to take the acuplacer exam to get into Chemistry @ Clovis?

Jandm855, I have a question for you. Have you taken Algebra in the past 2 years? The reason I ask is that I attempted to register for the Chemistry class @ Clovis for this Summer and was told that I would have to either take placement exams or pre- requisite algebra. My last math classes were in high school, over 20 years ago. I have had enough ridiculousness already with this entire program, and don't feel like jumping through any more hoops... Do you feel that you need a great deal of algebra expertise to successfully complete the Chemistry? I just started Statistics @ OU 7/1 & am seriously considering dropping it already- I just don't understand it at all. After completing 9 classes w/ 4.0 GPA, this may be where I quit...

Hello All, I too started this class on July 1. I'm already seriously considering dropping out. NONE of it makes any sense. I read all materials & watched supplemental video for modules 1 & 2, & thought I understood it. In the end, got 31/40 on the homework assignments and am very upset. This weeks module 3 stuff is worse & homework assignment due tomorrow. I have absolutely NO idea what I'm doing. Welcome any & all suggestions!!!

Hi! I thought about taking this too, as I need to knock out the "extras" as well & get them out of the way. What are the actual start & completion dates for this? I thought that it was too late to register from what I saw on website? Was I looking at the wrong thing? Thanks!

Thanks for all your suggestions for Chem everyone! Still don't know what I'm going to do though- already taking 3 classes during OU Summer sessions & don't know if I can handle any more. Finally got a reply from my supposed advisor, after almost two months, when I forwarded the emails to Dept of Nursing asking if email changed or she no longer worked there- one line: You can take Cemistry 121 @ Oregon State. Can't believe we're paying for this... Good Luck in your studies! Thanks Again!

RNmom, I took NUT1000 as my first class last Fall. Prof H was great! Huge amount of information, but well organized, with clear instructions & assignments correlate with reading materials- Imagine that! Tip someone gave me- USE the workbook in the back of the textbook. The online study guide just seemed to confuse everyone, and was not reflective of materials found on tests, etc. Anyone have any ideas for simplest/quickest/least painful way to take Chemistry? I've written to my alleged advisor twice, in the past two months, asking for assistance, and haven't even gotten a reply! Press on everyone! We've almost got this one done!

My final paper grade appeared this AM when I got up @ 0500...Thankfully all 50 points awarded. Good Luck to everyone still waiting!!! Disappointed about ridiculously stringent grammar, English & APA formatting comments & grading? That's putting it mildly! I thought I was doing this for a NURSING degree- apparently I am mistaken. What I'm REALLY doing this for is an APA/English degree!!! Seems to be the case in all nursing classes...

Hi Everyone- I'm in section 050. I too have the quizzes in the syllabus, but not in BlackBoard & am hoping the syllabus just didn't get updated. It sure would be nice to have ONE class that is organized & has all materials well correlated... This is my fifth nursing class. The only class that I've taken that was well organized & concise was Nutrition.

My week 5 DB posting(s) are graded, but nothing for my paper yet... Holding my breath along with all of you...

Hi Everyone! Section 050 is up too... Have a look- as ever, the syllabus & weekly "assignments" don't correlate; syllabus has quizzes listed in several weeks... Here we go... Good Luck to All!!!