Piggles10

I have just completed my first year of working as an RN and I am working in the same SNF as when I Started. I am also in California so I understand the difficulty landing that first job. There were six of us that worked there and graduated from the same class. I started six months after the others because I was working very hard to get a job in critical care. I feel proud that I had two final interview rounds for magnet hospitals even though I didn't land the job. But finally, I just wanted to work. Everyone got a job in a hospital within 6-18 months. I haven't been looking for a hospital job because I like this setting and think I am going to stay. I see a lot of potential for developing leadership skills. The company I work for is willing to give me opportunities to shape my career. It's not what I had planned but I enjoying the ride. If you have a supportive environment I'd say go for it.

I am interested to hear how this goes for you. I am starting/ developing a new position that has been called: Care Transitions Coordinator, Case Manager, and Patient Navigator. I have been told to reach out to resources and develop this. I am very excited about the open possibilities, but need to get organized quickly. The main point of my position is to reduce readmissions. I am open to any suggestions.

Thank you for that detailed response Grntea. I am developing a new case management position in a post acute rehab setting and this is very helpful.

What is your class schedule like? I'm licensed and graduated at this point, but the program felt disorganized. That was one of the biggest challenges. What do you find to be the hardest/easiest thing during the 1st and 2nd semester? The first two semesters had way more paperwork and felt the hardest. By the time the third semester rolled around it seemed like we all found a routine for studying and it was tedious and annoying but not as stressful as the first two semesters. What were you're studying habits/schedule throughout the year? Any study groups? One person decided to be the class note taker. Her notes condensed all of the powerpoint slide info with notes from lecture. She emailed the entire class after each lecture. I could look at this email and scroll through it on my phone anytime i had downtime. Eventually I developed the habit of deleting the info i new really well and highlighting and color coding the things that were tricky. By the time the test came up I had a very short study guide that hit the essentials. Flash cards were also helpful when it came to straight up memorization, like lab values. What school do you attend? ASN or BSN program? I attended an ADN program and started on a BSN bridge halfway through the ADN. I will graduate with my BSN in 5 months, which is one year after my ADN graduation. Do you work full-time or part-time? If so, is it hard to balance both a job and nursing school? I started working part time as a tele tech in my last semester. I have no kids so it wasn't too bad. Just remember to be really nice to your significant other and don't vent about nursing stuff too much or you will stress each other out. I think its a good idea to work while in school if you can because it really helps you get a good nursing job later. What's something you WISH someone would've told you prior to entering into nursing school? Start to volunteer or work at the place where you want to work after you are licensed. Look for one or two mentors to help you plan how you will get where you want to go. How many hours of sleep you got throughout the day/ week? Usually I got enough sleep to make up for getting up too early the day before, but at one point, I was doing an extra, full time, ICU preceptorship 6pm to 6am, with an hour commute each way. There were a few days where I had to go there right after school and then go right back to school. This amounted to some 36 hour stretches. All I can say is that it is possible to do something like this if you constantly check in with yourself and know your limits so that you are safe. Fatigue is a fleeting sensation. It comes in waves. You have to find tricks to keep yourself alert, focused, and safe. After about 20 minutes of feeling horrible it will pass and you will get another burst of energy. Any other advice? When I found out that I got accepted into nursing school, I began reading all kinds of posts like these. Most of the advice that I got here was great, but there were many posts about the drama that happens in nursing school. I read so many of those posts that I went into nursing school determined to just keep my head down and get through it. I was expecting the worst. It turns out that my class was very nice and now I am working with a group of them. I got my job through the friends that I made at school. My advice is to always be professional and friendly to everyone that you meet in nursing school. You never know what connections you will make, and it is just good practice for better social habits anyway.

That sounds great! Thanks for the response. I am definitely going to check that out.

I recently decided to pursue a career in nursing and I am starting my pre-reqs next week. I have a bachelors degree in English, and if I am lucky enough to get into all of the classes I need at my local junior college, I can apply to nursing school for next fall. The only problem is, I have no experience. So here is what I am thinking...:thnkg: It might be best to stretch my classes out over the next 2 years so that I can add some work and volunteer experience to my application and also to solidify for myself that this is the right career path for me. I would love to pursue a master's degree in acute care or trauma nursing. Since I need to stay in the bay area my main choices are UCSF and Samuel Merritt. What do you think would be the best ways for me to demonstrate leadership and community involvement while gaining experience in the medical field? Can you think of any tips that will help me present myself to the admissions dept. in the best possible light?Any advice or encouragement would be greatly appreciated. Here are a few things to know about my situation that might help you help me. My undergraduate GPA is 3.7, I am confident that I can score well on the GRE if I study well for it. I have the ability to not work, have a very supportive partner and no kids or other responsibilities. So, I am ready to put all of my energy into this and get excellent grades. On Monday I have an interview at a local hospital where I will be assigned some type of volunteer work. What other types of community involvement could I do to make good contacts and get experience? I have considered working as an EMT while I am in school, but I am not sure if that will be the best use of my time.