allikatRN

I graduated 5/3/09 and started my job as a GN 5/18/09, took my boards 7/20/09. I started putting in applications in January 2009 because it can take so long. I had no experience and worked at the hospital in a clerical position prior to this. I applied to about 20 positions within the hospital and this was the ony one I had a call back on. We have a policy to offer jobs to in house staff before hiring outside. I also applied to all of the local hospitals with no call backs. My friend worked as an office manager for a local GYN clinic and got a job in the acute care rotation program in June, and she graduated/tested the same dates I did. She did not previous work at this hospital. I can say that the both of us originay got interviews with help from an instructor that works at the facility, at least as far as getting us in the door for an interview.

I just recently completed my rotation in OB. I saw a few doctors perform circ and each had a different way. Some used lidocaine, some used the plastibell or whatever. The nurses would use sugar water to distract the infant by placing a gloved finger into the infants mouth with the sugar water. After being strapped in most of the infants did not cry during the procedure as they were sucking the sugar water. Some cried for a few minutes and then stopped. To me it did not seem that the lidocaine made much of a difference because that hurts being injected. It seems that they cried just as much either way. My ex-boyfriend was not circ. and he was embarrased about it when we first got together. Since most men are circ. when you are one of the few that are not I think it can be embarassing for you. He always said that he wished it would have happened when he was a baby because now it would be a big ordeal.

The trick worked for me. I was so sure I had failed. I got 75 questions and #74 was the easiest question I got (actually the only one I for sure knew the answer to). I could remember 36 questions when I got home and at least 30 of them I knew I got wrong. I came home and did more Kaplan questions as to not get behind on my studying in case I failed. All of the other things you hear can not be used as guages to see if you passed because I was getting easy questions at the end, I never had any math questions, almost half or more of my questions were med questions most of which I had never heard of, I had maybe 10 SATA. If there is anything I can say please try to calm down. I know this is impossible, but if the test has been taken the only thing you can do now is be positive, because even the seemingly worst senarios can turn out with a passing grade :)

Hello, I am a new grad from an associates program. I just passed my boards last week. I have been working an a GN on an acute care floor at a large teaching hospital for 2 months now. I think my calling is womens health, specifically maybe L&D. I have felt this way since before going to school and my rotation there further clarified that. I just wanted to get my year or two of med surg in at the beginning. I know I want to go for my masters. I know I will need some pre-reqs to get there. I want to start those pre-reqs now as if I take a break I may not want to go back so easily. There are so many types of MSN degrees! CNL, CNS, admin/leadership,NP, anesthesia, case mgt, midwife, educator, research. I dont know what the real differences are. I have read about them but I am having a hard time putting these with an actual job. I do not want to wait for a couple of years until I transition to the womens floor to select a program and start. I want to chose a degree that will give me the most options,as right now I want to work in a clinical setting with patient care being a large part of my day, however I want the option to be an educator or manager down the road. I am not sure I want to be an NP because they do not give alot of direct patient care, but do any of the masters degrees? I mean floor nurses do not typically have masters. I am so confused and I feel like I should know this, I also want my cake and to eat it too. In two years I hope to be on my way to having children and married, and by then I wont want to start pre-reqs. Not only are there so may degree areas for masters but there are so many specialties mother-baby, womens, adult, neonatal, peds, adolescent etc. Where can I go to find someone that can tell me the difference in job descriptions so I can chose a program and get started with the pre-reqs?