BlackSweater

When I started looking for work outside of the DFW area, the first place I applied to called me back within a couple days, set up an interview, and offered me a job on the spot. I was also allowed relocation expense reimbursement, NCLEX reimbursement, and tutition reimbursement although I haven't looked into the latter yet. I love Dallas, but I don't really miss it at this point. I'm really happy with where I ended up. The facilities out there really burned me with absolutely shutting out new grads so screw 'em. I have no plans to move back to Dallas any time soon, although I have only been out here for a couple months so I guess it's hard to say.

2 years ago, I was on this board reading that the market sucked for new grads. Still does, evidently, to a greater or lesser degree. so.... I have no idea what you're talking about "2 years ago it wasn't like this" - I had been bracing for it since my first semester of nursing school. I am a new grad - May '11 I am NOT an A student, a BSN degree holder, someone with previous acute care experience as a tech or aide, but I am also not unemployed. I had a job within 90 days of graduation. I went where the jobs were. I was hired as a GN, right along with at least 4 others. Same unit. And only a few of us newbies on my unit are from this immediate area. Seems like most of us are NOT, myself included. Just saying. There is no way in hell I was going to sit around unemployed for a YEAR waiting for a job to open up at the facility down the street from my house. Some don't have that option, but I did and clearly that was enough.

Graduated May 6th, moved 350 miles west for a job I started on August 22, and passed the NCLEX August 29th.

Very true. If you are willing to go a hundred miles or so outside the major metro areas, you'll start to see hospitals with job postings that explicitly state they are willing to consider new graduates.

Thank you!

I have a strong feeling that people are much more likely to come to this board (or ANY board, really) and post when they are feeling down / desperate / needing advice than they are when they are feeling optimistic and things are going well ... it's only natural that misery loves company and so there are bound to be a lot more negative posts than positive.

I have been browsing these boards for a pretty long time now - and the general consensus as we all know by now is that being a new GN / RN SUCKS due to the job market. I have read dozens of threads here about people struggling and I felt very pessimistic about things being any different for me - my grades were mediocre, I didn't participate in any student nurse organizations, I have an Associate's instead of a BSN, etc. I just wanted to post this and let the other new grads surfing these forums that there ARE some success stories out there... I graduated in May, have not taken the boards yet due to some stupid delay (no fault of my own) while processing my background check. After waiting around for nearly 2 months and calling the BON every week, I was finally notified that my prints were rejected. I resubmitted them and was told that today (6 days after my second submission) that it came back free and clear - and I should FINALLY be receiving my ATT and permit soon. I jumped the gun a little and went ahead and applied for a GN position at a hospital, and was offered positions on two different units last week, on the spot. The only catch is that I *AM* having to relocate fairly far outside of my home town in the DFW area. You know what though? It sure does beat sitting around here and trying to compete with hundreds of new grads that have better grades, more experience, etc. So, long story short - if there are any new grads or soon-to-be new grads out there despairing over the general climate of posts regarding the job hunt for us: here is a positive one! I have absolute confidence that if I was NOT willing to move, I'd probably be looking for work for at least a couple more months. I'm excited to get on with my life and will do what I need to do. I realize the option isn't available to everyone, but it was open to me and THAT is what I have going for me, if not grades and previous experience in health care etc. Best of luck to all, believe me, I know it looks pretty bleak out there for us but if I can make it happen, anyone can.

In the ADN program I just finished up in May, we started with 40. 30 graduated, but that's after readmitting some students who'd failed previously AND the LPN -> RN students. We didn't have a bridge program for them, they just jumped in 2nd semester with the full-on newbies. By that math, I'd say we lost AT LEAST 50% of our class. Some couldn't hack it academically, some had personal issues, some decided they didn't want it, whatever. 75 was passing, and there was absolutely no rounding up. if you had a 74.9, you failed. If you failed, you were out of the program and had to reapply to repeat the class you failed. Nursing school is challenging - but I would say the content is just as difficult to master as the time management aspect: we had to do competencies to prepare for labs which included writing pages upon pages of notes to turn in, had clinical paperwork that needed to be completed after we got our assignments and before showing up to clinical in the morning ... (we'd be up until midnight sometimes doing paperwork and had to be on the floor at 6:30). Each class had it's own set of paperwork and competencies, and there was always more than 1 nursing class per semester. I would like to think that if anyone wanted it badly enough, they can do it - but I never so much as failed a single test throughout all of nursing school so I can't speak for those people who have legitimate difficulties with the material.

I popped the top out of one of those really skinny medication vials (of dilaudid, no less...) by injecting air into it, right after my instructor warned me not to, and right as one of the staff RNs came around the corner - it went straight into her EYE! The nurse said something about hoping she didn't have a randomized drug test pop up because she didn't think anyone would believe that a student shot her in the eye with narcotics ... LOL I wanted to curl up and die from embarrassment.

I was able to talk to someone at the BON - I was told my fingerprints were rejected .... no big deal, just have them done again... and they assured me it wouldn't take another 7 weeks. I was told I should be receiving something in the mail - but figured I'd call the place who does the fingerprints to see if I can go ahead and schedule another appointment to get them done, since I'm trying to move this along as fast as I can... and guess what! They don't have any records indicating that my prints were rejected .... Oh well, it was nice for a moment to think I was actually getting somewhere.

Thanks for the reply, I have paid for the test already. I thought I remember reading either on the TX BON site or on the L-1 Identity Solutions (company that does the digital prints) page that you couldn't have two inquiries for background checks going on at the same time - but I will definitely look into it. If I could just pay another $10 to get my ATT I'd do it in a heartbeat. LOL Worth checking into.

Hey all, I've been snooping around this message board for probably the better part of 3 years now. Finally posting to see what kind of feedback you guys have to offer. :) This is kind of a two-parter, and a little long so I really appreciate anyone who reads the whole thing and responds... I graduated from an ADN program this May, then moved across the country back to my home state of Texas. I had fingerprints digitally submitted for the FBI background check required by the BON on May 25. It has now been almost 7 weeks, and I still haven't received my ATT to sit for the NCLEX. I have called the BON a few times about this: At the 2 week mark I was told to call back on the 4 week mark. On the 4 week mark, I was told to call back on the 5 week mark. On the 5th week mark, I was told the FBI reported a glitch in their system on the day I had my prints submitted. The woman I spoke with said the BON was not given an approximate turn-around time as to when it would be resolved. I have tried calling again this afternoon and can't get anyone on the line to speak with me. Question 1 is Has anyone else experienced this? Do I really have no recourse except to sit and wait for things to get smoothed over? Any other suggestions? So meanwhile, I'm sitting here - going stir crazy... feeling like so much time has lapsed between school and taking the NCLEX that I fear I'll fail it ... but more pressing simply because I have bills to pay, the JOB HUNT. I feel like it is discourteous to apply for RN positions when I don't even have an estimated date of when I'll be licensed. I have applied for several GN positions in my general area (DFW) and haven't received so much as a rejection email from any of them. Because I am ridiculously flexible and willing to relocate, I applied to a GN position several hours away and did receive a screening call from HR which went really well, and I was told my resume and application would be forwarded on to unit managers (small victory!) and given a date to call back and follow up. So that leads to Question 2: Should I continue to hunt down GN jobs while I wait for my ATT, or should I start applying for RN positions despite the fact that I am NOT an RN YET and have no ETA on NCLEX? I feel like the answer is pretty obvious, but because I am the only one from my graduating class facing this hold up right now, I don't really have anyone else to bounce this off of. Thanks for reading

thanks. i think part of the problem is that we get absolutely no time in the lab as a class to practice... they literally show us a video and say, "Good luck." we get next to no instruction at all and are told just to look at our books ... reading about it is a lot different than doing it, and doing it right! i am trying to stay positive... my instructors say "there are three blank lines there for a reason..." on our check off sheets ...

looking for any helpful hints of advice on this one ... in the program i am in right now, we have 3 chances to pass a skills check-off before we get "remediation" and once that happens, they basically put you on probation and will drop you out of the program if they think you are inadequate... all semester long, i have had trouble with the skills check-offs because i get so nervous, everything just flies out of my head. i have a very hard time focusing and sorting out the thoughts in my head when i get nervous... i normally nail it on the second try, but today i screwed up on the straight catheter check-off for the 2nd time! i do really well on the tests and in clinical, i just need some advice on how to get through the skills check-offs... i practice them at home but i don't have anyone to critique what i am doing so it's kind of pointless if i don't realize i am doing something wrong... i am on medication for anxiety but for some reason it's not doing the trick ... if any of you have any words of wisdom i would appreciate it!

That really depends on the unit. You could go to a unit in either branch that rarely deploy, or ones that deploy every cycle. Most of the Air Force folks I know go on shorter deployments than the Army, though. I think their deployment lengths vary between 6 and 12 months. Up until recently, Army units were deployed from anywhere between 12 and 16 months. They seem to be holding solid around 10 - 12 now though, for most. I guess just assume you'll be deployed at some point with either branch and make peace with it. It's just part of the life in the military these days, unfortunately. It might never come, or it might come way sooner than you expect... It sucks over there but I'm sure as a nurse or medic, it's invaluable experience and they really make a difference. :)

Most folks I know in the military didn't end up with any of their choices, CONUS or OCONUS. The only reason we wound with a place on our list is because it just happened to be home of one of the most frequently deployed units in the Army. Obviously if you want XYZ, but the military needs you at ABZ, they'll put you at Z. you got lucky. but if they don't need you at XYZ, you aren't going. :) I only meant that it was a joke because you aren't guaranteed to end up at any of the places you say you'd like to go. You have a chance, of course.

I took SCIT 1407 and 1407 online through El Centro Community College, which is in the DCCCD network. Both transferred to the school I am attending now in Tennessee with no problems! I highly recommend Dr. Rutherford. She was really great about returning phone calls and emails, which is inevitably needed at some point when doing distance learning. It's a very straight-forward, structured class. All of the quizzes, tests, and exams were taken directly from the reading assignments and the virtual lab, so there were NEVER any surprises when taking the tests! The online study guides that accompany the material were also very helpful. It was a great class! No complaints here.

Speaking from experience, the "three places" list you make is pretty much a joke. You will be placed where the military needs you. If you are needed in multiple locations, and one of those locations happens to have made your top 3 picks, they will place you there. It's not really a "good chance", it's pretty much luck of the draw. Just being honest with you! I wish I could answer your other questions but I have no experience with how the military operates from an officer's perspective. I hope you get the answers you're looking for! :)

From my understanding, if both of you were to approach a navy recruiter with your situation, I think they would be willing to work with you to see that you are stationed in the same location. My husband and I discussed doing something similar with the Army. I know several couples that are dual-military and stationed in the same place. They try to keep you together. The only thing I would have to say about both of you being active duty military is this: With today's military, no one is guaranteed to remain stateside for any length of time. The Navy deploys just like the Army, Marines and Air Force, (to different degrees of course, but there are personnel from every branch going to war) so consider the possibility that you and your spouse may deploy to a war zone or hostile waters together or separately, at different intervals for different durations of time. I have a lot more experience dealing with situations the Army throws at soldiers, but I hope this helps. I have several friends in the Navy, and while they are two different beasts, a lot of what the service members face day-to-day can be quite the same.

math is not my best subject either... i struggle with it. i'm 22, just applied for the RN program out here and got accepted on the first try. my school bases admission on pre-requisite completion and scores on the PAX-RN. that's it! my only advice is to find out what is required for each school and plan wayyy ahead! some require testing scores but the tests aren't administered many times a year, some may require lots of pre-reqs and co-reqs would help if they use the point system. don't talk yourself out of trying. you might feel like you aren't very good at something, but many people may be way worse in comparison, know what i mean? good luck