Livy022

Hi all. I know this is an older thread, however, I'm hoping you will be notified and can answer. SBU is, and always has been my top choice school. I became a nurse with the intention of becoming a PMHNP and attending SBU's program. I 'interviewed' yesterday. There were 9 of us. We were asked to write an essay, then watched a slide show, which is ironically shown at orientation, then we talked. We were only asked one question. I am feeling disappointed as I love interviewing, but felt as if I didn't have much of an opportunity to show my personality. My question is, if you don't mind sharing, what were your STAT'S going in?.. such as GPA, letter's of recommendation. How did you feel after interview? Did you try to talk to any of the professors afterward? Did you follow up with a thank you? Thank you in advance for any information you could provide. I'm extremely nervous about acceptance and will now have to wait what probably will feel like forever.

If it makes you feel even the least bit better I'm feeling the same way you do. I quit my teaching job to go to nursing school. I then took a job as a tech at the hospital I wanted to work at so I could have a job out of school... after working my butt off and going above and beyond (not to mention a fabulous review from my manager), I not only didn't get a job in my first choice dept, I also got passed over for a position on my floor (the BSN nurses who did externships on my floor got the position over me.. BSN vs. ADN)... It took me months to find a position. Most people want days. I wanted overnights. Now I'm working 8hr days. ........... and my marriage failed while I was in school. It'll get better. It has to :)

I'm going to try to make this short & sweet. I'm looking for advice on getting my FIRST nursing job in NYC. My background: I'm graduating from an ADN program (I know most hospts prefer BSN now). However, I do have a BA degree, fantastic work experience, great letters of reccomendation, and I've been working as a tech for over a year. I also have a great personality and attitude. I plan on bridging to an NP program... I only have one class to take to make me elidgible. I'm not worried about getting a job as a new grad. I know that I will be hired where I'm working, which is a PHENOMENAL hospital. I'm working in general pediatrics as a tech, hoping to get a job in the PICU. Lucikly my hospital hires new grads in their ICU's. My backup plan is to get a job here, in the PICU or my floor, work for a year (year & a half the most!) and try to travel or get a job in the city. However, I'm aching to get to the city as soon as June comes. Does anyone have any leads on hospitals that hire new grads, nurse residency programs, nurse recruiters, nursing job fairs... ANYTHING that could help me get my first nursing job in NYC? Ideally, Manhattan or Brooklyn. I've been looking at the city and private hospitals. I am well aware that I will not get into the NY Presbyterian residency program. Thanks so much! I am so excited to start working as a nurse.

Our micro exam had an average of 71%... I got a 63%. It makes me ill even stating that grade. You're right... "Just remember its only the first test trust me you have plenty more tests to go....good luck and be encouraged!!! Remember they wouldn't have excepted you if you couldn't make it"!! Thanks :) :)

Thank you all for your wise words and support. I'm going to take it one day at a time and not worry about the future tests. I'm going to have to train myself to work more efficiently. I've been doing a little bit each day rather than saving it all for the weekend. My biggest fear is that I'm going to fail out of nursing 1. What a slap in the face that would be. Thanks for the reassurance that a lot of other people do poorly on the first nursing test. I'm practicing more nclex questions and I promised myself that I WILL NOT go back and change any answers. A&P is easy for me, I'm not worried about that. Micro... it is the bane of my existence. I love love love love love my nursing labs. I like the hands on aspect. It's really what I have excelled in thus far. The good news is, I'm only a quarter in. That means I've got 3/4 left! I've had to take a med course for my job, so I'll do well on the dosages and such. I"ll get there. Thanks again. You're all wonderful.

Hello future nursing students, nursing students & seasoned nurses, Here I am, 4 weeks into my first semester of nursing. I am currently enrolled in a 2 year nursing program. Right now my curriculum is microbiology, A&P and Nursing 1. The school I am in had a 5 year waiting list for the program and decided to do away with it and base entrance on the TEAS & the applicant's qualifications. Luckily (I believe) I was accepted; Out of 5000 applicants I was one of the 188 accepted. I also graduated last year with my BA in Psychology; GPA 3.8. Going into the nursing program I knew that it was going to be demanding and difficult but now I am realizing that it is harder than I had expected. This week I took my first Micro & nursing exams.. to say the least, I did not do as well as I would have liked. I do so so in nursing and micro, well I got a D. We've had 2 nursing skills exams which I passed the first time. The majority of my classmates had to take it twice and a lot failed the second time around and had to go through mediation. So what I'm getting at is that I feel that I am better at the skills than the paper tests, however, the skills do not count towards our GPA. My ego and psyche have taken a huge hit with these first exams. I know that in the end I am going to make a wonderful nurse but now I'm questioning if I'm going to make it. I quit my job to go to school full time. I was working 60+ hours a week while finishing up my undergrad and I feel like I had more down time than I do now. While I find A&P easy (although we haven't had an exam yet) I am struggling in micro and I'm perplexed at my nursing grade. I second guessed myself and changed answers. DUMB... I KNOW! At least with the nursing I know which answers I changed and why and what was the right answer. I have 2 friends in another local nursing program who have compared my program and material to theirs and both admitted that mine is much harder than theirs. Yet, I get very jealous when they tell me about their fantastic grades while I'm pulling C's and D's. I hope whoever is reading this has followed thus far.... Why I'm writing this because I want to know if anyone else is in my situation. I was previously a great student and now I find myself struggling. Does anyone have any advice? Also, my ultimate goal is to continue on to get my NP. I have a friend who is in her senior year of CRNA school. Her advice was to do as well as I can in A&P. She said she got a C in Micro, which makes me feel comforted. Will my BA factor in when I apply for grad school?? I'm so confused and upset. I know that my heart is in nursing but now I'm starting to go through the "what ifs" because I chose nursing over the PsyD program due to the cost of education and tuition costs. Any words of wisdom and advice will help!! I'm freaking out a little.

Do you work full time and go to school full time? What classes are you taking or did you take while working full time?

I cried. Then I signed up to take the TEAS again and made sure that I had all of my transcripts were in. With just putting a little bit of time into studying for the TEAS I did well enough to get into the program that I really wanted. Try not to freak out until you actually know you've been rejected! You might be pleasantly surprised.

I've been looking on the internet and all I can tell is that the TEA exam is all math. Basic algebra, equations and such. Do you know what else they entail?

I am taking my TEAS in 10 days. I'm trying to find as much information on what it's about and how to prepare for it. There is a study guide available for $60. Should I buy it? I scored very high on my GRE's in mathematics. My understanding is that the TEAS are a basic review of biology and mathematics. Nursing programs are very competitive to get into where I am. I want to make sure that I am the strongest candidate possible because I want to start fall 2010. The TEAS are a requirement for entrance into the program that I really want to get into (other programs around me don't require them). Really my question is, how should I prepare? Please help. I'm getting very nervous.

What do "new RN grad" jobs entail? I will have my BA in psychology and want to be a psychology nurse. I have read that psych nurses are a special field? Will I not be able to get an entry job in the psych dept?

Where in Washington are you? When I was on vacation I had met an older woman (older than me! not old!) who had told me that nursing was great in Washington State. Seattle is one of the places I'm looking into traveling to. How were the TEAS? DID you take them?

Anytime I google anything nursing related it brought me to this site, which is what made me join. I have read so many great, helpful responses. I'd like to have my own questions answered. So Please help!!!!! I am so naive in the nursing field. I was under the impression that to become an RN a 4 year degree was required. I have recently started researching the nursing field and SURPRISE!... you can become an RN with a 2 year degree. I think that I have come up with a rather solid plan, however I need advice from nurses. Practicing nurses, right now! The close I have is my program nurse and she thinks it's a great idea. I need more affirmation. I will be finished with my B.A. in psychology in May. I had thoroughly researched graduate schools. I wanted to apply for clinical psychologist, Ph.D. program. I also threw around the idea of school psychologist. I feel that I would be a strong competetor to get into these programs. My GPA is around a 3.8 (since I grew up, transferred, and started caring about my future) and I have excellent reccomendations. Both programs will take anywhere from 3-6 years to complete and at least 60k more in debt. Both will reward me with a mediocre salary. My goal in life is to help people. I have worked for the past 3 years with adults with developmental disabilities. This is what has inspiried me. I know that I want to make a difference in people's life. Recently the idea of nursing has crossed my path. One of my staff said his wife does it and mentioned the salary. Salary isn't my motivation, however knowing an RN could be acquired after 2 years sparked my interest. I decided that instead of going to grad school, that i should go to a 2 year nursing program instead. I have applied and am going to take my TEAS Nov. 10th... I'm applying for fall of 2010 (immideatly following the completion of my B.A.). My partner is already enrolled in a nursing program, part time, and will graduate the same time that I will, pending my acceptance for fall of 2010. My goals are to get into nursing (TEAS?), pass NCLEX, get a traveling nurse job, and look into furthering my nursing career. My bachelor's will be in psychology. I'd like to be a psych nurse and I'm thinking about advanced nursing. I've looked into NP or CRNA. I'm more patient focused though. I also have thought about medical school (too much time and too much money) and when I thought about it, OBGYN and psych stuck out.... Sorry for that long background. I found it imperative to give. Here are my questions. 1) Do you think it's a bad idea going for a 2 yr. degree in nursing after I already have a BA.. just not in nursing. Should I find a school that does a 1yr program to get my nursing bachelor's as well? 2) Like I stated previously, my goal is to travel first. What are some good travel nursing agencies to look into? I will be traveling with my partner, who will also be a nurse and my dogs. There are so many agencies out there. If anyone has advice, please help! 3) Advanced nursing... can you go into an advanced nursing field with only a 2 year nursing degree? Any advice would help. I'm so lost in my quest and figuring out my future.