IzzyKat23

I know how you feel, I also am jobless and in school (although hopefully not jobless for long). If you don't have a CNA see about testing for it and maybe one of your nursing instructors can check you off on or knows someone who can check you off on the clinical skill set area. As for finding jobs...I almost think folks in nursing programs have an edge! I am still in the pre-req phase and only have my CNA (got it this past spring) and don't start till fall 2010 but I want to get experience (and moola is always nice too!!!) so that is why I want a job. In my many searches though I have found that if you go to hospital sites and look under jobs/employment I see that most of them are reserved for nursing students only or they give prevalence to those who are in nursing programs and have had at least one clinical rotation. It says this under skills required. Not sure it is like that everywhere and at all times but all of them around my area are like that. We also have a ton of nursing programs in our area though. Good luck in your job search!

My little sister had a doll that was always with her. She spent most of her time in hospitals her first few years as did her doll. When she had to have a procedure so did he. When she was sick so was he. That was his opportunity to get a thorough washing! He would be there waiting for her when she was done and some times he would have band aids where "his IV" was or whatever to match the procedure she had done. Freshen the doll up, disinfect it, wrap it up in a blanket. Put a special bracelet on it just like (or similar to hers) give the doll a sticker and her a sticker for being brave. You can't rip a kid from their beloved what not but you coax them away from it for awhile. We did this through out my sister's life. All the nurses were very kind to both my sister and her doll. She was 22 when she died but she still had her doll and he was well loved. He was cremated with her because she was never with out him.

Thanks for the tips! I heard back today and my interview is next week so I have a week to prepare! Now I am only worried about the fact that I am a full time student Hopefully that will not count against me. I am really flexible other than when I am in school...I just really want this job so I can get some hands on experience and from everyone I have ever met or ever talked to this is a great place to work. Thanks again!

Congrats on getting in! I will be starting in the fall. I have my choice of schools but I am leaning toward the best one which is also the most difficult one. I have the same fears and anxieties. I hope it is not as hard as everyone says it is. The only thing that gives me hope is that there are nurses out there who are as dumb as a box of rocks who have managed to graduate from these schools and even more prestigious ones. I just think if they can do it well then there is no excuse for me not to do it with perfect grades! You got this far, you got in! You will do great :) Just work hard and stay focused. Good luck!

OMG, I have an interview!!! I am so excited And freaked out Here is my problem: I have a great resume and I always interview well. I am super confident, dressed perfect, etc...but I have not been successful in the past two interviews I went to (they were not for CNA). I only went to two in the past two years. I know I was way over qualified for the positions and w/the job situation there were probably a billion people interviewing for them I was just not used to that though since I have always been hired on the spot or after one interview for every job I have ever had. So now I feel horrible, very nervous and like there is something wrong with me where I never felt this way before . I have no idea what it could be. I have an interview with a recruiter for a CNA position at the hospital for one of the schools I am interested in (99.99% sure) I will be attending next fall. I really, really, really want to work here. So I don't want to mess this up. :doh: What should I do for the interview for a CNA position? I just don't want to blow this. I have no CNA experience just got my CNA in June but I have plenty of real life experience since I have helped my family members with hospice. Should I mention that if they ask about experience or is that too personal? If anyone has any advice about CNA interviews I would really appreciate it from those who have been there. :)

I saw this kind of behavior in the corporate world too and I just kept my head down and took care of my clients. I was not "in" when the new management took over and yes they did smoke But if you sat around on their desk and would chit chat while work piled up you got perks. I also saw this when I went through my CNA clinicals and that is what really made me sick because there were human needs at stake there, like immediate needs not just bills and policies like in the corporate world. But it is as you say...they sit there and let them stew in it all night. As a student my clinical partner and I would have to decompress after clinicals and sometimes just cry at how the people were (not) treated by lazy nurses and CNAs. And this was at the most prestigious home in town !!! I always believe that keeping your head down and doing a good job is what is important and keeping my nose out of all the drama...maybe that is why I am not a favorite. I am trying to get a part time job now and I know I will be seeing this but I am not going for management so I am not too worried about it. I have a small part of me that believes that the powers that be know who really cares about their job and who is texting, chatting, smoking, flirting or anything but doing their job...then again the bigger part of me thinks most of management is oblivits who have no memory of what it is like to glove up and dig in :icon_roll From my experience trying to say anything does no good but knowing that at least I made clients happy gave me a bit of satisfaction As a side note it seems unseemly that one would have to smoke to get ahead in nursing though...I would really hate to think I would have to start smoking again after 9yrs as a non smoker just to be noticed once I become a nurse!

I just joined and it has already become so addictive. Great info for a pre-nursing student In fact it is in direct competition w/my Facebook time I need to cut myself off and do more homework Great site

Oh yay! So happy there is an outlet!!! I have had 5 pairs of Danskos and the only reason I had to get rid of three pairs was my feet shrank when I lost weight...so bad for me but good for my mom as she got 3 pairs of shoes They are super comfy and when I needed a pair for clinicals that was the brand I went to. Now I can start to build my collection again faster than I had hoped Danskos are not for everyone. They feel like you are wearing a clog only it is a full coverage shoe. If you can handle clogs though it should not be a problem. They are super light weight and in euro sizes. I would, like the others, recommend a fitting for the initial fit with the socks you will be wearing.

The traditional at both. I will have all my pre-reqs done by spring and will graduate with my A.A. then so I will transfer for Fall 2010 the 2yr program. I just need to decide which one. I am looking forward to the open houses though. I have friends who have decided to go to each and they are very sold on the schools for their own reasons so I will just have to have a look and see for myself

I think using one's antenna is very important. One cannot force hugs upon someone just b/c they feel that it is a situation where a hug is needed. When my little sister died two yrs ago everyone tried to hug my mom and she is so anti hug it is not even funny. We (family) had to protect her from well intentioned people who could not keep themselves from hugging her She was not only devastated from losing a child but on top of it she had to go through the horror of having people touch her and worse hug her. Not all people hate strangers touching them but some do. I guess my mom passed this trait on to me b/c if I even think someone is about to touch me I tense up or move. The only person I can have touch me is my Mister or my sister (well was my sister). I am not heartless by any means and if I think someone is in dire need of human contact I will definitely offer a shoulder to cry. For some reason it does not bother me to give touch if it is really needed but it just makes my skin crawl to have people touch me...but I agree w/CASTLEGATES, there are ways to gauge without just hugging everyone. Please make sure it is a hug safe zone :icon_hug:

Congrats Vanasd & Butterfly913!!! I have been accepted to both Methodist and OSF and I have not decided which one I want to go to yet. I am going to go to the open houses. I am also waiting to hear back from others too. I live in Bloomington and that will be about a 45min commute but I don't think that will be too bad. I was debating about whether or not I should move to P-town or not to avoid the commute but after reading this I think I will just take the morning drive time as an opportunity to greet the day with a huge mug of caffeine and avoid the hassle of moving to a less than satisfactory area. Congrats again, I am so happy for you both!!!

OMG! That was my life!!! eerily similar. The wall of the cube were closing in on me and I could not stand the fact that there people there for a life time with degrees hanging on there cube wall and I had none and they had topped out at the departments pay (what did that leave me in a few years?!?!) I tried very hard to like it at the corporation...I got a mentor, I job shadowed, joined clubs, took classes in econ, business and accounting (which has now benefited me toward my BSN) But try as I might I could not see myself anywhere in that company. I could not see myself wearing the heels and the fabulous suits everyday to simply make people miserable while I was tied to a desk. I realized I wanted to be a nurse through very personal life experiences. I talked it over with my Mister and I took a leap. Since then my life has changed drastically. I am not a glam office chick, I am more of a schleppy college student I gave up my 401K, my fab benefits, pension and security and brand new house in the burbs. I now live a much more modest life in the country, take very few trips to the dry cleaners, and my Mister had to take a close his own business for the time and work for someone else to get benefits while I am a full time student. It is hard but I would not change it for anything. I look at every day as an adventure. The freedom I feel not going into the corporation is amazing. I know I am on the right path. Besides, if I cannot handle drastic changes and a bit of struggle then how could I expect to handle nursing. I am 30 and been married for 8.5yrs (no kids) but you are younger and I am not sure what your living, financial situation is. Maybe you can work part-time and go to school. That was not an option for me as my employer did not offer part time. I will tell you though that after 8yrs in a cube if your heart is not in it get out. Maybe consider taking a CNA course (these are usually very easey to work around a full time schedule) at night/day first before you make a leap to decide if nursing is what you want to do. This will also give you another job to have if you need one in the nursing field and I know a lot of nursing schools are now require that you have it anyway. It is all about what works for you and covering all your bases or at least most of them before you make any changes. I wish you the best!

Oh wow! It is good to know that there are nurses out there who have narcolepsy:yawn: I was dx a few years ago and when I was going through chronic migraine issues that could not be controlled. Finally after my neurologist had a sleep study done (day and night) he told me I had narcolepsy. He put me on Xyrem and I thought it was a miracle until I lost a year of my life to depression and almost ended it all (I am not nor have I ever been a depressed person, I am the happiest, most positive, upbeat person I or my family knows!!!) Luckily my family and Mister noticed my distinct behavior change and drastic weight loss (100lbs) and I switched neurologists and medications. My new neurologist confirmed I have narcolepsy. I must admit I now no longer sleep like I did with the Xyrem but I am back to my old self (Happy and tired!) I have a great doc now who has me on Ritalin (not a fan of it but ya gotta do what ya gotta do) and tries to get me to have proper sleep hygiene...lol, good luck to that w/full time school and elder care! My primary care physcian told me I am on a very low dose so far so that made me feel better. But since I only get REM sleep anyway I usually just forgo sleep and live off of my medication, caffeine and sheer determination, until I collapse. I have learned to time my medications to every morning when I wake up (I try to get at least 3-4hrs of "sleep" every 24) and when I really need it, right before lectures and such which are late in the afternoon but this changes each semester. I assume I will have to do this with my shifts once I graduate and get a job. Hardly anyone knows I have narcolepsy because I am so scared of what people will say. I am so lucky that I do not have cataplexy! I have had classes where people who do not know I have this will go off about it and say the most absurd things about it and I just roll my eyes. I would still never mention it because I did not want it to hurt my chances of getting into nursing school and I am sure I would be discriminated against at work someday. Even though I have this, I manage to stomp circles around my friends who have nothing wrong with them...other than lazy I guess. Maybe this is because I have the right meds now (which I know I will have to change eventually, nature of the disorder) or it could be I am just that obstinate and I refuse to lie down, literally. It gives me great hope to know there are other narco-nurses out there though It also good to know to keep my trap shut on the job in the future @ Katie8 I am not sure but you should not have to disclose why you are on what meds you are on...Yes you will have to tell the lab tech, but you should not have to tell the interview person, that you will pop for amphetamines, and bring a note from your doc, that says he/she prescribe it and that's all or the bottle and that should be good. You do not need to tell them why you take what. As long as they know you did not buy it off some guys jacket on the corner So many people take so many different things now, sky's the limit really with prescribing and off label usages...If you deal directly with the lab it should not even have anything to do with the person you are interviewing with. If you have further questions you may want to ask your doctor or pharmacist. Good luck to you:D

Hiya Steph, I have just gotten accepted into both of those schools, St. Francis and Methodist. I will have completed all of there pre-reqs by the end of spring 2010 so I am ready to go for their Fall 2010 term. I will be graduating with an AA from a community college but I worked very closely with my advisor to make sure that all of the classes I took a) worked toward an Associate in Arts degree b) met the pre-reqs for all of the central IL nursing schools and she was fantastic!!! I got everything lined up. I am still waiting to hear back from Mennonite and Heartland. I think the best thing to do, especially if you want to go for a BSN would be to speak to your adviser and keep track of everything they give you from day one. Track your classes and make sure that they are what you need to graduate and/or transfer. If you feel uncomfortable w/your adviser (I went through several, until I found someone who worked for me) just make sure you have the info you need and go back and ask someone else. It is your education and your money so go ahead and pester them with questions Even for my last semester I had to go back an double check everything just to make sure one of my classes was going to transfer...but better to be safe than have to do over! Most of the nursing schools need the same thing but each one will need something different and a good adviser will give you the information on this and make sure you get these classes:up: Good luck!