ShelbyP

Go, but be smart about going. Be open to the possibility of coming back (early) for a great job. I believe you are still eligible for a ticket through STA travel, a student travel company. I have bought all of my abroad tickets through them and they are great about last-minute changes, and they usually sell at the best price, in my experience. Wherever you buy, shell out a couple extra bucks, if that is required, to get a ticket that is EASY to change (with minimal penalties & maximum flexibility). You will find internet access all over the place in South America, even in rural areas. Check in periodically with hospitals/health care facility websites where you are interested in working. Keep copies of your resume on-line (in Google docs or your email or whatever), so you can keep applying to places while you are abroad. Also have a pre-written cover letter drafted (in which you can quickly sub in the name of the facility, unit, etc.) that says, "I am currently traveling /volunteering/practicing my language or nursing skills in South America, but would be happy to correspond with you via email/skype/phone and return to the US for an interview or job offer. The best way to reach me is via..." Hope that made sense. Don't feel that just because you are going around the globe you have to loose touch with your world here. This world is becoming more and more connected every day with technology; use it to your advantage. Best of luck to you and happy travels!

In my nutrition class (a pre-req for the nursing program), I read some statistics about weight and obesity in America. Apparently, a number of childbearing-aged women are overweight and there are some interesting studies about how this relates to pregnancy. In short, the gist of the articles I read basically stated that one should not loose weight after becoming pregnant, and therefore, women who were already overweight upon conceiving were more likely to give birth past their due dates and to bigger babies. This, in turn, made it more difficult to give birth lady partslly and required, overall, more medical intervention. Of course, there are a host of other medical complications as well. I just googled this article, if you're interested in getting a few more details: overweight & pregnant | Pregnancy Information, Pregnancy Calendar Week by Week, Tools at Fit Pregnancy Personally, I think this is timely and something unique to focus on, but whatever you choose, best of luck with your project! Post when you decide what you're going to do!

I'm sure if anyone has a problem, you could always throw on a plain solid band over it...even if it just costs a couple bucks and you only wear it for work, clinicals, what have you. In my program tatoos are supposed to be covered. Rings (and all jewelry) are discouraged for sanitation purposes, but 1 band with no stones is permitted on the ring finger.

I took developmental psych (through the lifespan) entirely on-line last summer through Foothill College (Los Altos, CA). I thought it was pretty easy and took a lot less time than if I had taken the class in a classroom. Yes, there were written assignments and on-line posts, but you would have those (or something similar) in any class, and I didn't have to drive to campus and sit in class, which was a huge time saver. My experience with on-line classes is that they're pretty easy and good ways to boost GPA. However, I find I don't learn as much from them. Therefore, I use them for classes that I need but don't have a ton of personal interest in or classes that are requirements but that I don't feel will have a lot of practical information that I don't already know. Best of luck.

Had the chicken pox when I was in elementary school. Recently had titers drawn for nursing school (MMR, Varicella, HepB). My Varicella was low and I will likely need the vaccine as a booster even though I had them (all over my body :)) when I was a kid. Incidentally, I also have proof of having the full MMR vaccine (2 shots) as a child, and that was below the requirement, so I'm getting a new round of that as well. .... maybe it's more difficult for some people to build immunity? Anyone have any thoughts/read any articles on this??

Well, CONGRATS to you! That is awesome to have so many choices. Yes, it seems like you and other readers know that the cheaper, more flexible option is what would best suit you right now. My advice is to find some nurses in your town (assuming that's where you want to work when you're done with school) and ask if Associate and Bachelor's new grads are being hired with equal enthusiasm, pay, etc. In my town (in Northern California), RNs (regardless of AN or BSN degree) seem to be hired equally and with equal pay. However, as new grads, not really either are getting hired at all. Hopefully, in 2-3 years when you graduate, that will have turned around some. Nevertheless, it's worth looking into. If there are only a couple hospitals you're interested in working in, then it's worth it to find out if pay scales differ based on the degree/amount of education. And if they have a certain education-level requirement to get into specialties you might be interested in. Given the current economy, spending the less money on your education seems wise. Best of luck!

From the research I've done, you will need time in the field before being accepted to an associate's to master's bridge program. On the other hand, you will be able to get your bachelor's right away -- I have even seen on-line programs for that. So, the question I suggest asking is do you want to go back to school right away? Or work and decide on a specialty, work for a few years in that specialty and then apply to a master's program for that specialty. FYI, and there is some debate on this, but it is pretty likely that in the next few years the master's programs (for NPs) will turn to doctorate programs, adding at least another year of school. Good luck!

If you need a BLS CPR, you can go to this website http://www.onlineaha.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=main.home and find someone in your area to do the manikin skills test. As far as I know, it's completely legit. The person in my area who offers the skill test also offers the regular classes (all approved by the American Heart Association). They say on the site the class can be done in 1-2 hours, and the in-person test gives you 30 minutes of practice.

I don't want to shoot down your hopes, but I know lots of new grads in the San Jose area who did their clinicals (i.e., know people and have connections) at South Bay hospitals who are not getting hired. Nurses in the Bay Area are some of the highest paid in the country; therefore, people from all over the states (and the world) are willing to move here for RN jobs. This makes it increasingly difficult for new grads to get hired in hospitals. If you really want to work, I suggest looking for a job at a Long Term Care facility. In my opinion, this will get you your job offer, and thereby your social security number the fastest. Then, you'll have some experience under your belt and your CA license, and can then start applying on-line. Best of luck to you!

The job of a nurse, in my opinion, is to advocate for her patient. The more educated you are, the more you've seen, the more you know of both the medical and non-medical approach, the better you will be able to that. Just because your patient is in a hospital doesn't mean she wants a medicated birth; these women deserve nurses (and doulas) who will care for them and put their best interests at heart.

You can look up past statistics about NCLEX pass-rates at both schools. If you are a hard-worker and study for the NCLEX, I'm sure you'll pass after an education at either university. I would base your decision on other factors, cost being one of them. SF State is a public school as opposed to a private, Catholic school. Compare tuition rates and scholarship/grant options. Are you guaranteed the nursing major at SF State or do you have to make certain grades during your pre-reqs? Although both are in the bay area, would you prefer to live in the city or in the suburbs. Consider cost of living and quality of life in your decision -- just my opinion.

Hi, Zazzialex- Congrats! I think you should feel happy about the wait-list; it's obviously a competitive and impacted program. After I saw your message, I went down to the mailbox and I, too, received the letter explaining I'm on the wait-list. It's probably very difficult to say if you will get accepted in off the wait-list since OHSU does not openly assign a ranking. I did get accepted to another ABSN program to start this summer off a wait-list, however I knew when I got my space that I was #4, so that the chances were good. I would send in your letter and call and ask if they can give you an indication to your chances. Best of luck to you! -Shelby

Congratulations, Lab Rat! That is awesome! Did you apply anywhere else? Are you definitely going to accept at OHSU? All the best to you! That is fantastic! -Shelby

I don't want to spoil the fun.......... ....but...... if you get stuck and want to know the "right" answers: http://geekpagan.com/impossiblequiz.htm

Just got the email! Tucson, here I come! I am so very grateful for the opportunity to attend the University of Arizona and to have secured a sponsored position at my first choice hospital, University Medical Center!!!!! Best of luck to all of you out there! Would love to hear what you decide!