Cuezee2

We had to make a B- to pass a class (80%). We were only allowed to fail one class, and take it again. When we took it again we had to pass with a B+. Anything below that or if you fail a second class and you're kicked out. We had to take a dosage test every clinical and were only allowed to miss ONE question. If you missed more than one question we had to take it again without missing any. If you failed the math test on the second time you failed the semester and it counted as failing a class.

32 and still a year away from graduating.... I beat myself up too, especially since I started the program years ago. But I have health issues that have forced me to take school one class at a time. That you'll get there in the end is what is important. Plus, you've got a good 30+ years ahead of you to work...

I can tell you from a personal perspective that my home nurses mean so much to me. I'm a senior in nursing school, but I am TPN dependent and have other health issues necessitating home nursing. I look forward to my nurse coming, she makes my life easier, and I know I can reach out to her if I have a problem. I can't speak to working in a hospital (other than what I've done in clinical), verses what it is like working as a home nurse, I just wanted to put in my two sense and let you know from a pt perspective, how wonderful and valuable home nurses are in my life as well as the lives of my friends on TPN. Good luck with your decision.

California is one of the hardest states to get a job in. We had a hiring freeze at one point. I live in the SF Bay Area and we have about 7 or 8 nursing schools who combined put out thousands of students each semester...all of whom are looking for jobs in the Bay Area. My friends who graduated a year ago are still looking for work. Some of them got lucky and got hired around here (like 3), one went down south, one went to Sac...but most of them knew people and that's how they got the job. My friend graduated top of her class, won all the school awards, had a 4.0GPA and can't even get an interview. Maybe by the time you finish school and graduate it'll be better. I'm about to graduate and I have no idea what I'm going to do.

At the end of my first year of nursing school, so many of my fellow students, including myself, looked sick because we were so stressed out that we didn't eat right, lost a little too much weight, hadn't slept much during the year, and were still fighting colds and other viruses because our immune systems were taxed. You may find that you have a similar rxn. If you are prone to eating during stress, it may be a great chance to get some extra fruit and veggies into your diet. Also, you can stop and ask yourself if you are really hungry and need to eat or if you're just eating to deal with emotions. If it's the later you could try taking a walk or doing some form of exercise (good time to take up yoga!), drink a glass of water, chew gum, etc. My friend makes her own smoothies and then freezes them into popsicles and munches on those when she feels like eating from stress. If you don't have time to do that just poring some orange juice into popsicle molds and freezing them would at least be a healthier option than buying sugar water popsicles at the store. I just bought some sugar free Cool-Aid from Target and sent it to my friend to make popsicles from. Good luck with nursing school!!

Congratulations! The stress and anxiety go away with time. I'm starting my senior year in the fall and I don't feel those feelings anymore. You'll never be 100% comfortable, but you'll learn to relax. Good luck to you!

OB was my favorite rotation! I got to see c-sections, lady partsl births, start IVs, put in urinary catheters, give IV meds, "recover" newborns (give them their first set of injections, give them their first baths, do foot prints, etc). We rotated through L&D, postpartum, and the NICU. It's pretty intense (I was at a busy community hospital though), so the shifts went by quickly. Go in with an open mind, it may end up being your favorite rotation too! Good luck!!

It's nice to have a group of peers that can help you out if you need it, but that doesn't mean you have to always be with them or study with them, etc. I never study in groups, I don't learn that way, I need to be by myself in a quiet environment. However, I've befriended people in my clinicals so I do have someone to call or ask questions to if I need it. Good luck you you!

I was told over a year ago now that they're building a brand new hospital around the Lahaina area of Maui, but who knows when that will actually happen. O'ahu has the most hospitals and more specialties to work in. Have you looked at doing temp work? I know someone who got a job as a traveler on Kauai for a month working in cardiology. My family used to live on O'ahu and we go back to Maui every year for several weeks--I hope to one day get a job there too. Best of luck to you!! Aloha!

Funny, I'm looking to leave CA when I graduate because I know my chances of getting a job here are slim to none. My friend just graduated last Dec at the top of her class with a 4.0 GPA, she has her PALS, ACLS, special training in L&D and NICU, work experience, some other specialized classes, etc...and she can't even get an interview. Good luck!

I've heard that a few times! I have a pretty severe chronic illness and a few of my professors couldn't understand how or why I'd want to go for nursing and told me that I'd never make it with as sick as I am. Well, with a LOT of hard work, I've proved them all wrong. Despite having spent nearly 15 weeks in the hospital, two surgeries, and many, many sick days, I've earned a 3.5 GPA, I'm a Sigma Theta Tau member, and I'm graduating next year with a BS, RN from a good university. I may not be able to work full time, but I'm ok with that, I accept my limitations. Don't ever let anyone tell you what you can and can't do. If you're willing to work hard, you can accomplish it. Good luck!!! It's worth it!

It is about a year average for new grads to find jobs. But they eventually do. And then they're making 100K+ (depending on where you live) and doing what they love. If you're willing to stick with it, it will reward you. Don't let posts like this discourage you or get you down!!

Placenta. I think it's an amazing organ, I just don't like the word...

Nurses in the San Francisco Bay Area are paid higher than any other nurses in the country. I live in San Francisco and we talk about this all the time because as a nursing student I don't have much of a chance of getting a job here when I graduate. Because the pay is so high we attract nurses from all over the country and we get a lot of traveling nurses as well. You have to average in the cost of living too...we also have one of the highest costs of living in the country (and San Francisco currently has the highest gas prices in the country as well). But, you can't beat the area. Not only is it a beautiful place to live, you're close to San Francisco, Tahoe, Yosemite, Carmel/Monterey, Napa/Sonoma/the wine country, etc. If you can get a job, it's a great place to be.

Wow, thanks for taking the time to post all that! Congrats on passing the NCLEX!! I think my good friend was in your NCLEX, RN test...she took it in Oakland a day or so ago too!