AnonymousNurse45

I had my 2 children in mid-30s, right after starting acute care/ hospital job. It has been the biggest challenge of my life. I work full time Fri-Sat-Sun, and my partner works Mon-Fri. We use hospital affiliated daycare once a week (Friday), it opens at 05:30, which allows me to arrive to work on time at 06:30. I hate getting my 2 toddlers out of their beds at 05:00 in the morning. The biggest challenge is a lack of family support. Also, due to the student loans, we are not able to have kids in daycare for additional days, so there is no recovery after 3-12 hr shifts. There is no respite for either me or my partner, we are either working or parenting alone. I am not positive or energetic. My friend works less shifts per pay period, but constantly complains about financial limitations. It may sound very grim, but everyone's situation is different

Um, the guy I don't like........... I was feeling completely neutral toward this person until I realized I became a target. Yes, I was planning to give this to the other person. That's the problem with microagression. It is not very tangible, very subtle, and difficult to prove. I don't want to reveal my identity completely, so I will not provide any more details. I am a very straightforward person, but I am at loss on how to address the issue at hand. Thank you for reading my comment.

I am glad I saw this topic, as something has been on my mind lately. I have been working in a medium sized hospital with a diverse work force. I have been ( and I don't want to use word "victimized") annoyed by the conduct of a male employee, who is half my age and was born here in the US (unlike this OP). The conduct is a melding of misogyny with chauvinism, and fits definition of a microagression at a workplace very nicely. I basically have 2 choices: ignore or confront it. I came up with an idea of creating mock survey. Example: Circle: Yes or No I bullied clumsy Sergey who did not speak English back in the middle school, and it made me feel like a bigger person, and I wish to recreate this feeling. YES NO Do you suffer from misogyny or any other conditions not listed above? YES NO I hope you get the idea... How do you feel about confronting the issue in the format of the "mock survey" to help me get my point across (with the point being "buzz off", grow up, get used to globalization) ?

I have. You can pm me with any questions. LG

Thank you, Sound.

I was accepted to OHSU BSN program from the alternate list two weeks ago. Essay was a requirement for the admission there, and I feel that my experience as a CNA gave me unique insight into nursing. If I did not have that experience, I would have nothing to write about. There are other experiences that will help you gain the understanding of nursing profession, but the degree of relevancy might vary. As a CNA with almost 3 years of experience, I've seen the good, the bad and the ugly side of nursing. Due to the high turn over rate, I had exposure to dozens of nurses, which allowed me to conceptualize what a good nurse should be like. I am just sharing my experience. Some schools look strictly at the GPA, and you have nothing to worry about in that department. Good luck to you

Thank you, Sound. I just wanted to connect with other anxious hopefuls. The deadline for the admission decisions is coming up. I do actually have few questions foe you: Do you work at all? Do you think it would be possible to work on weekends at least? How many hours per week are the lectures and clinicals? Since this is a vocational program, are the grades assigned or everything is just pass/fail? What does one need to do to be successful in the program? Thank you Larisa Garrett

Is anyone here waiting to hear from LCC?

Curious, I already declined my offer last Wednesday. Yes, I spoke to Fin Aid office (at OHSU). They reiterated that my my student loan amount was capped at $10500 per year, and advised me to go private lenders, which I did. I was declined for all collegiate and Med Cap loans I applied for. I was shocked that neither the government, nor private institutions were willing to provide me the funds needed to further my education. I guess I was aiming too high (out of my income league), and my wings got melted.

Thank you for ideas and support, Andie.

Here is the description of Lower Columbia College (Longview, WA)for their LPN to RN bridge program (eLearning Option - the online version of the program): To be eligible for consideration for admission, the applicant must: have graduated from a state board of nursing approved PN program hold a current unencumbered license as a practical nurse have worked a minimum of 1,000 hours as an LPN (verified by a letter on agency letterhead from the applicant's supervisor or Human Resources Department) have completed all prerequisite and supportive courses with a grade of C (2.0) or above, documented by official transcripts, before beginning the program achieve the minimum scores on the LPN Predictor Exam: (65% Adjusted Individual Score) and Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) version 4.0: 47 (Individual Percentile Rank by Program) I hope this helps

Just got denied for MedCap loan at WF.

Andie, I applied for an alternative (private) student loan. I was denied both at Chase and Wells Fargo.

I went to Wells Fargo yesterday, they denied me even with my husband as a co-signer. My dream came to fruition, but $%$%^$, where is the upward mobility? Thank you for help guys, I will try to MEDCAP loans next.

I got accepted to OHSU BSN program (Kfalls campus) from the alternate list. The Financial aid quoted me 10 500 per year for tuition/year. I need another 5 k plus 9k for the living expenses. I went and applied at two major banks for private student loan and was denied. I have to give the answer to admissions tomorrow. Does anyone know where I could find $42 k (3 years worth of expenses) in less than 24 hours? Any help will be appreciated. Thank you

You can also sign-up with Integrated, or similar type medical staffing agency. They will pay $15-$17/hour depending on experience, plus weekend/noc shift differentials. I am not sure how busy they keep their employees, but I would assume people can get enough hours as Portland is pretty big.

Yulia, check your private messages.

Just like in any other profession, there are people who are extremely talented, there are those who are mediocre, and the few who are just bad at what they do. My combined CNA experience allowed me to observe probably close to 100 nurses, and I have seen the examples of all 3 categories mentioned above. Don't be discouraged, look at your experience as a learning opportunity. You would want to be good at what you do. How would you know if you are good if you have nothing to compare yourself to.

I am not a nurse, I work as a CNA. I had my share of violence from patients who were either mentally incapable or older people whose judgment was questionable. Two Chrismases ago, I was "kidnapped and assaulted"(by the standards of the world outside of the realm of a nursing home) in a bathroom by elderly lady. It took two people to get her off me. Do I think she should go to jail? NO. I don't think that elderly, frail, and incontinent people would fit very well in the prison population. Most of my co-workers are in agreement that people who are violent need to be medicated and their symptoms managed. Thank you for bringing up this issue. Most people don't suspect what staff has to go trough in the locked/psych units.

Armywife, I know you didn't. I wasn't trying to be confrontational either, I just provided my point of view. Your opinions are as valid as everyone else's, I just like to look at things from different angles and that is why I quoted your post.

There is nothing wrong with working in a long-term care facility. Some people prefer working there for many different reasons. I don't think LPNs are going to be obsolete. In some settings use of nursing skills is very limited, which gives businesses incentives to hire people with limited education and skill set - LPNs. I cannot say for sure if this was a deliberate policy, but in a nursing home where I work, majority of RNs disappeared last year, and many trade school graduates(LPNs) were hired to fill their spots. As far as cost of LPN programs at trade schools, yes, they are expensive. However, in my life, I came across many people who work minimum wage jobs with BA's and BS's and paid way more than 27K for their education (not to mention spent more than 13 months of their time). I think LPN is a good option for some people (provided that the LPN program is a state board accredited and job market is favorable). In the lieu of increased number of applicants to RN programs last couple of years, for somebody who has a child and wants to increase earning potential ASAP, I think that investment is worth the pay-off - $20-22/hr. Desire to be an RN does not guarantee admission to an RN program. This last application cycle hundreds of qualified people were either rejected or put an alternate list, as programs cannot accommodate all qualified applicants. As always, to each their own. We cannot project our resources and aspirations onto other people, but I hope what I wrote is somewhat helpful in making your decision.

I currently work in a LTC facility with 3 LPNs who graduated last year. As far as I know, they did not have anything bad to say about it, and obviously they are a living proof that people graduate and pass their licensing exams.

For those of you who got accepted at PCC (and the alternates too), how many admission points did you have(before essay and interview)?

For those of you who got accepted at MHCC (and the alternates too), how many admission points did you have(before essay and interview)?

MacKAy, I think it is time to look into the future and gear up for the next application cycle.