RN_2005

The supposed "nursing shortage" is ********. The term is used merely as a means for [primarily] 2-year colleges to drum up business. And if you are a 'mature' student, say 40-45+, going back to school to finally get that degree, nursing or otherwise, you might as well throw your money to the wind. No one wants to hire older workers anymore .... NO ONE. Discrimination? Yes, but employers have found many creative ways around it so as not to be held to it legally. Just sayin ....

Interesting and informative - the 'non-compact' info! Thank you so much for both of your responses. You have both stated what my gut told me also. I think I will pass altogether on this event. I'm actually a tad concerned about a company that would encourage staffing events with OOS practitioners ...

I am not clear on what you mean by 'non-compact' state?? I am licensed in Ohio; the state where the health screen event is occuring is Kentucky ...

I have been asked to do biometric screening tasks @ a corporate health screen out of my state of licensure. Staffing agent states that I would not be able (obviously) to give flu shots, but claims it would be perfectly legal for me to do the blood pressure checks, glucose & cholesterol screens, BMI, etc. I say it's a grey area because any time you are educating & giving advice on said results that is practicing nursing. Am I correct? I tried to generate a call to my board of nursing. Got a recording to leave a message, and was highly encouraged to email with question which I have also done. I have a feeling it may take longer than I need to receive an answer either by phone or email from them however. If any of you know the answer to this with absolute certainty, your lightning fast response would be highly appreciated! Thanks SO much!

I am a 53 y/o registered nurse in Ohio, and cannot find a nursing job. I graduated in late 2005 and became licensed several months later. I worked in an OB/GYN office for nearly 2 years, but during that time lost any skill base I had built during school as a basically functioned as nothing more than a glorified MA. Back when I was in school though, this would not have been a problem for me as RN jobs were VERY plentiful then. Employers were even offering internships and extended orientations for new grads [inexperienced] and nurses who had been out of the practice for awhile who wanted to reenter the field. There were offers for relocation to other cities/states/countries with enticing sign-on bonuses and paid expenses. I have now been out of work for over 2 years though I did work for the US Census in 2010, and took a seasonal job as a CSR this past spring that has now ended - both jobs totally unrelated to healthcare in any way. Any nursing jobs that are out there are requiring substantial experience and certifications that I do not have, yet are usually only offering per diem, prn, casual, temporary, or at best permanent part-time positions to boot. Also, many nurses I know who have been gainfully employed at their facilities for many years are not even making a 40 hour week consistently; they are often times sent home after 8 hours of a 12 hour shift, called off for low census, etc. "CompassionateLPN" mentioned taking a CNA/PSA/PCA/MA position just to get a foot in the door until a nursing position opened up, and I have tried that as I worked as a STNA for 3 years while in school. I was told by more than one facility that as long as I held an active RN license, they would be unable to put me in one of those positions as I may be tempted to work outside of my 'scope of practice' as a mere STNA; indications were actually made that lead me to believe in Ohio it may actually be illegal to function in a lower position/status than your licensure indicates! I suppose I could put my license in 'inactive' status until needed .... *sigh* Just feeling terribly discouraged and defeated over this right now. I wish I had not even put the time, money, and effort into going back to school.

Speaking of Ohio renewal, I want to know WHY I am being assessed a $50 late fee when it is BEFORE August 31, 2011????? NOT a happy camper! In regards to the user name & password, I had to call earlier for THAT information and the voice on the other end was less than pleasant. I'm not even practicing right now because I can't FIND a nursing job; I should just put it in 'inactive' status. From what I understand it is only a straight up $65 when you want to reinstate it. *fuming*

Hi all, Been awhile since I've posted. I may have addressed this subject before - just in a different manner. I was 48 when I received my AAS in nursing and passed state boards. That was winter/spring of last year. Then tragedy struck and we lost our 21 y/o son in June. The last thing I needed after that was to jump into a brand new nursing career as a newby nurse - mainly because of stress factors and lack of clear thought on my part. So ... I haven't done anything with it yet. Even though prior to my son's passing I was having reservations about where and how I would adapt and fit in to bedside nursing. I now know it is DEFINITELY not what I want to do. My classmates' stories of first year of hospital nursing don't help - screaming doctors, short-staffing, disrespectful peers, superiors, patients, families, and charting nightmares just for starters. Also, I am coming out on the other side of my grief a much different person than I was before the loss. I really have an interest in alternative and holistic medicine, but I am not sure how or where to incorporate this interest into a career with my current licensure and training in primarily Western medicine nursing. I also think perhaps forensic nursing would be a good fit, but understand I would probably need at least a BSN to pursue this. I really don't know if I want to invest in more education at my age, but I did love college and the learning process in general. I loved working as a PCT in outpatient surgery while going to school, and LOVED my clinical observations in surgery. It appears, though, that almost all facilities want a scrub or a circulator with a minimum of a year or two of med-surg experience. I would LOVE a doc's office - I know the pay stinks comparatively - but I don't care. The problem here is most offices only hire LPNs and medical assistants. I am open to any and all comments, suggestions, ideas, etc. I have always had a passion for being involved in the medical field to some capacity, graduated with a 3.2 GPA, passed the NCLEX in 75 questions the first time, and have lots of wisdom from the life experience of nearly a half century under my belt! I just need to find my niche! Thanks in advance for your input and help. Love & light, Kim

Well, I dislike saying this but .. I feel your wife is wrong to not support you on this, but give her time.... I spent years of my life raising kids, being a wife, and working sometimes full-time and sometimes part-time - mainly just to have extra money to enhance my hubby's already comfortable income from self-employment as a general contractor. I probably went to college off and on 3 times - sometimes for several quarters, sometimes just a class or two in one or two quarters - since I graduated from high school with nothing ever culminating into an actual degree. Don't get me wrong, I loved my life ... it's been a good one but, something was still missing. When I was 5 y/o I sat in Easter Straker's Birthday Chair (she had a noon show on a local TV channel back in the day!) with my hand in the penny jar and my goody bag on my lap and, when asked what I wanted to be when I grew up I said, "I want to be a nurse". When I was young I was fascinated by my dad's copy of Gray's Anatomy, and the plastic, layered, see-through pages of the human body in the World Book Encyclopedia. I always had a love of biological sciences, especially those related to anatomy & physiology, and would read medical non-fiction while everyone around me was reading Danielle Steele and other novel fiction. Throughout my adult life people would always ask me, "Are you a nurse?" or "Are you a teacher?" I guess the turning point for me was when I saw my mother through her battle metastatic ovarian cancer which culminated in her death @ 63 y/o, and then 6 mo. later my hubby was in a near fatal motorcycle accident - careflighted as level II head trauma, 2 wks. inpatient, 2 mo. outpatient therapy. That was the year I decided to switch off the "autopilot" mode that had been governing my life and really decided to take control instead of letting my life control me. It all became crystal clear to me: "Life is short", "In a New York minute, everything can change", "Happiness is in wanting what you have, not having what you want", "Just Do It", etc., etc. All cliches but oh, so true! Where had the past 20 years gone? Where were the next 20 going? Scary stuff sometimes to finally wake up and "smell the roses". I entered college again a year after my hubby's accident to work on the pre-requisite courses for an ADN while waiting on a 2-year list for a seat in the program. It took one quarter short of 2 yrs. to enter the program. It wasn't a piece of cake by any means - very challenging course content mixed in with starting first quarter of the nursing program exactly 2 mo. after having a TAH BSO, 25 mi. drive one-way in all kinds of weather, family adjustments, deaths of my father-in-law and step mother, oldest son's high school graduation and transition to college, youngest son's struggles with school, maintaining my job as a STNA. I graduated in Dec. 2005. Honestly, this degree means so much more to me than just a means to employment in an ever booming industry through a passion I had as a little girl and beyond. I proved to myself that I have the power to overcome obstacles, perservere when the odds are against me, obtain my dreams, control my destiny. I also formed friendships that I will enjoy for a lifetime. And best of all, I serve as a wonderful example to everyone, young and old, that it is NEVER too late to realize a dream - N-E-V-E-R!! Sorry this turned out to be so long! I just kept typing and typing and..... Anyway, trust your intuitions. You know what's best for you, and what is realistic for your current situation. When your wife sees how your following your passion brings to the surface the best qualities you possess, she will want to support your efforts. My hubby wasn't a great supporter in the beginning either. Some people just like to have concrete evidence before they commit; this will be inspiration for you in itself! I know an old saying is, "If momma ain't happy, then nobody's happy". I think it works both ways. Good luck to you in whatever path you decide to follow. And remember ... no education you receive - degree or no degree - is EVER a waste of time or money. BTW: I am 48 y/o ... 44 when I returned to the classroom in spring of 2002. I plan on going back at some point and getting my BSN ... I'm beginning to realize I need it to get into the areas of nursing I want to explore.

Good afternoon all! Was wondering if any of you out there are familiar with RN nursing opportunities in this area. I saw an ad in a regional health care mass mailed newspaper for this "unique nursing opportunity" - to travel a multiple county area to blood drives at schools, churches, hospitals. I think I might like this! I am a certified phlebotomist although I never pursued it as a career path. Any thoughts?

Hmmm ... let's see ... possibly a "Code Brown" involving an upper GI bleed? Or iron supplementation?:rotfl: Sorry ... it just popped into my head and my fingers did the typing!

You hear about the "Nclex passing standard" constantly, but what is the passing standard exactly??? 70%? 80%? 75%? I would kind of like to know this before going to take the test! Is it a big secret or something?? I don't see why it would be. I cannot find any information on it anywhere!

Thanks for replying, Renerian. Could I ask you to be a little more specific?? Central Ohio meaning Columbus and surrounding area? "Agencies" meaning hospitals and LTC facilities? Do you know anything about ADN possibilities for employment in county health facilities or an average expected wage for an ADN in a physician's office? Frankly, I think I would be a little leary of employment with an agency that is that desperately short of nursing staff. Career options were never touched on or discussed during the course of my education. It was like a given almost that you would just go on after graduation to work in a hospital. Maybe nursing schools are encouraged to keep it that way since that is where the greatest need seems to be. I just want to know what ALL my options are before I start looking seriously for employment. BTW: Happy Holidays to All!!! :Snowman1: :Holly2:

Hi all! I'm a recent grad - pinning was Dec 8 - from James A. Rhodes State College on the OSU campus in Lima! Will probably be taking boards next month. Anyway, I was wondering if I could get some input as to what job opportunities exist out there for an ADN besides hospital and LTC. Do I need a BSN to work for a county health department? Will doctor's offices even hire a RN (I realize the pay would be less than in other places)? Does anyone know what an average pay for a RN is in a doc's office? I frequently hear that a new grad won't even be considered for specialty areas in the hospital or other career options outside of the hospital w/o at least a year or two of med/surg experience. Is this entirely true? I would consider OR or psych. Any input would be greatly appreciated. It took me 3 1/2 years to get an ADN (almost 2 year wait list for entry into the program) and I'm no spring chicken! If I go back for a BSN they'll have to be handing me an AARP card along with my BSN certificate!!:rotfl: Kim