nccna

I have not accepted at the new place yet. They are going to let me shadow a couple of days there (unpaid of course) to let me get a feel for the crew and workflow. Benefits will stay the same, pay will stay the same which I'm not complaining about as I feel like I'm paid appropriately. The new position is in a larger teaching hospital ICU. Any other tips on being cautious? I'd have to relocate far away for this position. I don't want to relocate if I'm not a good fit with the doctor and crew. I read on here that teaching hospitals are vastly different from community. It seems like you get to see a lot of cool stuff, but you have no idea what is actually happening with the patient. (How is that even possible? Those are things I have read). I wont complain about the IV teams though if I feel like I'm getting rusty I'll head to ER or OR for some practice.

Started in community hospital Med/Surg department as a new grad. RN, almost a month and a half into the job. Got a call from my dream job to start there (I didn't think I had a chance really) I have no idea how to break the news to my manager or if I even should. My current job is nice, my co workers are getting to know me a little better and practice is getting easier each day. Patients are giving me positive feedback as well and I got my first thank you letter from a patient as a RN which felt nice. I tried to read other topics here about it, but the other users did not have a job lined up like me. I really want to relocate to start my dream position as the staff and management seem very supportive.

If you are the patient, you should pass out when the nurse comes in to do orthostatic BP.

Before starting school purchase a RN quick reference guide/book and learn it inside and out. Practice your drug calculations, practice assessing your family friends, and make a few care plans up. Cut up some store bought meat, poke holes in it even, and try to apply appropriate dressings into it. Also squeeze the tip of your finger till it starts to hurt and then hold it for 15 more minutes. Just kidding! Don't do the last part, but just reminding you to turn your patients during clinical. Everyone forgets that for some reason.

This is for school I'm guessing? Because if its just for work, you can contact your state's department of health and human services or board of nursing and ask about transferring your license over. Most border states allow students to simply do the skills test over, if anything at all. You can always print out your registry # from the internet, but most employers will verify your registry # before they interview you.

Good luck on your studies!

Switch departments.

Julz is completely correct. Stories like the one Julz has is the main reason why when you ask many people about nursing school, there is a slight hesitation before speak that way they can think of a way to tell their story without scaring you. You've made it past year one, so your organization skills cant be that bad. As for work, consider switching to a different department if needed such as admissions or dietary, I'm sure your DON will understand. I remember my first year, I couldn't even afford the internet so I did most of my school work at free Wi-Fi spots like McDonalds. Also if your husband is not going to school, and you have extra family to help watch the kids, he needs a second job end of story.

Your child wearing only the clothes you buy for them well into their adult age=helicopter lol. Your child moving in with you when they majored in philosophy and cant afford to live alone=helicopter. Just joking...But seriously it is.

As long as you're passing you shouldn't worry too much. Missing clinical days is pretty unacceptable though, so be sure to kick that habit before continuing on. Year one of nursing school is super hard, surely you heard the horror stories of nursing school? I have no doubt that when you pass nursing school you'll be a great nurse though. There are tons of ways to stay organized, and with the advent of smartphones its easier than ever. My first page in my nursing binder is my scheduled tasks. Use whatever organizing methods you want, but when you get down time be sure to blow off steam the best way you know how! Go out drinking with your SN buddies if you need to. Being a part of a study group also helps, as you all tend to help each other out.

How to hit $15-20/hour... 1.Realize that you probably will not be offered benefits, most places that offer higher salaries do not offer benefits or PDO. 2. If you want to work in a hospital as a CNA, obtain higher CNA levels. Also pick up a common secondary CNA skill such as unit secretary, ekg, phlebotomy. 3. If you just to work in a hospital you should look into working in an entry level department such as admissions and work your way into finance/billing/dictation/administration. 4. Call the employers human resources department, they will be able to tell you what their starting salary typically is. Most facilities stay within 3 dollars/hour of each other.

Do several practice tests for 8th grade EOG and you'll be fine.

Also if you do not feel like "working" you can intern at a local doctor's office or volunteer at your local hospital as a candy striper, once they see you are a CNA they will usually hire you fast.

Yes, if no hospital or LTC will take you, then home health will. Work home health for 6 months then apply to a facility if you want.

1) What program(s) did you apply to and where? Local programs in my area, also programs that have clinical sites near where I live/work. You can get your RN anywhere, try to get your BSN from a college that is attached to a hospital network i.e. Duke. 2) What characteristics did you look for in your BSN/MSN programs? Attached to a hospital network. 3) For those making a career change, did you have trouble getting funding? And if so, what options did you find that allowed you to continue on your path? Nursing scholarships, nearly all states have scholarships available for nurses. The DON of your school's program will help you in that department. Also your employer usually will give some sort of education compensation for going back to school, especially if you work in a hospital. Grants from local/state/federal are available for those who qualify. 4) Did you contact any faculty in the program prior to applying, and if so, what questions did you ask? What did you think was most pertinent to know about the program and faculty prior to applying/enrolling? Yes. NCLEX pass rate should be near the top of your list. But realistically you need to shadow an nurse in the area you're interested in the most. School teaches you how to become a nurse, experience teaches you to be a nurse. 5) What was the curriculum like? Did you find the workload light, moderate, or heavy? How much time did you dedicate to school work in the average week? Nursing school is extremely heavy, one of the top 4 hardest undergrad majors you can have IMO. On an exam week, be prepared to devote at least 5 hours a day, for the 5 days leading up to the exam. 6) What have been your experiences with clinicals? Do you feel that they prepared for hands-on, real-life work? Clinicals will help you get used to the environment and maybe some of the equipment, but your RN work orientation will be the most beneficial for getting you used to "real life work" Clinicals are just a time where you can apply in a practical way what you've been learning in class. That is all. 7) How easy/hard was it to find employment upon graduating from your BSN program? Have you had to relocate to find a position? Obviously if you work in a hospital, you will find work on graduation. Other than that, its about WHO you know. Most new grads that I have met, found work within 6 months. 8) How happy are you with being a nurse? What would you change? What would you keep the same? Not a nurse yet, but I think my window to their view is large enough that I can give a good answer. I'm personally extremely happy with being in the nursing field. I think its a privilege to be able to help people when they need it the most. Change is going to depend on the facility you work at, different facilities have different policies. Also if you like to be on the cutting edge of practice, working at a rural hospital will not help you be "happy" I'd hope the hallmarks of caring and compassion stay the same for nursing.

I agree with Haiden. Also make sure that all food that you prepare is cooked to proper temperature! Nearly all bacteria dies at 180 degrees (I believe) Here is a list of temps that you need to cook to. Safe Minimum Cooking Temperatures | FoodSafety.gov p.s. do a petri dish test on hand washing sometime you'd be surprised at the results.

Congratulations on your new job! Working night shift is where nearly everyone gets their start, and is a great place to learn about your new profession without the stress of administration being there during the day. As far as tips go here are 3. Learn your vital signs WNL values inside and out, and also what they mean. (Practice manual EVERYTHING) Start learning common diseases i.e. CHF Associate yourselves with the hard working people (even the ones that seemed burned out work hard too) there to build a good work ethic and reputation.

Its a privilege to be trained, and chosen to help people when they need it the most.

As long as you're in your state's database you can start applying for jobs. Certificate of course completion will come from your instructor. You can print out your registry # at anytime.

I'm not sure how much work experience you have, but if you're just looking for MA work here is a quick run down. If you've never worked in healthcare before, you might want to intern at a few places for a couple of months to start a network going. Try to choose an office that has a specialty that you're interested in such as cardiology. If you have experience working in a hospital environment in things such as billing and coding, dictation, unit secretary, ekg you can apply to nearly office that you have the most relevant experience in. i.e. ekg=cardiology office.

You've done the right thing with limiting your debt so far, just stay out of it. I am in nursing school now so I'll give you my two cents. 1) If you're going to a university stay in a dorm. Simple as that. Buy a decent 4x4 that has good MPG but dont drive too much, take advantage of on campus services. 2) If you're going to a community college, stay at apartments within walking distance of the school so you can limit the amount of driving you are doing. 3) As far as work goes, there are a few choices to be made. I would not work as a CNA if it can be helped during your first year, especially working 12 hour shifts. I would wait till year two or maybe even the last semester to start gaining healthcare experience. I've met plenty of RNs that got jobs without even setting foot on the floor as a full time CNA. 4) If possible you should find work that is on campus, between classes. On campus employers are used to working around hectic and changing student schedules. 5) If you cant find a easy desk job, then aim for something in the school system like an after school program. If that fails then try working retail 8 hr shifts on weekend day shift. 6) If you insist on working as a CNA then get your EMT cert first and see if you can work as a driver or ER tech working 8 hr shifts. 7) If you STILL insist on working as a CNA then try to get work with home health with a client that wont require much care. 8) If you want to work on the floor, then apply for whatever. I've found that 3rd shift med surg to be easiest, but since you have lower staffing numbers at night, when it gets busy. IT GETS BUSY. I prefer day shift personally. 9) Bills are easier to tackle with a roommate.

And everyone else going into the end of the semester. For many of us it will determine if we are accepted or not.