mjbsn2006

Hi everyone! I am thinking of moving to the Dallas area very soon. I have been looking at the Mesquite area? How is the housing, crime, schools, after school care programs Any suggestions? I am currently applying at Baylor (Dallas). I have heard that the commute from Mesquite to there is not bad. What are your experiences at this hospital- are the nurses really treated well? Could you give me an estimate of payrate for RN-BSN-2 yrs experience. Are they open to alternative shifts ( 8 hr shifts (7-3), instead of the traditional 12 (7a-7p)? I will be coming from a small rural Texas town with my daughter( 6y.o), so I expect the cost of living to be higher, but I just want to make sure that we will be able to live off my salary in an area that is nice with low crime rates. Thanks, MJ:wink2:

One of my friends/coworkers in the NP program told me her advisor told her about UTT wanting to get their own program. I didn't ask her any details, maybe they are just still in the talking/planning phase of it. I hope UTT does though b/c I would love to work with some of our NP's we had during BSN. They were great!! Take care!

I started directly into the BSN program in '04. Depending on the campus determines how competitive admission will be. I was on one of the distance campuses, so there was not alot of competition, but in Tyler , they have several hundred applicants, and only ~100 get in. Cardinal could probably explain more about how competitive the Tyler campus applicants are. I went to the Palestine campus.Hope this helps!

CONGRATS!!!!!!! I know you are so happy to be done with that. Good luck!!

I think UTT is trying to start their own NP program instead of going thru TT or UTA. I don't know when they will have that set, but that will be really nice. I'm in the MSN- ADMIN prgram now, and its challenging , but not worse than the BSN program. Goodluck to everyone!!

Nike SHOX -They are worth every penny!!!! No other shoes have worked for me.

Hi everyone, How much experience do you think a new nurse needs to move into travel/agency nursing? I am planning on putting a year in on a med-surg unit, then moving on to something else. Most agencies want only 1 yr med-surg experience, do you think that is enough time to be comfortable accepting an agency/ travel position? Thanks, MJ

Hi everyone!!!! Does your hospital have high patient turnover on the floor? I'm a new RN and the turnover rate in our hospital is killing me. I have been discharging 3-4 pts before 930am, just to get 2-3 back by 11am, and more throughout the shift. It's ridiculous!!!!!!!! I just hate it. I leave work drained and exhausted every night from playing catch up since the morning. I really don't want to get burned out in nursing after 2 months, but my experiences in med/surg have been horrible. We stay in a small area that does not offer internships in ICU/ER/etc w/o the med/surg exp 1st. We have to drive 1.5 hrs to get to Tyler to a larger hospital. We are supposed to switch to computer charting soon, has this helped with the high turnover rates at your hosp? I don't consider myself slow at all,and I don't sit around doing nothing, I miss lunch, bladder stays distended for 8+ hrs, and it's still so hard to keep up. Another girl how graduated with me feels the same. I realize that we are new, and have to get used to it, but our experienced nurses are having trouble keeping up also. Just wondering if this was going on anywhere else........ IT CAN'T BE THIS BAD EVERYWHERE!!!! I hope all the new grads are having better experiences than I am:o MJ,RN

I did and had 75 q's. Found out today that I passed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:balloons: . I can finally trash all the notes I have accumulated over 4 semesters. Good luck to everyone who is waiting on results and still have to take NCLEX.

No you don't have to move closer unless you think you will need to go to campus to meet with the instructors. Most of the classes are online, you don't have to come to the campus to do courses until you do the Thesis classes and 1 or 2 under the specific tract. It just depends on which one you do ( Education, Admin, or NP). You can always tell where and what type of class it will be if you look on the online class schedule on the UT site. you can look at all the course #'s for all classes and see which ones if any you would have to come to campus for. Hope this helps!!

you have a better chance of getting into the distance campus site ( Longview) than on the main Tyler campus because they gets hundreds of applicants. I like the distance campuses better b/c the classes start out with ~30 and you end up with 12-15 at graduation, so you all become FAMILY(even with the instructors). Goodluck!!

Hi everyone! Did you have to take Pre-RN ERI tests before graduating in your last semester?? Are these questions like the actual NCLEX? Did they actually prepare you? We have already taken the Pre-RN test once to see if we score above national average, and find our problem areas so we can do remedial questions on that area before the actual test. I scored above national average, but I dont know how good of an indicator of pass rate that is. How well did it indicate your pass/ fail rates??? MJ

Is this really one of the best places to work for RN's????? Is it true they have a 2 day/wk 16 hr plan?? You work 32 hrs/ wk, but get paid for 40, and they pay your hotel cost for staying overnight for your second day???? Thanks

Hey thanks, you have been SO helpful!!!!! I wish they would just have all this info on the website. MJ

Hi everyone, HOw long does it take you to advance in rank in the AF?? I know that as a new grad we start out as 2nd LT, how many years does it take you to get to 1st LT, Capt, etc......? ALso, Do you think that when this war is coming to an end that they will still need nurses as much as they do now? DO you think they will still have the sign on bonuses, etc?? Fot those who were in the AF in non- war times how was it compared to now related to need ( of nurses)? Thanks, MJ

SO there wont be any major airforce hospitals in the SAn antonio area, just the clinic at Randolph AFB?? Wow that really sucks!!!

thanks you all are so helpful. I'm glad to get the real story instead of what recruiters tell you. When you get assigned to a base, do you usually stay there as long as you want or do you have to switch to another in a few months? Would I have to do the transition class even if I would not be a "new" nurse when I sign on or is it just mandatory to teach you the AF way? thanks

yea I checked out the officer training one with schedule before, it just never said where it was held. I'm fixing to go to that AFB site in ALa. now so see what it says. thanks alot!!!!

Thanks guys, you have really made this more clear to me. I have more info. now to base my decision on.

I was in the process of applying to grad school here at my school, but I could just take advantage of military benefits and go while in there. I am just terrified of going into combat, and with my luck they'll send me the first month I get there-lol. I gues its just something you just have to get use to. How long did you have to stay over there each time?

wow I would love to go to Hawaii, but I dont think the army is for me. Wish the navy or AF offered that there.Yea I was hoping to live on base for the community (securuty), schools and all that,cause I AM not from the city!!!! All the city stuff will be totally new to me, and alittle scary.

thank alot this info is great. I guess I need to consider bases other than in texas huh? since we dont have many of the large hospiatls anymore.

Oh I forgot to ask you if we can do our 4 week? training for healthcare at Lackland or do we have to go to another state? ALso do u live on the base?

Hey thanks Jerico!!!! Glad to hear from someone who been there and done that from TX-lol I want to do it, but I just have to really makw my mind up with leaving my kids. M y mom can keep them, I just dont want to leave them. Overseas do you just work in the hospitals over there, and take care of our soldiers? thanks. my friend and I r really considering this, she has small kids to.