chicaner

I'm not in mi, but if you have a school aged child there might be after school programs/drop in centers. If you have a little one have you looked for head start or daycare programs? Daycare in Oklahoma runs 150-200 per week, head start doesn't cost (I think-don't quote me on that exactly). I hope that might help, or at least give you other things to look into. I'm sorry, I wish I could help more. Does your employer offer any type of child care assistance? I work agency right now, and my agency doesn't offer child care stuff, but when I worked on staff at one of this areas major hospitals they offered an on site daycare, open only to employees children.(hours of op, 6a-6p........nurse shifts...6:45-7:15, so if you worked nights you were screwed, and if you we're a floor nurse you were screwed there too, I don't know who came up with the daycare hours, an administrator probably.) Best of luck, don't stress, you'll find something.

In Oklahoma a HHA doesn't have to use their own vehicle to transport clients in. The agency I work for states that we don't use our personal cars for that purpose, we use the clients car to go because they carry the insurance that covers the driver. Needless to say, I didn't like the home health cases where I had to drive this one lady around, she would always want to go to the grocery store about an hour before I was due to leave. I was constantly running over time just because we had to go to the grocery store...like her two adult children and a grandchild that was in college couldn't have gone or taken her I guess. Drove me nuts. If you work on staff somewhere though I have never found a place that required a drivers license to work on staff. The only reason they ask to see a drivers license is for the W4 paperwork. And if you have a copy of your birth certificate that trumps the license and they don't have to see your social security card. That's been my experience. FWIW

I have the Littman Cardio 3, so I am going to be biased here. Having said that though, it was a Christmas present, else I wouldn't have been able to afford it. What I can tell you is this. I did home health this summer, and would go in and do baths for Medicare patients, and one lady nobody could ever get her b/p. Ever. Nobody's stethoscope would pick it up, and the automatic kits wouldn't get it either. I took it first time, and she was also a dementia patient so she wasn't the most still person either, but I got her b/p. I could hear it clearly. You would be amazed at what you can hear with it. I'm still considering testing it out on the door the next time one of my roommates are on the phone just to see if I can hear the conversation with it too! LOL I really like mine, and would not trade it for anything. It's double sided, so you get peds and adult, and it has a bell too for infants, they also engrave it for free. Get a cover, get it engraved, and chain it around your neck. I cannot tell you how many people lose scopes either during clinicals or afterwards just because they put them down and someone else picks them up...with the best of intentions I'm sure. If nursing is going to be a lifelong career and you already know it, don't skimp on your equipment, you never know when you're going to need it, or when the person on the other end of the scope is going to need you to have a really good one. If you arent sure if nursing is for you, then just get something that will get you through clinicals and school then decide.

I don't know where any of you are located geographically, but I have been researching ADN programs lately all over the place and it looks like Austin Community College in Texas gives extra points for reapplicants. And you keep accumulating the extra points every time you reapply, which tells me that eventually you will get in to that one regardless. Just a thought. I still have to take my science classes, I've only taken General Chem 1 so far, but I'm sure that during the next year of nothing but A&P, Micro, and Dev. Psych I'll feel more like a true pre-nursing student and less like a continual college student LOL! Best of luck to those of you that have applied and are waiting, sending good news vibes your way!

I got: 1. B/P 2. Handwashing 3. Massage 4. Ambulate with gait belt 5. Making an occupied bed I passed the written portion with a 96 or a 98%, I can't remember, that was 2 years ago. The first time I was certified was in 1998 and it was a written test that apparently I passed and the skills portion was done with the DON and ADON at the nursing home I worked at.

I say get your certifications as soon as possible. If you can afford to get them during the summer then get them then. JMO

I know this is an older thread, but wanted to know if you had moved out there yet? Do you like it?

Hi all, first I am a CNA getting prereq's out of the way to go to RN school. I have over 5 years of experience as a CNA, and we are considering ABQ and Colorado Springs to move to. How is the job market for CNA positions at hospitals in ABQ? Also, what is the employment market like for new RN grads in ABQ? I am coming from Tulsa and the job market here is SATURATED with CNA's, and RN's for the most part. We will be moving in October, is that a good time of year to move there to get a job? When would be the best time to start applying to places? (meaning, what is the average length of time from applying to getting hired at a hospital there? If we go off of my luck with the 4 major hospitals in Tulsa, the average length of time of getting HR to return calls is about a year. LOL) Also, moving with a toddler and pets. I was reading (dangerous, I know) on the city website today about plague??? Is this really an issue or is it an issue like lepto and lyme is in Ok? Also, dangerous snakes ever seen one in ABQ or Rio Rancho? Sorry if I sound dumb, but I've only driven through ABQ once in my life and I loved the way the lights looked on the west side. It was beautiful, and I want away from this horrid humidity! All insight and advice will be appreciated. TY so much!

so how is the first week going everybody? nobody too stressed right now, right? besides the worry of how to get all of your books out of the bookstore and into your car without injuring yourselves? lol I guess that would be a reason they want you to be ablet to lift up to 50lbs? heheheh I am so looking forward to getting into the program next year. Did you all have to take a wrat test to get into RSU's program? I've heard of the TEAS test, but never heard of a wrat one. is it like a mat-6?

Ok, nother question then....the placement test for the math to get into dosage, is it the compass test or do they give you a specialized test? And is there some way to study for the test? I've been out of math for a while, and am not sure what to expect. Do I need to get an ACT study guide or are there sheets somewhere on campus that will help me? Sorry to be asking so many questions, but I want to make sure I'm prepared. Thank you to all that have answered, you have all been very kind.

Wow, so it's only a 4 day class week. That would still give me a little time to work during the semester (I'm a CNA/CHHA and can do home health with a company in Claremore) and let us be able to have a daycare schedule. Some of the RN programs in Tulsa had day classes, but your clinicals were all over the place, days, evenings, weekends, I've seen it all. That would work perfectly! Me and my best friend are wanting to go to RN school at RSU. We both already have Comp 1, and she took Orientation at RSU a few years ago, so it would just be the other 3. Bio, A&P, and Dosage. Is the dosage class hard? Thank you SO MUCH for answering! I'll look forward to seeing you next year!

I got my CNA through Interim just last month, I loved their classes! They changed some things from when I worked for them before though. I had let my license lapse so had to take classes again. They used to hire you right out of CNA school if you took training through them. Now they don't. The other temp agencies in Tulsa, Nursefinders, Robinson, First Call, etc won't hire you without 6 months experience within the last 3 years. So, I went to TMPS, went through their orientation, and have been waiting for almost a week with no shifts available. I heard St. John's starts CNA's out at 13+ for night weekends with no experience. Food for thought.

hey all, I was reading your string on RSU, and was thinking about trying to get in their ADN program next year. I have a question for you though. Do you know if your clinicals are going to be during the day or evening or both? Just trying to prepare myself beforehand because of family concerns. Congrats to everyone that got in! I think we're going to move to Claremore this fall, and take the prereq's in the spring. I'm excited to see what you all have to say about the classes this fall, it gives me a good idea of what nursing school is going to be like!!

I live in Broken Arrow, but lived near downtown Tulsa 5 years ago. The crime was horrible in that area. Businesses were constantly closing, the police helicopter would fly over our neighborhood several times a night, and once we had our back door kicked in. From what I know of living in Tulsa, you would want to stay away from the North, meaning North of 61st Street South, East tulsa has changed too, it is more ethnic than it was 20 years ago, the housing prices have fallen in the area, West tulsa has it's own set of good and bad areas, Broken Arrow is very expensive, we are getting ready to move to near Coweta or Sapulpa to buy a house with land. The rent for a 3/2/2 home in Broken Arrow that is decent will run anywhere between 850-1100 a month. If you already have experience as an LPN, I would highly consider going with an agency, there are several. Nursefinders (locations all over so check in your area and see if they will hire you on and then you can transfer), Interim health care (again a national company), First Call, Continuous Care, Total Medical Personnel Service. Those are a few. From what I know of pay in Tulsa for LPN's and CNA's is that you will make between 13-16 an hour as an LPN on staff, and 8-10 as a CNA on staff. Agency pays 11-18 for CNA's, and they start out at 20 for LPN's. I hope that helps. I was a CNA for 8 years, worked for little more than minimum wage on staff at a nursing home, went to an agency and made 10+ an hour, and I got to pick when and where I worked. You get to learn what places to go and which ones to stay away from. I am getting ready to go back through CNA classes, cause like a dum-dum I let it expire a few years ago, and then I will start LPN school either in January 2011, or later. LOL Let me know if you need any other information. Cheers! Chicaner