notqueenb

A good report tells us what the current complaint is. As others have said: what is normal for this pt & what is different today. A brief medical history is good, including vaccinations & a legible list of current medications. Also helpful if SNF contacts family, at least with those pts where family is likely to come to ER to be with pt. It seems like I usually get either not enough info ("pt not himself today") or too much (10 handwritten pages of hx, meds, etc.). We try to return pt to SNF with typed DC instructions & prescriptions. What info do SNF nurses wish we sent to them after ED visit?

OptimusRN, the experience was good over all. Would have preferred more hands-on skill days to lecture-type classes, & I think they are changing to that due to feedback from those of us who just finished. Maryland88, I think it's $10,000 for breaking the contract, but I'm not sure if it's prorated if you do part of the time. Maybe HR could answer that question for you if you aren't comfortable asking your dept manager.

I just finished a residency at Emory. We did 1 week of general orientation, 1 week of dept. orientation, then started working in the unit with our preceptors with 1 8 hr class weekly. Could be different depending on the unit you're on. We never had our schedule very far in advance. Also, can be hard to plan travel b/c you have to work your preceptor's schedule. But the time goes by fast & you'll be on your own before you know it. Congrats on the job & welcome to Emory.

New grad positions are tight, especially in metro Atlanta, but some of the hospitals outside the city will hire new grads w/o a formal "residency" program. Try applying online to Henry Medical, near your mom. Also try hospitals in Macon, GA (Collesium Health System). That wouldn't be a terrible drive from Hampton. And I've heard that Grady Memorial in downtown is still hiring new grads.

I don't know any details about Columbus, but I will add that the OP should definitely look into volunteer opportunities. Then I suggest working at the hospital while in nursing school (most places will hire you as a patient care tech after 1 semester of NS). In Atlanta the job market for new grads is extremely tight, & hospital experience is valued more highly than academic accomplishments.

Thanks, LaurainLA for the great link. I've had a couple of interviews that asked the "behavioral" questions: tell me about a time you went above & beyond for your patient, tell me about a time you demonstrated teamwork, tell me about a time you received criticism from your clinical instructor, tell me about a time you were innovative in solving a problem, etc. Be prepared to give specific examples & what the outcome of each situation was.

I was using that answer, too, but don't have any job offers yet. My friend works in HR (in another industry, not health care), & she has advised me not to say anything the least bit negative, that the weakness question is a trap. Therefore, you shouldn't even say something obvious (like your lack of experience when applying for a new grad program), but should say your insatiable desire for more knowledge or that you're too passionate about caring for your patients. I'm not completely convinced anyone will buy drivel like this, but may be worth listening to an HR expert. Good luck on your interview. Sounds like you have done all the right things to get the job.

I've experienced the flip side of what jgamble059 reports. As a middle-aged nursing student, I was mistaken for the instructor of my clinical group more than once & usually got double takes from patients who couldn't believe a student could be so old.

According to their recruiter, new grad pay is $21/hour + shift diff of $3.50-$4.50 + additional weekend diff. (typical for the Atlanta area). Plus sign-on bonus or loan repayment (you probably saw that on their web site). Neighborhood is typical downtown big city, so don't leave anything visible to entice a car break-in (purse, phone, GPS, unopened mail, spare change), but you won't be dodging gunfire on your way to work. Some nice (expensive) condos/lofts, etc. within walking distance, & AMC is easy commute from nice intown neighborhoods & suburbs, & traffic isn't bad if you work 7-7 b/c you'll miss rush hour. Don't know about the BP station referred to by an earlier poster, but I'm boycotting them anyway b/c of the spill. As for the patients, AMC is a Level II trauma center, so ICU gets lots of these patients, plus post-op neuro, & all the other expected conditions. ICU nurses cover all units (MICU, SICU, CVICU, & neuro ICU), so the new grad program should be a good learning experience. I have a question for you. When is your interview? I ask b/c I interviewed there about 6 weeks ago & yesterday when I called the recruiter to check, she told me the decisions had been made. Also, a classmate of mine who started her job hunt a little later than I did was told that they weren't doing any more interviews about 3 weeks ago. Their timetable on the hiring process has been less than transparent, so I'm really curious about what's going on. Thanks. If you have more specific questions about the area or the hospital I'll be happy to answer (if I know the answer).