VanessaRN

Hello ! I'm nearing my 1750 hours' worth of experience in the PCU/tele setting and am studying for the PCCN (progressive care nursing certification) exam . Does anyone who has taken this exam have any study tips as far as books, resources, classes to take, and/or experiences to share ? I would really like to pass it the first time . I don't have a goal date yet but I would like to take it as soon as possible once I'm ready . Thanks in advance ! P.S. I'm a member of AACN and have read most of their info on the PCCN cert, and have completed some of my CEU's from their collection. I also have a few colleagues that have passed/are planning to take the exam as well, so hopefully I can get their input too.

By the way, the paperwork also mentioned that the next cohort begins in August-September (2011). They offer two programs each year, one in Feb-March, and the latter as previously mentioned. That is, of course, if things go as planned. =)

Today they gave us a general breakdown of the residency program: Week 1 - Hospital Orientation Week 2 - Core Competency Workshops Weeks 3 to 12 - Clinical Preceptored Orientation on Med/Surg Week 5 to 7 - Meet with specialty managers (L&D, OR, PACU, ICU, Tele) Weeks 13 & 14 - Assigned Med/Surg unit orientation --OR-- ...Week 13+ - Start specialty internship clinical orientation

Just checked my mailbox and received the forms in the mail that Liza was talking about. Don't forget, we have to complete this urine screen / forms before we show up to our pre-employment physical! I heard it would be around 3 hours too.. oh boyy

I was asked to bring everything you guys mentioned above, except the official transcript. I do have one though, so I suppose I'll bring it along just in case...

I know!!! It sounds like a very brutal interview process. I still wanted to go today just so I could get the experience, but I know I wouldn't do as well because my heart isn't in it as much anymore. Plus, I don't want to get in the way of other applicants who really want and need that job. I would love to work for Stanford, but CSMC offered first, so what can I say. Jobs are so hard to come by for new grads, so I'll take any I can get! But I am really looking forward to CSMC, it's one of my top choices. I hope you receive good news from CSMC and/or SHC (hopefully both, hehe).

I received a call from Rita this morning at around 9am, and will be starting Feb 7. By the way, she asked me if I "filled out the emailed online application" (which was sent sometime after the RN open house), so if you received that email, it's probably a good thing =). Good luck to everyone! :heartbeat

Hey monkeysarecute! I'll also be starting Feb 7. And they called me around 9am too. It's funny because I have an interview for Stanford Medical Center today, but since I accepted the offer I won't be going. Congrats to everyone and good luck to those who are still waiting for calls! And about the EMAIL: Rita asked me if I "filled out that email application already" (I did) SO if you did receive the email to fill out the online application, I think it's a good thing! :heartbeat:nurse:

Yes =) check out the other thread on Cedars-Sinai: https://allnurses.com/graduate-nurse-forum/cedar-new-grad-518821.html (head to the last pages). There are several going, and I think the others are more active than this one (since this is from last year)

Seems more like a good "sign" than a bad one. The way I look at it, if they really weren't considering us, they probably wouldn't bother with the email

@ bellissima: Thank you for the advice =). Wow, so it's only 4 questions per person? Also, how were the managers/interviewers -- were they intimidating, friendly, etc. Thanks =)

It will be a simultaneous (we'll be in the room with 3 other candidates) 4-person panel interview. They will be asking different questions of each candidate, and we will be able to hear each other's answers (behavioral questions). I think I'm more nervous about this one than previous interviews, lol. Good luck to everyone =) :heartbeat

I was told by the Versant director that they would have another cohort in August. She says she hopes they will be able to accommodate more candidates in August 2011 since in March 2011 they only had 10 openings. I encourage you to apply for USC, but also to keep options open elsewhere since it is so competitive. For winter 2011 they had around 900 applicants and only ten openings. I was able to get to the final round of interviews, but in the end I wasn't offered one of the coveted spots. However, the people are very nice! I'm not sure when the job posting will be up--though for the Winter 2011 cohort they announced early on their website that the application would be available in October 2010. Interviews went through December, and offers were made by January 2011. Just keep your eyes open =). You may also want to set up a Job Agent to alert you as soon as the posting becomes available. P.S. -- I suggest you ask them ahead of time how many positions are available in the unit of your choice. Some units may not even be hiring new grads, and others have very limited spots (for example, CVTICU had 4 positions, SICU had 1, etc.). This may be something you want to consider to increase your chances of being hired. Hopefully they can give you this information (we all know how confusing HR gets! But if you speak to the nursing recruiters they may be able to give you a better answer). Good luck! :heartbeat

job number:5600 working title:clinical nurse i cost center #0872003 - nsg institute city:los angeles job category:nursing job specialty:rn new grads position type:regular-f/t shift length:12hr hours:flex days:departmental schedule shift type:flexible weekends:as needed job description: new grad residency program cedars-sinai has launched an innovative graduate nurse residency program that allows recent rn graduates to jumpstart their careers through an intensive training experience. using technology, the program will expand nurses' opportunities for hands-on clinical practice, allowing them to gain valuable clinical experience while enhancing their decision-making and critical thinking skills. our program goals * introduce the new graduate nurses to a medical surgical unit and various other clinical settings as deemed necessary. * to allow graduate nurses time to gradually assume the duties and responsibilities which accompany her/his new role under the direction and guidance of a preceptor and other members of the healthcare team. * to assist graduate nurses with professional goal setting in an effort to maximize the clinical learning experiences. * to familiarize graduate nurses with cedars-sinai medical center nursing policies and procedures. * to offer graduate nurses the opportunity to experience didactic and practical experiences that cover various topics related to her/his role as a provider of nursing care. * to promote critical thinking in graduate nurses. * the new grad nurse will be assigned to a primary unit and will work the same schedule as their preceptor with every effort to accommodate their desired shift. requirements: bsn or msn in nursing must have a minimum 3.5 gpa valid california registered nurse license and cpr certification through the america heart association. qualified applicants will be requested to provide two (2) letters of recommendations and copies of transcripts at the time of interview. //end job description hope this helps

If anyone's interested in the Peds Residency in Loma Linda University Medical Center, the application opened up yesterday =). I'm not sure how long it will be there though, so apply right away! Loma Linda University Careers Homepage (under "graduate nurse, peds residency" or something similar)

Congrats sdnewgradnurse !!! That's great news! Good luck & hope you get the job . What time did you receive your call?

@[color=deepskyblue]rn,bsn,phn --- i did not apply to sicu but this is what another user ([color=deepskyblue]pinky2010) said earlier in this thread:

Just an update, of the 19 candidates (CVTICU) interviewed, 8 were called back for the "meet & greet" and 4 will be extended job offers hopefully by early January 2011. I'm not sure what's going on with the other units though. The staff said how they wish they could hire more, but the budget just isn't enough. Since 47 were hired on the last cohort (and 300 nurses total this/last year), there really isn't enough $ and need for a large volume of nurses (and new grads) this time around. "Sucky" news, I know... but good luck to everyone who is currently being considered for USC and for those who are pursuing their job search elsewhere! No matter how tough it gets...don't let it ruin your holiday season. As important as a job is, ultimately your family and friends are far more important... :heartbeat

This may vary by area, but typically if you are accepted into an RN residency program, it is synonymous with being hired to a registered nurse position. From my experience, you are paid during your residency at the same RN rate. The only difference is the amount of training and support you are given for the duration of the residency (depending on the program and unit, may vary anywhere between 8 - 20 weeks, and continue usually up to a year or 18 months). During your residency, you are paired with a preceptor on the floor as you care for your patients. You often also have an experienced mentor, who is different from your preceptor but is also there to help you technically, emotionally, etc. The residency often combines classroom time with clinical time, so you are able to gain a better knowledge of your specialty or area, and then apply it in the clinical setting. When your residency is completed, it simply means that you are "on your own", and are able to function independently without your preceptor--however, you are encouraged to continue to seek help whenever you need it. In short, yes, you are hired into an actual job. On the other hand, there are some programs that are also growing in popularity (in areas like northern California, from what I've read) that feature a limited-duration unpaid residency/internship. This program is sponsored by entities other than the actual facility in which they are held. While these programs provide similar training (a preceptor and perhaps some classroom time), they are temporary positions (perhaps lasting several weeks or months) and do not guarantee a job afterward--though if there is an opening, you would probably have a huge advantage to obtaining it. These programs were designed to help the dire new grad situation and give new grads some of the experience they need to qualify when applying for jobs requiring experience, without requiring hospitals to invest a lot of money (it is VERY expensive to train a new grad). The nice thing about these programs is that it allows more new grads to gain experience (we all know how competitive the job market is, and the few paid residency programs that do exist only hire a minimal percentage of applicants), with the downside including no guaranteed job at the end of the road. The majority of residency programs I've seen are paid. You can also check out the Versant RN Residency program (google it) which is offered in many institutions across the U.S. (yes, its paid--hehe). Good for you on getting an early start on your nursing career! It's a very wise step. Best of luck to you & everyone looking for employment :heartbeat.

I TRULY hope there is more good news going around soon. And @QRN22 you are right!! Don't let go of that hope; stay positive because we really don't know the outcome until they contact everyone. Maybe they just have a strange way of doing it--we never know. @QRN22, @sdnewgradnurse, @monkeysarecute (& anyone else who mentioned it) thank you for the kind words; keep an ear on your phone and eye on your email, haha. Hopefully you'll hear something wonderful soon :heartbeat. Best wishes & good luck to everyone!

That sounds like a great program, and very similar in structure to RN Residencies here in California. And you're right--they're typically very competitive. Programs here get 600, 850, 900, 1200 applicants each (these are numbers I got when I called them months ago) and the number of open positions varies. Some programs are only hiring 10, others upwards of 40 or more. I think the only difference I see from your description is that applicants are required to have CNA/Tech experience. I haven't seen that requirement on other programs, but undoubtedly that helps! I say go for it :), find out as much information as you can, and prepare as early as possible. You don't want to miss those deadlines! And be sure to apply on the first day the application becomes available (if possible). Some programs will review all applicants, and others will set a cutoff to the first 500 (for example) that apply, and have everyone else placed on a "waiting list". This forum is a great resource, so hopefully someone who has gone through the KU Med program can offer more specific insight on how to give yourself every chance and advantage on getting in! Good luck to you :heartbeat.

Just to add, I replied to the email and T. Z. responded just now (from her iPhone, I truly hope I didn't wake her up--oh my goodness.. ) and she said: "Sent at 1:03 AM Yes this is the call back. Glad u can join on the short notice. Sent from Tania's iPhone" I am personally shocked at how quickly they made their decisions... As you guys said earlier, we were told it would take 2-3 weeks, and the managers would be the ones essentially making the final decisions. The strange thing is that 2 minutes into my interview, the manager had to step out because she was paged...and I never saw her again after that. I thought this would definitely hurt me somehow because if she wasn't even there to really speak with me, she likely wouldn't even consider me.. Anyway, don't take my word for it--I really encourage you to call them yourselves and find out what's going on. I've just been sharing my experience, and I'm sure many others have questions so please don't simply go off of this information. And just a reminder, this info is regarding CVTICU so if you applied to other units, they may have something else going on. Good luck to everyone :nurse:

Here is a copy of the email -- since I really don't know how to answer your questions (I have so many questions myself), if you didn't get it, this is simply what it said: "Greetings to All, It was a great pleasure meeting everyone this week. You are such awesome candidates and we would love to have you back to meet the staff. This will be the venue for the key leaders of the unit have a meet and greet with you. It will not be a formal panel but a “getting to know you” type atmosphere. Let me know if you can make it…try your best. Location: USC University Hospital (meet in lobby) Date: December 20, 2010 Time: 08:30 a.m. Hope to see you there! Have a great weekend. Thank you, [T.Z.]"

I interviewed on Friday, and got an email that evening, around 6:30pm from Tania Z. about the "meet and greet" for the "CVTICU/Cardiac Fast Track ICU STAFF". I wasn't expecting that because Tania did mention to me that they wouldn't call us back for another 2-3 weeks (like someone mentioned earlier), so I'm a little confused as well. I haven't replied to her email yet, but it's scheduled for Dec. 20 (monday) at 8:30am.

It seems like the interviews for CTICU (and maybe SICU?) are over! Hope it went well for everyone. Regarding CTICU, did you guys get the email and are you coming on Dec 20 (Monday) for the "meet-and-greet" with the staff?