celtickimba

There are a few old articles on the subject, so, I am hoping that there are many more in 2016. Anyone use straighter line and then go to western governors university? Kaplan/Brightwood?

Please state what you know about 6 figure nursing specialties that are the least stressful Midwife? Cardiac certification? Ect.

I have never been through the process, and have heard that its really intense. Since I am a new LPN, I would like to know if anyone knows of the easiest way to get that certification.

I recently got my first job as an LVN. I was very excited at first, but, now, three weeks into it, I am upset because I am being picked on by the staff. It is my first job as a nurse and I guess I hoped that they would be nicer to me. I am thinking of trying to get another job, but, I know its very hard to get anything as a new nurse. Any ideas of a nursing position that a new grad could get, or, any ideas of nursing jobs that are more independent, and has less interaction with staff? I am working in a place in which all the patients have Alzheimer's. I am the only nurse on duty, with a staff of CNA's, and administrative staff.

I was just hired to work 5 days per week. Nothing was said about benefits, but, I thought that I would get them if I were hired full time.

Thank you OldDude, Would a Littmann Classic be a good stethoscope?

A few of my friends who are still in nursing school are having trouble with taking blood pressure manually. Does anyone have a suggestion as to a sphygmomanometer that is easy to use? All that their school asks is that it be manual; it doesn't matter if its got a modern, digital gauge, mercury, ect. Please give experiences with suggestions. Was there a brand you had to use in a hospital that was smooth in releasing the air, or was there something that you did to make the whole process a lot smoother? Thank you.

I know what you mean. Its pretty crazy..

I just got hired as a "per diem" nurse, and I'm wondering if I can work 'per diem" at two hospitals to assure that I am working full time? Do nurses work per diem at several hospitals?

For all nurses who have already gotten their first position after passing NCLEX. How many interviews did you get before landing the job? Did you send out more than 50 resumes before getting an interview? Any real life stories would help.

Just wondering. So many RNs claim that they love being in GI. Just wondering if clinics/hospitals in California hire LVNs for these positions. If so, can they receive certifications in the specialty as RNs do? Thanks in advance

You must first analyze why you failed. My good friend failed twice and when I asked her this question she knew immediately that she just did not have enough nursing knowledge. She was super stressed in school and skated by. So, by the end of school her knowledge was in fragments. It was obvious that there was no glue in her memory that she could easily retrieve information necessary in critical thinking. She took a class for several hundred dollars called "Lifesavers". This was basically just a bunch of content thrown together. If one had a pretty good nursing understanding, I would say this little weekend course would help an average student pass the NCLEX, It was not suited for her. She failed in over 150 questions. The second time she planned to take the test she just used flash cards and tried to memorize certain illnesses with symptoms. Needless to say she bombed big time. You simply can't just remember two words together and then see them on the exam as is done in many other tests. You need a thorough understanding of the whole picture so that even if you haven't heard the name of a drug or disease you can start playing some ideas in your head of what is happening based on symptoms. Remember: when in doubt its airway; and be familiar with signs and symptoms of hemorrhage. The third time she took the test she used Hurst. It worked because it did not just throw a bunch of questions, skipping her lost nursing basics, it taught her how to think like a nurse. She said that she answered questions that were totally left- field from the concepts of what she learned from Hurst, but she passed in 77 questions. Usually, pass or fail does not come down to not enough practice questions, it comes down to how well you can relate symptoms, ect. I would try Hurst or Ez NCLEX. I have heard that the major crash course, EXCELL is good, but it requires several days off work.

Anyone know if its even possible for a new LPN to find a job that is low stress? I'm talking low to the point where she can go to school for BSN and still be able to study. Any experiences, advice or even hospital jobs that are not necessarily "nursing" jobs.

Thanks for the link. That helps a lot.

I live in California and have discovered that we have some very limited options as to online LPN to BSN options. There are many Universities throughout the country that have programs but few in California. I would appreciate any suggestions about online options in California, especially Southern Ca.

Is it a better, more economical decision to go from LPN or RN and then RN to BSN, or to just go straight from LPN to BSN? Any theories or real life experiences would be helpful.

I took the NCLEX and I have heard that the Pearson trick no longer works. Also, because I live in California I can't use the quick results tab. Is it possible that I will have to wait a full 6 weeks to get results? I took the test over 4 weeks ago, and I know that two people who also took the test and failed, have already received their failure results. Does it take longer to hear from the boards if you pass? Going crazy....

Funny how non believers seem to all have this view of "preaching." The poster did not mention anything about preaching and running on. She simply said that she was asked if she was religious and that a few things were said. Because hatred of Christians is being pushed so hard in our society, people are ready to go berserk in a heartbeat.

Exactly. Seriously! My neighbor is an elderly Jewish woman who is outraged by lines like this. She stated that the attack on Christians today is no different than the German attack on Jews in the 1930s. Look at this! People saying things like this is no different than 150 years ago, saying that black people are "all" a particular way, and this anti Christian behavior is applauded. Scary times.....

Well, what is such a major inconvenience about simply stating, "I don't want to be saved." ? Is that so much work? How is the Christian to know that you don't want to be saved? They may think that you simply don't know how to approach a relationship with God. Believe me, I have seen many Christians approach people who are down and out with a talk about God that turns out to be the best thing that ever happened to that person. I say that if just one person is saved from suicide or a life of misery because a Christian was thoughtful enough to open up to a stranger about his salvation, then it is well worth annoying the other people who were bothered and felt upset by the simple question. BTW- It is so sad and so narrow minded that you call someone a "nutter" because they happen to think differently than you do. We are supposed to be nurses/ advocates, (we were taught in school) and you obviously have a prejudice about Christians. I sure would not like any of my Christian friends who end up with a nurse like you taking care of them.

Really? I see this thread as a great excuse for haters to spread their hate.. This is the foundation of Nazi Germany and its feelings towards Jews.

Just be polite and say that you are not a believer. This is a nursing forum about nursing, not a place to rant about how you can't stomach Christians. Honestly, I am sure that she did not mean to insult you and was just trying to bring something pleasant into your life. For some reason people are very offended by Christianity these days. I think that due to all the far- out depictions in movies, people see it as someone trying to do something to them, when in reality Christians are positive people who try to help others. I used to be very closed minded about them due to the way I was raised also, until I decided to shake all the junk out of my head and see for myself. I am still not a believer but I am well studied on Christians because I became educated with facts and experience instead of false news and hate movies. I went to North County Baptist Church and discovered that the nonsense in movies like "Carrie" is absolutely false. And the idea of Christians thinking that they are superior is 100% baloney. What I saw was several people volunteering their time three times per week to take care of children who's parents can't afford a sitter, another group of people were pooling their money every Tuesday to pass out food to the homeless. These people volunteer their time and money up to about 16 hours per week, every week. After attending the church for over one month my heart melted, and I no longer feel sick when I hear Christians talking about God. I actually am ashamed that I once made fun of these people because as nice as I can be I simply don't have it in me to drive a bus of kids around three times per week, adding up to over more than 10 hours. And as generous as I can be, I don't save a percentage of my income to try and help the less fortunate as these people are doing on a regular basis. When they talk about God they are trying to bring some light into your life and I would be willing to bet that this lady, seeing that you are a nurse, thinks that you are caring and could possibly help someone, or that perhaps you could use some emotional support. Try seeing it for what it probably is and it wont upset you.

Thanks nurses. I guess I am impatient. 2.5 years is what it will have to be. All I need now is a job in a hospital to carry me that long.

Just wondering if anyone has some advice on how a student nurse can get a job in a hospital without a professional license. I just got a phlebotomy certification and am now taking an EKG class in effort to be marketable. I also just took my NCLEX LVN. Not sure what happened there yet, but I would like to get some kind of job in a hospital while I work my way through my BSN. Yes, I'm not wasting any time in working for a higher education and I believe that any kind of hospital experience with be beneficial. I have heard some say that its pretty easy to get a job as a cardiac monitor tech, however, I just am not sure how to go about applying for it. Any advice on what kind of jobs I may apply for and what I should say on my resume? Thank you in advance.

I am hoping to find some accelerated nursing program in crazy California. So far there is nothing under 2 years that I can find. Before I dign with Western Governors University I decided to see if anyone knows something that I don't. I just hate the idea of another 2 years......yuk Thanks