RNJoInMI

Oh no, please don't wait until after the NCLEX to apply. I am in Michigan and they will hire nurses right out of school, no IP needed, as Graduate Nurses. Once you take and pass the NCLEX (some hospitals will pay you to study, provide you with materials or NCLEX classes and reimburse you for the cost of the NCLEX) you are given the title Staff RN. However, some hospitals want to see that you have already taken and passed the NCLEX before they will hire. It really just depends on the facility. It is a very competative market. With that said, find ways, other than school and grades that set you apart from your classmates. You accomplishments in school, the activities that you participated in, the volunteer work you did, the committees you sat on are important, but usually are not enough to get you noticed. Make sure your resume lands in front of the right person, do your homework to find out the names of the recruiters (simple as a phone call to the switchboard operator at the hospital). Collect letters of recommendation from your instructors now while you are still in school. Have business cards made (cheap and customizable at VistaPrint) and attach them to mailed or hand delivered resumes. If applying online, make sure you still follow up with the recruiters in person, by mail or over the phone. I even had postcards customized at VistaPrint with a short summary of my education and experience printed on them that I mailed after I sent a resume and had not heard from the recruiter as a follow up. When you do get the interview, make sure to always send a thank you note within 24 hours of the interview. Also, don't just stop at hospitals (that might be where you passion lies, but don't limit yourself). Apply to LTC facilities, nursing associations, agencies, schools, hospices, community centers, dialysis centers...anywhere that nurses are employed, apply. I got a good paying temporary job with a community center giving out vaccines. It was experience that I put on my resume that got me the job I wanted. Most importantly, don't share your leads, the market is too competative. There are too many students graduating and the market is being saturated. Congratulations and best wishes.

Over a year later and I can happily post I still love my job and hospital. There have been bad days, there have been terrible patients, there have been tense moments with co-workers, but overall the good far outweighs the bad.

Looking for safe and effective methods or techniques to reduce the number of patient falls on our PM&R unit. Can anyone share what policies/procedures your institution has in place for preventing falls? I am an RN at a Rehabilitation Hospital on a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Unit. The average age of our patients is approx. 67 years old. The primary admitting diagnoses are Debility/Abnormal Gait/De-conditioning/Functional Deficits secondary to CVA/MI/Cancer/Amputation/MVA/ etc... with multiple stable and unstable co-morbidities. Recently, despite our best efforts, we have had an increase in patient falls. I am doing online research to see if there are effective methods we are NOT already using that could reduce our number of patient falls. Unfortunately, all the research I have collected suggests methods that we already have in place. We use a risk assessment tool with every admission, update it electronically every shift, those at moderate to maximum risk get fall alert bracelets, fall risk signs at the bedside and at the room door, are rounded q 1 hr, clock voided/toileted q 2 hr, have call light, tray table, phone and water within reach, non-skid slipper socks that are colored coded to represent fall risk, side rails x 3, and the patient is reminded frequently to call for assistance before attempting to get out of bed, when needed we use bed and chair alarms and employ patient sitters as a last resort. Still, we have falls. Some of the patients that have fallen are very confused, others have stated that they thought they could get up on their own, others have said they did not want to burden a nurse with a minor task/request. We are very lucky to have patient ratios of 1RN:5-7 patients and 1CENA:7 patients. Staffing does not really seem to be a factor in the number of falls, however the falls do occur more often on the afternoon and midnight shifts when the patients are in their rooms. During the day the patients are with SLP/PT/OT/RT for 3-5 hours x 5-6 days a week and monitored 1:1. Does anyone have any creative ideas/solutions they can suggest to help reduce our patient fall numbers? I would be very appreciative if you could share what has worked at your hospital?

Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes...I was a basket case my first day on the floor. I had never hung blood, never started an IV, never inserted a foley, never did an EKG, never drew labs, never worked with a PICC, never...., never..., never.... BUT, I have now! It's called courage. Be afraid, take a deep breath and do it anyway. I am so proud of how far I have came in just a few weeks. You will have a ton of firsts, and just remember COURAGE. Hold your head up high, take a deep breath, steady your hands, and act like you have done the procedure a 1000 times. You might be scared to death, but don't let it show. Good luck to you, I am sure you will do well. Be brave!!!!

I took the job and have been there since early Jan. I LOVE MY JOB! I love my co-workers and I love my boss. People are very friendly, Docs and nurses work well together, everyone treats each other with respect, it is very pro-education, pro-nursing and pro-committee involvement. There is no yelling at each other and for the most part everyone gets along well. I have an excellent preceptor who has never embarrassed me, has never made me feel stupid or incompetent. I have been given ample opportunity to attend classes and seminars on policy, procedures and equipment. Not all the nurses and assistants are as "eager" to do their jobs as others, but with the right attitude and words I have had no problems getting what I need for my patients. I can't tell you how happy I am to have taken this job. I thought it would be a bad fit and it has ended up to be a godsend.

I work at a magnet hospital and it is absolutely wonderful. Your friend might want to adjust her resume career objective to include something which targets hospitals that are on the magnet journey or who already have achieved magnet status. From my short experience, Magnet Hospitals are attracted to people who are interested in serving on various committees, pursuing higher education, and willing to give back to the community. Have your friend highlight any health care volunteer experience, community service and post-nursing school courses that she has participated. In addition, if she served on any committees in school she should highlight those as well. Highlighting all those qualities will be attractive to hospitals aiming for magnet status. I love my magnet hospital, the atmosphere is very friendly, pro-nursing, and pro- education. People treat each other with respect and it is very much a collaborative environment and philosophy.

(((((big hugs))))) to you. How awful that must have been. You may feel like you're "stupid", but that nurse has proven that she is the one with problems.

A few questions to the OP; are you afraid of the job and worried you might make a mistake? Are you scared of all the horror stories you hear about nurses and how they are treated? What made you pursue nursing? If nursing is not for you, then it is just not for you. There is no harm in admitting it's just not the correct fit for you at this point in your life. If you truly think that you will be miserable, then put your first degree to work for you. However, if this is a case of nerves, perhaps you just need to take some time off. As for not liking nursing school...well, a lot of people will agree with you. Nursing school really sucked at times. I would figure out first where the problem lies and work on it from there. In either case starting a new nursing job right now just does not seem practical or sensible. Call the recruiter and professionally decline the job. Thank them for their time and the opportunity, but state that you are pursing other options. While you are considering other options and what you want to do with your life, DO NOT let that license lapse. Continue to do your CEU's (a lot of free sites on the web) and pay your renewal fees. Maybe in 5 years you may want to revisit nursing again. Many states offer refresher courses (at your expense). Keep the license up until you know with certainty that you will never, ever want to go into this line of work. You have wasted nothing. You gained an education in another field and another degree. At worst, you now know something about the disease Great Uncle Chuck died from. I wish you the best.

OP; send the resume anyway, even without the one year exp . I was applying for hospice positions, which required one year of experience (which I do not have) and did get an interview. She liked my resume and called me in to discuss hospice and how to go about becoming a hospice nurse. I did not get the job, but I left with two contacts and a heads up about two RN positions that were unposted within the hospital. I may not have received a job offer from her, but I know who to contact once I do have experience. In addition, I have a direct route to two CNM's and a recommendation for the positions. Send the resume, at worst you are out time and a stamp.

Each US State has it's own Board of Nursing. Some states stipulate that you have 2-3 years from the time of graduation to pass the NCLEX. If it was not passed on X number of attempts they require remedial work or a refresher course to be completed before they will allow you to sit for the exam again. Each state is different. Here is the link to Illinois requirements: 225Nurse Practice Act. Take advantage of the information provided by the website, there are phone numbers and email addresses listed for questions. I am sure they could recommend a refresher course if it has been a long time since graduating from nursing school. Illinois Board of Nursing website is: 225Nurse Practice Act.

Thoughts? Don't just apply online! Send it off to recruiters at the hospital as well. Visit the hospitals, call the hospitals to follow up. Let them know you are VERY interested. Unless, there is something on the website specifically telling you in big, bold letters "APPLY ONLINE ONLY" do whatever you can, without being a pain in the butt to get noticed. As far as, "talking yourself up". You have a good base there, use it to your advantage. You HAVE some good things to be proud of, good volunteer exp., good GPA...so talk away.

Hi birdie, As you already know, finding a New Graduate position is tough in this economy. I held a position in HR (middle management), however unrelated to nursing or health care, but can say with some confidence that your resume is not doing you justice. It is a good first attempt, but your resume reads like so many other new grads and is not going to catch the attention of a recruiter. In today's world you need to stand out and you only have about 3 minutes to do so. I think many underestimate what a good cover letter and resume can do for them. I know that a lot of thought, energy and effort went into both your cover letter and resume, but I think it will land in the receptacle. I am not intentionally trying to be harsh, nor am I trying to undermine your efforts, but lets spruce this up. Cover letter: Too long, too much unimportant information, too few action words. When I got cover letters I wanted to hear the enthusiasm, and one only had about 2 minutes of my attention in which to do that. Spelling mistakes landed the resume in the trash. With that being said, leave out the traveling. I understand why you think this is important: you want to answer for the gap in employment. However, unless this traveling somehow can be shown/proven to make you a better nurse, leave it out. If you traveled to different states investigating employment in the nursing field and found that your heart is truly in the community where you reside and are seeking employment to give back to this community, then by all means leave it in your letter. Also, if you traveled and have learned about other cultures, perhaps even picked up on some of the traditions and language use this to your advantage and state it in your letter. Next, please do not state that you think you would be an excellent candidate for the position, prove it to them. Your academic history, although impressive, is not going to make you stand out enough. Research the job, research the organization and provide bullet points comparing and contrasting what they are looking for and how you can meet or exceed their requirements. Next, tailor your cover letter to each position and company you are applying (yes, a lot of work, but a Recruiter can spot a broadcasted, general letter a mile away). One more thing, if at all possible call the hospital and find out the recruiters name and address the letter to them personally. It shows you took initiative and did some homework. Resume: Use a good quality resume paper in an acceptable color. Of course white is good, off white is good, gray is good...but, a subtle blue or rose always got my attention. Not dark, just very subtle. It seemed to jump out at me while sitting at my desk and I was more inclined to read it again. Font and size is important, find a nice clear font in 10-12 pt. Keep your resume pleasing to the eye. Don't jumble up information at the top and center and leave lots of white space here and there. You will know if it looks pleasing. Ok, now cluster pertinent information together, don't list education at the top, but then supply juicy bits at the bottom. Move your awards, educational accomplishments where they belong. Clinical experience, take it out. We are all nurses and most nursing programs have all of us complete the same clinical rotations (of course this is different for those specialty degrees). Unless, you really have some way of standing out in clinical (received kudos for X or you implemented a new way of doing something that the hospital adopted) forget the clinical section. Note: if you did a clinical rotation at the hospital you are applying, then by all means tell them. Tell them how much you loved the hospital and how wonderful you thought the staff were to students... Work Experience: always do it chronologically with most recent to last position. Your volunteer work is impressive, make it stand out more. That is a really important way to stand out and get the job. If you can, and not everyone can do this, instead of having your work history read like a list of tasks, try to bullet point how you stood out. What you accomplished there, what made you special, what made you an excellent employee. Now, if you can create a brief statement somewhere at the top of your resume summarizing what you can do for this hospital, it may make them want to read further. "I am a highly _______ and if given the opportunity I can __________" Something that shows enthusiasm, catches their attention, shows them you know about the hospital and position and/or why you want to work for them. Keep this short and only 1-2 sentences at most. The type of resume I am talking about is for new grads. Seasoned nurses would probably use a different format altogether. But for new grads, we only have our education and use of words to truly make an impression. Remember, keep it simple, sweet and honest while asking yourself, how can I be an asset to this company. Show your strengths and bury your weaknesses, at least until you get the interview. Good luck to you. I sincerely wish you well.

I'm a recent graduate and can still remember my very first day of clinical. It was as exciting as it was frightening. Mostly frightening! Please be aware that there will always be times during your clinicals where you will feel "clueless" or inadequate. If your nursing instructor does not make you feel like a fool, then it may be another nurse or another student. You are going to feel clueless, just like every other student in your class. There will also be days where you walk out of the hospital feeling on top of the world, because the best nurse on the floor said "thank you" or "nice job". It's a roller coaster. Jump aboard and learn to let go. From your post it kind of sounds like you might be the type of student that likes to read about procedures first, just to gain a little bit of insight. I always liked to read about the procedure/skill, be shown once and then do it myself with supervision. If this sounds like it fits you, there are some wonderful books available to help. You can read them now while you have 5 weeks off, or use them later as you go on in school. Reading them now without nursing knowledge may not make as much sense to you, but you may pick a few things up to boost your confidence. The books are : "... made Incredibly Easy!" There are a whole series of them and they are fabulous. Wound Care made Incredibly Easy!, Med/Surg made Incredibly Easy!, Assessment made Incredibly Easy!, and the list goes on and on. They get to be a little pricey collecting the whole set, but the major bookstores send out coupons for 20% - 40% off a purchase if you join their email list. Good luck to you.

"I've verbally given you the information you need to start caring for the patient. You have all night to read the chart & look up labs & test results. Have a good night." I love this!!!!!

I'm in lower Michigan and starting pay for newly licensed nurses is about $23.00 an hour base. Differential varies hospital to hospital, but the base pay is about the same. Nurse Externs/Techs make $15 - $17.00 per hour and Hospital Aides/Assistants make about $12.00.

It looks like all your questions have been answered already. However, I just want to give you a heads up for answering NCLEX questions which might just help you to pick the right answer. 1. Always assume that you are fully staffed, with all the LPN's, CNA's and transporters that you could ever possibly use. 2. Always assume, unless otherwise stated, that you have all the equipment, supplies and time in the world. 3. Never, ever read more into the question than what is there. Don't assume you have the fancy, self recapping needles (for example). 4. Very few CORRECT answers will be "ask another more experienced nurse", "Call the Doc", "Call the Pharm". Like another poster before me stated, they want to know what you will do. 5. If all answers seem wrong, always pick the answer that will cause the least amount of harm to your patient and to YOU. 6. Always think A,B,C - airway, breathing, circulation with each question 7. Next always remember Maslow's needs (basic needs most important with pychosocial needs lower in priority) so ponder the questions and the answers. Sometimes all the answers are right, but if you take the answer dealing with basic needs and safety over psychosocial, you will have picked the "correct" answer. 8. Remember, Safety, Safety, Safety first. Not just safety for the patient, but safety for yourself. 9. Ask yourself, "what will get my patient dead the quickest" lol and then do the opposite; even if it does not seem to make sense. 10. Pt. acuity and priority questions, again "what illness, procedure, disease, treatment...will kill my patient the quickest" and that is the pt. you see first. Now, I just took NCLEX. If you get a strategies book, not a question and answer book you will do well. Of course, read the Q&A, but strategy is very important with this test. I did not think it was hard and was in and out in under an hour with only 75 questions. But strategy saved my life. Ok, it is unethical to tell you exact questions which are on the test. However, the trend (after talking with friends and taking the test) you should study your isolation precautions and know at least three illnesses for which you would use each of the precautions. Delegation, study who and what you can legally and ethically delegate which tasks. Yes, it would make sense that an experienced LPN/LVN with 30+ years of exp. could do diabetic teaching, however not in the NCLEX world. Also, know your triage and disaster planning. Study your diets and which disease they are used, know what foods would be low/high in Na, K,etc...And just like all your instructors have told you, KNOW your normal Lab value ranges. I wish you all the best! Relax, take your time, remember your strategies and give it your best shot. In the event that you don't do well, some of the best nurses you will ever have met, had to take the exam multiple times. This test, although important, does not measure how smart you are or what kind of a nurse you will be.

Hello, I am a recent graduate. I was 35 years old when I went back to college to pursue my second degree, a BSN in nursing. I had two small children at home and sincerely doubted that I would be able to pull the whole mommy, wife and student schedule off. I had no family, other than my husband, to help. With a lot of creativity, some very stressful days and many pre-packaged frozen meals, I made it work. I went part-time in the beginning, finishing as many courses as I could out-side of the nursing program to reduce the class load while in the program. I did it, part-time for 5 years. Please believe me when I tell you, I am not super woman, super brilliant or anything special. If a career in nursing is what you want, I say go for it. Is it worth it? Absolutely yes! Is it the best degree for today's economy? Maybe not. There are a lot of other careers that are in much higher demand and that pay a whole lot better, however I think very few offer the flexibility of nursing. Nursing does not happen only in hospitals. You can work in a school, a clinic, a doctors office, an insurance office, testifying as an expert medical witness, proof reading medical content, a nursing home, teaching in a high school voc. ed program...lots of opportunities. Although, I am having a hard time finding a job right now. I do not regret nursing school. Not only will you learn a wealth of information about the art and science of nursing, you will learn so much about yourself. You will learn you have an abundance of patience, courage you never imagined and more perseverance than you ever dreamed. You will meet some wonderful people that will become lifelong friends. Nursing school was the biggest pain, most demanding thing I have ever done. I hated it at times. Funny how I miss it so much now. The economy will turn around, it always does. More nursing jobs and jobs in general will be available. Plus, no robot or computer will ever be able to replace you. Good luck to you.

Actually, she was a very nice, knowledgeable lady who was very much pro nursing. She appeared to be just being upfront about the floor, what I could expect and what she was looking for in an RN. I think she was just trying to garner if I would be a good fit. I sensed no malice about her, but it did frighten me. And yes, I am basing my decision on what I obtained from the interview...it is all I have to go on. I'm scared out of my mind and trying to make a good decision without harming myself or the organization.

I would like to thank everyone that has responded. I do appreciate your experience and insight. I am so happy to have found this forum. To answer the questions that have been asked and to be a little bit more clear: No, my phone is not ringing off the hook despite applying to 15 different hospitals in a 50 mile radius. I check for new listings online (hospitals and job sites) and apply everyday for any open position (that I am remotely qualified). I also have sent my resume to every nurse recruiter trying to network for any unlisted positions. I had business cards made up and even postcards to follow up on each and every resume I have sent to them. My next step is to visit each recruiter in person, hoping that they will see me and accept another resume. No, it is not necessary for my family's survival that I take this position. I could afford to wait it out a little longer. I am married to a saint who has the patience of Job. He works full time from home and can look after our two children (So I am not locked into a particular shift or schedule). However, we live very simply and would benefit greatly from at least a part-time income. I am going to have to work outside the home if we ever want to better ourselves and have our head above water though. In other words, we struggle financially. For the past 15 years, I have been a stay at home mom. I worked for a year as a Nurse Assistant (which I loved) and another 6 months as a Nurse Extern for the same hospital (which again, I loved) on a contingent basis. I made my own schedule while I was in nursing school and worked at most 10 days a month. So obtaining a permanent full or part-time position is a huge step for me and a big adjustment in and of itself. As for the details of my new position, should I take the job... I will have 6-8 patients of differing acuity on the afternoon shift with an absolute max of 10. They take a team approach to nursing and I am assigned one CNA to assist me. During my first 3 months the NM wants to keep my load to 4-5 patients and increase my assignment as I become more competent. As for floating to other floors, I am told that it fluctuates greatly depending upon the census. However, it may only be once a month, once I have my 6 months of experience. As for orientation on the other floors, I am given one day on each floor to shadow a nurse. The health care system is big and consists of 8 large, but distinctly different hospitals with their own areas of specialization. They do appear to overlap at times, but they are all on one big medical campus with a medical school. They are a big employer in my area, which is why I want to handle this as professional as possible. It is likely at some point in my career I might want a position with one of the other hospitals that they are composed. It would be awful to be "black balled" from the organization because I took the wrong position and quit on them. Now, if this were only a part-time position I would take it without agonizing. I may not like it, and I may not be the happiest of campers, but I can handle just about anything for three days a week. I could shovel out a sewer full of rats (lol) if it were only for 24 hours. Somehow, adding 1-2 extra days seems to make a huge difference to me. I am not sure I would be able to handle the kind of BS that seems to go on, on the floor full time. As a new nurse I have a lot to learn and just don't know if I could handle the additional, unnecessary stress. I love the advice that I have received and have given myself until Monday to make a decision. Thank you guys all so much! I will be on these boards often for info., advice and support. This is an amazing community. Thank you.

Hello, I am a recent graduate and new to this site. I recently took and passed my NCLEX in November, started applying for positions in December, went on my first interview two weeks ago and was just offered the job. However, it is not the right position for me and I already know this going into the trenches. I live in Michigan where the economy is horrible and jobs are scarce. If there is still a nursing shortage, it is tough to tell by the limited positions which are available here. I know how fortunate I am to have been given an opportunity at all, yet I know from the onset that this is just not a good fit. As a new grad, I was (am) seeking a Medical/Surgical position where I can pay my dues and gain valuable work experience so that in 2 years I can move on to Hospice, where my passion and enthusiasm lies. I was lucky enough to be offered a position which is on a Rehabilitation Unit working with complex Medical/Surgical patients. It was supposed to be a 3 day a week, 8 hour position (24hr week) job. However, since the interview HR has notified me that it is a 32-36 hour a week job and will require a 4-5 day commitment. During the interview, the Nurse Manager told me herself that the floor has a lot of problems, and the hospital system is being bought out by an outside company (and a lot of changes will be made soon). She went on to say that the Nurse Aides are in a union and well protected. She said that most of them have been there forever and they are very lazy and know how to work the system. She said most of the time when you need an Aide that they can not be found and will not answer their phones. She told me that if I was not assertive and persistent that they would "eat me alive". She went on to tell me that she has some current issues with nurses as well, who are letting things go, such as dressing changes and teaching plans. Her intentions at this point are to bring new blood to the floor and staff it with people who will work together well. She obtained permission to hire three new nurses, all new grads, and I am one of those new grads. Orientation will last three months with a preceptor. After six months I can be floated to other floors, if the need arises. At any rate, I am a new grad who did very well in school. I was in the top 3% of my class AND I will be the first one to admit that I feel completely incompetent and totally unprepared for real world nursing. Nursing school did not even begin to touch the surface of everything I really needed to learn. I can't start an IV, am unfamiliar with most equipment, can barely read an EKG strip, and have never had the opportunity to do many nursing procedures. I had hoped to work part-time (to begin with) so that I could reserve my time off for researching and in-depth studying all the new things that I was going to be introduced to in my career as a RN. I want to be good at my job and I know my limitations. I know that I will require many hours researching all those things I did not learn in school, yet am expected to know in the field. I am quite conflicted as to what to do. I am not sure if I should accept this position and pray for the best or if I should keep looking for a better fit? I would be ever so grateful to hear from new and seasoned nurses about the importance or lack of importance of finding the right fit. As a new grad, I expect to be overwhelmed and expect to have bad days, however I don't want to be so overwhelmed that I end up quitting after 6 months and hating nursing forever. Yet, jobs are scarce here and there is no guarantee that I will find another right away. Any advice or opinions for a new grad trying to make the right choice. Further, I don't want to be unfair to my new employer. I don't want to waste their time and money training me if I plan to leave for a better offer/fit. What is the most professional, responsible thing to do?