Clynn21

Non-profit in eastern pbc. Started on telemetry making $19 while on orientation (8 weeks). Then 21.40 for a year. My annual raise got me 21.80. 3.00 for weekend, 3.5 for nights. Hope this helps.

Hey all! Just wanted to add my experience here. I started the program in May 2010. Started with over 100 students at north campus and maybe 40 made it past process 1 and 2. 7 people from my original class graduated on time. I failed ortho/Neuro by 3 points and anyone who's taken it at north campus can't attest that it wasn't for lack of trying. I retracked and graduated may 2012, passed my nclex in 75 questions a month later. Broward's program no matter which campus is BRUTAL. You have to eat, sleep (or not), and breath the program. As someone who failed, and then graduated, and now has been a working nurse almost 2 years, I am happy Broward is so hard. Not everyone who wants to be a nurse, should be one. Many people will take offense to this, but I've witnessed countless RNs lack common sense and basic skills. I scratch my head and wonder how they became nurses. I never really felt supported at Broward by the faculty but that program made me a damn good nurse. I work in another county and when I work alongside exceptional RNs I ask where they went to school. 9/10 times they say Broward college. I work in a very busy emergency department now, and I know I would not be as successful as I am without getting mentally and physically beat down by BC. When searching for a program, you don't want to be coddled and pass just because you try hard and pay good money. The nursing world is dog eat dog and only the strong survive. I see both sides of the coin. For those who didn't pass, if you really truly want to be an RN, you will find a way. Nursing isn't glamorous and it doesn't pay that well. You do it because you were born to, and it's the only thing you could see yourself doing. Just my opinion, from someone who has been through it, and lived to see the other side.

Yes 21/hour. Nursing isn't salaried usually and they vary based on shift diffs and how much overtime you work.

for med/surg in a hospital anywhere from 21-23 base. 23 is on the high end and thats if you work for a larger corporate. Private hospitals are 19-21. This is in Palm Beach/Broward area

The market is very very tough for new grads here. West palm has a level 1 trauma center, and a few other smaller hospitals. Almost all are corporate. The pay isn't the best either. Avg 21-23 for a new grad

I am a new grad (beginning of may), passed nclex on the 6th of June and was offered my current tele position the same day. I was lucky to have worked as a nurse intern/PCA on the very same unit for a year prior. I worked as a monitor tech while I waited for my orientation to start. I graduated from a community college that graduates roughly 300 a year (3 graduations from 3 campuses in south Florida). There are at least 10 other nursing programs in the tri county area. Not all are accredited which people don't realize the implications of going to a non accredited school. My school was VERY hard to graduate from my class started with 110 people and I think less than 10 graduated on time. EVen I had to retake a class. Most of my instructors were BSN/MSN, but the teachers/clinical instructors who were experienced nurses were my source of info. I can read a book by myself. But it's the demonstrations and the stories that stick out in my mind everyday. Many of my classmates have found jobs, and others are still looking. The problem I see (and am currently witnessing first hand in my facility) is budget. It comes down to money as reasoning for why it can be so hard to get jobs. It takes money to train new grads...right now hospitals are struggling to stay afloat and not have to fire people. We just had 35 jobs cut (Lpn's, dietary, nurse educator, admin), so nurse to patient ratios are going up. This is where the experience hospitals are looking for matters. Hospitals have less money to train and are constantly trying to balance patient safety, ratios, and budget. Only myself and 2 other new grads got hired on tele (the first new grads hired in over a year, and probably the last for a while). I don't believe there is a nursing shortage at all. I think with insurance reimbursement now relying more and more on value based purchasing, hospitals are looking for the full package in a nurse. They want experience, and they want nurses that will help deliver patient satisfaction. Unfortunately that is what things have come to. I was incredibly lucky but then again I worked very hard to obtain this opportunity, I made connections and made myself known to my fellow staff and admin. My advice to new grads is to understand that the hospitals know you are a novice level nurse. But aside from being a novice, what else sets you apart? For me that was my waitressing and customer service experience. Of course I want to be known as a nurse, but those years I spent being in the hospitality industry gave me a lot of experience communicating and dealing with people. You have to make yourself known to HR, to the nurse managers, and directors. Find a way! Jobs don't just fall in your lap, if you want to be hired as a new graduate you have to show the people in charge of the hiring that you are different from the hundreds of other applicants. Making connections begins with your clinical experience. I have 2 friends who got hired in units that witnessed them as baby nursing students. I'm happy to say I am halfway through my orientation to the floor and learning a ton! Attitude and a willingness to be humble and learn from everyone can take you very far.

Don't take it in the summer if you are scheduled to

Then disregard.

Which campus are you on? I it's north I stick by my advice. I didn't have issues with process but I witnessed many people who needed much less than you not pass. It's not a negativity thing it's a realism thing.

My advice is to drop. It doesn't make you a failure, it saves you from failing very early in the program. A 30 is going to be way too low to compensate for. Trust me you want to save your fail for the higher level classes.

Pay attention to her lectures, and follow her notes when reading the book. Dont over study the meds, and make sure for test two and three you study the care plans (priority nursing diagnosis, interventions, etc). Keep up with your reading. I got a B in the class.

you may want to talk to the health science department or the financial aid office. I know they can be morons sometimes, but they can probably give you the best answer

Admission Information Here are the dates. You cannot apply until you have the grades for all your classes. As far as the HSC courses. I did them before I applied to the program. I did them through broward college. The HESI you should be completed soon as well. From the looked of it if you can get the HESI done before may. Then you can apply for August admission. The program is hard, but if you truly want to be a nurse and have the motivation and drive to do what it takes, then you will succeed. You just have to discipline yourself to study and make the time. Best of Luck

Hey I had heard a rumor that she was going to take the summer off, may I ask where you heard this? And if in fact it is true I wouldnt take any other campus but north personally. This is coming from someone who started last summer at north. You can private message me if you want about where you heard that.

Yes, I hear central is much harder. I wouldn't have chosen that campus of you paid me. Plus most of the classes there have 4 exams per class as opposed to 3 at north. They said there is no difference but I hear horror stories from over there. But I think anything is possible if you work hard and really want to be a nurse.

I'm pretty sure it's about the same when you start in January or August according to friends I've talked to. I'm doing well, I'm on my second specialty 4/9 classes have been completed. I'm on the 5th. I've passed so far so I'd say I'm doing well. I think a lot of it has to do with no everyone being cut out for nursing or not really wanting to be a nurse.

Starting in my is completely do-able. I got a C in process 1 and a B in process 2. I did not work. Anyone who worked with the exception of a few didn't usually pass and had to drop. The weeks are long because you have clinical tues and weds and lectures mon and fri. As long as you put in the time to study I think it's fine. Out of our class of 90 ish about 30 continued on to Gigu without having to drop or fail.

Hey everyone! Congrats on being accepted into the program and starting soon. I am about to start my 2nd specialty (my 5th class), and wanted to know if anyone is need of the Perry and Potter book for process 1 and 2 (good condition), the Davis Drug Guide (brand new), or the Fundamentals Review book(good condition)? I attend North Campus btw. Let me know if you are interested. I don't need these books anymore and they are taking up room on my bookshelf. Best of luck to everyone, and study hard!

First try and figure out what makes you nervous. Is it the teacher, is it fear of not knowing everything? There is plenty of time during your shift to sit and write yourself a mini "report". I use a small spiral notebook that is pocket sized. All the instructor and the group want to know when you first start school is a little bit about why the patient came in, what procedures (if any) they are having to help with their problem or diagnose it. Instructors love when you describe what your care meant to the patient and what it meant to you. I don't know what topics you are covering in class but try and connect them with what you are doing in clinical. It is pretty hard to fail clinical unless you really have no clue what you are doing. So try not to stress and try to have fun with it, and learn as much as you can. Hope this helps

I am in GIGU right now also. The best tip I can give is time consuming but it works! I make a chart of the diseases or disorders we are learning- the patho, the drugs, the diagnostics, and most importantly the nursing care. I learn while I am doing it and it's a very organized way to look back before the test.

As far as I have heard the answer to that is no. Reason being the pharm class is already huge (having process and LPN students in it) so I don't think they would make it open to everyone for that reason.

Just be prepared that if you are applying for summer it is intense. Definitely do- able if you aren't working and have help at home. You will be taking math, pharm, clinical and process 1 at the same time for atleast 3 weeks until math is over. Then you have lab, process 1 or 2, and pharm until the end of the summer. I think it is better starting the program in the summer because if you get through it you are prepared well but just know that it is intense.

My prereq gpa wasn't outstanding. I got in with 8 points though and I just passed both Process 1 and 2. The program isn't impossible. You just have to put in the time to read and listen. The biggest part is grasping the concepts and understanding WHY certain things are important. The main reason we lost so many is people tried to work full time or part time jobs with families and children. OR they didn't do well on the first test and thought they could bring it up. The program only gives you one FAIL or get out of jail free card, so if you use it in the beginning you are screwed if you fail a class later on. Otherwise I really think the teachers know what they are talking about here. I can't believe how much I have learned in only 12 weeks so far. Apply! the worst that can happen is you don't get in or you get wait listed.

in the welcome letter it says regular clothes and bring a jacket if we are normally cold. May 17th is when north is required to wear scrubs.

I heard that at least for north you don't need the math book.