MsCharles

Thanks that is what I thought and I can see how turnover can be high. I feel like as a CM your expected to do everything; organizations use the title so loosely it can mean so many different things nowadays.

I currently work for MCO but there has been a lot of restructing in the past year and a half and it is starting to become overwhelming. I am thinking of trying hospital cm but dont want to go from bad to worst . My co-workers with previous experience say its a lot more stressful. I was new to MC CM when I took the position and agree with others when they say it is a large learning curve but I think it would better with good orientation which I didn't have. For people who are case managers and have worked in both settings can you tell me pros and cons? Does it make a difference if hospital is in and urban setting vs. suburbs?

No the old curriculum.

I also graduated from WGU. I think with the old curriculum it was very possible if motivated and with good time management; not too difficult just time consuming. There were classes you could finish in a week and some that would take longer. Also it would depend on how many credits you had transferred in. To me the people who finished in 6 months or less averaged about 23 credits. Forgive me if I dont remember exactly. It also helps if you are knowledgeable about the subject area, and to develop a system for completing papers and studying. I was similar in that I was able to complete community health and practicum in the same semester. If the curriculum was how it is now I probably would have went elsewhere. However, I'm still glad I went and would recommend it to others for cost and flexibility.

IMO I wouldn't be to concerned about the ASN vs BSN right now. I am sure if you ask other people there are BSN grads who are not able to get jobs either. Everyone is feeling it no matter what field of work your in. The most important thing is that you get the license and by the time you finish the economy should be better. I remember back in the early 90's they used to say they were going to phase out LPNs but they are still here. The beauty of nursing is that you can work in a lot of areas and can work anywhere not a lot of people can do that. You will have flexibility and that is always good. Besides hospitals, there are jails, nursing homes, insurance companies, psych facilities, clinics, doctors offices, dialysis centers, home care etc.. I could go on and on, think out of the box and you will never go wrong. If being an RN is what you want to do then go for it! Good Luck!

I am looking for opinions and advice about relocating to South Jersey. I am an experienced RN. I have worked in managed care and quality assurance for some time. I am tired of NYC and looking for a slower pace. Any advice about job market and nice communities for renting would be greatly appreciated. I have no kids and single.

I wouldn't be discouraged, unfortunately these are the times we are living in. A couple of years ago organizations were begging for nurses. Now they can picky. Those may be excuses but they made be valid reasons. This is nothing new to the nursing world and it will change again. I went through the same frustrations as you mention, but you have to remember there is a lot of competition out there and the slightest things can tip the scales for the other candidate. I always remember that an interview is a two way process and you also want to make sure the organization is a good fit for yourself. From what you have written they sound like they were n't. Continue to stay positive and remain confident in your interviews .Make it clear that you are an experienced nurse and you definitely have something to offer your future employer. If they do not see that then it is there loss.....

I wouldn't consider school nursing non-clinical it still requires clinical skills and patient care just maybe not as much as working on a floor. Examples of non-clinical positions would be case management possibly workers comp,managed care, working for an insurance company, foster care case management, utilization review, EMR trainer, pharmaceutical sales/rep, DME sales or DME product training. I wouldn't say these are positions for new grads or experienced nurses per se. Of course having more experience in an area is always an asset but you just have to apply and hope you get lucky. If there is a certain area you like to specialize in try and see if there are any certifications you can get without having nursing experience. For example an MDS coordinator is usually a non-clinical job but you can obtain your MDS cert. w/o exp. I work as a nurse auditor currently, I did n't have years of clinical experience. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. If you want a non-clinical position you just have to be able to think out the box and research all the different areas where a nurse might be needed that people don't usually think of. Some other ideas that requires less clinical nursing is research nursing,home care case management, outpatient psych nursing, substance abuse/CD facilities, Dev. Disabled group homes, the list can go on on. Hope that helps....