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Hey everyone. I want to take the CCRN exam this coming summer and wanted to check in with those of you who are currently certified especialy those of you who recently passed the test. I have about 5 years high aquity ICU experience, 9 months IVR (travel assignment), and about a year now in a very busy level 1 trauma center ER (I dont want to take the CEN yet). Most of my colleagues who are certified say they studied about 6 months. I have Laura Gasparis Vonfrolio's DVDs but havent decided on which book to get, either the AACN core curriculum or other? So my questions are: How long to study? What book to use? Thanks!

Many of the NPs I know recieved their masters while working for a hospital or service that paid for their advanced education. Perhaps you might consider this route (if you havent already)? As far as entry level nurses attending ADN or BSN programs not to worry, upon graduation simply sign on to a hospital that will pay your tuition. This will of course require a commintment, usually of two years (and possibly a relocation). Maybe look into state tuition reimbursment programs as well- HTH

Ive been out of the ER for over two years and am interviewing in two seperate level 1 EDs. Any suggestions for interview questions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

To all who replied constructively thanks-

Medic, no you werent simply asking whether the down time was voluntary or not. The issue of "deserve" was placed in the equation by you. Like I said...Ive never filed for it before. Travelers I work with now suggested it so I wondered if it was a viable option or something commonly done- 11 out

And no it isnt by choice. My company doesnt have any jobs in radiology anywhere though others are looking. And I have four mouths to feed other than my own. Since Ive been back from Iraq Ive only worked in radiology which means I havent worked in ICU or ER for two years. As most of you know most agencies and facilities wont use you in an area of specialty unless you have at least one year current experience. There are acceptions of course, but they are the acception. The alternative would be taking a staff job localy (if there are any) but I would like to relocate. Like I said in my original post Ive never filed before and it was suggested to me-

This can easily be done, with a bonus and relocation too most likely. Traveling can be nice but it has its downsides too, things you cant and wont see coming unless you have a few years experience. Not to mention being a self starter in a sometimes not so friendly environment. Do yourself a favor, get the experience first, then do some perdium work. After that consider traveling-

There will be a little time between my existing contract and the next one so it was suggested I file for unemployment. Any advice on this? Ive never collected before. Does one file in the state they worked, or reside and file taxes? Thanks-

I think I should requalify my question... Im referiing to mail services people use rather than a home mailing address. A Rad tech I work with uses a service as a mailing address which sends him his mail once a week or more if he wants. This way no matter where he and his wife go they consistantly get their mail without having the hassle of changing their address every few months. I hope this clears things up. Anyone else use a service like this?

Can you experienced travelers comment on using mail services like Fedex etc, which ones you use, recommendations, pros and cons etc? Thanks

The RT®'s I work with make over $30.00 per hour. They not only do the radiology part but also scrub in. Sometimes the RNs do it but mostly we monitor, chart, and do sedation-

Demonsthenes, Congratulations for earning your ACLS. However I believe that after a short time you will realize how much you do not know as opposed to how well prepared you are to deal with all emergencies. ACLS just scratches the surface in my not so humble opinion and many providers, RNs and EMT-Ps among them, have many such certifications. I also cant help but think that LPNs do not possess a vast array of theoretical and practical knowledge as you suggest. I have to chuckle at this statement as I have yet to meet the BSN that knows particularly more then me with my puny ADN. To the OP, whichever route you decide to take I highly recommend earning your RN as it will provide you with the many opportunities the LPN or EMT-P alone cannot including outside the nursing profession. If you decide on the ADN route as I did, you can attend an RN to BSN program later. I understand your desire to earn an EMT-P for personal reasons (shamefully certainly not pay). I would like to use it to volunteer in the community if anything. If you are serious about EMT-P I would suggest earning your EMT-B as is required anyway, then go from there- Best to you 11

I dont blame you for wanting out. Ive only been in this for about six years and Ive just about had it. Ive been in a few jobs myself having got into this later in life. Ive never met a more rude group of people. Im not sure what it is about nurses overall that makes them think they have the right to talk to other nurses the way they do. They cant do that to strangers on the street.... Ive heard a lot of suggestions about making nursing a better profession including being treated better by Doctors. I think nurses should focus on treating each other better instead. An entire year in Iraq in an Infantry battalion as an Infantryman I was treated better by peers and Iraqis alike. Dont get me wrong. Ive met some amazing individuals in nursing. My solution? Working part time and agency has been the solution so far. And setting myself up in another industry. Best of luck to you. Perhaps occupational nursing might be worth looking into-

This hasnt happened more than once or twice the year or so Ive worked agency but it really depends on your area. Around here some of the agency nurses talk of a dry period where quite a few of them had to hold staff jobs for awhile becuase things were so slow. In many areas things can be kind of seasonal. Ask some of the agency people that work on your floor. Theyll most likey give you the scoop. ICU is one of the better places to do agency work. If you work perdiem you most likey will not float. If you do contract youll most likey get floated to the floor unless tyou have an agreement- just my 2 bits 11

Youll most likely feel "uncomfortable" for more than a few days. Ive heard of nurses that puked after shifts for months. That was never me and doesnt have to be you of course. If youre like anyone else youll most likey feel like you are not doing enough or forgetting something for awhile. Most importantly, dont kiss ass but at the same time respect your elders. In the case of an older guy like myself that can mean people half my age if they have more experience and knowledge than I do. Jot down some notes from the day and research them when you go home after your shift. The learning doesnt necessarliy stop when you leave the floor for the day. Bring some questions to your preceptor the next shift. Treat him or her with some dignity regardless... Not everyone on the floor is going to be nice to you. Some just eat their young or arent very pleasant people. Thats the way it is. Find those that will help you and go to them. Youll find who they are. Learn to prioritize. After time youll find your timing, that comes with experience. Work hard and study and youll do just fine Im sure- Break a leg 11

This might be a route you should consider. Nothing wrong with being an LPN of course, but your opportunites will be greater as an RN. I would try to stay out of LTC and focus on hospitals or clinics but thats just me and my preferences. Maybe try an inpatient rehab program also- HTH 11

I think that you might want to give the agency a try if that is what you have been thinking about anyway (unless there is something you arent telling us). If you have a few years experience then you should be fine as long as you stay within your limits (read capabilities). I have found if you are assertive yet polite you can use the same resources as the staff nurses (ie pharmacy , lab etc). However, Id advise anyone to bring their own such as med guide, IV drug guide, med dictionary etc. Now Im going with a PDA. It helps to have all that at your side rather than to run around like a chicken with your head cut off. Why dont you try the agency part time and keep your day job part time? I keep a casual job at my last full time employer and it has helped. They supply my ACLS and BLS etc etc, and Im there for them when they really need me. Its benficial to both and you can always go back in some capacity if you decide you dont like the agency gig- Best of luck 11

I put this in this forum because I am a SICU nurse by specialty. Ive been away from nursing for a year while in Iraq, and now Ill be returing to the floor in about a month or more. Ive got some CCRN vids and a couple books Im working on to get back in the game. Any of you been away from nursing for a year or more then returned? What did you do to get up to speed? Anything you'd do different? I think I might ask for a mini reorientation too when I get back. Comments appreciated- 11

Havent we done this already? Anyway.... five years ICU-SICU (transplant-cardiac etc etc). I moonlight in a couple small ERs. Currently deployed. Would like to get into transport or flight. I dont think I could stomach the ICU anymore after this. Id like to go to EMT-P school for fun but I dont see how I could find the time- 11

What kind of advice are you looking for? Scholastic? Inspiration? What....? Do good in school, get good grades blah blah blah. If you are already a senoir in highschool its too late to change anything youve done there. Ill assume youve taken some biology, chem, and are ok at math. If not take a basic chem class this summer. Maybe some math too. Basic algebra helps. Other than that, you cant really go wrong with a nursing education. I doubt youll make a six figure income like my esteemed colleague but its possible with the right experience and agencies etc. Bottom line is, nursing is a good profession. You will learn a lot about people, some things about yourself, and the medical industry. And you can take that anywhere if you decide that nursing isnt for you in the future. The profession has been good to me, and as Ive said before has opened up opportunites for me that I would have never had before even in the military. Take care 11

I wear Asics but thats irrelevant. I tried nursing specific shoes and found them to be substandard. I also went through a half dozen different medical clogs. You can spend all the money you want on the best shoes there are, but it doesnt mean the shoe you are wearing is correct for your feet. Because I was having some difficulty aggravated by running (another story) I went to a sports physiologist to have my gait and feet assessed. It was found that I have very flexible feet and am a mild over pronator. I need to wear a stability shoe. A cushioning shoe will not work well for me no matter how high quality it is. Later I found that I have overly flexible arches so now I wear orthotics. Now I can run pain free and stand on my feet (or march) for hours and hours without a lot of discomfort. So, go see a good podiatrist and or physical therapist. It will do your feet and legs wonders. Then get the shoes that are designed for your feet. FWIW 11

Are there specific questions you have, or looking for experiences that pertain to some aspect of nursing in particular? I wouldnt knock your prior career choices as being less meaningful. One of the last customers I had via my small consrtuction business impressed upon me how valuable a dependable, quality contractor is to people who are spending their hard earned income to have work done. And military service that is not health related is vauable too. All of that will add up to life experience that will come into play at the bedside and elsewhere in the hospital or healthcare environment. I was 35 when I entered school. I was 38 when I passed the NCLEX. There was a gal in my class who was 52 when she started school and she is currently working a very busy med-surg floor. At your age it is feasible to get into the work force and retire from nursing, or take your education somewhere else eventually if thats what you want to do. I have found that my education and experience has opened a world of opportunity away from the bedside. Take care- 11

There is no substitute for experience which is where your speed will come from. It helps to prioritize too. I am a neat freak and I tend to get stuck in corners if Im not careful. At times I have to ask myself just which task at hand is the most important? You can observe others and learn from them. PDA's can help keep you from running around too. But the bottom line is youll have to pay your dues on the floor to get the skills which will serve you well- 11

After many trips to big city ERs as a lad, I thought nursing to be exciting. I took a paycut to enter this profession. I too, think there is a spiritual component to providing aid and care-

Here we go again I cant argue with the experience of the members above. Im not an EMT-P, but having done some transport nursing and volunteering at an ALS service I can say that if you believe that as a nurse you can easily do EMT-P skills your are mistaken. As nurses we are not taught advanced airway skills, central line placement, chest tube placement, controling scenes etc etc. There is a reason that course is at least one intense year. That doesnt mean we cannot learn these skills with a service that will teach us on the job (and OR etc) like I started to do. For some of us it is worth it to get this certification and apply the skills in the field. But for most of us it will be for personal reasons, not money. Most of the flight nurses I know in my area of permenant residence end up going to CRNA school if anything- 11