kriggs19

lmdr1088, it really is nuts how fast apartments fill up here! I couldn't believe it. I had been told they had 2 openings in April at one complex at the beginning of the week, and by Wednesday that week they were filled! It was nuts how it worked out with where I'm living now. Feel free to private message me! I'd love to chat before we start orientation on April 6th! Plus, since you have been here for a few months I would love to pick your brain about where stuff is. I just moved here last week!

Congratulations! That's so exciting, and I'm glad that I have a connection with someone that will be just starting out there too! I will gladly give you some advice! I am originally from Illinois (about 70 miles west of Chicago), so I had to make the move too. I'm living in Coralville, IA which is just outside of Iowa City. You'll actually be moving during a great leasing time because everything is really cyclical with leases because of the University students needing housing at certain times. That being said... start looking now because they fill up REALLY, REALLY FAST. My apartment complex is about 5 minutes from the hospital and the city bus picks up right outside my building and drops off right in front of the hospital which is pretty awesome. I would say to look at places in Coralville and North Liberty (just a bit farther north than Coraville). If you want, private message me and I can tell you about apartments that I looked at/more about what you're looking for. One thing though... if you have any pets, especially dogs, it is next to impossible to find a pet friendly apartment. It's a really nice area and I've only ever heard good things about the institution and surrounding area!

Oh my goodness! I didn't even get a notification about your response to this! That's awesome that you got an offer! I was offered a position in their NICU and I start next Monday, April 6th! What unit did you get an offer for?

That's super exciting! I was actually supposed to start Monday as well, but getting Illinois to transfer my license has been a bit of a process to say the least. I always get so excited to hear about others being able to start in the specialty they want, and at such an amazing hospital no less! Good luck on your first few days!

I'm really excited to be starting soon! Dream come true! I'm going to be in Iowa at University of Iowa Children's Hospital. Kind of a ways from home, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity. :) That's an awesome idea, and I would love to participate! I start April 6th, but I'm I think that I won't have floor time for about 2 weeks. Orientation to the facility, nurse residency, and NICU classes. When do/did you start, XelaRN? Where are you working?

I am a new grad nurse (December 2014), and I will be starting in a level IV NICU the first week of April. I took NRP and STABLE the summer before my last semester. I also became a student member of the National Association of Neonatal Nurses and the Academy of Neonatal Nurses. I wanted to make sure I stood out against several people in my class that wanted to work in NICU, and I can tell you that it really impressed managers. It showed them that I was dedicated and passionate about NICU. I also was blessed to have an internship during school at a hospital with a level III NICU. I was able to spend 72 hours shadowing a nurse there during my last year of school which I'm sure helped also. My senior practicum was in pediatrics/PICU rather than NICU so it is not a deal breaker if you don't have it in the NICU. Your best bet to get into a NICU right out of school is through a nurse residency program. Both of the NICU interviews I had were for residency positions at teaching hospitals. Although they are not the only way to get into NICU as a new grad nurse....the chances are greater with a residency than finding a hospital that doesn't require experience. Searching for NICU jobs can be a bit discouraging since they aren't very prevalent. NICU nurses seem to love their jobs. :) Don't give up!

She just emailed my classmates back. She can't push anymore through just to push them through. Do the certification verification form. I will send you both the letter you need to send.

UPDATE! The quickest way is to do the process how I did it. Private message me if you need assistance! She is seriously a ray of sunshine in the behemoth called IDFPR.

Well, I am an atypical case, but my license was posted today. I will tell you what happened. I had started paperwork with Wisconsin for endorsement because I had a job prospect in Milwaukee. I was then offered the job in Iowa so I needed to start the process with them. I had spoke with someone in IDFPR call center regarding this because I did not have a license number to list in my letter requesting certification, and they told me to attach my credential ID number instead. I sent them out a day apart UPS Ground. I received an email today from an incredibly helpful woman about the issue. She told me that she sent one of them back, and that she was keeping the other until she heard from me about what the issue was. I explained my situation and what I was told. She called me within about an hour and told me that she processed my license and certification would be sent to Wisconsin BON today. She told me that Iowa would be sent out tomorrow for me. This does not really help you out, but I wanted you both to know how this played out for me. I have 2 classmates that contacted me about my process since they will lose their jobs if they are not posted on the website my Monday. I'm seeing if there is anything they can do about it, but I doubt there is much. If I find something out I will definitely let you both know. Watch your private messages! Good luck to you both.

I have my bank alerting me to when they cash my check. Hopefully it will be today. Keep us posted!

Still nothing today for me. I plan to call tomorrow and see where it's at. Hopefully I will be pleasantly surprised tomorrow and see it on the BON website. I have my fingers crossed for the 3 of us!

The only thing I could think of to explain it could be that the "traffic" of new license test takers was lower in the last week of January than the first week of February. Honestly.... I'm just grasping at straws. The girl that took her test the day before mine hasn't gotten hers on the website either. I'm not sure what the hold up is, but it is just extremely frustrating! Keep me posted on updates for you!

KLayco, I am on the exact same time frame as you. I took it on the 5th, and received my letter on the 9th. I sent it in that day. I have called numerous times to see where they are in the process since classmates of mine took it the week before me have been up on the site for nearly 2 weeks. She told me to wait 2 more weeks and call back. I think that is absolutely insane! Anytime I have spoken to someone on the phone about anything with the Illinois BON they are beyond rude and NOT forthcoming with answers/solutions to questions or issues. I need to transfer my license to Iowa for my job. They wanted me to start in the beginning of March, but with Illinois taking so long I don't think that will happen. I will probably have to push my start date back to the beginning of April. I can't even get my license transferred until they issue my license and it is posted on the IDFPR website. BEYOND FRUSTRATING! I seriously do not understand how paper processing at this point in the process could possibly take this long. We've already gone through everything else in the process before NCLEX! Give me my license! hahaha

I recently applied to this program and have an interview there this coming week at the children's hospital. Has anyone gone through this program or currently work there? I'm just interested on some insight into the facility and/or program from personal experience. Thank you!

The Pearson Vue trick worked for me as well. I just took the NCLEX-RN yesterday, 2/5, and it turned off at 75 questions. I've been a ball of nerves! I tried the trick with an old gift card and it gave me the good pop-up. I then checked with Continental Testing which said my exam status was passed. Illinois NCLEX takers, save your $8 and just check Continental Testing!