alannah_smth

The job market varies to much by location. I know a lot of people from the Chicago area cannot get a job very easily as a new grad but in the Springfield area it would be unusual not to get a job offer. Some hospitals are in desperate need for RN's, it just depends on the area you are in! Keep you head up though. You will find something. Take whatever you can get for the time being, get your experience and move on if the field doesn't fit you. You might fall in love with an area you never thought you would like! I have even seen a few new grads move to find work with the full intention of moving back home after they get experience (i.e. Chicago new grads coming to Springfield) which is completely ok and understandable! You will find a job. Everything happens for a reason!

After what will be almost 3 years on a neuro/med surg unit, I finally got a transfer to Labor and Delivery! I am so excited and terrified of this huge change! It feels like I was just in school and that I just passed NCLEX. Sometimes I can't believe I am not in orientation anymore! I can't even begin to think of how to prepare myself for this change! I have to wait months to transfer but at least it has been approved and a date has been set. Is this normal for hospitals in other areas? I go the transfer but they are making me wait literally 10 weeks to transfer! Any tips on how to use my last couple medsurg months or how to prepare this unprepared neuro/stroke nurse for this change!? I have one of those little OB/GYN nursing intervention books that I used to look over before the interview and shadowing but I'm looking for more in depth material. I've tried to look here but I want to make sure what I find is up to date. I just feel so grateful for all the experiences I have been able to have in med surg and so excited for this new chapter in my nursing career. ....even if I do have to wait till May...

My biggest advice, since I just did NCLEX is learn all your normals! Really learn them and commit them to memory. Lab values, vital signs, normal functions. Oh and you should also learn the "nursing test questions format." Nursing tests are not like other tests. The question format is meant to make you critically think about the question. Really learn to do these questions. It will help you on the NCLEX.

I graduated from a 4 year BSN program. My freshman year we started with just over 120 students and I graduated with 59 in my class in May. I thought this was normal.

Oh my, that is a lot of questions. I agree with the above post; apply for multiple schools, ADN, LPN and BSN and see what kind of aid you get. Then go from there. Your grades look fine to me, it generally just depends on what each school wants. What degree type you get is a personal choice. There are ups and downs for each one. Each state does have their own nursing practice act that states what sort of things each degree can do and each area differs on what sort of degree they want to hire. For my area, if you want to work in a hospital you pretty much have to have your BSN. That does not mean you cannot get a job with another nursing degree, it just may take more time and energy depending on what your area wants and what sort of job you want. There are many, many degree types. My school just stopped their MSN program and switched to a DNP program. My particular university let me go into the nursing program as a freshman without any test. The first year was spent on all general education/prerequisites. The second year was mostly spent on prereqs but added one nursing class. The last two years were pretty much all Nursing courses. First year was all bio and chem. second year was all anatomy and phys. I suggest being a nice person when you go into nursing. It is a hard career and can be very demanding. It is very rewarding but if you don't like people, I do not see you enjoying your career as a nurse. And during clinicals, if your instructors feel you are being 'antisocial' they may take points off. My best advice is talk, talk, talk to all the colleges! Look into all the degrees and perspective colleges. Make a list of colleges and their programs, look up emails of who you should ask questions to and start asking! Good luck! If you have a calling to nursing, you will get there and it will be so worth it!

I am a new grad RN starting on a Neuro floor in less than a month! I am so nervous. Neuro wasn't necessarily my first choice but I was really just happy to have a job at the hospital of my choice. This thread was great to read. I'm getting some ideas of what I need to brush up on and some important tips that will hopefully make orientation easier. Thanks everyone! Anymore new grad advice would be appreciated!

I am starting my first 'real' job in July. I have never had a patient pass away during clinical and I have never witnessed a code in a hospital. This is probably one of my biggest fears about working as an RN. I know that there are a lot of things I haven't done and I can even accept that patients die (I am really interested in hospice but I am working in Neuro med/surg first). But the whole idea of me actually preforming a code and cracking a patients ribs and the patient still passing really scares me. I hope I don't choke up during my first code.

Always, ALWAYS know 'normal.' know all your labs. Also, if your teachers are like mine, your questions will be scenario type questions and all about critical thinking. Don't read the answers, answer the questions on your own first. When you have to do prioritization questions, remember to put patient safety first. Always check the patient first, forget the monitors and remembers your ABC's. And really try to learn the material and own it. don't try to just pass the tests. this information will be helpful later!

Momma wants whats good for you, not what is best for you. She wants safe and logical but maybe you want to take chance and do something that is just for you! You spent your time in school and you have worked so hard; do what feels right. You should do what will make you happy in the long run. Don't have regrets and don't give yourself a reason to hold things against your mom.

Some people are saying it is redundant to have a pinning and graduation. I know I am excited for both because pinning is just for my fellow nurses. We are pretty close and celebrating together is really exciting. The graduation is so I can celebrate not specifically nursing but to celebrate getting a bachelors with the entire graduating class. I am pretty close to people in a lot of majors (I go to a university). If you go to a specific nursing school then I see where you are coming from, but coming from a university, graduation is a very different celebration from pinning.

I had a patient that paid for a lot of his treatment out of pocket so he was really careful about what he spent. He brought his own bath tub and emesis basin; he even brought his own tissues. If your nurse has had some bad experiences with very involved, frugal patients, she could be concerned about helping people save money. So maybe if they have to pay a lot, she would just use a damp washcloth to clean up a patient and try to save those expensive wipes for emergencies since they are so expensive. Just a thought..the care that you give shouldn't depend on the insurance at all though!

My hospital offers differentials for nights and holidays. My floor only does 12 hours and I have 7p-7a and I have a differential. I know they do for 'calendar holidays' whatever that means. There is also an increase in pay if you waive your benefits; its a huge pay jump if you waive your benefits, a 25% increase in pay.

I am graduating in 11 days from a BSN program and I have my pinning ceremony in 10 days. I am so excited for it and cannot wait to hear from our class speaker and faculty speaker. The ceremony is not a big deal but it means a lot to us as graduating seniors. I would be upset if they did away with our ceremony. It is definitly a good idea to talk to your classmates and decide if it is worth fighting for a pinning ceremony. If most of you guys wants a pinning then fight for it!