AlaskaHopeful

One day I want to be a nurse in the ED! I had an interview on Friday April the 12th for an ED tech position. I received the offer on Monday the 15th. My first job in the medical field... EVER! I have done the HR tango and I am waiting for the general orientation to start on the 6th of May... Congratulations on your new department!

DO NOT GIVE UP! I just got hired in the emergency department as a tech. My clinical was in October of 2012. I have NO experience in the medical field other than clinical. I seriously was ready to throw in the towel after so many applications in the past 6 months. I finally got an interview... I had a feeling that the no experience question would come up, especially in the ED. I was asked during the interview directly by the ED manager: "Do you think that having no experience is a bad thing for the position for which you are applying for?" With confidence and conviction I stated: "No. I believe that not having experience is an opportunity for me to learn, and grow. It is also an opportunity for the emergency department to teach me the ways of how the ED works, without me bringing any bad habits from other departments." This is a negative question, in my mind. BUT.... I put a positive spin on it, and made it out to be a positive thing for me, and the ED as well. I kept a positive attitude, told them I was flexible, a fast learner, and that I aspired to become an RN in that specific ED and hospital one day. My excitement to be part of their team probably showed a lot. I was super interested and did a week of prep for the interview. Just remember to think positive! Positive things will happen! I believe that I was destined for this ED tech position, because I put in a lot of apps over the months. If I would have received another offer in LTC or something, and started working, I may have missed out on the ED tech position. I believe that I'm blessed with it, but I also believe that everything (positive or negative) happens for a specific reason. If there is nothing coming your way now... stay positive. The universe is lining up in just the right way to provide you with something great!

I have wanted to be in the healthcare industry since the 7th grade. (I did the Heimlich maneuver on my little sister on thanksgiving that year) A very long time ago. I will be 32 before the end of the year. I made exceptional money in my last career. I was making 32 to 49 an hour, and only worked 8 to 10 months a year. But my heart was never in the right place. I could feel that I was missing something. So I went back to school, acquired my CNA cert, and started from scratch. I begin my first medical job as an ED tech on May 6th. SO EXCITED!!! If given the opportunity to do it all over again, I would not change anything. I have a house that will be paid off in a few short years, and I have a wonderful family. I literally gave up a career that paid good money to be happy in my life. This is the direction I wanted to go in life, and I'm not getting any younger, so it was time.

Thank you for the reply! I am very nervous. They will assign a preceptor, but i'm not sure how long it will be for. My general orientation starts May 6th. I was told by the recruiter that someone from the ED should be there at some point to help with the questions that I may have. I know the general orientation is 3 different days, 13 hours total. One day is for the computer network. The other two are general. I know that I will have to learn new things and I'm so eager to learn things. Most of my classmates found themselves in LTC. Did you have experience prior to the ED? Were you a CNA or EMT?

I cannot say that I have even made it as far as you have. I just got my CNA certification, 5 months ago. I just found out that I got the offer for the ED tech at my local hospital. I was starting to feel like I wasted my time until I got the offer. You are closer to the finish line than you have even been. The best advice that I can give you is DO NOT GIVE UP! You have made it this far, there is a reason you made it this far. Your graduation date is so close. Push like you have never pushed before. Know that in just a few short weeks you will be done. You will move onto your NCLEX and pass. Then you will be able to WORK! Don't think negative, be positive and visualize yourself at the top of the world at the end! You got this!

I have accepted an offer for an ED tech position, my expected start date is May 6th. For this position, a CNA cert was highly preferred. I got my cert 5 months ago and this is my first position in the medical world at all...feeling very lucky and blessed to have gotten this position without real world experience, aside from clinicals 5 months ago...from what I was told, it is quite a bit different than normal CNA jobs. My question to the ED techs is this: What should I go over again in my CNA book to help me better prepare for this position? Should I pick up some extra books from the book store to better prepare me? If so what are some good ones to look for? Are there any areas, or things that I should really focus on knowing extremely well? It is a teaching hospital and they said that I will be given opportunities to take classes on phlebotomy, and reading EKG's, among a few other things that my duties will include. I just really want to be prepared for this. If there is any advice for me, I am willing to listen! Thank you for your replies!

Fairbanks, Alaska: ED tech 16.11 base plus weekend/night differentials. No experience other than clinical setting.

I have accepted an offer for an ED tech position, my expected start date is May 6th. For this position, a CNA cert was highly preferred. I got my cert 5 months ago and this is my first position in the medical world at all...feeling very lucky and blessed to have gotten this position without real world experience, aside from clinicals 5 months ago...from what I was told, it is quite a bit different than normal CNA jobs. My question to the ED techs is this: What should I go over again in my CNA book to help me better prepare for this position? Should I pick up some extra books from the book store to better prepare me? If so what are some good ones to look for? Are there any areas, or things that I should really focus on knowing extremely well? It is a teaching hospital and they said that I will be given opportunities to take classes on phlebotomy, and reading EKG's, among a few other things that my duties will include. I just really want to be prepared for this. If there is any advice for me, I am willing to listen! Thank you for your replies!

I received the offer to be an ED Tech! I was also allowed to reschedule my jury duty between now and December! Thank you for the replies... I am on cloud nine at the moment!

Thank you for the replies! I have to start calling in everyday after 5pm at the beginning of the month. If my number is selected I would need to show up a 8am the next morning. If I am selected during that process then I will have to go in, depending on what kind of case it is will determine how long it will be. If I get the offer to work at the ED (fingers crossed), then I will tell them. I know its not good to be deceiving, it goes against my nature, but I need this tech position. Bills are piling up

Hello AN! I need some advice. In January I received as summons to do jury duty for the month of March, I requested that I be excused until June, because I was in school and didn't want to ruin a semesters worth of hard work. I have an interview for a ED Tech position on the 12th of April. I have applied to many positions, but this is my first interview since getting my CNA certificate, 5 months ago. I want this, I need this, but I will have to eventually tell my prospective employers about this hiccup in scheduling. When is the best time to mention that I will need time off in June? At the interview? After getting an offer? The shift is 3, 12 hours nights. The days (or nights in this case) are varied. So it could be any night of the week. The recruiter said that scheduling is usually done 3 to 4 weeks in advance. She also said that it could be from 7PM to 7 AM or 10PM to 10AM or anything in between. Thank you in advance for the opinions, advice, and replies :)

As far as I know, there are not any bridge programs from CNA to RN. There are bridge programs from PCA to CNA, and after you have gotten your RN then you can bridge from an associates to Bachelors. You can also go from LPN to RN bridge. If you are going from ADN to BSN. You can defiantly be an RN before 30. I'm 31 and just got my CNA, so you are way ahead of me in that regards. Being a CNA is great experience for the long haul. I just got an interview offer as a Emergency Department Tech! How is CNA class going anyway?

Thank you for the quick reply! I am in a pre-nursing certificate program. My school only accepts 16 students a year, it is really competitive. Like most I presume. The certificate is to prepare potential nursing students to apply for the degree, by getting pre-reqs out of the way so we have more time for the nursing courses. They also have a point system in place, by doing certain classes we can gain a point in the process and accumulate up to 6 points, or you can just apply for the degree. But, it is highly recommended to do the certificate portion before just applying. From what I have heard, the waiting list could be as much as 2 years for this school, and I honestly cant just up and leave the middle of Alaska, due to kids and mortgage. I knew I wanted to be in health care from the 7th grade, (after doing the Heimlich maneuver on my little sister on Thanksgiving). Wow, that seems like ages ago, as I am now 31. Life took me in a different direction and career, but I have always known that I would eventually find my way back to what I wanted to do from so long ago, when I had the opportunity. I am lucky that the hospital I have an interview with, is a learning hospital. So, being that I am a new grad as a CNA with no health care experience, I feel entirely blessed to even have the chance to sit for an interview. The hospital web site said that this position is open to new grad CNA's, EMT-B or people with military experience. It also said, that a CNA cert was highly preferred. Alaska has one of the highest standards for curriculum hours to be certified as a CNA. (More clinical, and lecture hours than most states) Yet, I feel totally unprepared, due to IV's, EKG's, drawing blood, splints, and things they didn't really teach in class. Do hospitals usually train people and certify them for such things? I have been told to my face that I soak things up like a sponge. I cant sit still at work, I always have to be doing something. Sometimes in my old career as a journeyman carpenter, there was down time. Even though I was making $30 plus an hour, when we had down time I just wanted to leave and do productive things in life outside of work. Although, I sucked it up, and was bored, I stuck around until my shift was over cause I always found something to do. My boss came in one day and saw me sweeping, he said " you know you have an apprentice to do that stuff for you," I replied, "yeah, I know, he is sweeping out the other space, and with both of us doing it we will get it done faster." He chuckled and said, "well if you want to meet up with the other (journeyman) carpenters, they are having coffee in the break room, your apprentice can finish the sweeping, that's what he gets paid for." I was thinking to myself, isn't an apprentice supposed to be learning, not just being a mule to my every whim." The day went on. I wont ask my apprentice to do something that I wouldn't do myself. I lead by example. Overall, I don't think people take me seriously, my resume lists only carpentry work for the past 10 years, with hourly rates between 20 and 35 an hour. Aside, from having my CNA, BLS, and First Aid certs. I have applied to about 11 or 12 jobs as a CNA, and this is the first time I haven't been overlooked from the get go. Thank you for you input and pointers. It is very much appreciated. :)

In regards to my earlier post, of 2.4 deaths per 100,000 I was mistaken. It is 4 deaths per 100,000. Keep in mind that Alaska is 1/3 the size of the lower 48. Alaska's contradiction? Lots of guns, few homicides | Alaska Dispatch

Hello fellow Alaskans! I just found out that I have an interview at FMH for the ED Tech position! I'm really nervous though, I received my CNA cert in October of last year and still haven't found any work. This will be my first interview with FMH. I have no experience in the medical field other than 6 days of clinicals, 5 months ago! The CNA course seemed like it was more geared toward LTC or Assisted Living. Certainly not an ED Tech position. With such things as reading EKG's and phlebotomy listed as duties performed with the ED Tech position. I enjoy learning new things, I don't see these few things from holding me back. I have been told that I soak things up like a sponge. I just don't want to screw this opportunity up! I want to work in the ED as an RN! That is my ultimate goal! I need words of wisdom, and encouragement, I have no experience, it scares me!

Statistics show that here in Alaska we have a gun in just about every household, our rate is something like 2.4 deaths per 100,000 people. Do you want to know why we don't have many deaths compared to any other state? Because everyone knows that there is a gun behind just about every door in every house in Alaska. Plain and simple, you wouldn't break into a random house here without a 99% chance of getting shot. Banning guns is not the issue. The issue is that there are some people that shouldn't own guns, and for your information, you also do not need a conceal carry permit here in Alaska. Alaska is different than any other state, we all will fight to keep our guns, it is a way of life for many of us. Just because a few crazies decide to shoot people on an everyday basis in the lower 48, does not mean that Alaska will roll over on its back and let guns be striped from our hands. We are proud of our way of life, and our state.

I have just a little way to go on my pre-reqs... almost time to complete my application for the nursing degree via distance learning from UAA. I was wondering if anyone could help me with a few questions... How much was the cost of attending at UAF, per semester. Books and tuition, labs and such. I live at home so I will not be needing to live on campus. Any insight on the basic cost for a resident of Alaska would be extremely helpful. I need to have a guesstimate on cost per semester, so I know how much to set aside.

I was the only male student out of a 20 student class. I had an amazing time in school. I live in Alaska so the lecture hours and clinical hours were higher than most states. I remember one time when a girl in my class said "he was quiet all the time", another girl replied "Yeah I have sat next to him the entire class and he hasn't really said a word to me." My instructor commented with a smile, "he is just minding his p's and q's." Which I was, I wanted to learn what was being taught, not gossip. My class was 5 weeks long, it was like a job. 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. Monday through Friday, and two Saturdays, one for First aid certification, and one for BLS certification. We had six days of clinicals. We couldn't be absent for more than 10 hours for the entire class, if someone was gone more than 10 hours they wouldn't have met the required hours for the state. It was fast paced and intense. We had between 4 and 6 chapters of homework every night. We did something like 45 chapters., and read over 500 pages. Our instructor said that the state exam and skills portion would be a cake walk compared to what we were going to do in class. She was right, I passed State exam and skills with flying colors. I didn't have to work harder to prove myself because I was a male, I worked harder because I wanted to learn. Do buy your scrubs in advance as mentioned above... it is hard to find men's scrubs that don't look ridiculous.

Thank you!

Jobs are super competitive here in Alaska. You almost have to know someone to get an interview or have done the clinicals at that specific site. It is a very tight knit community, and a very "spread out" population. In the year 2000, University of Alaska Anchorage was only graduating 70 people a year from the nursing program, associates and bachelors combined. Health professions in Alaska are Alaska's "hot jobs" market right now. Since 2000 they have stepped it up to help the situation, UAA have 11 communities that go through a distance learning program. With 2 or 3 more scheduled for later opening dates, in the next few years. The ultimate vision from UAA is to graduate 250 nursing students a year, which is about the number of positions that open up on an annual basis here in Alaska. The RN program at UAA is looking for people that really enjoy Alaska, and want to be here for years to come. I'm not saying UAA doesn't accept people from out of state, but their main goal is to educate Alaskans that plan on being here for the long haul. In Anchorage, providence hospital's new hires are 90% UAA RN graduates, through UAA or the other 11 communities. Right now there are a ton of jobs in Alaska for a RN, literally TONS! The problem is though, there are very few hospitals, clinics, and what not. The majority of the RN jobs that are posted are in the "Bush" (very, very small and isolated communities, that are only accessible by four seat, single engine airplanes) Some of the areas that come to mind are Nome and Barrow. It will easily get -60 to -80 degrees with wind. There is no road access to 90% of the communities in Alaska, and in the middle of winter you only see the sun for a couple hours a day, for 8 months of the year. This place is not for everyone. I can say that in the 30 years I have lived here, 2/3rds of my life has been in cold and darkness literally. Considering 8 months of the year it is nothing but that cold and dark. Right now rent for a 2 or 3 bedroom is between $1,600 and $2,000 a month (thank god I own a house), but even then heating fuel for my house for 8 months is hovering around $4,000 annually. Alaska is awesome, and even though they pay good up here, no one should expect to make bank, the price of living in Alaska is crazy. I live a stones throw away from a refinery, and pay $4.47 for a gallon for gas. Some people that live in the "bush" pay almost double for that same gallon of gas.

So, I received this email for the past two semesters. It was an email about The National Society of Collegiate Scholars... They want me to join their organization. From what it said, less than 20% of University of Alaska Fairbanks (my school) was nominated for this organization because of the GPA of 3.4 or better that was achieved for each semester. Also, they claim that less than 800,000 students are in this program nationwide. What is it??? Is anyone in it? What is your experience with them??

so, hearing many stories about how hard it is to get into nursing school, i became curious as to how difficult it is in other regions that differ from my own. i was also curious to hear how many people get accepted to other schools that differ from my own, and would also like to know how many schools are in a 365 mile radius from you. i live in alaska, which is about half the size of the lower 48 (land mass wise), and there is only one program. so imagine for a second, if you lived on the east coast, or west coast, and there was only one school you could go to in a 365 mile radius, that is what my scenario is like. a little bit about the school i go to is in order... here it goes: i go to university of alaska fairbanks (uaf), it is part of a distance learning program that comes from the university of alaska anchorage (uaa), which is accredited. you can only obtain an associates degree in the fairbanks program, but if i lived in anchorage (365 miles away), i could go for my bsn. uaa only accepts 16 people a year from fairbanks. no joke. when my pre reqs are over with and i apply for nursing school, i will be applying to uaa, but my school/lectures/clinicals will be here in fairbanks. and... no i cannot move, i have a house that will be paid off in 7 years, i also have three children. i would love to go for my bsn, and i do plan on getting it... but it is not in the cards as of now. i am curious what school you go to, how many people are accepted yearly, and how many schools are in a 365 mile radius of you? me: university of alaska fairbanks, 16 people accepted a year, and 1 school near me. "aim for the moon. if you miss, you may hit a star." w. clement stone. this is how i feel about my personal situation

Started pre-reqs at 29. Hopefully I will be done with it all by 33. Second career for me, Ive been in carpentry for 13 years:banghead:

I'm new to the site and need some input please. Last year was my first time setting foot in a college, after 13 years of mostly seasonal carpentry work. My gpa after two semesters was a 3.4, down from a 4.0 after fall semester, but who was I kidding, after getting a 4.0 there is only one way to go right? Anyways, this fall (2012) I plan to take a CNA (9 credit) class at my comunity college along with at least one other pre-req, maybe two. I suppose my question is this: my CNA class is from 8:30am to 5:00pm M-F, including some Saturdays from 7am to 3:30pm. This class starts Aug. 30, 2012 and ends Oct. 5, 2012. Is it feasable to take another pre-req or two after this class at night? As of right now i'm registered for the CNA class and one pre-req. The pre-req is 5:30pm to 8:30pm on Tuesdays, so on Tuesdays I would be in school literally for 12 hours. 8:30 am to 8:30 pm. But after my CNA class is done on Oct. 5, my one pre-req would be the only class I would have to go to for the rest of the semester on Tuesday nights for three hours. Please help me I need advice, I dont want my gpa to suffer. I have a family. Wife, kids, house and utilitity bills, the "American dream!" But I want to add RN to that "American Dream" sometime in the near future. Thank you in advance for your input.