a16sRN

I would do the CNA course because it's hands-on patient care. I think it can also give you an advantage when you start to apply to jobs. For the nursing program I went to, we were required to be CNA certified before. Most of the people in our program weren't CNAs already, so the school signed us all up for a CNA course before the start. However, if you want to volunteer, then go ahead and volunteer. Volunteering can be a great experience. I had volunteer experience, but no CNA experience when I applied to the accelerated program, and I got accepted. Good luck

I would go BSN. Depending where you live, theyre starting to phase out LPNs. If you work in a rural area, sometimes you can qualify to have your loans paid off, too.

Yes, you can take the test in MS. I took mine in NY and I was registered in CT

I think they're about the same, but SNFs have rehab/sub-acute sections. Did you try athena healthcare systems? They have a lot of different facilities that you can apply to at once on their website. Also, have you considered volunteering or something in the meantime?

I went to nursing school out of state and returned to my home state, CT. I got licensed in CT. You can take your test in any Pearson Vue center in any state and still be registered for NY. The only thing is I feel it's to my disadvantage that I'm applying to hospitals that I've never set foot in when there are a lot of other new grads applying for the same job that have had clinicals or practicum in that hospital. If you do find work in MS, you can always move and will have some experience under your belt. Do you work as a CNA? Sometimes hospitals like to see that experience, too. I don't think a MS school will look bad on a resume unless that school has a terrible reputation for some reason. Good luck

I took A&P online and had to teach myself, which was very time-consuming. Whether you're taking it online or not, I found that youtube has some videos that can explain things in a different way and help you understand the concepts. Lots to memorize. Learn your study style - are a you a visual learner, do you learn best by listening and taking notes, or by reading the material?

Have you interviewed with any SNFs? I talked to the recruiter at Hartford and she "strongly recommended" taking a skilled nursing position to get that patient contact. You could work there and then try for the hospital again?

I don't know if you already had your interview, but I interviewed for an RN position on SNF and the interview process was pretty easy. One of the interviews barely asked any questions, but just explained how things worked in their facility. The other interview asked about how I got into nursing, if I would feel comfortable supervising/delegating, etc. - only basic questions. I dressed business casual. One of the places asked to copy my RN license and drivers license. For references, both of the places had me fill out a paper application and they have their own reference sheet to fill out, but if you want you can bring reference letters - doesn't hurt. Good luck.

Here are a few links to free questions. One is old Kaplan questions and the other is NCLEX 3500.http://nursing.slcc.edu/nclexrn3500/nursingTopicsSelect.do;jsessionid=EC0CB5BBA8ABBD9C474276381870C726Have fun

The NCLEX is difficult to study for. Almost nothing I studied was on the NCLEX - very random questions. However, I thought LaCharity Prioritization and Delegation came close. I found Saunders questions to cover a wide array of material, but felt the questions were a bit on the easier side. I also used Kaplan 2009-2010 and NCLEX 3500 (free online) and thought those were pretty good. Like I said I would keep doing questions and focus on test taking strategies. Good luck!

I applied to the Hartford residency program, and HR said they would forward my resume to the nurse manager. Never heard back from them about it. However, a nurse recruiter from Hartford recently emailed me and asked if I was interested in another position and forwarded my email to another nurse manager. Haven't heard back yet - I'm sure I'm competing with experienced nurses and probably don't have the best of chances, but who knows. Maybe your resume will be recycled back somehow. Good luck!