land64shark

I have been on a tele/medical floor for the past 15 months and trained in the OR for the 4 months previous to that (long story there) fresh from RN graduation. I HATE my job, most particularly the hospital itself. It's an HCA facility with the worst staffing around. I work on the stroke floor which naturally gets the heaviest kinds of patients and the highest fall rates. It's also the lowest paying hospital around for new grads and the pay increases are miniscule. It will take over 2 years to increase my pay to what the other area hospitals have been hiring their new grads at. In a nutshell, I feel I can go ANYWHERE else and work less hard and get paid more than where I am right now. I also work night shift and it's killing me. Trouble is I don't see where I can get a job doing anything other than tele or med-surg. It doesn't appear that places are willing to train anyone for new areas anymore. I'd love to work endoscopy, dialysis, Pre-op, mother and baby, ER, ambulatory care, home health, NICU, the list goes on... I thought once I had in a year of tele/med-surg I could go anywhere. I'm not feeling that flexability. Suggestions?

My hospital is trying to train new grads in the OR. It's really hit or miss depending on your preceptor assignment. Some of the preceptors are specialized, so the trainee gets to experience the repetition of the room. Others are assigned different services daily so the poor trainee is overwhelmed with no continuity. Each of the trainees is at a different stage of development even though they began at the same time. It's very unstructured. Then there's the strong personalities that don't make it any easier on the newbies as well. It's like a feeding frenzy if the trainee makes a mistake.

All Children's takes new grads into ALL of their specialty areas. They have that Versant new grad internship program.

I just did my preceptorship in the OR and I also had been hired on for after Dec. graduation. I actually wish I had done my preceptor time on the floor. Sure, the time in the OR was of value, but being brand new to nursing, I feel I missed out on some important basic learning. Oh well, I'll manage. So far it's going fine. You'll do fine too.

Wheee! I passed with 75 questions, 10 choose all that apply. 2 hrs and 20 minutes. Good thing I didn't have to do all 265 questions or I wouldn't have had time. I'm leaving on a cruise tomorrow and it's party time! :cheers: (Too bad I don't drink.):balloons:

I took the test today and it shut off at 75 questions. I had 10 SATA!!! That is inhumane! I'm hoping they were mostly fakes. Really, 10 out of 75! What is that???

This is true.

EXACTLY!!! This is my exact story! Well, I'm down to my exam being just one week from today. I've planned everyday this week to study for hours and it just hasn't happened. I too have always procrastinated and crammed and it has served me well. The kids are off from school for the next 4 days so that doesn't bode well for my studying either. I will probably spend the entire day on Tuesday and Wednesday in a study room at the library. Hope that's enough.

I'm signed up to take the RN nclex on Jan 24. I have to pass it before I start my job in the OR on Feb 11. I just can't seem to get motivated to study. I guess it's because my school gave so many practice tests that practically assured I would pass the nclex that I can't get up the gumption to spend my last few weeks of vacation time studying. I will definately put in a bunch of hours the few days before the test, but I don't want to overdue it and waste my precious time. Am I bad?

I'm in a peds hospital and anesthesia or the anesthesia tech usually handles the IV insertion. A few of the RN's will do it once in a while.

Graduated Dec. 15. I registered and paid Pearson Vue on Dec. 4 and also paid the Florida Board of Nursing on the 4th. I got my ATT emailed today.

I paid Pearson Vue for the test a few weeks ago. I got my "sit pass" from the Board of Nursing in the mail yesterday. I logged onto Pearson Vue to schedule an exam, but it wouldn't let me. I called Pearson Vue on the phone and they said I would receive my Authorzation to Test in 2-3 business days. They emailed it to me today. I'm not sure if that was normal or not. At any rate, I'm scheduled for Jan. 24right when I wanted it.

I just graduated and in St. Pete at All Children's Hospital they start you at $20.12 for days. Other good local hospitals are starting at $21.75.

Yes, we have one. However it's gathering dust burried in a corner because the one surgeon that used it is gone now.

I will be a new grad in a few weeks and was hired into the OR. It is the same starting pay as anywhere else in the hospital.

Actually, I have spoken to the director during my interview for the internship and she was the one who suggested that I request Surgical Services for my management practicum. I was not expecting to be placed in the OR, rather pre-op, PACU, etc. They apparently have never had a student in the OR for management, yet that's where I'll be. I've already observed many times in the OR. Management is not supposed to be an observation, but a hands on experience where one learns time mangement, delegation, etc. I just don't see that happening since there's only so much I can do without the propper time consuming training, right? I could be perfectly happy observing/shadowing, I just don't know how my school is going to like it. It'll be hard to achieve the course objectives that way.

I will be doing my practicum in the OR and am psyched! However, I have no idea what I will be doing or what is expected of me while there. Has anyone precepted a student (or actually been one) in the OR? What is "management" all about? I also just today accepted an OR internship for this same unit beginning in February.YES!!!

Yeah, but when I was starting my ADN program at SPC, they didn't seem to know when the next LPN-RN transition class would actually start because they didn't have enough applicants for a class.

Not true anymore for SPC. They used to just do a waiting list by first come first served, but they have since gone to a "selective admissions" process. This is a combination of GPA and points for each completed co-requisite (in addition to the required pre-req's). I understand it's rather pointless to apply without having completed all of the co-req's. I'm not sure what the GPA cut off is, but if everyone applying has all of their co-req's completed, they will all have the same number of points for them and therefore admission will come down to GPA's. SPC has a very large program. There are supposedly 600 or so total nursing students between day, evening, LPN-RN transition, and various grant and earn-to-learn groups divided amongst the 4 levels.

Been there, done that. I also took both lecture and lab online. Although I got A's in both, I wouldn't recommend lab online. My class was "special" because our class revolted and got the professor fired 6 weeks into the semester. (Long story) The class was started over at an accellerated pace with Dr. Crespo taking it over. What a nightmare she inherited. Anyway, lecture is doable.

I was petrified going to clinicals. I'm still a bit shaky....and I graduate in a couple months.

It's 80 in my school. I know people that have failed a level with a 79.4% average. Way harsh! It's all about protecting the school's NCLEX pass rates. I think it's just wrong that schools almost want a guarantee that all (or nearly all) of their graduates will pass the NCLEX. IMHO, if someone isn't prepared for the NCLEX, then they won't pass. Isn't that the point of a test?

I've spoken to a couple of recruiters from different hospitals and they both said to apply mid to late October. We have a career fair at school set for Oct. 1.

Well, I wouldn't put it so roughly, but Northside does seem to have staffing issues more than other places. This may be why there seems to be a higher ratio of foreign nurses there than elsewhere. It is also true that they do not stock their supplies very well. ( I would vote for Palms of Pasadena Hospital as the worst in the area.) Palm Harbor is a very nice area. I would recommend it in Pinellas county. I'm in Clearwater and would like to move up there myself. You'll have a bit of commute, but not bad.

Thank you all for your responses. I feel a little better. Actually, I was never worried about being able to find "a" job. I know hospitals are begging for nurses, especially here in Florida. I guess what worries me is if my resume/experience is enough to get interviews for the more competitive specialties like the OR or NICU? I really really want the OR. That's why I went to school. But few places here hire new grads into the OR and I want it to be ME! (NICU as a second choice would be good too.) I just doubt my resume will be special enough to get a second look by these areas.