jdl1982

Farawyn, Ive been charge before, At my facility charge doesnt do much more than lead the scramble when admissions are coming in and making the assignment honestly. I havent precepted anyone either, that is something generally given to the staff nurses who have been at the facility at least 10 years as far as Ive seen. I feel my assessment skills are strong, though time to time I will bring situations other nurses or the docs when something seems "off" and I cant put my finger on it. Communication is good, documentation is also pretty good. I was hoping that there would be other resources at least reachable by phone that I can bounce things off of or describe the situation you know? So as you said the possibility of not having that at all does give me pause. Libby, I am comfortable with many of the more common chronic conditions. Your question makes me stop and think. Many of the interventions I know and commonly do now are mostly medical, things I call the doc, get an order and go to the pyxis to implement. Maybe a stupid question but in the home setting I wouldnt have the pyxis as an option obviously, so if I am in a situation where I need the lasix or the IV cardizem, would my only option at that time be to send them to the ER? When you say how best to respond, do you mean what is emergent vs monitor vs this can wait till the patients appointment next week? And thank you guys for taking the time to respond and helping me out. I dont want to put myself in a position where I am unable to provide the best care for my patients and jeopardize them you know?

Hey everyone, last time I was here it was during the lead up to and just after the NCLEX. Since then I have 9 months sub acute experience and 1 year LTACH experience under my belt, I would have about 1.5 years total by the time im looking to career jump. At the LTACH I got experience with drips(hep,lsx,dobu,cardizem etc), complex wounds, plenty of drains and patients with tons of co-morbidities. Im reasonably comfortable with meds, still have to do some looking up quasi frequently. I just don't know how skilled I need to be to be comfortable in HH, do I have enough? too little? Other questions I have are what is the pay generally like in Mass right now for HHC (specifically worcester area)? Opportunities for OT? How difficult is the transition from floor nursing to HHC? If I do the jump id be going in full time full speed ahead hahaha!. Any employer suggestions? or companies to avoid? Thanks a ton for any help/insight you guys can provide. -Jon

Hey guys, So I got my first job in an LTC/Subacute facility. Preparing to learn the things I wanted to learn (I want to be a LTC/sub acute nurse, hospital work doesnt appeal to me). This facility has a Locked dementia ward, a sub acute wing and 2x LTC wings, and I told them at the beginning that I am interested in learning -everything- they are willing to teach me regardless of shift/area. So far so good. My first week so far has just been Medpass, but the patient load is about 35 patients for the med nurse, My orientating nurse has been amazing, We've been sharing the medcart essentially, and she has been gradually shifting more of the load onto me, but I am still kind of in shock that I will be expected to navigate a MAR with 35 patients. Ive started carrying extra spoons, straws, tissues, alcohol wipes in my scrub pockets, and using a blank piece of paper to line by line go down each patients MAR, but is this just something that time and experience will fix? or what suggestions do you guys have? I am all ears. haha, no literally, cause my eyes are exhausted at the end of the day -_- Thanks for the help in advance

I cannot Agree more with this. I found that you cant really.. "study" for the Nclex. It was totally unlike any of the questions I did. What I CAN say is that you need to do more questions, and read the rationales. If you think you've done enough questions, do more. I did 7500, Try Hurst, Kaplan, Saunders, NCBSN (This one has the hardest questions I have ever ran into honestly, great prep for me.) Nclex 3500, prep U, whichever. Just keep doing them, youll learn how to answer and understand the questions, and youll expand your knowledge base at the same time. Good luck! Edit: Side note. During the boards I would run into questions that appeared to be one thing but really the question was asking something totally different .

"1. Kaplan is expensive - is it worth? Is it really the best program out there? 2. Hurst - less expensive but relatively new. Has anybody done it with success (or not)? 3. Any other programs? 4. Is a program necessary or can you achieve the same with the right combination of books? If so, suggestions of combinations?" _________________________________ The following is just my opinion and experience, so take that for what it is lol 1. I didnt do the Kaplan program, I got the book from Barnes and Nobles for 50 bucks. Just as good 2. I got the Hurst book again at B&N for ~50$. Good for fundamentals review, positioning, S&S of different things, some very very good review, but I wouldnt say the questions were comparative to my Nclex. 3. NClex 3500 (Free) was useful, helped alot, especially with training for SATA And alt format questions. the NCBSN program was good, (3 weeks) Had VERY HARD questions, about equal if not harder than the high level questions I ran into. All in all I would highly recommend the kaplan book, NCBSN, and Nclex 3500. I did not use Saunders or Laclarity? Just Kaplan(book), 3500, Prep U, Hurst (Book), Davis/Ohmans review book, and anything else I could get my hands on lol. 4. I did not use any program, I just did thousands of prep questions from various sources. 7500 of them. You should know most of what you need after graduating nursing school, you just need to learn how to understand the questions, and generally by reading rationales you can pick up a good chunk of the odds and ends you didnt get during your education/clinical experience. Keep in mind that the NClex is different for EVERYBODY. My friends Nclex was totally different than mine. I had a bunch of maternity/pedi, infection control/safety. I passed in 75. He however had a cartload of Holistic alternative medicine stuff, and he passed in 265. (He also had miles better grades than I did through nursing school). I wish ya the best of luck, but remember to just drown yourself in questions from different sources and READ your rationales. :) If I can be of any further help, just let me know.

Hurst is good for brushing up on fundamentals. Kaplan is about the baseline Nclex level for the questions I had. NCBSNs questions are hard. About the level of the harder questions on Nclex if not harder lol. I wouldnt limit yourself to 1, Try them all. Best of luck to you!

Western MA Graduated ADN May 20 Sat Nclex July 7 Started Job hunt July 21st. Applied to 10 LTC/Sub acutes (Its what I want) Took 1st job offer July 24th. 1st Day orientation 7/31. Still getting call backs now. No previous documented healthcare experience or inside contacts.

Kaplan/NCBSN. The kaplan book at barnes and nobles was like 50$, NCBSN 3 week 50$. Nclex 3500 was good (and free), but I really felt that it was NCBSN and Kaplan that helped me pass it. the NCBSN questions are hard, and really punish you for misreading or getting lazy on interpreting the questions. You already know the information, just need to practice and get exposed to a number of things you may not have covered in nursing school. I had alot of Pedi/L&D in my Exam too, but after reading some of the questions I realized that they were not in fact Labor or Pedi, but something else. The question was just presented as such to throw you off. I did about 7500 questions prior to sitting the nclex. I would recommend spending the next few weeks just bombarding yourself with questions, and reading rationales. Nothing helped me more than simply being hit by questions. Best of luck to you, Im sure next time you will be fine. and if you have any questions about the costs of retaking, just call PCS and/or pearson, they generally are pretty easy to reach on the phone.

Right now they are all horribly backlogged. It took me almost 3 weeks to get my ATT. If you are really concerned give them a call. I think NY uses PCS (professional credentialing services) If not then call your state BoN for an update. Good luck :)

Just be patient, In Mass I took the NClex on 7/7/14. Got good pop up, then got pass on unofficial results, and pass on the website a few days after my unofficial results. However no License on the BON. When I talked with the Mass BON they directed me to PCS, and PCS said they are horribly delayed due to the amount of people testing. As of today I still dont have my license issued. Take a deep breath and relax. Theres nothing you can do at this point, and like rob said, dont make yourself crazy. Just get your Resume ready, keep refreshing it that makes you feel better :)

*MY* Nclex was between kaplan and NCBSN. The harder questions were pretty much just like NCBSNs, the kind that you have a mild headache when you finish lol. ATI was substantially easier I felt. NCBSNs questions generally required a very high level of understanding and analysis, with very few "gimmies". My nclex had no gimmies lol. I did like 7500 questions using hurst, prep u, kaplan premier book, ohmans book, nclex 3500, and ncbsn. If I can help ya any further let me know. Good luck :)

The Nclex was nasty for me, but it was even nastier for one of my classmates. They can pull questions from all topics, and he got bombarded with Holistic medicine questions. Like really obscure stuff. I however did not, I swear its up to the luck of the draw. To prepare I wouldnt marry myself to any one nclex program. Do multiples, Kaplan, NCBSN, Hurst, Prep U, Nclex3500, Saunders etc They are all slightly different, some more than others, but I think by exposing yourself to each you will gain something too. You have time before sitting it again, just dont give up and keep pounding through, you got this far right? :) Edit: I reread your post, and I would say that my exam was somewhere between Kaplan and the NCBSN course. But each program gave a little something whether it was reinforcing fundamentals, alternate format questions etc. But out of all the programs I used (I did about 7500 questions) NCBSN had the hardest questions imho, hands down lol.

I know the first 24 hrs after the boards is hard as anything lol. But Do the quick results option, its usually available 48 hrs after you finished your exam, if your state participates in it. As for the License number posted from your BoN, that can take longer especially in the summer. I've been waiting since the 7th of July to get my license number, they say its because PCS has a huge backlog due to the amount of students sitting the boards. So take that for what you will. Just be patient, Sit back, spend the time working on your resume and double checking your references to hit the ground running lol Best of luck! Im in Mass btw.

the PVT worked for me on July 7th of this year, it also worked for 5 of the classmates I kept in touch with. So far i've heard its accurate in most cases, cept for that 1 out of a 100 you know? Best of luck, now the wait for your license # to be posted begins lol

Hiya, I just graduated too and am in the job hunting boat. What I've been doing is Craigslist, Careerbuilder, Monster and indeed.com. I also get dressed up and hand deliver a coverletter (unique to the facility I'm applying to), Resume, and references to different places in the area. I started a couple days ago and have my first interview on Monday. Good luck! I live in Mass btw.

All of them, dont limit yourself to 1. Use Kaplan (the book may be enough) NCBSN, Hurst, Prep U, NClex3500 (its free :)), Davis etc. Do TONS of practice questions, and practice alt formats. read the rationales and work to understand what they are asking. Youll get through this, just keep plugging at it :)

I would suggest that he doesnt limit himself to one or two different Nclex study companies. I used Hurst (Book), Kaplan (the book, cost like 40 bucks), Ohmans (Book), Nclex3500 (Free), PRep U (like 80 I think), NCBSN (50$) and anything else I could get my hands on. I Know morale is low right now but he'll get through this. What helped me pass was simply doing practice questions from all of those resources I listed above. I did about 7500 practice questions before I sat the Nclex. I read rationales, did my best to get comfortable with alternate format, and tried really hard to learn how to decipher WHAT the question was really asking. I will break down some of the resources I used and how they helped me, so maybe that will help you too? Hurst/Ohmans was good for Reviewing fundamentals, and things to keep in mind when reading a question, also HOW to read the question. I did not find the questions really hard. NClex3500 was awesome because it let you customize your testing experience. If you want 100 Alt format you can do it, Only Analysis? you can do it, and it can help you assess where your weaknesses are. The ability to test Only on alt format is HUGE. Prep U was like NClex3500 but not free. It was more questions, had alt format mixed in, and helped build experience testing. Rationales were pretty thorough. Kaplan had some challenging questions, Very nclex like in their difficulty I feel, and rationales were well thought out. I never did the course (didnt have 500$ to shell out lol) but the book was well worth it imho. NCBSN was HARD. These questions in my opinion were brutal. 50 bucks for 3 weeks but it was VERY thorough. When I started the course i got like 40-50s on the question banks. When I finished i got 60s-70s. It was 50 bucks but I felt getting bombarded by really challenging questions was worth it. My nclex (cause its different for everyone) was in the difficulty range somewhere between Kaplan and NCBSN. I swear the NClex is more about reading comprehension and looking between the lines than anything else lol. He can do it, he got into nursing school, he got out of nursing school, this is the last step. Just tell him to relax, do his practice questions, and he'll be fine.

Hey Everyone, Ive been sending out resumes, since I passed the boards(Still waiting on license#), I have since gotten 1 call back from HR regarding a position at Wingate healthcare. They said that they have a number of fulltime positions that will be opening up soon, but in the meantime they have 16 hour part time positions (2 days). They did say that I would be allowed to take up additional shifts as they became available, and that if I liked working there I would be able to also apply to the FT positions when they opened up. After our conversation the HR person said she would send may name to the secretary and I would have a meeting with the Unit manager for a meeting (interview?) I guess Im looking to find out if this is usual or common when finding a job as a new grad, and if anyone has any experience working with this company (Pros/Cons, Good/bad) The pay is ok, and I am one of those odd ones who LOVED the sub acute/LTC setting. Any Info would be great! -Jon

If you do pursue the ADN and do BSN later, remember you can still work with the ADN. So if you do bridge to BSN later, youd be a BSN with 2 years ADN experience, and 2 years additional ADN pay. Unless im missing something that doesnt sound so bad.

Hi everyone, Ive been quietly reading articles/threads on this site for a number of years since I decided to pursue a career in nursing. I cannot express just how incredibly helpful you all have been, especially in the past few months where I was studying for the NCLEX. The discussions regarding study strategies and materials/resources were invaluable. I suffered through nursing school with an over-thinkers mind, too many "what if?, what about?, in real life this - etc" I did 7500 practice questions between Prep U, Hurst, Kaplan (book not the course), Nclex3500, Davis (Ohmans), ATI's practice exams X4, and the NCBSN 3 week course. I got 70-80s on Prep U, 50-60s on NCBSN, and usually 60-70s on NCLEX 3500. I managed to Pass the boards 1st try in 75. I had about 30-40 Alt format, (Sata, Ordering, 1 EKG) No hotspots or anything too crazy. Difficulty wise "MY" nclex was somewhere between Kaplan and NCBSN difficulty I'd say. I was pretty numb going into it, doing 7500 practice questions kind of jellos your brain lol. (If anyone has any questions about those materials i'd be happy to share pros and cons of each in my opinion) So I wanted to break the silence and thank all of you here for your help from the bottom of my giant beefy heart (even if you didnt realize you were saving me and helping me refocus regularly. No matter how much I studied I still felt like it wasn't enough) I'm now just waiting for the Mass BON to give me my license number and sending out job applications. -Jon