jroxx

Thanks guys, I think I'm just a little sleep deprived, over caffeinated, emotionally labile, and over stressed.

I graduated in December from nursing school with decent grades (Only one grade below A- in the program) and passed the HESI on the first try. I scheduled my test for January 9. With the busy holidays and working full time, I have only begun to really study a few days ago. I block out about 4 hours in the day and cover a mix of kaplan style NCLEX strategy, nursing school content, and review questions. I dont know if I gave myself enough time to adequately prepare for this test. Some review books like Lippincott and Kaplan I do ok on the review tests, and others (Mosby) I am getting destroyed on. To make the situation even more stressfull, I have a job lined up for when I have my license. I dont think they will hold it for me if I didnt pass. I could really use some honest advice. Do I have enough time, given my study schedule as it is, to prepare for this test?

I recently completed my RN in Salt Lake City and am so excited and inspired to start my career; however, I need a little direction. I absolutely loved (most of) my clinical rotations. I couldn't get enough of them. My favorites were medical oncology, ED, and respiratory or medical ICU. I even really loved most of the rotations that some students hated like med/surg floor or intacare. My favorite part of rotations were taking all of the pieces of the puzzle and trying to analytically see what was going on with each patient. Here's where it gets tricky... Currently in Utah the economy is pretty tough for new grads. I have several friends that went months before finding work. I am currently employed as an anesthesia tech in the OR for the last several years. The nursing management has expressed interest in hiring me on as a circulating nurse. I have done several jobs in the OR, I have a good grasp of the flow, I love the people here, and the hours would be incredible. With the day shifts I'd be working I could play music at night, spend time with my family, and be able to finish my bachelors degree (all of which are super important to me). I worry that my bedside nursing skills would dwindle if I took a job in the OR right out of school. I worry that if this wasn't the specialty I was passionate about, would I be able to transition to med-surg nursing in a year or so and still be competent. I guess I'm torn whether to take the safe bet and secure a job here in the OR or wait a bit longer and find a job where I can grow and learn something new. How much does lifestyle play into the decision? Thank you so much for all of your help. I have been so impressed with the quality of nursing care that this community exemplifies