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Keep in mind, these standardized exams are in place for the school to gauge how well the students will perform on the N-CLEX exam. For universities and colleges, the passing rate is everything as it determines the future of their program! These exams are meant to determine whether a student or graduate has MINIMAL knowledge to provide SAFE care to a general patient. Focus on the big stuff your instructors have knocked into your head through the program and remember to keep breathing! Most people who enter nursing school graduate and most nursing school graduates pass certification.

MD Anderson has an Infusion Therapy team which offers PICC classes. I am not sure what the cost is. Contact them at 713-792-6161. Ask for Infusion Therapy.

With 3 years experience, you could get 30+ at CMHH. I currently work in the PICU and love it! The biggest advantage, as far as I am concerned, is that we are a level 1 trauma center - the only one for peds in the Houston area. I particularly enjoy working with the trauma patients, and absolutely love what I do! Questions? just IM me.

An HMO is a "health maintenance organization" where you would choose a primary care physician to coordinate your care. A PPO is a "preferred provider organization". You still have a primary care, but there are some differences. Mainly, With an HMO, you must have a referral from your primary care to see a specialist. Sometimes, it can be a pain to wait for a referral. Copays are usually lower with HMOs. PPOs generally allow you to see any doctor in their network without referral. You can see any doctor you want, but if they are not "in network," your out of pocket costs are much higher. (This is true for HMO or PPO). HMOs also generally have a 30-day notification requirement to change your primary care physician. Aetna seems to be fairly common around here, and they have both HMO and PPO coverage. It may be of benefit to you to check out http://www.aetna.com for differences in coverage. You will not get details, as they change depending on size of company and other variables, but it may clear some things up for you. Good luck in your move! We have been here for 8 years and love it!

It varies pretty widely depending upon where you work. Most of the employers for whom I have worked have ranged from 250 - 300 per pay period (2x/month) for family benefits coverage (includes dental, health and vision). All employers for whom I have worked so far have offered the option of a PPO or HMO plans. I am not sure if this is what you were looking for... Let me know if you need additional or different information. I am happy to help!

If you are still looking to move to the Houston area, I just have a bit of advice on increasing your pay... Many of the hospitals in the med ctr offer supplemental positions. These positions fill in holes in the schedule. It means you may not work full-time, but the pay is on average an extra $10/hr. The other option is per diem (at Hermann, it is called Premier Staffing). They can float you to whatever unit they need you on, but again, pay is increased! One note! These positions do not provide ANY benefits. Depends on what you need... If your spouse covers insurance, go supplemental! Good luck!

University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston has a 1 year BSN program. Check the website at http://son.uth.tmc.edu Good luck!

I am an RN currently working Infusion Therapy and PICU in Houston. I actually live in Katy (b/c of schools) and drive to the medical center for work. We moved here from Maryland in 1998 and don't plan to take off anytime soon. Pros: -LOTS of great stuff to do! -One of the largest med ctrs in the world! (Get a job doing just about any type of nsg) -Great schools in most outlying areas (or private if you wish to stay in the city) -Warm weather most of the year (BIG PLUS!) Cons: -You have to drive 30 mins to get anywhere -Traffic -Traffic -oh yeah... traffic Good luck to you!