chrisc-40

There are many requirements and another one is to take the CPR course at CCRI. Further make sure you always check your health records on their site because it will alert you to any problems with vacs, certs, etc. DO NOT assume they have records or that they will get them from anywhere else but you......that would be a big mistake. Make sure you get everything started at a time where they can be accomplished easily prior to clinical. Hep shots are a problem because it takes months to do the whole series of shots. They make no exceptions whatsoever...not even on rounding scores i.e. if you miss the required 75 to pass by 1/100th you will still fail.....no exceptions. Newport is very difficult to get accepted to the program because there a far fewer seats available. Newport is absolutely the most challenging to get into of all the other campuses. If you think you may not make it then apply to Warwick. In any case the clinical locations will be in Warwick or Providence so travel considerations don't really make much difference between all of them.

I'm at CCRI going into my 2nd clinical of 4 to get an RN. I looked at all the schools around RI. NEIT is extremely expensive in comparison to CCRI. However, if you need an RN license fast and willing to pay the price which is comparable to buying a very nice brand new Mercedes then I'd pick NEIT. I picked CCRI because the cost was low and the time to getting an RN was the fastest of any of the state schools vs 50K private schools. CCRI has a points system rather than a waiting list to get into their nursing program which is great if you have good grades. I found it was still pretty easy to get into the program and got in the very first time I applied. Which specific campus you apply to also matters. For example, if you apply to Newport with limited seats it is more difficult to get accepted compared to the other campuses. In fact even if your points would be good enough to get a seat in Warwick but you applied to Newport and didn't get a seat you could not change your mind to Warwick until the next semester. In terms of employment your sense that the job market is good is correct. However, your entrée into a job is not the same as usual. Many newly minted RNs usually have to work on a per diem basis first and find permanent jobs with the hospitals they do per diem work for. Walking in with no experience is a handicap because they want experienced RNs. Per diem work will severely change your work hours because when they call you must go or risk being dropped from their list. There are many other avenues to a job to consider such as nursing homes, doctor offices, home care, etc. but many (not all) will want you to have at least 1 year of med/surgical experience. BTW, one thing to consider is the reputation of the school to potential employer thinking. I've heard from many sources that CCRI happens to have one of the best reputations. NEIT is new to nursing and their professors seem to lack longevity at NEIT. It is true this is subjective information but I've heard the same stories from several unaffiliated sources. Check into it for yourself and decide but if what I hear is true the time saved going to NEIT may be eaten up in extra time trying to find a job.

It's good to hear male nurses are in nearly every area, I usually see more of them in OR and ER areas than others in a hospital. I am aware there are laws in the US about basing employment on age, sex, race, religion, etc. But after so many years in the work force I also know that proving there was discrimination is extremely difficult and usually impossible to do. Employers are aware of it too and so they will discriminate quietly if that's what they want to do. The net effect is job hunters are better off accepting the reality and targeting their job search away from certain areas/employers and towards those areas/employers more likely to hire them. As a matter of fact one of the reasons (among many others) I'm becoming an RN is that very few employers will hire people over 50. The news is full of stories and advice concerning age discrimination yet I haven't heard of one instance where the law was enforced or the company found guilty of it. At least in nursing there is a big unmet demand that neutralizes the tendency to hire only those under 50 making it much more likely that I'll be hired after attaining an RN license.

I'm starting clinicals soon and so I'm curious if anyone has ideas on which type of RN work is looking for male RNs. I've heard emergency/trauma rooms seem to be a place where they are hired but does anyone have any other areas where they've seen male RNs. Any advice or information is appreciated......

I'm just starting clinicals in the Fall but work as a CNA per diem for home care agencies. Most people won't have the reaction you got from the female patient but keep in mind that there may be some female patients that are uncomfortable with a male nurse and won't express it. I've also seen reactions from male patients as well because they'd rather have a female nurse. In those instances the male patient's concerns can be rooted in homophobia or that they think having another male take care of them might project the wrong sexual orientation image to others. You sometimes can't win either way. Keeping in mind that the type of work you're doing requires a certain amount of sensitivity to others and introducing yourself more carefully can go a long way towards avoiding these issues some patients have with male nurses.

I'm scheduled to start my first clinical in the Fall. After asking RNs I meet on a regular basis through home care they all tell me it is very difficult to work while doing the clinicals. Although some have said the first clinical is the easiest and working may be possible.If you can get away with not working I would certainly concentrate just on the clinicals.......