livmoore89

Unfortunately it looks like they are hoping to make their next cycle part of the DNP program, starting summer 2021.

Thanks so much for responding! I'm definitely looking into some grad level classes I can take. Any suggestions for best ones to look at? I'm also looking into CCRN so I appreciate the heads up on the interest for that! It's looking more and more like I'll need to switch to an adult ICU...it just makes me so nervous to completely jump fields right before applying to a whole new program. Do you know of any graduate level sciences that would show better than others? I'm looking at patho currently. Definitely need to study up for the GRE too. Thanks so much for responding!

Hi guys. Does anyone know if there are any MSN CRNA programs left that haven't converted to the DNP program yet? I truly hate the idea of a 3 year program thanks to being a single gal with a mortgage. It makes me incredibly nervous to be out of work for that long. I'm open to moving for a program if necessary (which it probably will be). Thanks everyone!

For the sake of brevity and transparency, I'm going to attempt to be quick and blunt. I have been a NICU RN for the past 4.5 years. I have my BSN, my only cert is RNC-NICU. My cumulative GPA is 3.25 due to me acting a fool in the beginning of college. My nursing school GPA is 3.47 and my science GPA is 3.54. (Included just to demonstrate I can put in the work once I put my mind to it). I have found schools that accept NICU experience so that part isn't an issue other than it severely limiting the amount of schools I can apply to (vs me having something like SICU experience). I understand based on my stats alone, I'm not necessarily a competitive applicant. I'm looking for advice on what I can do to improve myself in order to start applying in the next year or two. I'm looking into taking some graduate level patho, pharm, or maybe o-chem. Is there anything else I can do? I'm also willing to change jobs and/or apply anywhere and move if I have to, although there are a couple schools near family that it would be ideal to get into simply because then I wouldn't have to take out much in COL loans. Be blunt, be brutal. I'm open to any and all advice and suggestions. Thanks for reading.

Hi everyone, I'm going to try not to be confusing here but I'm very confused myself. I want to start travel nursing in the next 6 months or so. I currently live (rent) in a non-compact state but am working in a compact state with a single state license. I've been told a compact license would make being a traveler much easier as far as opening doors quicker for new assignments. My question is this: When I start traveling, I will no longer have a permanent address since I will give up my apartment. Is it legal/allowed/morally OK to pick a family member and make them my permanent residence? If so, could I pick one in a compact state in order to get the compact license? I obviously would use that state as my tax state, get a drivers license, etc, but since I otherwise won't have a permanent residence is this an option for me? Secondly, I could have a mailing address anywhere, correct? The mailing address and permanent address don't have to correlate, right? Thanks in advance for all the help :)

Thank you so much!!

So if I were to pack up and move from where I live (renting alone) now, to start traveling nursing, and I don't own any property to consider my "permanent residence" am I able to just pick a family member and make that my permanent residence? Get a drivers license there, use that state as my taxing state, etc. Would that be a plausible option? I'm trying to figure out what to do without actually having to buy a house anywhere since I have no idea where I want to live indefinitely. I don't want to do anything that would be frowned upon or illegal without me knowing. Thank you so much for your help!

So it would do me no good to move to a compact state in which I already work for 6 months to a year to get the compact license in order to travel with it if I gave up the apartment in which I lived?

Hi there, I'm a bit confused regarding compact licensure. I know I have to declare my primary state of residency a compact state in order to obtain a compact license. My question is this: If I move to a compact state, into an apartment, live in it for 6 months to a year and in that time get a compact license and decide to do traveling nursing, then how does that work? I legally won't have a permanent residence anymore because I won't be keeping the apartment that I will no longer live in. If I need a place to stay, say between assignments, then I would go be with family who do not reside in a compact state. Also, can my mailing address be a completely different address (than my permanent residence) since I'll be a traveler? I hope I'm clear enough. I'll answer any clarifying questions needed if I'm not! Thanks so much :)

Hi everyone!! I'm 3 weeks from graduation and needing some advise! My dream has been and still is to be a NICU nurse. I shadowed a nurse while in HS in a large NICU in my city and loved it. Unfortunately there was no precepting opportunity for NICU at my school so I have gotten no experience in it to help give me a leg up while searching for jobs. I ended up being placed in the OR and absolutely loved it. I've already been offered a job there when I graduate. However, I was recently called into an interview for another position at another hospital. This job is considered women's services and it includes ALL of the following: L&D/PP/NICU/non-NICU nursery/occasional OR circulating and PACU. These ladies do it all in their unit. I am so scared and so nervous to accept a job in their unit because of all they do. Working L&D terrifies me to my core. I just get sick thinking about it. So I set up a job shadow opportunity with this hospital to see if I would like it. My question for you nurses is this: if the job shadow goes well, should I suck it up and get over my fear and accept the position so I can get that NICU experience (even if it is minimal since time there doesn't seem as extensive as L&D/PP, etc) or should I go with the OR that I know already I would love? I hear mixed reviews about nurses being hired into the NICU as far as any experience translating well into the neonatal area. Some people say it doesn't matter, other people say it does. Anyone care to give me some advise? Thank you!!

Wow, it's so different every where you look! Thank you everyone for your input! I'm going to brush up on my foley skills, IV skills and blood draws. I have no idea about the beds, so I'll look into that as well. Thank you everyone!

Thank you all for your input!! Looks like I need to keep my eyes on the teaching hospitals or ambulatory centers. :)

I'm in my last semester of my ASN program and LOVE the OR. I've heard from several people (and surgeons themselves) that hospitals are using scrub techs more and more and scrub nurses are being phased out to circulate more than anything. I'm really hoping to find an OR job when I graduate that allows me both the opportunity for scrub and circulate. Would any of you lovely nurses care to share your hospitals and if they use scrub nurses? Given privacy concerns, I understand if you'd rather just share hospitals that you know of instead of your own. Thanks everyone!

Hi everyone! I'm in my last semester of nursing school (yay!) and next week I start my clinicals. This time we get a preceptor and will spend the entire semester in the same area. For me, my preceptorship is in the OR - but I will be in pre-op, OR, and PACU (with possibly one shift in PAT) and I'm trying to get an idea of what to expect. Can anyone tell me which nursing skills I can expect with each area? (i.e. - It's my impression that I'll be doing IVs back to back in pre-op.) I just like to have a better idea of what to expect prior so I can brush up on anything I may need to know or have fresh in my mind before walking into the hospital. Thank you all so much! :)

Thanks for the info everyone! ICUman, unfortunately I'm not in an area that allowed for the NICU opportunity.