mbittleston

Memorial is a nice facility. It's a favorite in the city so it's always busy. It's not in a great area and vehicles in the parking lot get burglarized regularly. If you travel here stay in the northwest portion of the city it's safer.

Bakersfield is more friendly to new grads but the HR dept's don't like out of townersmand will hire locals first. They average 60 hires every December and May. San Joaquin just had a mass exodus and are looking for people. It's a nice facility but going through growing pains. You also have to sign a 3 yr contract at all dignity hospitals and SJCH. Cali only has a 4-1 pt nurse ratio no 5:1. You can expect around $28 an hour.

Part of what you're experiencing is normal! We have all gone through it!! It's all time management. 1) Like mentioned listen to morning report it will give you a clue what to look for when assessing. 2) get that vitals machine!!!! When you walk in with the machine ASAP get your 8am vitals as well as do your morning assessment. Practice your assessment and get it under 10 minutes. 3) get to the chart!!!! Look at your labs, review your orders, look at your MAR and be ready for med pass. Chart as you do things. As a 1st semester student you will never remember everything. Be patient with yourself, the learning curve is so steep in nursing school. Just remember you can do it.

I had nothing. New grad programs here pay for it all.

I just graduated. Hang on to your hats and glasses!!!

I had a pt. dip alcohol swabs in orange juice and suck on them. Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

If you add table salt to hand sanitizer it separates the gel from the etoh and u can skim off the gel and you get straight alcohol. (Learned that from a prison guard) Also, when was this guys last drink? He may still be digesting it. Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

I was an EMT for a long time. Recently finished my ADN. It's worth it but its a different frame of mind. Be prepared to be flexible. Your EMT will help a lot to get hired and to get a jump start in the nursing program. Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

The instructors gave us an access code. It's a proctored test. If you are out of school you could call ati. Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

Ati has a predictor that you should take. Typically 60% or above per category is their pass for a topic. Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

I had one huge binder for the class for each class but had one small binder for the specific unit we were currently on to take to and from school. You will find that in nursing school you will have alot of paperwork. Way to much to carry around all the time. Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

I work at a county facility and no contact but the private facilities have 3 yr contracts. Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

It's going to depend on your specialty on where you would like to go. There are spots everywhere but there are pros and cons to each facility. Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

If you have your syllabus start reading on what's required. The best way to prepare is to begin preparing family and friends that you will be to busy for pretty much everything including holidays and birthdays while you're in school. I had an exam every other week for 2 years and all you do is study. Make sure you are stocked up on printer paper and ink because you will burn through a lot of it. As a new student you really won't know you to prepare until you have a semester/quarter under your belt. I would memorize lab values but because they vary your instructors will tell you what they want anyway. I would recommend that you go out and have fun while you can. Nursing school is hard and very stressful and not everyone makes it through. Congrats on your entrance!

Look at hairstyles that an 80 year old would like. Most of the patients are geriatric and so longer hair is not appropriate. Besides the reality is you only need the shorter hair for a little while during the hiring process. Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com