cblue152

Eek. This is the answer I'm not looking for lol. Clearly I'm having a tricky time with that, which is why I'm asking for ideas. I want to know how others make the most of the amount of free time that comes with working only three 12s. Or how they manage not to feel so lonely being on an opposite schedule from the rest of the world. I've tried various hobbies. I'm looking into some places to volunteer. But what's the harm in asking what other people do to fill the time?

Hi! I'm a single mom who's been working weekend option (7a-7p Sat-Mon) for six years. It's been the best thing for my kiddo's schedule. However, it's really starting to wear on me mentally because the weekdays are long and lonely while he's at school and most other people are at work. I'm in the middle of the hiring process for the VA, which would mean every other weekend off. However, in the meantime, I'm bored out of my mind on weekdays. There's only so much cleaning and exercise one can do. I'm thinking about getting a bike for warmer weather, but honestly I think the biggest thing is the loneliness. Edit: yes, I get that I need to figure out what I enjoy. I'm asking what others do in their time off so I can get some ideas. I'd also like to know how other nurses handle the loneliness that sometimes comes with working opposite schedules from the rest of the world.

Unfortunately, you have to become accustomed to each professor's teaching and testing methods. During my first semester of nursing school I had a little meltdown because I was so scared that I wouldn't get through the program. I had heard that only a handful of people who start end up graduating. Sadly, literally only 50% of the people we started with were there to graduate with us. I'm not trying to frighten you by saying this- I'm just saying that if you learn how to pass your tests then you will be one of those who comes through on the other side. We all know that in nursing school, there's usually more than one correct answer. You have to find the answer that's the *most* correct. I've always been a good test taker, but this even threw me off. So, for each test this is what I did- I would read the question and underline the key words. For instance, say the question is, "You are assessing a patient who is in for an acute CHF exacerbation. Upon auscultation, what are the expected findings?" So then I would be able to focus a little better on what is important within the question. Then, I would read each answer and immediately cross out the ones that were obviously wrong. I would weigh out the remaining questions and decide which one was best. If I couldn't figure it out, I didn't waste time on it until the end. I would jump to the next question and do the same thing with it. Using this method, I managed at 3.6 GPA. I got through my tests quicker than others also because the crossing out method helped me the sort through the wrong answers faster without re-reading over and over again. Give it a try and see if it helps!

I did a residency program and it was great! My program did include classroom time, but the topics are focused on what you'll be doing in your specialty. I work in critical care so we had EKG classes, critical care classes, etc. The classroom time is interspersed with time out on your floor with a preceptor. When you're finished with the program you still feel like a scared new nurse (I did, anyway:)), but I thought I was better off afterwards.

That's not true. No one truly knows what the profession and the schooling is like until they're immersed in it. It's natural to have doubts.

I'm not sure where you live, but where I'm from you make more money working in a hospital as a "patient care technician" (PCT) or "clinical partner". They help patients with activities of daily living like baths, ambulation, etc. They check blood sugars and do vital signs. I was a PCT during nursing school, and I had an offer from the hospital where I worked when I graduated. I chose to work PRN at my first job, making $12/hr with the ability to pick up as many shifts as I wanted. At my second PCT job I chose to work part-time instead of PRN and made 10.50/hr. This is in MO, and people here don't usually make as much as those in other states. Many hospitals also hire "student nurse technicians" which also do the same things as CNAs and PCTs. PCT positions don't require any schooling, they'll hire people off the street and train them. I'd consider looking for those positions in hospitals before giving up.

Please don't let any of the other posters scare you away from a wonderful field. They are right in many regards- however, like you said, you are willing to work hard so you can definitely do this. I'm not good at math or chemistry, 2 required pre-requisites for a bachelors in nursing, but I studied (while working full time and raising a child) and I passed. Then I went on to graduate in the top 5 of my nursing class with honors. Nursing isn't about math. It's about learning how to think critically. It's about understanding how the body works, anticipating doctors' treatment plans, assessing, documenting, educating. As for the "finding a job" portion, yes it is certainly more difficult than it used to be. That being said, I graduated a year and a half ago and I had 3 job offers upon graduation whereas a third of my class did not have any offers. Being a CNA or tech somewhere helps because it gets your foot in the door at that facility and it also looks good on a resume if you apply somewhere else. That's how I got one offer. For the other 2, a couple months before graduating I started calling hospitals and speaking with their nurse recruiters about jobs I had seen posted on their websites. After speaking with them, I filled out applications for jobs that they said didn't require experience. I got interviews! And then offers. Maybe my name was still fresh on their memory from our conversations, I don't know, but it worked. Anyway, my point to all of this is that there ARE nursing jobs out there, even for new nurses. In fact, I was browsing the internet for nursing jobs in my area and found 10+ listings for psych positions, half of which did not ask for any experience. The thing is, you have to make yourself marketable. Get good grades, be a CNA or a tech in a hospital, make phone calls, create a good resume. If you have time, volunteer at a hospital too. It looks great on a resume. Plus, if you volunteer somewhere that has a psych unit then you can do some networking. Good luck to you! Nursing is a tough job, but rewarding. If you want to do it, don't let anyone stop you.

http://hpsafind.hrsa.gov/HPSASearch.aspx This link lists places in my state and includes scores. If the score is higher, then is that a good place to work in order to qualify for the loan repayment program? Even though those places aren't technically on a Critical Access list?

Hi everyone! I've seen multiple posts about the whole HRSA Loan Repayment program, but they left me feeling more confused than the official website. It seems that it is a highly competitive program, is this true? According to their website at hrsa.gov, these things qualify: Clinics Federally Qualified Health Center*, Indian Health Service Health Center*, Native Hawaiian Health Center*, Rural Health Clinic*, Public Health Clinic* Hospitals Any public* or private nonprofit acute care or rehabilitation hospital, including Disproportionate Share Hospitals* and Critical Access Hospitals* Inpatient Nursing Facilities Skilled nursing facility*, nursing home Outpatient Facilities Ambulatory surgical center Service Providers Home health agency, hospice, State or local public health or human services department* So the website leads me to believe that you are eligible as long as you work for *any* acute care hospital. So why do some sites put such an emphasis on critical access hospitals? It also says that disproportionate share hospitals qualify, but I've searched the internet high and low and can't seem to find out which hospitals fall into that category. On their site is also gives a link to finding "Health Professional Shortage Areas"- http://hpsafind.hrsa.gov/HPSASearch.aspx. This list has way more places listed on it that are not on any Critical Shortage lists I've seen. So basically, how do I know which place to choose? Yet another site, that I can't even find anymore, listed about 50 places around St. Louis that are in a "shortage area", but these places are also not listed on any Critical Access lists. What's the difference?