prosperouschick

Any update on the position with Methodist Dallas?? Did you end up taking the position, and if so, was it a good experience?

NedRN, I was hoping to check indirectly with what other agencies are doing by talking to people on this forum. I'm sure that we are all not signed up with the same agencies, at least that would be pretty unlikely. I'm sure that the many people that are on travel assignments in TX can give an idea of what the competition is doing without me having to sign up with multiple agencies to figure out if a travel assignment sounds right. For example, I know that many travel nurses are guaranteed at least 36 hours a week (and some even 48 hours a week). So it would be interesting to hear if that is what people are still being told or if more and more people are hearing that they may get to an assignment wherever it may be and that there is the possibility that they could be called off one day due to low census since they are the higher cost traveler. Personally, I would not be as interested in travel assignments if a hospital is able to continuously call you off for low census. I feel that there should be a certain level of commitment if they are going through the trouble of getting a traveler, otherwise they should just hire more PRN staff.

I am not looking to travel just for the money. However, I thought that travel nurses generally made an equivalent hourly rate to what a regular staff nurse would make in a given locale. I did not think that staff nurses would make less than what a regular staff nurse.

I was offered a travel assignment on a tele unit for $25/hr as the effective pay rate plus $1200 a month for housing. Does this sound competitive? There are also not any guaranteed hours. I thought that travelers are usually guaranteed at least 36 hours. I am new to this process, and I know people have said that the market has changed for travelers; but this type of offer barely makes it enticing for me to go and travel. I could make more with a staff job. Can some of you please weigh in and offer your thoughts?

Housing in LA can be a real challenge. Close to USC is actually not the nicer parts of LA. You may want to look for rooms for rent in Los Feliz, Silverlake or Glendale for starters. There are so many different areas in LA and neighborhoods can really change by going a few blocks in one direction. I would recommend staying within a 10 mile radius of the hospital because traffic can be a real bear in SoCal. What kind of assignment did you end up with at USC?

I would take the NCLEX pass rate into consideration, but definitely not use it as a deciding factor. If the state board does not have them on probation (which happens in some states if the NCLEX scores are repeatedly too low) then I would seriously consider the school. I would definitely not go to an LPN program if you are already accepted to an RN program.... too much work in my opinion for LPN - to - RN bridge programs where you might as well do the RN program if you are able. Also as far as passing the NCLEX, take that into your hands by taking an NCLEX review course and make sure that you are part of the 75% who passes. Good luck to you.

I agree with a few of the other posters that say to do the right thing. Essentially, there is a double standard where an employer can let you go at any time, and they expect you to give them a notice (and as a nurse what seems to be even more common is giving 4 weeks notice). I personally would be leery of a new boss asking you to do something to another employer that they would not want done to them. I agree with one of the other posters in that it is very telling about this boss' work and management style. I know that it can be difficult to do the best thing when you are ready to run out of the door of your current employer, but I think it is best to give notice according to their policy. You would leave their in good standing, and they could give you a decent reference in the future. I also think that your potential boss would respect you more for following the policy of your current employer, even if she ended up hiring someone else for this position. She could look you up again in the future when there was another opening or when an employee gave her the proper four weeks notice.

So.... let me get this straight. You are recommending that instead of her talking to anyone for fear of seeming "impatient" or "backstabbing" that she should let her manager know that her schedule is not convenient, which is not at all the issue. No, it is not easy having difficult conversations, but sometimes these are the ones that really need to occur. I don't know of to many new nurses that can ask for a different schedule and end up with a new preceptor. I think the original poster needs feasible suggestions....

As a first step, you should talk to your preceptor, and then go and talk to your manager after that conversation. I would not be surprised if your preceptor did not respond, honestly, she sounds a little passive aggressive by saying that she will let you do things and then not letting you do them. Even after your conversation with your preceptor, I would recommend going and talking with your manager and sharing that you don't want to step on anyone's toes and that you talked with your preceptor (which you will have done) and that you just want to make sure you are on track and getting what you need in order to work independently by the scheduled end date of your orientation. I have found that it is best not to keep things inside or quiet when there are concerns, and there is always a way to address your concerns tactfully. Without you speaking up, your preceptor may not get some of the feedback she needs in order to train people better; or even to determine that she is not preceptor material (which is quite possible). My general rule of thumb is that when there is a lack of consistency between words and actions you need to probe and find out why.

I agree with island40. I would have politely ignored the question, and emphasized your ability to work PRN. It may very well be that the person interviewing you has had bad experiences with staff with children, however, that should not affect the way they interview and select candidates. Yet, one of the things you will find out is that many interviewers (including this one) do not know how to effectively and legally interview. Although you may be actively looking for a position, I would just count yourself lucky if you did not end up working for someone that has this sort of baggage. In the future, I would not answer personal questions during interviews unless it is something you absolutely want to share. I would stick to your qualifications and ability to perform the job and redirect the interviewer if necessary

I agree with the above comment. I am over 30, used to work in HR before going into nursing, and I have a masters degree. I took the masters degree off my resume, although it will go on the application. However, the reality is that some hiring managers are not as open-minded as we would like for them to be, and the goal is to open doors rather than close them. I also wouldn't focus too much on your experience that is more than 10 years old. It can be a line item where it is referenced or left off completely.

I absolutely recommend Saunders as a good study companion. I discovered this book during my second to last semester of nursing school and I wish I discovered it my first semester. I would recommend it to anyone.

I was just wondering if many hospitals are dealing with the issue of there being a low census. For the past month or two, someone (and sometimes even two of us) routinely has to go home from our unit or gets cancelled and placed on call. I work at a smaller hospital in Central Texas and I wasn't sure if this trend exists in other parts of Texas as well. I am seriously considering looking at PRN work in other cities because I really want to work. Are any of you experiencing this trend at your hospital?? Please share.

Definitely start your new grad job search as early as possible in NC. The recession has definitely made an impact on the availability of new grad nursing jobs. There are many new grads in the Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham area who have not been able to find jobs and therefore have had to look in other parts of the state. I know of a few people that found jobs at Cape Fear who would have otherwise stayed in Charlotte. This information is not to scare you, but just so that you are informed. I am originally from CA and I tried to move back there as a new grad and I found that it was very tough. I thought the job market for new grads there would be much better there than in NC. Nevertheless, I urge you to cast a wide net and have a couple of other options in addition to Fayetteville in case that does not work out, and apply early. Good luck.

I would like to find out if current CRNAs felt comfortable expressing their career goals of becoming a CRNA when interviewing for ICU positions and/or while working in ICU with managers or co-workers. I'm asking because I currently work on a general surgical floor, and I am preparing to look for opportunities in SICU with the ultimate goal of going to Nurse Anesthesia school. However, I have gotten the sense that it is sometimes not best to share your goals of becoming a CRNA, even with your manager. This feels a little weird to me, because it is probably the first time I have felt that I needed to keep quiet about my career aspirations. Can some of you share your thoughts and experiences about sharing your career aspirations of becoming a CRNA with co-workers before entering anesthesia school? Thanks.

I would like to find out if current SRNAs felt comfortable expressing their career goals of becoming a CRNA when interviewing for ICU positions and/or while working in ICU with managers or co-workers. I'm asking because I currently work on a general surgical floor, and I am preparing to look for opportunities in SICU with the ultimate goal of going to CRNA school. However, I have gotten the sense that it is sometimes not best to share your goals of becoming a CRNA, even with your manager. This feels a little weird to me, because it is probably the first time I have felt that I needed to keep quiet about my career aspirations. Can some of you share your thoughts and experiences about sharing your career aspirations of becoming a CRNA with co-workers? Thanks.

I would be very interested in hearing what your orientation/socialization into nursing was like and how it impacted your nursing practice. I am interested in hearing from nurses at all different experience levels. Also, in terms of Benner's different stages of nursing professional development, how did you know when you reached Competent, Proficient, and Expert levels of nursing practice?

To answer your question, I think that if you would like to have all the different systems and common illnesses associated with them reviewed with you by an instructor/lecturer then Hurst Review is for you. There are ways that she explains things that afterwards I said to myself, they should have explained it that way in nursing school. She also incorporates some strategies about answering questions on the NCLEX. However, Hurst Review is not going to be your only preparation for the NCLEX, and she states that.... it is a review. You still need to study on your own. But, if you do very well studying indepently then there are probably less expensive ways to prepare for the NCLEX. The answer really depends on what you need as an individual.

I'm not so sure about the last reply. Hurst Review says that you should know her material "without a doubt and without hesitation" before you take the NCLEX. And quite honestly, I would find it hard to believe that someone did not pass NCLEX if they knew all of that material without a doubt and without hesitation. I know that after finishing the online Hurst review course I did not know the information to that level, although I thought I had a pretty solid undertstanding of the material and could reason through most questions; and I passed the NCLEX on my first attempt. The Hurst review also mentions offering some type of remediation program if you do not pass, so that may be an option to consider. Also, there were a set of priority questions in addition to the mock NCLEX questions which I thought were similar to the NCLEX..... Nevertheless, at the end of the day if we are not successful at something we have to ask ourselves where are we weak and how do we fix that, which is not always easy to do.... However, I definitely think that you have to find another source of practice questions in addition to the Hurst Review because she only provides about 300 questions, which is definitely not enough. Her review is a good review/overview of content.

I did a combination of Hurst Review and Saunders. I did the Hurst Review online, which are actually online lectures and then I went and did the corresponding questions in the Saunders book. I also did many of the Saunders questions on the CD. All of the questions in the book are on the CD, but there are many more questions on the CD. If you need a review/reinforcement of the material from nursing school I think that something like the Hurst Review is good if you have the time and money. I really liked the Saunders questions because it is only after answering questions is when you begin to see where your gaps are. I have seen in some of the different threads where they have stressed making sure you go over the rationales in the Saunders book, and I really think that part makes the book priceless. It was very time consuming to do and some days I could only get through about 100 questions and rationales. I often went through the rationales of the questions that I got right, and I think it was very helpful. I would also recommend doing lots of prioritization questions. There was one book in particular that was recommended by someone in one of the threads. I actually did not do the prioritization questions that came with the Hurst Review, and I could have kicked myself when I was taking the NCLEX because there were many questions like that...and I don't like being surprised. If you don't have the Saunders book I would definitely recommend getting it, and they have an online review course associated with the book that is more cost effective than an in-person review. Additionally, the NCLEX review by NCSBN is supposed to be pretty good and it is not too pricey either. Good luck to you.

I am writing this thread after seeing so many other people feel exactly as I did when I finished the NCLEX. AWFUL.... I passed by the grace of God with somewhere between 75 and 80 questions (I am not sure exactly when it cut off because I was focusing so much on the questions), and no matter how much you prepare when that test stops you just have a sinking feeling in your stomach. I know I did...I felt like wait.... I'm not done. It was such an unsettling feeling. I almost wish that either during school or during some of the NCLEX review that they would have told us that this is normal and you are going to feel like this, because part of what makes it initially feel so bad is that we feel like we are the only ones who feel awful about how we tested when that is not usually the case. I know that when I got home that evening after the test, I just got in the bed and I didn't even answer my phone. It got so bad the next day, that I was actually thinking about what different review course I would take if I didn't pass (and I actually wanted to enroll in another one before I got my results... I know ridiculous). So I had to literally pray about it to get some peace about the situation regardless of how it turned out, and I PASSED and I cried when I found out. So.... hopefully this is encouraging to someone after they have taken the NCLEX.

I agree... you technically do not have to give two weeks notice anywhere, however, you can be deemed ineligible for rehire if you don't give adequate notice which could definitely be a black mark in the future with other .

Can anyone even share how they adapted to Nurse Anesthesia school??? And maybe share what were the biggest differences in terms of studying for nurse anesthesia and even preparing for clinicals?

I just finished nursing school and I will begin working in the ICU in February with the ultimate goal of applying to nurse anesthesia school after about a year. I was hoping to hear from some nurse anesthesia students about the differences in anesthesia school as opposed to nursing school. Everyone says that anesthesia school is very difficult, but can some of you share how it is different and how you had to adjust in order to be succesful. Please share your thoughts and ideas and even any suggestions.

No, there is not a difference when applying for a position with diploma. For someone with a bachelor's degree already, there is really little difference between getting an ASN or a diploma in nursing. Mercy and Watts (in Durham) are the only diploma programs in NC.