shawba08

What GPA do you need to be offered an interview? I know you have to have over a 3.2 for consideration but how close to a 4.0 would an applicant realistically need?

Typo error* I have to believe a year at an LTC...

To my knowledge you only get notified by allnurses if you get a private message sent to you. And I have to think a year at am LTC counts as experience for the hospital. Obviously critical care settings may not accept it. From what I've been told the job market is better for nurses. There are a ton of full time jobs, yes I look at jobs even though I'm a year from graduating. I wish more places were willing to train new grads but if someone can get a healthcare job while in school they can try to network themselves onto that unit or other units in the hospital.

Thanks, when I graduate next year I'll just make sure I'm set up with a job at the hospital I work at and if not I'll ally at LTC. Do you know if 1 year at a LTC qualifies you for a hospital ? I'm really hoping the unit I complete my senior practicum hires me. So to other folks who are graduating soon try to do your practicum on a unit that has a history of hiring new grads.

To that I would ask if you are referring to BSN or ADN nurses? There are a lot of job openings out there and what I find interesting is a lot of the nursing jobs require a year of experience and a BSN yet some people on here (oregon allnurses) are being hired as ADNs in critical care etc, without a residency program, which is fantastic! But if a job requires a year of RN experience how are new grads being hired? I ask this because I am in a BSN program and currently work at a major hospital in Portland and am still worried I won't get hired as a new grad. I would just have to think that it is great if a manager wants to hire you but doesn't HR have to make the final decision?? I wont have my BSN for a year and I am already worried about finding a job even though it is easier to find a hospital job in Portland now as opposed to a few years ago. There was even a person who graduated from ITT that I know and they work in the ED as basically their first RN job. Gives me hope.

Thanks...it works. Maybe we should start a fb group as well.

ktj777...Please create a facebook group! I'm pretty sure one hasn't been created yet. And it's really expensive to live near campus, you should look into a place in Beaverton, Tigard or even Hillsboro. Obviously if you get a roommate that would be a plus. If you don't want to use a car for transportation then Beaverton and NW Portland are your best bet for an easier commute.

I'm from the Portland area! Congratulations to you can't wait to meet everyone!

I was accepted too! excited to start!!! Can't wait to meet everyone as well!

I was accepted too! excited to start!!!

Technically, I still haven't heard back from OHSU's 3 year bsn program. But they don't send out notification until June. So, I'm going to attend Linfield. It's a great program and I'm excited to begin!

I was accepted to Linfields ABSN!!! So excited!

Landij, Sorry to hear that, I may be receiving such things today then, for the ABSN at Linfield. You have a really good resume, I think its awesome you work with at risk youth. I hope you get in somewhere, I'm surprised you weren't accepted to Linfield as they have a strong community based focus.

I need to be off work already so I can go check my mail!

Anxiously, waiting..linfield may have sent some or all of their acceptances and letters to applicants as one person in this forum received an acceptance packet for linfield yesterday. Fingers crossed!

The cost is $12 a day on the hill...and the commute from Hillsboro is not going to be easy unless you leave around 6:45-7. The only problem is you have to time it right or you will get to work really early but you would need to find parking and then make a little bit of a walk to your unit depending on where it's located on the hill. OHSU is a great place to work so I think the commutes shouldn't be a huge factor, and if you work nights the parking is free.

I agree completely with all of your points...your point about time with the kids during the summer and days off during the week without using vacation time are important to me. My daughter is just a toddler so when I finish nursing school she will be able to and want to do the amusement park, zoo, museum stuff. I only get days off during the week on potential holidays, vacation time and that is few and far between.

I'm confused about the number of nurses who would prefer 8 hour shifts. I am hopeful to be accepted to nursing school in the next week or so...and I am looking forward to 12's and picking up an extra shift here and there for OT. I work 8's now in cardiology as a tech and while I like coming to work everyday and getting a weekend of OT a month it will be so nice to work 3 12's and every other weekend. That means I could get several days off to hang out my family, pick my daughter up from school, go to the gym then just relax around the house. I can't run any errands during the week really and its tough to make it to the gym before or after work. If you think about it, if you work 8's, you get up at 7 to be at work at 8 then get off at 430 or 5 and then get home at 6. Thats not a huge difference from working 7-7 and getting home at 7:30. The difference is, with a nurses schedule you may have the next day/days off. I like working though, I enjoy coming to the hospital everyday and interacting with patients and coworkers.

I'm an applicant and awaiting good news from the schools I applied to, however, I work at a hospital in Portland and I keep up with their job postings and area hospitals job posting for nursing positions and it seems there are a lot of jobs out there,whether flex or full time. I know many of them require experience, but not all of them do. You should apply for the residency positions with legacy, OHSU and Salem. If possible look at a rural area because they will pay a large percentage of your student loans if you agree to work for them for a couple years. To be honest, some of these positions aren't being filled because no one wants to work night shift. I'd work night shift in a heart beat if I had to in order to gain experience, but I realize everyones situation is different. But if you are willing to work nights that may open more doors.

I applied to the accelerated program at linfield and to the Portland campus OHSU 3 year program. I haven't seen hardly any current applicants for linfield accelerated program on allnurses this application cycle. But there still is probably a lot of applicants.

That has to be the difference...I only applied to Linfield and OHSU but it seems like its a little unfair that someone who works in patient care as, for example, an MRI tech or X-Ray tech can't get full discretionary points for clinical experience.

If I am accepted to the Linfield accelerated program, I'll let you know! However, I think you are pretty much right in your assumptions that gpa and essay play the biggest role. People with clinical experience don't always get accepted, people without clinical experience don't always get rejected. I think if you have the grades and a good essay they may look at recommendations and volunteering as a way to select the student that best fits their cohort.

I haven't been accepted to nursing school yet, but I've asked the financial aid departments several questions. And to be honest a lot of students are in similar situations and make it through nursing school just fine. If you are accepted, the schools will find a way to make sure you can afford it. I do know Wells Fargo has private loans for students in a healthcare field and its fairly easy to get. Scholarships can be tough to come by as they are limited but there are programs that repay your loans if you agree to work for them for 2-3 years, this is usually for rural or urban health centers. Hope this helps, just trust that if you get in there will be a way. And remember that financial aid is supossed to cover cost of living.

VonE, I don't know if this is true, however, someone once told me as a nursing student you are "automatically" able to do CNA work and as you know as a CNA you may be able to work a couple of 12's a week if you have time. If I were accepted I'd work a weekend here or there to stay current at OHSU and increase my chances of a job after graduation. I can't agree more about being placed in that predicament of having to choose.

I had my proctored essay on Thursday! It was nice to be able to just write and not over analyze as I would have done if it was a traditional essay response on an application. Now all we can do is wait...well I have to submit the supplemental application, it's done just need to pay!