VegasRN

I took test 4 today and it was not easy. I did much better than test 3 and brought up my score to 57 overall. I am praying it gets better... I read the whole course book, it is so hard to retain all of that in your head though. Graphs, numbers, lab norms, abnorms. what to do if there is an abnorm. I pray we will get through this. I will send any good vibes I can your way.

LOL well at least now I dont feel like a total loser! lol! I guess the PT/PTT values is something many of us got really confused on. The professors of my program were vary vague about it. In clinicals I would say things like well thats an ok normal praying I was right. I do think that the control is 25-40 seconds and then 1.5-2.5 times the control value would be therapeutic range, as if you would multiply that number to the time in seconds gives you the therapeutic ranges of 60-70 seconds. Thats the only way it makes sense to me. like 30 seconds times a control value of 2 would be 60 seconds (Within the therapeutic ranges of 60-70. or 2.5x 25=62.5...... I dont know if I am right but that is the only way I can correlate the two numbers when we bring into the therapeutic range in mosby needing to be 1.5-2.5 times control........... I am going with my idea of what it is because it is the only way it all makes sense. Good luck

I also am workin on Saunders. I do a comprehensive review everyday. I do 65 Saunders questions which I can do in about 1 hour. Then, I do 2 hours of online study with the Kaplan study center. I do 1 hour of flash card review that goes over labs and meds. then I spend the last hour polishing up and looking up whatever comes to my mind. On days I take a Kaplan question trainer test that is all I do is the test and read the rationales. If you do about 4-5 hours of study a day and make it comprehensive it should help. It has with me. I notice it on my Saunders questions when I study 65 of them. When I see how well I do on Saunders and then see how hard of a time I am having with Kaplan T-1 68 T-2 64 T-3 49 I realize that there maybe something in the level of difficulty. If Saunders and Kaplan assessed the same thing across the board I would think I would be doing just as sucky on Saunders review, but I am actually doing better. Hence to the fact that Kaplan guarantees passing. Why? IMHO...... the questions are harder. If you can pull of a 65 on those tests by test 7 Kaplan can then say they wont need to refund you because if you took any other review you would blow it out of the water and you should do well on NCLEX. They are taking a big gamble promising passing the first time and that 65% reflects that if you get that by test 7. I have also heard rumors of people getting like 61 to 64% on test 7 and still passing boards. I think if you hit it close you got a good shot. Good luck on studyin for boards.... Your not alone my university everyone was borderline with the diagnostic and readiness test! I was told in my review class that 90% of all graduates are borderline with those tests when they take Kaplan. There is also an interesting article I found on the National Council Website about the correlation between passing and the delay period of testing from the time you get the ATT to the time you write the exam. It showed that the longer one waits to test their chances decrease of passing boards. By days 35-40 after getting ATT the pass rate is 86% and I think it just goes down steadily from there. So take it as soon as possible.... Good luck VegasRN (Colorado State University-Pueblo BSN program graduate)

LOL I dont plan on pickin fights but I am going in to my interviews informed! That is the best I can do. and by doing so I hope no wool gets pulled over my eyes. I am excited to start my profession! Everyday I know I will learn something new. I have considered moving to Reno, but I love Vegas. I am sure there is something out here for me just got to be patient. :) Thanks for all the input. I will keep yall posted.

Ok this may seem like a dumb question but I need some help here. I am reviewing PTT and PT values and I am kinda confused on something. Starting with PTT. Partial Thromboplastin Time. We know it monitors the effectiveness of heparin therapy. Detects coag disorders. Normal values are 20-45 seconds. MOSBY Diagnostic Lab book days PTT 60-70 seconds? if on heparin normal is 1.5-2.5 times control. So what is control? Is the control the "20-45 seconds?" So if someone is not on Heparin therapy is normal 20-45 seconds? And then does it get prolonged with PTT of 60-70 once on heparin? I am way confused on how all that works. My pharm instructor didn't go over it very well. PT- Prothrombin time. Monitors the effect of coumadin therapy. Detects coag disorders. 9.5-12.0 seconds is normal value. What does it mean then when we talk about "full anticoag therapy >1.5-2.0 times control value 20-30%. I know the antidotes for both Coumadin and Heparin Vit K and protamine sulfate. Its probably something so simple and I am just thinking to hard. Anyone willing to share their brain on this will be much appreciated! HELP! :rotfl:

Ok so I have a job interview monday with an ER position. It starts July 11th. I now have an interim permit. I have been doing questions everyday, but lately I have hit content pretty hard after getting a 49% on test 3 of the question trainer. T-1 68% t-2 64%. I wrote out about 200 lab values on note cards and I go through those at least once a day. I also have KAPLANS medication flash card book. Meds is something I am weak in. Anyways I will take everyones considerations to heart. I plan to take boards in July just not sure when yet. I wont take it unless I get a 65% or higher on test 7. until then keep studying

Thanks for your input guys. Dont take everything I say as gospel. Its just what I see so far. Remember I was an LPN in Colorado and I just moved here. There are probably resources out here I haven't found yet. my LPN job in Colorado was rough, I want a challenge and I want to learn. I am willing to admit when I am wrong, and I am not afraid to ask questions. I think if you have that attitude you will always be ok. I have a job interview with sunrise monday. I am sure they would not be hiring new grads into their program unless they had the means to be sure you were competent and ready by the end of it. I feel that in the long run once I figure it all out this will be a great place to work. There is a lot of work to be done here. I try to stay optimistic. Knowing many people come onto this site to vent a bad day they had. The fact is we all have bad days. We have a stressful profession. If you never take the bull by the horns and try even if its as scary as hell you will never know what you can do. I bet that those guys storming the beach at Normandy were scared to death, the odds against them surviving were huge, but some made it across! I will keep you all posted on my job search saga. I am sure that the same problems nurses face here are the same as what I dealt with in Colorado, the difference is I have learned how Colorado does things. I am still trying to figure out how to get to the grocery store here. If the job sounds legit I say "bring it on!" good luck in school guys! thanks for the encouragement and help!

Hello out there! For those of you that are studying for NCLEX also I was just wondering if there is anything else you are doing other than a prep course to help you. So far I have studied about 95 hours and have done about 1000 test questions. I am still working on my Kaplan stuff? Any additional hints you see are helping you. I made some note cards for some stuff and I am going over it....... Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I am a recent grad from a BSN program in Colorado and I relocated here to Las Vegas with my spouse. We have a lot of family out here and we moved to be with them and to see some nicer weather in the winter time. I have been searcing for new grad positions all over the city and they are hard to find. With such a nursing shortage you would think that they would offer more opportunities. The truth is I have had to find all of mine by calling hospitals and talking to people and then they say "oh ya we do offer a new grad training program" I am a little leery about this? I have read other forums about there being 10:1 nurse to patient ratios. That is so UNSAFE! I dont want my being naive to Nevada nursing cause me to get murdered in my first job I take. So far after extensive applications and phone calls Sunrise Hospital and a home health agency have new grad opportunities. I have an appointment Monday with Sunrise ER. They are starting a New Grad program on July 11th. Is there anything I should be concerned about? Important vital questions to ask in my interview? I have no experience in ER. Most of my experience comes from clinicals and 2 years as a float pool CNA and 1 year as an LPN. I did do volunteer work in my small community home town ER in Colorado while in high school, thats it! So, I sort of know what I am getting in to, but I dont know all the ins and outs. What would be good questions to ask in the ER enviroment for someone in my position. I want to be safe and I dont want to end up being bitter about my job like I was with my last job. I came into this profession to help people and to of course provide for my family. I dont want to get :angryfire burned out. Any red flags I should watch with my interview for the position in the ER? How long is a good orientation? What/ and what not to ask? I hope this ER new grad program turns out to be legit! I want a position I can grow in to professionally. I dont have years of experience and if there is high nurse patient ratios I want to be ready. PLEASE HELP! Advice welcome.

Hello all! I am a recent BSN graduate from Colorado State. I moved here with my spouse and we now live in Las Vegas. I am looking for a new grad training program. It is interesting to me that in a city of this size how hard it is to find an employer willing to train a new grad. There is opportunities for new grads all over, but I can't find them here. I dont want to relocate because we have a lot of family we like to be close to here. I have a good base of nursing knowledge, but we all know there is only so much you can learn in nursing school. I have applied to 4 hospitals and a home health agency and so far only the home health agency and Sunrise have been willing to talk to me. One hospital said they do not hire new grads. Its almost as if everyone wants you wrapped up in a little box fully trained having every credential under the sun, but you got to start somewhere. I have found that with the people who have responded to me they say they do not post their new grad positions? They mention to me that to get one you have to dig as I have been doing? Kind of makes me leery? As a new grad coming here is there anything I should be leery or concerned about? I dont want to sign a contract with someone and then find a horrible working environment, politics gone mad, high staff turnovers? I also am leery about what to ask about these things and not ask in my interview. I thought that coming here there would be a lot of nursing opportunities for new grads, but there isn't or I am just not looking in the right places. I dont want to have my being naive and new to the profession murder me with the first job I take. My last job as an LPN was a nightmare, high staff turnover, the politics were horrible, and I was in training and the saying "nurses eat their young" happened a lot! There is a lot of nursing jobs here, but they all want experience. Experience I want to gain! Also I am prepping for state boards? any advice would be great. I am taking Kaplan just trying to do the best I can. Mr. Vegas RN

I am a Colorado graduated from a BSN program and just moved to Nevada, Las Vegas area. I recieved my interim permit and I have an interview with an ER next week for a new grad position. I am studying like hell for boards. I have studied about 95 hours so far and have done about 1000 questions. I took Kaplan and scored borderline on both the diagnostic and readiness tests. So far I have completed tests 1-3 and scored 68%, 64%, and 49% on the third test. I thought I would improve by test 3. I am really anxious about this test as I want to do well and have this only be a 1 time experience. I hope to take boards in July. I want to be sure to raise those percentages. I made note cards for all lab values and I bought Kaplans med review cards and I plan to use them. Dont freak about low test scores on the question trainer. I talk to my peers frequently and we are all on the same level. Stress will lower your score! I try to believe it to because I am just as nervous as anyone else is "this to shall pass" Mr. VegasRN