Ron N

"Pocket WGU" for iOS and Android; Evernote for saving clippings, setup Google Drive, MS Office. Don't pay for anything prior to checking if there is an educational/student discount. See if you can get MS Office through your work--my employer had it for something like $10; one copy only. Idea is to get employees using it at home so they are more proficient (I guess).

I'm currently in the program, using Mac as well. couple of options: 1) buy MS Office for the Mac. Microsoft has deals with different schools/employers; I picked up my copy through work (non-profit hospital) for less than $15. This is the route I like, because I don't have compatibility or formatting issues with files. 2) use the free, open-source OpenOffice (or another fork). Save as .rtf 3) use Apple's Pages and Keynote (Taskstream says it is ok accepting these file formats; but I haven't submitted anything outside of Word yet). I prefer the 1st route because I'm using PERRLA for APA formatting within Word. So much easier. Im also using Google Drive, Evernote, and Dropbox to save/sync notes, tasks, and works in progress across my devices (Samsung Note 8, iPhone 5, MacBook Air and Mac Mini). if you have an iPad, iPhone or android device, download "Pocket WGU".

Not all jobs are like that, but, as you have found, they do exist. My advice for new grads is always pursue what you enjoy, but be open for other opportunities. You want to do peds--my favorite! You have some experience now; leverage that (make sure you watch what you say about previous employers/experiences--negativity, even well-placed can be off-putting to potential employers). Look outside of the box. What can you do to improve your odds of getting hired without peds experience? Which departments do you want to work? I like ER, so I did all of the required certs on my own (PALS, ACLS, ENPC, TNCC). I actually got a job as a direct result of PALS--impressed a director taking the class with me (did not know she was one). Don't just pass, know your stuff. I searched for and took those classes throughout my state for two reasons: I wanted to finish in as little time as possible (I wanted a job), and I wanted to see different facilities and their staff. I still take those classes outside of my facility for the networking opportunities. Don't just google jobs or hospitals and apply. It's a waste of time and energy. Be selective (now you know why you need to)! Drop off a physical resume with a cover letter (for the specific job) to the department manager (in addition to your application through their standard channels). Applications are screened by HR and may never even be seen by the hiring manager--sell yourself directly. Network. Join an association in your desired area, go to meetings, and get involved! Guess who attends those functions? Staff that work where you want to work--they can give you the inside scoop and more. Realize that people talk--this is a double-edged sword. Present a positive compassionate professional and it won't ever hurt. Present negativity, unprofessionalism, or apathy and it will get around. Oh, and be punctual to the meetings (maybe even first and help setup/tear down if needed--gives you a chance to build relationships). Good luck, and congrats on graduating with honors! Just saw how old the thread is. I hope you have found your niche.

Agree with jenny regarding Doctors Without Borders. I went to Honduras with a church group (MMI); funds were raised as tax-deductible donations and self-funding (airfare was probably the largest chunk). Haiti was on my own volunteering through Project Medishare--I had to cover my airfare and meals. Great experience, but I had experience with peds/ER before I went. It was a hospital assignment, so there was inpatient as well. When I go to volunteer somewhere, I am going to help people. It is my responsibility to be as well-prepared as possible for roles that I will be expected to perform. Get experience first, and only apply for vital roles when you know you can do it with minimal assistance.

I disagree. As Mary said, there are a lot of sovereign nations (195 currently). While affluent countries handle disasters "in-house" (Japan, USA, Australia, etc); the ones that need outside support are not likely to want another party to have so much say in planning--until they need it. Heck, we can't even agree as a global population on who needs drinking water. That being said, multiple organizations allows for redundant supply chains (actually a good thing); plus each organization usually has its own pace and political stance which alters time to ground and access. Countries are responsible for their own disaster response plans--we go to places that don't have adequate resources for the specific disaster, but acquiesce to the local government as needed. The UN is recognized by members as being in charge; but if they were the only organization in charge, people in Syria would not be receiving treatment right now (as one of many examples of aid organization access and priority). Only in a worldwide utopia should one organization have that much oversight. In the meantime, multiple organizations equals redundancy, which ensures care reaches affected populations.

It is a free for all. Haiti had UN responders (international government coordination), Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, and other organizations--plus individuals who just "showed up". These organizations do communicate with each other, but they have their own goals, values, and logistics systems.

Yes. I worked with Doctors Without Borders for six months in Sudan, and another six in India. The biggest factors: Language Cultural sensitivity/cross-cultural living experience Work experience As far as work experience, I had ER, Peds ER, Military, and inpatient burn. I've always looked for experience that would help me be useful overseas. Not too specialized (all have me useful knowledge/exposure); and technology wasn't available where we were (I.e. informatics won't help land the job where I was). I had previously volunteered in Honduras (2 weeks; not too difficult medically), then Haiti (ER and Pediatrics--awesome experience withProject Medishare)--no overseas experience isn't reassuring. We were there as managers and experts with Drs Without Borders)--so get experience so that you can train others. They also use specialty nurses--Peri-Op nurses are always in demand, and pediatric experience will never hurt. There are a lot of programs out there that provide aid. Best advice is to know what you want (what do you want to do; where do you want to go); then focus on that--while being open to other opportunities.

I'm in California; just accepted to WGU (RN to BSN)--this was a concern of mine too. The CA BRN PHN certificate requires more auditing of hours, as well as 7 hours of California specific child abuse/neglect mandatory reporter training. Are there any CA WGU BSN grads on here? Any issues getting your PHN Cert after graduation? Any CA-specific problems post-graduation?