CNRN_Cali

Okay, thanks and congrats again!

No, not the BSN but the MSN Nursing Education Field experience? I do not have the course number since my degree plan is not open but I'm looking at the program guide. One of the last classes next to MSN capstone? Did you have to take this and is this a clinical with a preceptor?

Congrats! How long did it take you to finish? Also, what exactly does the field experience entail? Thanks in advance!

No experience with financial aid but I question the validity of the "group projects" comment. There are NO group projects in the WGU RN to BSN curriculum. So far, the instructors (aka course mentors) have been extremely helpful and resourceful. They are available by phone, email, webinars...you name it! WGU has been, by far the BEST decision for me. It is completely asynchronous which allows me to work at my own pace. No tedious discussion board postings and "reply to 2-3 discussion board postings by the end of the week" type of work. No group projects whatsoever. :) I switched paths because of that very reason and never looked back.

The countdown to May 1st...good luck everyone! Let's enjoy this down time while we can. I finished orientation and have my first mentor call next week. I'm super happy--I found out that I have a testing center literally 15 blocks away from my house. :) What are your thoughts on testing? Do you all plan on using their camera or testing center for objective exams?

Woohoo! I love your avatar and username--very appropriate! :)

Just curious for those of you who have graduated from WGU & pursued and/or are pursuing a graduate degree with them, do they require you to retake the orientation course at the beginning of your new term? I noticed there were two separate orientation course (undergrad and grad). Just curious...

It officially opened up at midnight--Utah's time...and YES, I stayed up for this. ? I'm Pacific Standard Time, so it's an hour ahead of me. Lol! It was very exciting to see a whole new portal with the preliminary degree plan. I'm still making my way through the modules and getting sneak peeks into the Course of Study (COS) on a few.

1. What certification do you have? CNRN-Certified Neuroscience Registered Nurse 2. What are 3 benefits and 3 challenges to having your particular certification? Benefits: 1) expanded knowledge that applies to my clinical practice 2) hospital/peer specialty recognition 3) differential pay Challenges: 1) maintaining/obtaining enough CEUs for renewal (every 5 years). 2) specialty certification can be "too specialized" and at times I would prefer a broader knowledge base (such as CCRN critical care specialty). 3) cost-it's expensive to maintain membership with organizations and costly to renew certification. I still believe it's worth it. 3. Who is your employer and was there any kind of requirement or incentive to obtain your particular certification? I'm employed at a university teaching hospital. This was not a requirement but definitely an incentive. We have resources for study materials, study groups, and access to review courses. As mentioned above, we also receive a differential pay increase.

Yay! I'm so happy they sorted out your college transcripts (with the school names). :) The application process can be so painful waiting. It all starts with the readiness exam. It was torturous waiting for my results. I have to say that overall the application process with my enrollment counselor was superb, timely, supportive, and well organized. WGU really wants to make sure it's a good fit and I value that.

Yes, congrats everyone! I am so ready to start! Nice to see a large group of us starting soon. Good luck everyone! EWB countdown...2 more days! :)

Awesome Murse901! Thank you and good luck to you on your MBA-HM!

We call the electrophysiology lab and it is usually a cardiac physician that comes to the bedside to interrogate implanted permanent pacemakers. I'm also in a university teaching hospital. Can I just say, that I am always thankful when this is done. :) I always feel uneasy when I'm unsure of a patient's pacemaker settings/device type.

Woohoo! Congrats NC Girl BSN! I might have to check-in with you at a later date...I'm very interested in pursuing my MSN through WGU after my BSN. I just haven't decided between Ed or Leadership path. I still have plenty of time to think it over.

I only work three 12hr shifts. Personally, I much prefer working three 12hr shifts and having the days off than working four days a week. It gives you the flexibility of grouping your shifts together (i.e. 3 in a row) or splitting them up (i.e. Sun, Wed, Fri), so you're not away from family/kids for more than a day. I have a coworker who does the Sun, Wed, Fri schedule. It's kind of nice to work one day and KNOW that you're not back the next day. :) On the other hand, it's nice to have the option of scheduling yourself Sun, Mon, Tues and (have 8 days off) return the following Thurs, Fri, Sat. I only know of Kaiser offering 8hr shifts in my area. Maybe long term care or rehab might offer the 8hr options? In any case, hang in there...you can do it! :)

Sorry, I didn't quite answer your question. Is nursing stressful? Yes, some days can be stressful more than others. There are plenty of factors -- staffing shortage, acuity of patients, etc. It was stressful as a new grad but I had an experienced mentor/preceptor. Absorb everything during this time. Don't be afraid to ask questions. As with anything new, it can be stressful when you are out of your comfort zone. Just follow the standards of care and nursing policies of the hospital...and always ask for help when you need additional resources. Next thing you know, you'll find yourself precepting a new nurse, before you know it. Nursing school goes by so fast!

Thanks so much! I'm confident that it's a great program for nurses. I've only been reading forum after forum obsessively for the past several months.

I totally understand where you're coming from. It's difficult to balance school and raising little ones. Yes, I had a little one during nursing school but I was fortunate enough to have family support. If this is something you've wanted to do for some time, I'd say continue on with your journey. It sounds like you've done an amazing job getting through pre-reqs and that's stressful enough! Nursing was something I always wanted to do and I made a detour after high school. Returning to school as a second career choice to pursue my nursing degree was the best decision for me. Yes, nursing school is stressful at times, but you will get through it. You will bond with a few classmates and form study groups. Study hard and find a good schedule to balance family/school/work. I have fond memories of nursing school. I wish you all the best!

Yay! I just paid my tuition last week. Ouch! It hurt a little but I know that it will be worth it. I love how all of the costs (books, exams, etc.) are included upfront at WGU without any hidden fees.

Anyone else starting May 1st with me? I'm doing the RN to BSN program. I can hardly wait and excited to start orientation (Education without Borders) next week on April 15th! I haven't been this excited since nursing school. :) I'm such a nerd.

I would highly encourage you to pursue your BSN. I work in a Magnet hospital and they are encouraging ALL current ADN and diploma employees to obtain their BSN (I am pursuing my RN to BSN now). Additionally, all of our job postings for open RN positions are for "BSN preferred" candidates. I am currently an ADN graduate and landed this job over 10 years ago when we had new grad training programs. The job market is extremely tough for new grads in my area right now. Speaking from a Magnet hospital point of view, the hospital would hire a BSN graduate over an ADN graduate to increase the percentage of BSN/advance degree nurses when Magnet returns for the site visit. It's a huge push right now. Search for IOM's 2020 campaign. It would be in your best interest to pursue your BSN soon after, if at all possible. I regret not getting it done sooner when I had the momentum. Best of luck!

It's been over 11 years since I have taken NCLEX but I used Kaplan and passed on first try. I think Kaplan prepared me well. Kaplan teaches you to answer questions the "NCLEX way" and not necessarily the way you might want to answer it. Remember this...it worked for me. Take your time reading each question and use the ear plugs (if they still provide them). I remember feeling like I could hear my tachycardic heart beating when I first started. I slowly read each question and eventually got into a groove. You will walk out feeling like you failed the exam...everyone feels that way, don't worry. Just remember, after you pass--you never have to take the exam again!

Mine took approx 3-4 business days to process. It allows you to login and check the status. Mine said "processing" for several days before it said "completed." My enrollment counselor told me that WGU usually gets the report forwarded to them a week after.

Woohoo! That's exactly how many I need, too (34 credits). I was very pleased with my transcript evaluation at WGU. I also compared it to UTA (which, btw just finished evaluating my transcripts) and I would have to take 2 Texas Political Sci, Algebra, Technical Writing, Eng Lit, and 2 upper division electives--this in addition to the core nursing courses! No thank you. I am so glad I found about WGU...thanks to this forum. Crossing my fingers for your May 1st start date, Commuter!

Yay! Another Cali RN. Don't worry about the readiness exam. The Commuter did a great job at outlining what to expect. I'm not a math wizard, so I spent a few days on Khan Academy (as others recommended) and reviewed the basics and pre-algebra. Definitely review order of operations, fractions, decimals, and very basic geometry (perimeter & area). Just a heads up, when you get around to the immunization verification (for CA residents) start working on it right away. Your EC will email the link for completing this and a background check near the end of the application process. They wouldn't accept any of my documents from work showing compliance of flu shots, PPD, etc. It needs a Provider's signature on everything using their actual form. I have a Kaiser appt today just to get my form signed off from my primary MD and luckily my start date is May 1st or I would be stressed out trying to get this squared away. Just want other CA RNs to know not to wait til last minute to do this.