OneHappyRN

I agree w/ LM NY. A lot of nurses get their start in med-surg for a good foundation from which to build. It's great to get your time in and gain experience. Northwell Health is a great system if you can get your foot in the door!

I believe there are stages a new grad goes through and one stage is definitely, "what have I gotten myself into!!" I have to say, I've been doing it for just over a year and it DOES get better. Is it stressful? Yes. You will have good days and bad da...

Definitely helped. I used Kaplan and passed in 75Q. I felt very prepared for the NCLEX.

This is the latest information as of July 2014: City/State: NYC/Queens/Long Island Position: RN 12.5hr shift - Med Surg (although it doesn't matter which floor all RNs start at the same salary) Pay: Days: $40/hr and Nights: $42.50/hr Benefits: FT (3 ...

I have a sheet of paper that I carry around with me. On that paper I have columns for each pt. I have a column for vital signs, meds due throughout the shift, updates/things to do. I even jot down little things like "get pt water" b/c it's SOO easy t...

I could have written your post...except, I'm older. lol I was a SAHM for 20 yrs, went to nursing school, graduated having not worked in 20+ yrs and was hired right out of nursing school. :) How did I do it? I made sure I got to know the managers on t...

I agree w/ BloomNurseRN, most med-surg floors will hire new RNs and the fact that you have at least some experience will probably actually help you. I don't think you will have a problem, just start applying. :)

I can SO relate!! I let it stop me for quite some time. Then when I decided to pursue my dream, I had a couple of people say, "Nursing?? Are you sure you can handle it?!" b/c they knew how squeamish I was. I talked to other nurses for input and they ...

I agree w/ the above poster 100%. Depending on where you live, it can be hard to get a job. I applied to nearly 50 places. I got ONE interview...and that was from a nurse manager that I had met and made an impression w/ while in nursing school. I wen...

I don't think it would hurt, but I also don't think it's necessary. I was hired in Sept and I'm just now taking an ACLS course - and the hospital is paying for it.

I'm sorry I can't be of help as far as the track to take - I just went to a 4 year college and got my BSN. I didn't have previous experience and was never a CNA. That can definitely help and many people say you should...I just didn't b/c I wanted to ...

If you're asking for advice/suggestions, I have one for you. I actually think you're doing too many different programs. I heard a lot of people say to focus on one or two programs. I did that. I chose Kaplan and LaCharity. I did 50 questions 3 times ...

I agree w/ the majority. You have the best of both worlds - part time work and enough time to be with your baby. Sounds like a great plan. :)

I think anything is possible. I don't know the details, but my friend's brother did this. He purchased a large home and only has 8 patients. Mostly his elderly grandmother and aunts because it's a recent endeavor. I don't know him personally, but jus...

I totally agree w/ crossfit nurse. In your last semester if you're shadowing a nurse, STAND OUT and be willing to work, learn, and be part of the team. See yourself as part of the team rather than a "nursing student". That's how I got my job. I was o...

I wouldn't worry about it. I didn't have any experience except my clinicals. I learned a LOT during my preceptorship in my last semester of nursing school. It really started to come together - then when I got a job on the med-surg floor it just came ...

I just wanted to say don't be upset that you got that score on Test A. That's pretty good!! I did worse on Test A. I got 65. I got 73% on the 2nd. After that, I got a study plan from an ATI instructor. She told me to study for 2 weeks then take my ex...

You could look for an NCLEX style book like Saunders for the different topics. They are NCLEX style questions which you will need to know during nursing school. They are tough questions, but they become a little easier once you know how to eliminate ...

It's very hard in NYC to get a job in a hospital w/ an associates unless you worked within the healthcare system to begin with. Do you have experience as a PCA or anything? I worked w/ a couple of nurses who had their associates, but they are current...

I brought my purse which had my usual stuff (keys, ID, cell phone, wallet, etc) but I did that knowing that I would have to put it all in a locker when I got there. I called the place ahead of time and they said it was fine to bring those things, but...

I was in the same boat. I had already booked our vacation, but went on the interview anyway. I was offered the job, but told them of my previous plans - I told her that I would cancel my vacation if it meant me losing the job offer. The Mgr told me t...

Wow...just wow...

I did my preceptorship on a floor and got to know the Mgr and my preceptor fairly well. After I graduated they wanted to hire me, but there were no positions open. The Mgr told me to give her my resume so she could pass it on to another nurse manager...

I don't know about CA - and I don't know about other hospitals in my area...but my salary does cover my COL...although, I've always lived way below my means out of choice. So it's possible that some people spend more on housing, cars, etc. which can ...

New York....