All Content by CaffeinePOstat
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Oct 2014 CRNE Result COUNTDOWN
I passed the June exam. Regarding the passing score, you only receive what the score needed to pass when you FAIL, when a person passes, it will just say pass. if unsuccessful, they will receive a Performance Profile outlining which categories they performed well or poorly in (ie Changes in health, professional practice etc)
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CRNE ending, NCLEX beginning
From your post, it sounds like you have only failed the CRNE once. Did you attempt the October exam? If you are interested in the NCLEX, Why not wait until it comes to Canada in several months? You already have the Canadian education requirements. You still have attempts available.
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Has anyone found a nursing job by reconnecting with old manager of unit you precepted
Going to the manager on the unit I precepted at worked for me. On my last day, I went into her office to thank her for the opportunity and to express my gratitude for my preceptor and say what a good job they did for me when I was a student. We chatted about work and things about ourselves and in the end, she gave me her business card and said to send her an email when I applied to the new grad position. It it took a while, perhaps over a month until I saw the job posting, but right when I applied, I sent my email to remind her who I was and expressed my interest in the job. I definitely recommend you contacting the manger, you can ask if they are hiring and say you are interested. Remind them who your preceptor was and also, if you can, contact your preceptor so they may put in a good word for you. If you check out Google, there's a lot of sample email/letters on how to write a professional message to a hiring manager.
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No one will give me a chance
Keeler, do not feel alone or isolated. We all support you here. I truly empathize with you. I am genuinely sorry for your losses, it was probably a really difficult time for you but you seem like a strong willed person, and I know it reflects in your nursing skills. I also lost a close relative, my grandmother during my last term of nursing school to liver cancer. She had to be palliative in her last days. But during this time, I did a lot of reflection about myself and nursing. In fact, during my interview, when asked "who is my role model" I answered my grandma because she was very strong and had put others before her own needs when she was sick etc... I actually got emotional during the interview and shed some tears. This cause for some of the interviewers to tear up too. I felt bad for lowering the mood of the interview but I was being as honest as I could. I know what you mean by the pressure of trying to impress others but this in turn, comes back to bite us. Continue to be yourself and hope the interviewer sees that you're a genuine caring person. Don't feel like you have to act a certain way since if you're hired, they want you to be the person they see in the interview. Keep your head up and you will eventually find a good match with an employer. Use your past as a driving force and those experiences to show your strength during hardships.
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No one will give me a chance
Think of all the positives, and it's clear that you have already and you know you're an intelligent and competent fit to be a nurse. Yes, the nerves can get the best of everyone and you seem to be aware of your barriers ,which is a great step in overcoming them. Many people are still struggling to get one call for an interview, and you have already received call backs which indicates employers see your potential. You seem very confident in your abilities, now you just need to practice channeling that confidence during your interviews. Practise out loud with others beforehand, perhaps record yourself to review how your body language comes across. Before each interview, take deep breaths and smile! :) I know it's hard, but don't let the interviewer intimidate you, try to think of the interview as a normal conversation. Answer honestly and genuinely. I think they prefer genuine answers over polished and over reheorificed responses. Best of luck! You can do it!
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Absolutely incompetent...not so sure "it gets better".
I am a new grad RN, I am on a CV surgery floor and I was fortunate to be back on the unit I had my consolidation at during my final year in school. I only had one shift before and the routine is slowly coming back to me but I still feel like I'm a student. I feel like the other nurses expect a lot from the new hires. My preceptor is nice but I fear disappointing her by being incompetent. So like the previous poster, I hope it gets better and what's the best way to turn a bad experience into a good one? I haven't had one yet but I am just anticipating that day....
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1 Oct, CRNE
I can see why you feel more nervous as you've already gone through it and feel the pressure. But try to view that positively, you went through the experience before so you know what to expect when it comes to the format and type of questions. I think having that experience is advantageous for you. You know your test weaknesses from the past and can use that to pass this time around. Believe in yourself! Failing the exam is not a definition of yourself as a nurse. But have faith you will pass this time! You have already come so far already.
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1 Oct, CRNE
With only several days away, stay calm and review what you have studied, go over concepts you are second guessing but I would not try to cram anything new at this point. Use this time to continue doing those mock exams and practice questions. Make sure you're doing questions in a timely manner. Most importantly, do not study one day before the exam. Take the day off to unwind and relax. Have fun and meet up with friends. Do whatever will help calm your nerves. It's okay to be anxious but don't let it get to you too much. The feeling is normal. Prepare all your materials to bring to the test centre the night before. Get adequate sleep and eat a nutritious breakfast to help your brain function at its best. Good luck!!
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Does this sound like I got the job?
It sounds positive and that the NM was impressed with you and also interested in moving forward. In my experience, I received the offer from the manager who interviewed me (she called me), but HR was involved in terms of the paper work: ensuring all the correct steps were taken in the hiring process. For example, all my documents went to HR and they ran the criminal check. I believe the NM makes the decision but will be finalized with HR. I considered myself officially hired when I signed the offer letter and knew the details of my position (pay, benefits etc). The manager sent my offer letter and that letter had to be signed by her and myself, then forwarded to HR. But each hospital had their own way of paper work. But you're on the right track! Keep following up with them after they have completed interviewing candidates. You probably have a great chance of getting a call back :) good luck!
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HELP!!!! Interview NSLIJ
Congrats!! I'm glad it worked for you! Cheers!
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HELP!!!! Interview NSLIJ
Wishing you lots of luck! Smile and give good eye contact Let us know how it goes.
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HELP!!!! Interview NSLIJ
Good luck at your interview! Be calm and confident, and don't worry about getting every questions right. You will probably Be getting situational/behavioural type questions, where you have to explain a time you problem solved, had conflict, etc.. And how you handle the situation. I am not from the U.S., I am from Canada but I had some med-surg questions in my interview as a new grad. I was given a case scenario and had to explain what I would do, what were the priorities (a pt with a trach in respiratory distress and they were vomiting and had an ng tube.). Another question I had was where I was given a set of vitals and had to predict what was occurring to the patient. I was also asked complications of cardiovascular surgeries (the unit I'll be working on is CVS). But most of my question were about myself (where do I see myself in 3-5 years, how is my leadership style, how do I resolve conflict with other nurses and staff). There were many questions I couldn't prepare for but did my best to answer genuinely. I was asked who was my role model and I used a close family member as a response and it made me tear up. In the end, they said they enjoyed my interview and I ended up being hired. Be yourself and show you're someone who is eager to learn and enjoys team work environments. Most interviewers are looking for your soft skills (I.e. If you're a good fit for the unit) rather how good of a nurse you are now. They know you're a new grad so don't worry too much about the heavy stuff yet, although on the AN threads, I've seen people say they had questions based on medications and procedures. Try to research the hospital and values of the unit too. Best of luck to you!
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Opinion on Humber College RN program
1. I would suggest organizing your time with readings, map out when you will read a section from each class. Example: printing out blank monthly or weekly calendars. It's helpful to read ahead of class so you have a better understanding when it's discussed in class, and just review later (realistically, this can't always be the case...the readings are pretty heavy on top of assignments and studying). But don't let it pile up, break up your readings into chunks or read all the shorter ones first...but the more that becomes piled up, it'll seem harder to tackle. 2. When it comes to articles, I used to read it on my way to class (I took the bus and subway to Humber). I left the heavy texts at home and read everything else on my breaks at school. 3. I also recommend gathering a small study group to discuss the readings and materials, it helps to summarize what you've read and figure out what's important. Sometimes you can't do all the readings but you'll pick up which ones are the most important to go over. There are some courses that the prof make really great slides, and the book just supplements the class so you do not have to read every chapter of the book.
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Why do you want to work in Peds? Interview Question
The previous posters had great tips! I would definitely add in a personal example of a time that reinforced your thoughts about working in Pediatrics. Something that occurred to you or a story of a patient of yours that stuck with you to go along with your reasons of why you enjoy Pediatrics. End your response by summarizing your points to how your personality and skills, reason why you like Pediatrics would be a great match for the unit. Emphasize your strengths and how that unit can help you grow professionally
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Help! Nurse manager interview
Did you ask them questions at the end of your interview about how long can it be expected to hear back from them? usually they still are in the process of interviewing other candidates, thus some time would pass before hearing anything back. But in general, I would just send a thank you note within 24 hours of your interview, then wait about a week. Sometimes they are quick to respond but also can take several weeks to hear anything. There are hospitals that do not send out rejections so you may hear nothing at all. But I hope you will hear good news soon! Good luck :)
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Would it hurt me if I get a retail or minimum wage job while looking for an RN job?
I do not disagree with you at all, if they have been at a job where they have used their customer services for a good period, it could work in their advantage, but I do not think they require to add it on if they just started that job a week ago. Instead, I would focus on the skills they have already worked on. It was just from advice and other threads on AN that others have mentioned that we do not have to add it, and focus on nursing. In my interview for a unit recently, I did speak about my retail and customer experience and related it to nursing but I wanted to keep my resume to maximum 2 pages and left it out there. The OP asked if it would look bad if she mentioned she got another job outside nursing, my answer to that is no, and like you said, it is translatable skill. But she is worried about "employers judging her", I meant it is not mandatory to add it if she does not feel comfortable doing so.
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Would it hurt me if I get a retail or minimum wage job while looking for an RN job?
If you are planning to get a job in the meantime, while waiting to get a job, I say go for it! Especially since you have loans (I am in the same boat as you!). You do not need to indicate on your resume that you have a job that is unrelated to nursing such as retail. Your nursing resume should only indicate relative skills. I assume that once you land a nursing job, you will leave your side job. If you plan on working in both areas, retail work usually has flexible scheduling. The priority is to have a job whether it is in nursing or not, since your loan payment will be coming soon. You don't want to get penalized for not being able to pay it back. I am waiting to hear back from a hospital I interviewed at but I also contacted my old employer (in a retail job) to see if I could come back while I am looking. Crossing fingers I do not have to go back though but it's good to have a plan B when you need income coming in. Good luck!
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CRNE oct1,2014
When studying, refer back to the Performance profile that shows which areas may require more work on. Majority of the exam is Changes in health but see if it is a different area such as Professional practice that is causing you to score below a pass. Focus more on your weak areas versus areas that you are strong on. Take a look at these threads for some advice given by those who were successful. See if you are using helpful resources. I mostly studied from Mosby and the CNA mock exams, as well as my class notes from Med-Surg text book. But everyone studies differently. Keep doing many practice questions when you are studying to become more familiar with what is correct AND which answers are wrong (and why are they not the options to choose on the exam). https://allnurses.com/canada-crne-cpnre/i-passed-how-813343.html https://allnurses.com/canada-crne-cpnre/crne-critical-thinking-940918.html
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CRNE oct1,2014
From what you mentioned, it sounds like you are very anxious and letting the pressure get the best of you. This will lead to doing more harm than help. I agree with Janfrn that you take the valuable time to spend reevaluating if you are ready to re-write. Do not rush the process since it is your very last attempt. If you can, take prep courses to prepare and perhaps hire a tutor that can set up a tailored study plan for you. I also agree that if you do not feel confident in English, that you should focus time learning and understanding the language since the CRNE can be lengthy in words and uses medical terminology. It will be easier to answer the questions correctly and in a timely fashion if you can understand the information in front of you. It might not even be a lack of knowledge that you have previously failed but knowing how to tackle this type of exam. Find the best strategies that fits you. There are many threads on this site that provides good tips on studying. Best of luck to you!
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Coronary care 1 help
I'm sorry to hear about your situation. I hope there are nurses who are willing to switch with you. I would think since you have already been oriented on the unit and are known to the unit that people will help you out. For me, I'm afraid as a new nurse who would just be starting on the unit, nobody would consider switching if I asked. I had classmates who were rpns working full time while going to school to become RNs, they said they could manage but I have been curious to how it was possible.
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Advice regarding finding RN employment
Definitely, I have had only one interview so far. I would consider my friends pretty lucky to land the jobs where they did and even be offered two positions, while the majority are still hunting to get interviewed. Good luck CanadianGirl79 in the job hunt, I can relate to the frustration and test of patience in this process. Let us know if you hear back!
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Advice regarding finding RN employment
I am also from Toronto and I do see that it is not easy to expect a full time off off the bat. I was fortunate to have an interview with a big hospital downtown that I consolidated at this week and am awaiting their final decision. But if I was to not receive this position, I would definitely take any job offers, even if it was casual. You can also work multiple jobs too. I have friends who live more West in Hamilton/Burlington who have two jobs in nursing (each have full time nursing jobs and another nursing job starting on top of that). With casual positions, it would be very manageable to work for different hospitals too. So if you were to take the casual position, I would not think you're stuck there. You could take on another job while you're making yourself known to the organization. You'll have a great chance to get offered full time in the future! Any experience is better than none. Good luck! :)
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Cheap RN Textbooks! Where?!
At Humber, they allow you to rent textbooks for a fraction of the cost of the book. I used this option frequently when it came to books I knew I would not need in the future. On their bookstore websites, they also have ebooks available. My friends have been successful finding cheaper books through kijiji or craigslist. Or knowing a person in an upper year of the program who was willing to sell their copy. But I highly suggest buying the most recent editions for Potter and Perry and for Med-surg. There is a discounted bookstore near by Humber as well (sorry, I do not have the address). It is north on highway 27 after Humber college
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Coronary care 1 help
Perhaps you can take PALS, and RNAO can also reimburse you if a hospital can't. It says you do not have to be a member of RNAO, you just have to apply within 90days after completion. You need proof of receipt and completion. At the bottom of here it shows examples of what receipts look like from different schools NEI Grant Application FAQ | Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario
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Coronary care 1 help
I am hoping to work on the unit that I consolidated on, which was cardiac vascular surgery...where CC1 is required. I'm waiting to hear back for an interview. I am taking this course because I am interested in cardiology but also for "just in case", and hoping it'd help me find a job easier if I am not successful with my last unit. They were not hiring when I left but they said they would be soon. I applied back in June through the new grad initiative and a nurse said the hiring process is still in the works. Just crossing my fingers and applying to other hospitals in the mean time. I did hear that hospitals can reimburse nurses for taking courses that are required. I also looked into The Registered Nurses Association of Ontario, and they offer to reimburse the tuition for continuing education courses so I hope I can be eligible for this if I am not able to get it from an employer. http://rnao.ca/education-funding/nei Thanks for the heads up! I'm still struggling with finding a job in T.O.