luluRN14

You're very welcome! I would be worried for you if you weren't nervous or weighing your options. Nursing isn't a profession one can 'float through'. The fact that you are weighing your options this carefully shows that your decision will be well thought out, and you'll be better prepared for the road ahead because of the time you're spending now. Congrats, one of the hallmarks of a good nurse is learning how to make decisions based on the evidence in front of you, and the situation you have to work with - you're doing that now. Just remember you're not alone, the majority of other nursing students are shaking in their Danskos with anxiety over their first hospital rotation.

Great Start! Suggestions: Remove objective and replace with section of Candidate Highlights. This allows you to showcase specific things you achieved that make you a stand out candidate in your first few bullet points. For example, when I was in nursing school, you had to go through a selection process to be accepted into a pediatric ICU preceptorship, and not everyone was selected. So my first bullet point might be: - Selected from pool of senior nursing students by nursing school faculty and hospital administration for (level) Pediatric ICU Preceptorship experience. First thing, that lets the recruiter know that people in hiring and evaluation positions selected you, so you're worth taking a little extra time to look at. Second, I would include action and outcome based statements about your clinical rotations. There are mixed feelings about whether a description should be included, because most nursing school curriculum is very similar. With that said, you have some unique experiences. Have you worked with vents? How about vent weaning? Have you shadowed your preceptor during blood admin protocol? These among many others are things that not all nursing students get to experience. Make sure you mention things like this! An example of an action/ outcome statement might be: - Performed vent weaning protocols for vent dependent patient to facilitate successful step-down to Room Air. Another suggestion I received during my application process was to include a clinical skills list in bullet points: for example: -IV removal -wet to dry dressing changes - catheter insertion and removal - etc. These are all skills that HR/nurse managers want a new grad to at least have experienced, and not all new grads have this experience. Preceptorships vary drastically depending on institution policies and how comfortable your preceptor is giving you increasing responsibility. Just remember you are selling yourself as the best candidate above all others for a job, why do they want you?? Check out the blog post from BluePipes, it's specifically tailored for nurses. When I was applying to jobs I found their blog info really helpful on navigating the world of resumes in the era of applicant tracking systems (the online resume parsing systems). They say don't worry about the length of your resume. Mine was a full 2 pages when I started - it helped get me the job I have now. Top 10 Details to Include on a Nursing Resume - RN Resume Good luck!

Hi, first of all congrats on deciding to go into nursing, whichever route you take! It's an amazing profession that can be incredibly rewarding and at times incredibly tough. It sounds like you might be in the stage of nursing school (pre-nursing school in your case) I like to call the 'Holy S**t! What Was I Thinking' stage. Looking back on my nursing education, I feel like I remember myself and many of my fellow nursing students going through a similar freak out period, and it often happened to coincide with first clinical. For you, it seems to have happened a bit earlier. Here are my suggestions: First of all, believe in yourself. We have all felt at some point like we are incapable/terrified/incompetent/combination of all. Second, I think what is really important here is what is important to you, what are your lifestyle and achievement goals (do you want to direct care, flexible hours, upward career movement, etc.?), and what are your barriers to achieving those goals (how's your support network, financial concerns, family obligations, etc.?)? With either option, you put yourself in a position to achieve your broad goal of working in a profession that allows you to help people. I am biased because I did a 2 year BSN program without having any prior nursing experience. It was probably one of the most difficult things I've ever done, and more often than not I was terrified I couldn't do it and worried I didn't have what it takes to 'cut it' as an RN in a hospital. Despite this, it was the best decision I have ever made. Personally, I feel like I have a lot more options open to me as a BSN than many people I've spoken with at job fairs who have their LPN. However, this is because I want to work in a hospital with a 5 year career goal of going into nursing education. And just remember, part of the nursing school experience is having dozens of other students at your side who are going through the exact same thing. Knowing that you are not the only one with these fears and concerns makes a world of difference. I wish you the best of luck in your career, whichever path you choose.

After I graduated I had a meeting with a mentor who also works in the new grad education unit at a large metropolitan teaching hospital. Here is what she told me: 'If you cannot get into a new grad program in acute care, go work in rehab, home care, clinics, LTC, SNFs, wellness clinics, etc. Work there for 1-2 years. Then reapply to the acute care hospitals. Once you have 1 year under your belt, the electronic screening systems they use to weed people out file you into a completely different category: you move from Graduate Nurse to Staff Nurse 1. This opens up a lot of doors.' I might also suggest that during that 1-2 years, also become a volunteer at the hospital you'd most like to work at. Make connections. Network. And if you can possibly manage it, begin to take some classes to move toward getting your BSN. A lot of hospitals are looking to hire LPNs who are taking steps to receive their BSN within 3 years of hire. I hope this is helpful! Best of luck to you!

Congrats on your interview @umad ! My start date is January 26. I was concerned about the endorsement portion of this as well. The board I am transferring from is notoriously slow due to high volume. But Cleveland Clinic has made it as easy as possible to relocate, including putting me in touch with people who can help me speed this process along. A couple things to know. In Ohio, you are issued a 180 day temp license upon receipt and confirmation of your application, fee, and verification of education and current licensure. If your state participates in NURSYS (an online database for interstate license confirmation), the process will move a lot faster than if you have to get your state to confirm by snail mail. If your state does not participate in NURSYS, the best way to get the process rolling is to call a couple times a week and tell them your job depends on the paperwork, and even show up in person to your state board offices. Once your paperwork is in for the temp license there are a few other steps that need to be completed including: 1. background and fingerprint 2. 2 Ohio CEU from Category A 3. confirmation of address change (if you will be moving) within 30 days of move. I've included some links below to the sites I found helpful. Good luck on your interview! The CC likes to ask 'Tell me about a time...' questions. http://www.nursys.com Ohio Board of Nursing / Forms Page Ohio Board of Nursing / Nursing Education

Hi KellyRN2013, thanks for your help! I ended up interviewing for the position, getting an offer, and taking the job, I'm very excited. You are right about the patient population. It's a pulmonary step-down unit that is equipped to take ICU overflow. They do a lot of vent weaning, see a lot of double pneumonias, idiopathic plum. fibrosis, ARDS, etc. What I really liked about the unit is that they also take ICU overflow, so even though the focus is pulmonary, nurses end up working with patients who have a broad range of health issues. It will certainly be an adventure! Thanks again for your help!

Hi Everyone, I was wondering if there is anyone that could tell me about the EndoPulmRescu Unit on the main campus of the Cleveland Clinic? I was offered an interview (new grad RN) and am really excited about the opportunity - the problem is I can't find anything on the internet about the nursing environment (acute, intermediate, critical, etc). I was told in an e-mail that they deal with things like vents and pneumonia - but that could mean a lot of different things. I am about as far out of state as you can get, so before I accept the interview I want to make sure it's a position I'd be willing to relocate for if I got the job. Any knowledge or advice would be greatly appreciated - Thanks!