chickadee1993

Hi everyone! I was just accepted into UCFs Adult/Gero NP Critical Care program. I was originally accepted for primary care FNP but decided to switch because I love working with the adults/elderly and think I would prefer inpatient. Currently I work at the VA and would love to stay there after I graduate, but I've heard its pretty much impossible to get a job as a new grad NP with the VA :/. Anyway, I've had a few people tell me I should have stayed with FNP because its much easier to find a job with that. I was just wondering if anyone could speak to that, I'd definitely appreciate your insight! Should I be worried about finding a job with this track? If I want to work inpatient or in the ED, will I not be hired since I'm adult and not family? Thanks so much! :)

Hi there! I was in the VALOR program from June of 2014 through May of 2015. There were 8 of us VALORs from our program and 7 out of the 8 of us took a job with the VA after we passed NCLEX. I absolutely loved the program. I got to do and see so many things and I feel like it made me a much more well-rounded nurse in the short period of time I was doing the program. I was accessing ports, starting IV's, doing wound care, setting up sterile fields for surgery/GU procedures, and much more. I hope you get an interview and can get in! If you show how sincere you are about caring for veterans then you should be great! As far as for my VALOR experience, we worked whatever schedule our preceptors worked in the area we were in. We rotated through different clinics and units (we usually spent two weeks at each), and usually there were 2 approved preceptors in each area, so you could pretty much go in and have someone to precept you. They really really want you to finish the hours for the internship, so at least at my VA they were very flexible with making sure you were able to log all your hours before the semester ended. Good luck! :)

Hey everyone! I just submitted my application to the UCF DNP program for Fall 2016. I was wondering if anyone in the program currently has any words of wisdom (in case I get in :) ) or if anyone else has applied from allnurses for August? Thanks!!

Hey there! Im looking for some insight from people who are familiar with ORMC and FH South. I recently graduated and am looking into these two hospitals, however I really have no idea which one is "better" and would hate to pick one and end up wishing I had chosen the other. I honestly don't know the unit I'd prefer but I was considering possibly trauma step-down (which would make ORMC the better choice), or cardiac. I'm really looking to get some great experience under my belt. Does anyone have any info regarding the following for either hospital? - how easy it is to pick up OT - how is the self-scheduling? - workplace morale - management - patient to nurse ratio (especially on the PCU floors) Thanks so much! I appreciate the help! :)

Im at a VA in Florida :) And thanks Vona! I'm planning on applying to DNP programs next year, and hope to start maybe in August of 2016 (another reason why I want 12s... I don't really want to go to school part-time and work 5 days a week). I have to look into seeing how the whole paying for continuing education works! :)

Thank you all so much for your comments! :)

Thank you so much! I appreciate the responses. I guess I have a lot to think about. Ive definitely heard that its harder to go forward than it is to go backwards. I really do love working with the veterans and 99% of the VA nurses I've gotten to meet are AMAZING, and fun to work with. I think I may see what happens until the end of the year, and see how the plans are looking with the new hospital, scheduling, and ability to move around in there. If it doesn't look so good, I may apply to the GN program for the beginning of next year, since I will still be under the one-year from graduation requirement. Thank you guys! Lots to consider :)

Hi everyone! I was looking to get some opinions :) I am currently a new grad who will be working for the VA next month. I was in the VALOR program with 7 others, and we are all currently waiting to be placed. Heres my dilemma - Im 21 years old, and was offered positions in critical care areas (CICU & multi-system ICU) in the private-sector hospitals in my city, where they do the 3 12's a week. Being so young, working on a specialty floor 3 days a week seems like the dream right now! At the VA, I will be in the community living center (LTC) facility until the med/surg unit opens (whenever the new hospital opens... who knows, hopefully end of the year :/). We have to work on the med/surg for at least a year before being able to advance, and the VA does 5 8's a week, which does not appeal to me at all. My question is for nurses who have worked in the private sector and for the VA. Am I making the right decision to stay with the VA on a unit that won't be as challenging (med/surg vs ICU), on a schedule I'm not thrilled about? **** I guess what I really would like opinions on is - Is working for the VA really THAT much better than private-sector hospitals (as I've heard...?).

Yes, exactly! :) I have to look into that.. It seems the 12s are a no go :/ They told us we would be able to move to the ER or ICU in a year... but they've seem to have told us a lot of things that so far haven't held up (like that we would be able to start working as soon as we passed boards... that was a month ago, and I probably won't be starting for another month :/) I'll have to be persistent most likely I guess! I think I may stick it out for at least a year before I apply elsewhere.. I just wasn't sure if anyone had any thoughts on working for the VA in the long run, but this may not have been the right forum to ask lol. Thank you so much for your reply! :)

Hi there! I just graduated from nursing school in May and passed boards in June. Before graduating I was part of an internship with the Dept Of Veterans Affairs, so I have a job lined up with the VA in August. Im just not sure if this is the best move to make right now... I am 21 years old and I was offered positions in the ICU in private-sector hospitals and like the idea of working three 12 hour shifts a week on a specialty floor (Cardiac ICU). However, family members are telling me that sticking with a federal job is best (for the benefits, like pension, etc). If I stay with the VA I will be in a nursing home for 6 months, and then on a Med/Surg floor for who knows how long (I don't know how hard it is to advance within the VA hospital). Also, the VA is doing 8 hour shifts, so that means work 5 days a week as opposed to 3. I don't really know if I should accept a position in a private-sector hospital on a floor I like with a schedule I would love, or stick it out with the VA on a med/surg floor where Im worried I won't be challenged :/ Any advice is greatly appreciated! :)

Congrats! When you say know your labs... do you mean the common labs like electrolytes etc or like the more not so common ones like TSH, T4, uric acid...? :) Thank you for your post!

That really makes me feel better! I think its doing a good job too, Ive just seen posts where people have just used Kaplan and failed :x But I guess it all depends :) I got a 70 on the readiness, and q1-q6 scored anywhere from 60-70. Thank you!!! And congrats again!

Thank you for sharing! Did you use anything else besides Kaplan to prepare? My test is in a few days and I'm starting to get nervous because I really haven't used much to review content.. I finished/reviewed the entire qbank and did all the qtrainers and sample tests. Congratulations!!!!! I bet it feels great to say you are officially a RN :)