Brink48

I graduate in May with my BSN. I absolutely loved my rotation at a Children Psych stand alone unit. I plan to do my preceptorship there during my last semester. I would like to work there when I graduate, I feel that's where I would enjoy working the most...the ultimate goal being a Psych NP. The only thing making me hesitate is people telling me I need Med Surg experience out of school in cases I get tired of Psych. I also have had people tell me that it's not great pay, although this unit and others I have seen pay just as much as the other Med Surg units in my town. Will I really have trouble getting a job if I for some reason get out of psych? I feel that I will just be starting where everyone else has, just later on. The hospital will teach me most of the skills/orientation. I feel like that is where I belong, but these things have me hesitant, should I be?

Job situation in my area is extremely good. I could get a job at any of the two hospitals in my city and the mental health facility right after graduation. I don't know of any Seniors last year that didn't get a job instantly after passing the NCLEX

I graduate with my BSN in 6 months or so and I am dead set on being a psych nurse. I like everything about it. I have finished my psych clinicals and have even shadowed on my own. Plan on applying to a child/adolescent facility after I graduate. My worry is what happens if I somehow lose my job, fired, or they close? Am I going to have trouble finding a job in a med surg type job with only psych experience? I have had some people tell me to do a year or two of med surg when you graduate and then go do psych, but I am so excited to start working psych right away.... What do you think?

Congrats! It was one of the most exciting times in my life learning that I was accepted.

Yep in nursing there is a ton of ways to make more at the end of the year.

The reason you don't do well on tests is because you barely study...

I felt like the actual nursing classes were easier than my pre-reqs. I feel like nursing school is a lot more busy work.

As long as the code hasn't been used you should be good.

I like it! I have heard others say nothing but good things about it.

Chemistry math wasn't hard as I thought it would be.

Your age shouldn't be an issue. Your GPA is where you might have some problems depending on what schools you will be applying schools. I know some schools average applicant GPA is like a 3.7 in some parts of the country and others it can be lower. I have seen people get into schools with 3.0's. It's all gonna depend on the applicant pool and what GPA your potential schools usually accept.

All of my teachers for pre-req classes would round up if needed. My nursing school does not round up no matter what.

I made multiple C's in pre-reqs and got accepted into the 2/2 nursing schools in which I applied.

How about not doing illegal drugs if you're going into a trusted profession?

Congrats!

Read the entire book and do the topics to review on your practice tests.

I think the only thing being a CNA really helped me with once in nursing school was patient communication.

If you are afraid of body fluids then you might want to reconsider your career choice unless you plan on not doing bedside nursing. There are a lot of hospitals where CNA's will do most of the "dirty" work, but you will still have to do some and deal with body fluids. Hopefully a CNA job will let you decide if you can handle it or not.

75% would probably scare me away, but if it was my only choice I would take it.

First day of actual nursing school I think.

If they are test bank questions that aren't used on your tests I don't see how you could get in trouble.

Focused review didn't help me much. Topics to review is the single most important thing you can do.

It seems like usually some questions are the same, but some questions will be different but they will be related to your topics to review.

I easily made a level 2 without even reading the ATI book. It's the easiest ATI test they have I think.

That is an amazing score. Congratulations.