FutureMSN-FNP

GENERALLY speaking, which one pays new grads more: Riverside Regional Medical Center, Sentara Careplex, or Sentara Norfolk General? What can you tell me about the environment at each (nurse/patient ratios, culture, dress code, availability of important supplies--flushes, lifts, linen, etc.) What about the benefits (shift differentials, insurance, company discounts, childcare, etc.)? If you have worked at more than one of these places or more than one unit at one of these places, what are your thoughts or recommendations for new grads? Is there anywhere that you do or do not highly recommend? Thank you!

Thank you so much! That helps a lot!

I'll be finishing there in March. Let me know if you have any questions! I actually just typed a huge reply with information, but the screen timed out and I don't feel like typing anymore. Good luck!!

Hi! I was just admitted to RN to BSN online program at Old Dominion University (ODU) and will be starting this fall (August 2018). What are your experiences working during this program? The school recommends a part time course load for RNs who are working full time, but I really want to finish in 3 semesters (around 13 credits per term). Have any of you successfully worked 3-4 12h shifts/week while taking a full BSN course load? I was thinking I could work 3 days in a row and spend my other 4 days on schoolwork. Realistically, I'll probably work 3 days in a row, sleep the next day, then work on schoolwork the following 3 days. Were any of you able to maintain both your GPA and work performance? What are your recommendations? Thank you!

Thank you MsPeachies! Do you by chance know which company and/or facility this person works for?

This is directed towards RNs working and living in Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, VA Beach, Williamsburg, and surrounding areas. 1. What is the average starting pay for new grad RNs in this area? New grad AASN starting pay per hour at Riverside Regional Medical Center New grad BSN starting pay per hourat Riverside Regional Medical Center New grad AASN starting pay per hour at Sentara Careplex, Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center, Sentara Norfolk General New grad BSN starting pay per hour at Sentara Careplex, Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center, Sentara Norfolk General New grad AASN starting pay per hour at Mary Immaculate Hospital, Maryview Medical Center, and other Bon Secours Hospitals in Hampton Roads New grad BSN starting pay per hour at Mary Immaculate Hospital, Maryview Medical Center, and other Bon Secours Hospitals in Hampton Roads 2. How much are the shift differentials? Are they consistent systemwide, or do they vary by specific hospital? 3. How would you compare your experiences working for one health system (or hospital) versus another on this list? What would you say the advantages and disadvantages would be at one place vs. another? Anything specific that stood out to you? A lot of people I have met at Maryview also work for Sentara Norfolk General and seem to like working for Sentara more than Bon Secours. Would you say this trend is more facility specific (Sentara Norfolk General as a hospital is more desireable than Maryview Medical Center), or more organization specific (i.e. working for the Sentara organization is more desireable than working for the Bon Secours organization)? Your help is appreciated!! Thank you.

Hello everyone, The three major non-government health systems in Hampton Roads are Sentara, Riverside, and Bon Secours. Can anyone give me some insight into what a new RN would expect as an employee at each? Specifically: *Orientation--What it consists of/what you do (attend classes, shadow, take care of patients or just watch, etc.), how long it is, and how you are paid for it (minimum wage or your actual base pay) *Nurse/patient ratio (the real one, not the one they tell you in the interview) *Base pay per hour (and unit/department you are referring to) *Shift differential *Weekend differential *Holiday pay and # of mandatory holidays *Do the mandatory holidays rotate or have you had to work the same ones every year even if the actual policy is to take turns? *Eligibility requirements for benefits *Which benefits are offered to full timers *Education reimbursement eligibility and amount offered ($ per year or per semester, etc) *How raises are calculated and how much to expect per year (For example, one employer I had required us to write an essay and the max increase they said they could give us if we were eligible for the full amount was literally 25 cents per hour.) *Turnover rate (i.e. Do a lot of people quit, or do people feel valued and stay for a while?) *Pros and cons of management/the culture of the company *Does the staff GENERALLY work well together? (Are particularly good or bad MD/RN, RN/CNA, management/staff, etc. relationships more common in one health system over another? This goes back to the culture of the company question.) *Type of systems they use (i.e. pyxis, kronos, paper, etc) *Are breaks automatically deducted regardless if you got one (like at Riverside--30 min deducted even if you took less or didn't take one at all), or do you clock out and back in resulting in a paycheck that reflects the actual amount of hours worked? *Any additional info about these 3 health systems or their specific facilities that you find relevant? If you don't feel like answering the specific questions, please at least put in a vote for which health system you recommend to new RN grads in Hampton Roads (Riverside, Sentara, or Bon Secours). I know federal and travel agencies are probably the best, but I am specifically asking about these 3 health systems. Thank you for your help!

Hey Choward2510! I did start :) Here are my answers to the questions based on my experiences so far: 1. Are there a set number of credits to be taken during each 5 week session? You take around 2 classes during each 5 week term for the first few months, depending on which classes, if any, transferred from previous institutions. The bulk of the NUR classes are taken alone during each 5 week term. 2. Are there a set number of classes to be taken during each 5 week session? See #1. 3. Are the arts and sciences classes taken in blocks before the core curriculum (NUR), i.e. are all of the NUR classes taken in blocks after the non-Nursing classes are completed or are some of the non-Nursing classes (BIO, COM, SOC, etc.) mixed in with the Nursing (NUR) classes in each block? They are mixed in during the first few months of the program. If you already have all or most of the arts and sciences, it just means you will either A. have a lighter load than your classmates for the first few months (take 0-1 class per term while they are taking 2 or 3), or B. take a leave of absence while your classmates are taking classes that you already completed. 4. Did you have to turn in an essay and 3 letters of recommendation before starting classes? I took the TEAS, did the application and profile, my classes were transferred, I met with financial aid, and Admissions told me I start on August 22, even though I never received an official acceptance letter..any insight on this? I had to turn in an essay and 3 letters of recommendation before being officially accepted. 5. Is there anyone else who had all of the non-Nursing classes totally completed (before starting at ECPI/MCI) that could share some insight with me? I had all of the non-Nursing classes completed and had to take a leave of absence for several months while my classmates were taking the sciences, math, English, sociology, etc. They don't let you jump straight into the NUR classes. You basically just start the program later after everyone else in your cohort completes A&P I &II, Micro, English, Math, etc. 6. Is there anyone else who has a previous Bachelor's degree that could share some insight with me as well? See #5 Hope this helps!

Hello everyone, The three major non-government health systems in Hampton Roads are Sentara, Riverside, and Bon Secours. Can anyone give me some insight into what a new RN would expect as an employee at each? Specifically: *Orientation--What it consists of/what you do (attend classes, shadow, take care of patients or just watch, etc.), how long it is, and how you are paid for it (minimum wage or your actual base pay) *Nurse/patient ratio (the real one, not the one they tell you in the interview) *Base pay per hour (and unit/department you are referring to) *Shift differential *Weekend differential *Holiday pay and # of mandatory holidays *Do the mandatory holidays rotate or have you had to work the same ones every year even if the actual policy is to take turns? *Eligibility requirements for benefits *Which benefits are offered to full timers *Education reimbursement eligibility and amount offered ($ per year or per semester, etc) *How raises are calculated and how much to expect per year (For example, one employer I had required us to write an essay and the max increase they said they could give us if we were eligible for the full amount was literally 25 cents per hour.) *Turnover rate (i.e. Do a lot of people quit, or do people feel valued and stay for a while?) *Pros and cons of management/the culture of the company *Does the staff GENERALLY work well together? (Are particularly good or bad MD/RN, RN/CNA, management/staff, etc. relationships more common in one health system over another? This goes back to the culture of the company question.) *Type of systems they use (i.e. pyxis, kronos, paper, etc) *Are breaks automatically deducted regardless if you got one (like at Riverside--30 min deducted even if you took less or didn't take one at all), or do you clock out and back in resulting in a paycheck that reflects the actual amount of hours worked? *Any additional info about these 3 health systems or their specific facilities that you find relevant? If you don't feel like answering the specific questions, please at least put in a vote for which health system you recommend to new RN grads in Hampton Roads (Riverside, Sentara, or Bon Secours). I know federal and travel agencies are probably the best, but I am specifically asking about these 3 health systems. Thank you for your help!

I have done both systemwide and the department orientation. They went over everything under the sun except for how to self schedule from home. I went through all of my paperwork and couldn't find anything on it. Then I asked the educator who was making the schedule and she said that we could schedule from home, but she doesn't know how. I was able to access self scheduling from kronos at Riverside, but can't acess it from home. Is there another way to do it, or does it only work on the computers on site?

Hi guys I just got hired at Riverside Regional Medical Center (RRMC) in Newport News, VA and was told that as a labor pool employee, I can view my schedule and pick up shifts online. I have gone through every different portal on the "extranet" at home and have not been able to find anything regarding the "self scheduling" that was discussed in orientation. Tomorrow I'll be asking my manager for more information, but I just wanted to see if anyone had any information about this. Is the "self scheduling" something only available on the "intranet" on Riverside's computers and not on the "extranet" at home?

Can someone please tell me about their experience in the RN program at ECPI/MCI? How were the nursing classes? How were they structured? Can you please describe a typical week as an RN student at ECPI/MCI? Those who attended the Newport News campus: at which facilities were your clinicals held? Thanks

Hello! I will be starting the RN program at ECPI/MCI in Newport News, VA on August 22, 2016. I was wondering if any current or former ECPI/MCI RN students could fill me in on the structure and scheduling of the classes. I have a previous Bachelor's degree and have already taken all of the non-Nursing courses (SOC, HUM, HLT, COM, ENG, & all the BIOs) and just need to take the core curriculum (NUR classes). In a nutshell, I just need to take the 47 credits of NUR classes (out of 75 total credits). I know that each semester consists of 3 5week sessions, but was wondering how many credits or classes are taken in each 5 week session. I have heard that we don't get our schedules until around a week before each session begins, but if someone could give me a general idea of how many classes I should expect to be taking per session I would greatly appreciate it. My main objective is to figure out how long the program will take specifically for me. They say the program "requires a minimum of 5 semesters or 18 months of instruction," but that includes all of the classes I have already taken. My financial adviser said it should take me around 16 months and that I will have some semesters off in between because the program is set up in blocks (and some of the blocks supposedly include only arts and sciences that have already transferred in). To be a little more clear, here are my specific questions: 1. Are there a set number of credits to be taken during each 5 week session? 2. Are there a set number of classes to be taken during each 5 week session? 3. Are the arts and sciences classes taken in blocks before the core curriculum (NUR), i.e. are all of the NUR classes taken in blocks after the non-Nursing classes are completed or are some of the non-Nursing classes (BIO, COM, SOC, etc.) mixed in with the Nursing (NUR) classes in each block? 4. Did you have to turn in an essay and 3 letters of recommendation before starting classes? I took the TEAS, did the application and profile, my classes were transferred, I met with financial aid, and Admissions told me I start on August 22, even though I never received an official acceptance letter..any insight on this? 5. Is there anyone else who had all of the non-Nursing classes totally completed (before starting at ECPI/MCI) that could share some insight with me? 6. Is there anyone else who has a previous Bachelor's degree that could share some insight with me as well? I really want to finish ASAP so I can take the NCLEX and start ODU's RN to BSN program (I'm already in ODU, and have a plan with my advisers I just need my RN at this point) so I can finish that and start applying to MSN-FNP programs (VCU would be great since you can go straight in after finishing a BSN). Thank you for your help!!!!!!

Hello! I will be starting the RN program at ECPI/MCI in Newport News, VA on August 22, 2016. I was wondering if any current or former ECPI/MCI RN students could fill me in on the structure and scheduling of the classes. I have a previous Bachelor's degree and have already taken all of the non-Nursing courses (SOC, HUM, HLT, COM, ENG, & all the BIOs) and just need to take the core curriculum (NUR classes). In a nutshell, I just need to take the 47 credits of NUR classes (out of 75 total credits). I know that each semester consists of 3 5week sessions, but was wondering how many credits or classes are taken in each 5 week session. I have heard that we don't get our schedules until around a week before each session begins, but if someone could give me a general idea of how many classes I should expect to be taking per session I would greatly appreciate it. My main objective is to figure out how long the program will take specifically for me. They say the program "requires a minimum of 5 semesters or 18 months of instruction," but that includes all of the classes I have already taken. My financial adviser said it should take me around 16 months and that I will have some semesters off in between because the program is set up in blocks (and some of the blocks supposedly include only arts and sciences that have already transferred in). To be a little more clear, here are my specific questions: 1. Are there a set number of credits to be taken during each 5 week session? 2. Are there a set number of classes to be taken during each 5 week session? 3. Are the arts and sciences classes taken in blocks before the core curriculum (NUR), i.e. are all of the NUR classes taken in blocks after the non-Nursing classes are completed or are some of the non-Nursing classes (BIO, COM, SOC, etc.) mixed in with the Nursing (NUR) classes in each block? 4. Did you have to turn in an essay and 3 letters of recommendation before starting classes? I took the TEAS, did the application and profile, my classes were transferred, I met with financial aid, and Admissions told me I start on August 22, even though I never received an official acceptance letter..any insight on this? 5. Is there anyone else who had all of the non-Nursing classes totally completed (before starting at ECPI/MCI) that could share some insight with me? 6. Is there anyone else who has a previous Bachelor's degree that could share some insight with me as well? I really want to finish ASAP so I can take the NCLEX and start ODU's RN to BSN program (I'm already in ODU, and have a plan with my advisers I just need my RN at this point) so I can finish that and start applying to MSN-FNP programs (VCU would be great since you can go straight in after finishing a BSN). Thank you for your help!!!!!!

Hello! I will be starting the RN program at ECPI/MCI in Newport News, VA on August 22, 2016. I was wondering if any current or former ECPI/MCI RN students could fill me in on the structure and scheduling of the classes. I have a previous Bachelor's degree and have already taken all of the non-Nursing courses (SOC, HUM, HLT, COM, ENG, & all the BIOs) and just need to take the core curriculum (NUR classes). In a nutshell, I just need to take the 47 credits of NUR classes (out of 75 total credits). I know that each semester consists of 3 5week sessions, but was wondering how many credits or classes are taken in each 5 week session. I have heard that we don't get our schedules until around a week before each session begins, but if someone could give me a general idea of how many classes I should expect to be taking per session I would greatly appreciate it. My main objective is to figure out how long the program will take specifically for me. They say the program "requires a minimum of 5 semesters or 18 months of instruction," but that includes all of the classes I have already taken. My financial adviser said it should take me around 16 months and that I will have some semesters off in between because the program is set up in blocks (and some of the blocks supposedly include only arts and sciences that have already transferred in). To be a little more clear, here are my specific questions: 1. Are there a set number of credits to be taken during each 5 week session? 2. Are there a set number of classes to be taken during each 5 week session? 3. Are the arts and sciences classes taken in blocks before the core curriculum (NUR), i.e. are all of the NUR classes taken in blocks after the non-Nursing classes are completed or are some of the non-Nursing classes (BIO, COM, SOC, etc.) mixed in with the Nursing (NUR) classes in each block? 4. Did you have to turn in an essay and 3 letters of recommendation before starting classes? I took the TEAS, did the application and profile, my classes were transferred, I met with financial aid, and Admissions told me I start on August 22, even though I never received an official acceptance letter..any insight on this? 5. Is there anyone else who had all of the non-Nursing classes totally completed (before starting at ECPI/MCI) that could share some insight with me? 6. Is there anyone else who has a previous Bachelor's degree that could share some insight with me as well? I really want to finish ASAP so I can take the NCLEX and start ODU's RN to BSN program (I'm already in ODU, and have a plan with my advisers I just need my RN at this point) so I can finish that and start applying to MSN-FNP programs (VCU would be great since you can go straight in after finishing a BSN). Thank you for your help!!!!!!