harrycat1987

Hey! I just saw this. Did you end up moving?

I checked both PA and NJ. They both wanted verifications. It sucks especially since I am going to start travel nursing. Thanks though!

Wow. It had definitely been a journey since I passed the NCLEX. Time flies guys but I do feel 10 years older. Haha! Welcome to the Nurse Life right? A little background about me. I graduated from the Philippines in 2009 and took me 8 years to finally get work visa and take the NCLEX in 2016. (see previous blogs) After I passed my NCLEX i immediately started applying for jobs and landed a job as a Nurse Manager in a Long term care acute facility in 2 weeks. Yes, they hired me as a Nurse Manager as my first nursing job and boy was that a lot. Haha. I got lucky though. The Director of that place was very helpful and full of encouragement. I have met a lot of my friends there in nursing even though the job was very stressful and BUSY, I was able to make it cause of the other nurse managers I worked with. So, I worked in the Bronx, NY with zero experience and landed this job through NY workforce (a govt agency helping people get jobs for free). And my salary was $69,000 a year. Yes. I was a very happy new nurse. But I also felt like they made me work for that money. whew. Guys, just so you know, it's sooo hard to get in a hospital as your first nursing job and it almost seems like you have to work in a nursing care facility before you can get anywhere. I know some say it's possible. and yes it is, it will just take a lot of time, luck and lots of looking. I didn't have time. i wanted to start making money ASAP. Now, fast forward to 6 months. A recruiter has emailed me about an Operating Room job 4 hours north from NYC where I lived and it says wiling to train new nurses. Man was I interested. Ive always wanted to be in the OR and this might be it!! So, after applying and a phone interview, i accepted the job and here i am packing my bags. Now guys, I didnt know anything about this area, this hospital, etc outside from google info. All I know is that it will get my foot in the door for my OR dreams. What I'm trying to say is-- know where you want to be and get there. Even if meant leaving your loved ones behind temporarily to pursue your goals. Be brave and take risks. I am also getting paid much less here than when i was a nurse manager. But hell, when i go back to work in NYC i will be earning so much more!! So keep your eye on the prize! Stay focused and work hard. There was a nurse residency program where i was hired and basically had to be trained in the OR while getting paid like a regular employee with full benefits. So if you have to move or travel far, go for it! Its only temporary. Where am I now? I am still working at the same hospital but I am ready to meet my next goal... Travel Nursing- to expand my skills and make so much more money. See where this is going? I've had a plan all along.. Don't be discouraged. Everything is attainable. There will be lots of roadblocks but there is always a way if you're willing to figure it out and make the right sacrifices. May the force be with you, always.

Guys! Filipino nurse here, i have a question and I hope you can shed some light. I have a NY RN license and I graduated in the Philippines and had to use CGFNS NY Verification so I can take the NCLEX. Now Im looking into travel nursing and is it true that you have to apply for a separate CGFNS verification every single time you want to be endorsed to a different state? Cause honey, that CGFNS fee is $350 a pop!! haha. Thanks for the help guys!

Hey guys! So I have a phone interview tomorrow for Bassett Medical Center for an OR position. I am living now in NYC but would love to move upstate as I have had enjoyed my time in the city but want a more quiet life. So tell me, how is the work environment there? Are your co-workers nice? What are the cases like? Is it more minor surgeries? Anything about Bassett medical center information will be a great help. Thank you in advance!!!

Hi Keniken! I was just wondering if you got hired at Bassett in the OR? And how do you like it so far? How long was the orientation? Thank you. I will be having an interview tomorrow over the phone. Thank you. This will help me a lot :) Good day!!

Hey ella07- I applied in New York. We are not required to take a refresher course here. When I was applying for jobs, it didn't seem to matter when I graduated. However, they look for recent US hospital experience which I don't have. i got a job in a subacute/ acute nursing home though. Sorry you have to take a refresher course- but it will be useful for you though. Good luck!

Thank God I passed---Now what?? 1. Make your resume!!!! NOW!!! (If you wanna chill for a couple of weeks, do it. Enjoy every second of it. If you wanna work right away and start making that money, then go to number 2 hehe) 2. APPLY LIKE THERES NO TOMORROW. AND I MEAN IT. I would wake up at 9am and jump right away to my computer and apply to all hospitals, all agencies you see, (careerbuilder.com is very good). I want to be an ER nurse, but since i dont have any prior professional hospital experience, and graduated 6 years ago, I got hired in a subacute nursing home/rehabilitation center. I did a bunch of interviews, mainly with agencies and when the nurse directors interviewed me, they all said- get any experience anywhere in the nursing field, and after 6 mos to 1 year, come back to me. 3. Get your BLS and ACLS certification. Also get a pre-employment medical exam with PPD. Most hospitals require this. Theyre a bit pricey, so be ready for that. 4. Know the pros and cons of Direct Hire and being an Agency Nurse. Choose which one works for you. 5. Look professional and speak professional. Be eager to get the job. Practice your interview skills. Whatre your strengths and weaknesses. Have your documents with you when you have interviews, and i mean all documents. (License, Registration, Eligibility to work in US, Recent medical exam with ppd, BLS, ACLS, Social security card, 2 recommendation letters, a void check (for your direcr deposit paycheck) so that when you get the job upon interview, you can give them already these requirements and you can start ASAP. 6. Reach out to your connections, they might be able to help you get in a hospital. Dont get bummed if you dont get in a hospital right away, there are no shortcuts, only perseverance and drive and hard work and sometimes luck. 7. Work hard and learn as much as you can. And think about what you can do to make that resume more sellable. Im going to eventually get Trauma Certified, volunteer to a hospital so when i apply to hospitals in one year, they can see that i have direction towards where i wanna go which is in the ER. 8. EXPERIENCE IS EVERYTHING!!!!!! Volunteer. If youre in school, work as a tech. Usually they absorb you as an RN right after you pass your NCLEX. My background: I passed NCLEX May 2016, Got a job after 2 weeks. Guys, if you wanna chill for a couple of weeks and you dont have to rush getting a job, do so. Cause once you start applying, its another stressful phase in your life, running from one interview to another. But also keep in mind that every day that passes, your core content/skills deplete little by little so take that into consideration too. I started applying as soon as i learned i passed and i havent had a break since to even celebrate my victory. But i cant wait to be a nurse already, so there. If you have more questions, hit me up.

Hi! It can be done! You just have to be honest with yourself and know if you need to study more or not cause everyone is different in terms of strength/weakness in core content and test taking skills. i say go for it and take it on July 30 and see what happens. this gives you an idea of what the nclex is like. You can do it! best of luck to you!

Guys, these are some notes I have saved on my phone. Review: MgSO4 to prevent preeclampsia. : 4-8 therapeutic level. Iron supplement 30 mg daily. Calcium supplement 1200-1500mg Newborns: No sun exposure and sunscreen application until 6 mos. Meds that can cause renal injury: ACE inhibitors, amino glycosides (mycin), digoxin all meds on nclex are in generic names. Pregnancy: Stages of labor: 1st stage: start of contraction to full dilatation Duri. 1st stage- latent,active, transition 2nd:full to delivery 3rd: delivery of placenta 4th: placenta to 2-4 hrs post op Latent phase: irregular contraction. Mild. 0-4cm Active: regular contraction. 4-7cm Transitioning: intense contractions very painful 7-10. Pain radiates from back to front belly. Methylergonovine- check bp. Might cause hypertension. Constricts vessels. Ibuprofen Advil midol NSAIDs Acetaminophen Tylenol - analgesic Acetylsalicylic acid- aspirin- NSAIDs Malignant hyperthermia- anesthesia allergy. This is an emergency. Sickle cell- priority is O2 non rebreather mask then ivf Hemophilia- priority transfuse VII concentrate anytime there's a trauma to hemophilia pt. Pt with thrombocytopenia- low clotting factor- no aspirin Splenectomy- think infection Tumor lysis syndrome- hyperkalemia and renal failure Immunosuppressant med cyclosporine for organ transplant- watch out non tender lumps, indicating lymphoma. Warfarin- retain same intake of Vit k foods.green tea, grapefruit juice alters warfarin effect. Ace inhibitors- w.o for hypotension. Cough and angioedema. No pregnant. If these are present HCP will have to change meds cause these are adverse side effects. Statins- wof liver injury. Furosemide- ototoxic- slow administration vancomycin - piggyback over 60 mins. Because fast infusion can cause red man syndrome.

Hey guys. I just started typing my notes. I have my notes all hand written. I'll email the first part later today. It's about Cardio. To faith: I only purchased the online hurst review. I didn't go to the live review. I finished the videos in two weeks. Make sure you watch more videos during weekends. So you can finish the materials. Also, I would review hurst notes every time I'm on a commute to/from work.

I graduated in the Philippines 2009, passed Phil Nursing Exam in the same yr. Moved to NY and couldn't work as a nurse cause i was undocumented, I had no SSN until i got married and became permanent resident. That's 6 years of no nursing- nothing! I didn't know how and where to begin. Yikes! I can feel the stress creeping up on me. WHAT DID I DO?? HOW DID I STUDY?? I studied for 2 months. Schedule your Exam so you have a date. so you'll respect the time you have left for the exam. 5 THINGS you NEED: 1 ILLUSTRATED GUIDE NCLEX RN EXAM 8th Edition by ZERWEKH- Concise and straight to the point unlike Saunders. 2 HURST ONLINE REVIEW 3 UWORLD- 2 month subscription 4 Youtube khanacademy channel was very useful to brush up on your pathophysio in a very simple manner. also google stuff you don't know about. Its free! haha 5 LaCharity- only answered until Chapter 15 on 2nd week before exam. HOW I STUDIED: Mon-Wed Id start from 10Am-1pm. I would read a chapter/s about one system/ one specific topic (ex. FLUIDS AND ELECTROLYTES) watch one hurst video about F&E, and do 20Qs on UWORLD on F&E ONLY. I say this cause it will help you retain more info if you study and do questions by system/area. Its more organized. After work, i study from 9pm-11pm and do 20 more Uworld Qs and then watch some tv before sleeping. Thurs-Fri I work full day so i only study when i come home around 9-11. I do 20-30 UWORLD QS. WEEKENDS- I like to sleep in during weekends, don't you? I begin studying at 10am. I read chapter/s on the book, watch 2-3 hurst videos, and do 50-75 world Qs. I try to tackle harder systems/areas like cardio on weekends where i can study the whole day. I stop at 10pm and watch me some greys anatomy or the walking dead. I love TV. REMEMBER: Its okay to suck on UWORLD. These are really higher level questions, BUT make sure your read and UNDERSTAND the rationales. I started doing 5 Qs at a time, then eventually 10at a time i would score 60% more. ASK TONS OF "WHYs" and "WHAT DO YOU DO FIRST?"Why does that happen? Why do you ask your patient to pee if the uterus is boggy after delivery? DO ALL THE HURST Q REVIEW. REPETITION IS KEY!!! REPEAT REPEAT REPEAT. you won't get it by reading/reviewing it only once. REVIEW OUT LOUD- LIKE YOU'RE LECTURING A CLASS. Take breaks when you feel like you're not absorbing info anymore. Go out once a week, go out with friends, eat out, go for a walk, etc. This will lessen your stress. Good for the brain. 3 weeks before the test i took a 4 day break. NO STUDYING. It felt goooood. 2 weeks before the exam i read all my HURST notes again and read UWORLD rationales by system. I studied calculation one day before the test-but not really. Only got 1 calc on NCLEX. I studied MEDS 1 week before exam- Only got 2 on NCLEX- is it worth studying?....errrr DAY OF THE NCLEX- try your best to remain calm, i listened to Red Hot Chili Peppers on full blast on my way to the testing center. PREPARE YOURSELF TO BE THERE FOR THE ENTIRE 260 Qs! This way, your brain will tell you to be patient taking your time answering Qs carefully. Rationalize, use process of elimination. Take breaks. I took two. The second one after 90 Qs and i ate my banana, water, went to bathroom. After the NCLEX you're gonna feel like ****. Everybody knows that. Not to scare you but to prepare yourself that its normal to feel like you failed. I was 99.9% sure i failed that test. If you're driving, try to calm yourself down before hitting the road, better yet, ask a friend/family to drive you. TRUST YOURSELF. PRAY. STUDY HARD. I KNOW YOU CAN DO THIS. Good luck future RNs! Now go and rock this test!!! If you want my review notes, lmk.

I graduated in the Philippines 2009, passed Phil Nursing Exam in the same yr. Moved to NY and couldn't work as a nurse cause i was undocumented, I had no SSN until i got married and became permanent resident. That's 6 years of no nursing- nothing! I didn't know how and where to begin. Yikes! I can feel the stress creeping up on me. WHAT DID I DO?? HOW DID I STUDY?? I studied for 2 months. Schedule your Exam so you have a date. so you'll respect the time you have left for the exam. 5 THINGS you NEED: 1 ILLUSTRATED GUIDE NCLEX RN EXAM 8th Edition by ZERWEKH- Concise and straight to the point unlike Saunders. 2 HURST ONLINE REVIEW 3 UWORLD- 2 month subscription 4 Youtube khanacademy channel was very useful to brush up on your pathophysio in a very simple manner. also google stuff you don't know about. Its free! haha 5 LaCharity- only answered until Chapter 15 on 2nd week before exam. HOW I STUDIED: Mon-Wed Id start from 10Am-1pm. I would read a chapter/s about one system/ one specific topic (ex. FLUIDS AND ELECTROLYTES) watch one hurst video about F&E, and do 20Qs on UWORLD on F&E ONLY. I say this cause it will help you retain more info if you study and do questions by system/area. Its more organized. After work, i study from 9pm-11pm and do 20 more Uworld Qs and then watch some tv before sleeping. Thurs-Fri I work full day so i only study when i come home around 9-11. I do 20-30 UWORLD QS. WEEKENDS- I like to sleep in during weekends, don't you? I begin studying at 10am. I read chapter/s on the book, watch 2-3 hurst videos, and do 50-75 world Qs. I try to tackle harder systems/areas like cardio on weekends where i can study the whole day. I stop at 10pm and watch me some greys anatomy or the walking dead. I love TV. REMEMBER: Its okay to suck on UWORLD. These are really higher level questions, BUT make sure your read and UNDERSTAND the rationales. I started doing 5 Qs at a time, then eventually 10at a time i would score 60% more. ASK TONS OF "WHYs" and "WHAT DO YOU DO FIRST?"Why does that happen? Why do you ask your patient to pee if the uterus is boggy after delivery? DO ALL THE HURST Q REVIEW. REPETITION IS KEY!!! REPEAT REPEAT REPEAT. you won't get it by reading/reviewing it only once. REVIEW OUT LOUD- LIKE YOU'RE LECTURING A CLASS. Take breaks when you feel like you're not absorbing info anymore. Go out once a week, go out with friends, eat out, go for a walk, etc. This will lessen your stress. Good for the brain. 3 weeks before the test i took a 4 day break. NO STUDYING. It felt goooood. 2 weeks before the exam i read all my HURST notes again and read UWORLD rationales by system. I studied calculation one day before the test-but not really. Only got 1 calc on NCLEX. I studied MEDS 1 week before exam- Only got 2 on NCLEX- is it worth studying?....errrr DAY OF THE NCLEX- try your best to remain calm, i listened to Red Hot Chili Peppers on full blast on my way to the testing center. PREPARE YOURSELF TO BE THERE FOR THE ENTIRE 260 Qs! This way, your brain will tell you to be patient taking your time answering Qs carefully. Rationalize, use process of elimination. Take breaks. I took two. The second one after 90 Qs and i ate my banana, water, went to bathroom. After the NCLEX you're gonna feel like ****. Everybody knows that. Not to scare you but to prepare yourself that its normal to feel like you failed. I was 99.9% sure i failed that test. If you're driving, try to calm yourself down before hitting the road, better yet, ask a friend/family to drive you. TRUST YOURSELF. PRAY. STUDY HARD. I KNOW YOU CAN DO THIS. Good luck future RNs! Now go and rock this test!!! If you want my review notes, lmk.