jenn_rn_nj

I would have to disagree with you on that one...my nurse recruiter was professional, timely, pleasant and very amicable. Actually, I have found this attitude and professionalism extends to their workforce as well.

I have a BS in psychology & education and I chose the diploma route when I went back to nursing school because I wanted the clinical experience. I do not regret electing a diploma program. The majority of my 43 person graduating class got jobs at the hospital that sponsors our diploma program. A few of us went outside of that hospital - I wanted to work at a university hospital and, although the job postings all indicated "BSN preferred", I was able to find employment in the exact setting I desired. I think that it was a combination of my previous job experiences, my class standing and my interview that secured my position and I don't feel the diploma put me at a disadvantage in any way, though, I was the only non-BSN new hire in my 50 some person new hire class (which was a little intimidating). My program was not as detailed in pediatrics as other programs might be, but I still had leadership coursework, community health, ethics and legal issues...I don't feel I was shortchanged by electing the diploma / AD route. Also, since I have a bachelor's in an existing field, I can still bridge directly to an MSN program. Unless you attend a Co-op BSN program, like Drexel, I think that it would almost be a requirement to do an externship to gain additional clinical skills. Just my ...this is an age old debate.

for those babies in an isolette still on humidity, we use gauze moistened with warmed, sterile water (the little enfamil sterile water bottles as they are easy to keep in the isolette and thus stay warm); as they transition to room air / being dressed we begin to use hypoallergenic wipes for diaper changes and johnson's & johnson's soap for bathing.

i have a blend of 3 in a row or a single day and 2 in a row...i tend to sleep in even on my off days, staying up until 3-4am and sleeping until 11ish...the morning of an "on" day, i stay up until 0600 or 0630 then sleep until mid-afternoon...i have about an hour commute and i find if i don't get that long stretch of undisturbed sleep then i'm falling asleep at the wheel the next morning every now and then my body just doesn't want to sleep in the afternoon...i keep a book on my nightstand and read when this happens which usually helps me to fall back to sleep...if it's not a workday then sometimes i'll just get up and maybe take a small evening nap if i find that i'm super exhausted...i try not to over think and just sleep when i'm tired and stay awake when i'm not hehe goodluck! =)

hi all they use behavioral type interviewing (i think that style of questioning is popular in healthcare...my previous job used the same approach)...there are various websites that have sample questions / examples of behavioral type interviewing with pointers on how to answer these type of questions goodluck! =)

nother new grad joining the lot...my name is jenn and i'm working as a new grad in a nicu...started working in july and everyday is an adventure so far hehe

i think it all depends on how organized you are, how well you can prioritize and follow through with things and the type of studier you are...i was able to very successfully take two lab courses (micro & ap2), work full-time, attend to family / home commitments and have personal time...was it stressful, yah, but not overwhelmingly so. i think it actually prepared me really well for nursing school...it was about the same level of intensity - i was forced to really organize, prioritize and stick with it. good luck with whatever you decide.

seashore house is part of chop...you would still go through the chop application process / new hire process

i commute from near great adventure to chop and i just finished an 8am-4pm stint for 2 weeks i was pleasantly suprised that the commute was not bad at all...i take 295s to walt whitman and i drive about 5miles over the posted speed limit and found that i was making it in 1 hour (give or take 5 min) and that was during peak rush hour (not bad for a 50ish mile commute) i exit 76 at university city which is 346b i believe so i am off before the parts where the traffic backs up...it's easy enough to drive through town for a few blocks to get to my destination...this week i will start working off peak driving hours but i anticipate the commute may only lessen by 5min or so since i really didn't have much delay during peak rush hour...the only bad drive was friday afternoons because i hit beach traffic...friday afternoons, i exit at 676 instead of taking 76 to 295...also, as a previous poster stated, always know your alternate routes...if there is a delay it's good to know how to take the ben franklin or the tacony palmyra...i do have a gps with traffic advisory and i have found that to be helpful if you dont' mind the distance and the facility is one that you really desire to work, then go for it! =)

hello - was searching the forums for this exact subject...sorry to bring back an old thread but also a concern of mine...former triathlete and current runner that just graduated from nursing school and will be working nights i don't have the option of working my days in a row but i will have a set 6 week rotation schedule...i'm concerned because i will be working three 12 hour shifts and commuting about an hour each way...i need to figure out how to fit in my workouts, commute time, sleep time, etc i am good with time management and maintained workouts throughout nursing school even with work and family commitments but the night shift thing really makes me nervous...i suppose i will just have to play around with my schedule...glad to read of others that successfully manage though...makes me feel better...thanks :)

Saunders: 83-88 RN3500 & Lippincott: 78-82 Davis: 80-81 Meds Pub & Drexel question bank: 78-88 passed NCLEX in 75 but was also a strong student...i think the practice tests are a great way to review / learn things not addressed in nursing curriculum but bottom line i think passing NCLEX is contingent on having a strong knowledge base, keeping patient safety in mind and not letting the test psyche you out...i found the questions to be very different than any practice test i had taken and i thought that i really had to pull my knowledge together to answer some of the questions...i left feeling numb because i could only think of the questions that i wasn't sure of...by the next day, though, i was feeling very confident in myself. goodluck! prepare well and think positive

I think that pretty much sums it up...apply, then call about your resume...it will get forwarded to the appropriate recruiter who will in turn contact you and the process will begin from there...the only thing that I was advised from HR is that unlike experienced nurses who can submit applications to multiple departments, they ask that new grads choose and pursue only 1 department. They are a very new grad friendly facility. Good luck!

I was advised that my new transcripts would not "go to the bottom of the pile" so to speak but get forwarded on for review upon receipt since my file is already considered "active". Given that they were sent from central NJ to central Pa this past Tuesday, I'm estimating that they were received at the locked PO Box in Harrisburg yesterday. They should be forwarded to the appropriate person during the day Monday. My thought is that I should receive my e-mailed ATT Monday or Tuesday. If I do not, I am going to call them first thing Wednesday morning (nobody ever called my back like promised last Wednesday so I still have no clue what was actually wrong with the original transcripts) and, if necessary, 4 hours later. If I do not receive a return call by 4pm Wednesday, then I do plan to contact the state senators and the representative for the district that covers Harrisburg and go from there. They cashed my check this past Thursday, too, and I have nothing to show for it. hehe

thanks for the replies / suggestions...my school's registrar and i both phoned the BON and neither of us received a callback in over 48 hours...i got a little assertive / demanding today and i received a callback in about 3.5 hours...i'm sure word spread of the crazy girl that called 3 times in a row requesting to speak with a person not a machine...i know they are likely very busy but to get no response to my inquiries whatsoever is really not acceptable after 2 full business days i don't think they like me very much right now but c'mon they are supposed to regulate my professional practice yet they themselves are unprofessional when they fail to return calls from last friday and yesterday so what kind of an example are they setting, it really is frustrating and unprofessional - i don't think it's too much to ask for a return call within 12-24 hours the individual who did call me back did not have access to my file but stated i am not permitted to send my own transcripts...i read her the instructions printed on the application that state to send the transcripts attached to the application in a sealed program envelope...she said i must have failed to do that...i informed her they were in a sealed program envelope stamped "official transcript" with a sticker over the envelope flap that also stated "official transcript" and that they should be opened by the addressee only...she said they will have to "look into things" and that i will receive a callback tomorrow from someone with access to my fild...the registrar opted to send another set of official transcripts today but since we really haven't confirmed the problem yet i'm not sure if that will resolve it or not i'm really just happy somebody called me back today...though nothing was really resolved the fact that someone took the time to communicate with me certainly lowered my frustration level...i understand paperwork glitches happen and i'm not trying to blame but i just wanted someone to communicate with me thanks for listening =)

hello - wasn't sure if i should post here or the gn / nclex forum but here goes... i graduated from a cooperative nursing program (diploma school linked with community college so i earn a diploma and AS degree) in NJ and applied for licensure in Pa since that is where my future employer is located...since I was educated out of state, I was required to submit official transcripts with my application i began to suspect a problem when my paperwork took >1.5 weeks to process and I called the Pa BON last Tues and they stated nothing was processed yet but I should have my ATT card by last Friday and to call back if it was not received then...i received nothing so i called friday and was advised my paperwork was not yet processed today i received a canned nonspecific letter dated 6/4 (last wednesday) stating that my transcripts were rejected with 7 possible reasons listed but the letter did not cite the specific reason why my transcripts were rejected...i am not the first or only applicant from this school to apply to Pa and neither the director of my diploma program nor the registrar of the community college can recall ever receiving a rejection of official transcripts...the BON did not return phone calls to either me or the school registrar today so nobody really knows what to do has anyone experienced this before or have any suggestions...we are all hoping for return calls tomorrow and hoping it can maybe be figured out via the telephone but this delay is making me a little crazy...any suggestions would be appreciated...i followed the instructions exactly as noted on their application just not sure what the issue is thanks in advance