Elizabeth Hanes BSN, RN

Actually, SemperFi didn't say anything about changing your dreams. S/he said maybe you should reconsider your position while in Colorado. S/he's right. If I'm not mistaken, you said you might have 3 years in Colorado to complete your degree. The trut...

And let's not forget the most important credential: you have to be a GREAT writer! Semisweetchick --> writer turned nurse (almost)

Hi Janet. Thanks for your response. That is, indeed, very helpful. It's always nice to get insider information!

Hello! I am interested in chatting with some COS nurses. What's the nursing climate like in the Pikes Peak region these days?

I searched before posting but only found a couple of stale, uninformative threads. Anyone here work for Evercare? Willing to share your experience/thoughts about working conditions, salary, corporate culture, or anything else? I'm very interested in ...

Thanks for the info. I'm aware in other disciplines/fields it can take a long time to get a GS job. It's odd to hear it's the same in nursing. Anyway, it doesn't matter to me whether or not it takes awhile. There are plenty of other jobs available wh...

Also, a new VA hospital is supposed to be built in Denver over the next few years. I wonder if that will mean they need more nurses?

Thanks. I've seen those Craigslist postings, also, but I'm not interested in agency work. I am interested in exploring the possibility of working as a federal civil service nurse. I understand I can call the civilian nurse recruiter at those hospital...

Thank you for clarifying this. I did believe ACNPs could see pts in the outpatient setting, but I hadn't had time to look up the particulars. Elizabeth

I like this idea. I like nursing but also would like to be involved in surgery. If I have the details correct, University of New Mexico's ACNP program offers three specializations, one of which is surgical assisting. That's the closest nursing equiva...

Getting into my ABSN program was very competitive, as I understand most such programs are. At my school, they accepted just 8 of 45 applicants (and I was extremely fortunate to be one of the eight). Is it this competitive to get into an MSN/NP progra...

I am currently in the UNM BSN program. Make no mistake, it's competitive to get in. Keep your grades as close to 4.0 as possible and do some volunteer work. Starting with the new, accelerated curriculum that began this past January, UNM expanded the ...

I am in an accelerated BSN program and have been told I qualify for federal unsubsidized student loans (though I haven't actually tapped them yet). A tip: if your school's financial aid office tells you you're not eligible for loans, check back anoth...

I hope someone responds, as I also am interested in the cardiac NP route. I've seen a real upturn in job opportunities in my area for this particular specialty, and I also think it's a fascinating system to study.

Thanks for the tip about Cedar Springs. Maybe that will be an option. I've worked in other unionized jobs in the Springs, and those unions were never very powerful. That's often the case in "right to work" states. I'm hoping the ongoing hospital expa...

Beg to differ. No, carefully considering questions I'm unsure about won't make the answers "fall into my head," but it may allow me to reason out the correct answer. Our teachers mainly use NCLEX-style questions, and I often do take extra time on the...

I am a student nurse in NM. I believe your friend's agency is misleading him. The NM Nurse Registry Program is a program of Hospital Services Corporation. Here is information about the program. If I'm reading this right, agencies basically submit a b...

Thanks for all the info, Bearsden! I hadn't even thought about Evans, but that is a def possiblility. I will check that out. Best to you in the new year, Semi

Agreed with sam, in my experience, most (not all) accelerated programs require you to have a previous bachelor's degree with a minimum GPA. The accelerated program I'm in emphasized "diversity," and our class does seem to have that. Many of us have n...

I can't entirely answer this, but I just wanted to comment that Colorado really only has one major metropolitan area: Denver/Boulder. Colorado Springs is getting good-sized, but beyond that, Colorado mostly consists of small towns. For example, you n...

I am very interested to see what independent contractor NPs have to say about this. Fascinating topic! In the meantime, I just wanted to say sometimes these types of questions can be clarified by framing them in different ways. For example... You men...

Congratulations on the baby! I believe you're making a wise choice to make family your focus at this point. But let me get this straight: you're quitting after only 5 MONTHS? Surely you don't believe that your two (bad) experiences in such a short ti...

I love to cook and try to do once-a-month cooking as much as possible. I create 3 weeks' worth of meal plans at a time, then I shop and pre-cook. If I can't cook an entire entree and freeze it (such as meatloaf), then I cook and freeze the individual...

Thanks very much for responding. That gives me a good picture of what things are like in the hospitals right now. Any idea what the situation is in LTC? Hope you had a nice holiday season!

Thanks so much for this post, EnigmaticParadigm. It's given me a lot of confidence because what you describe is pretty much exactly how I got As in all my pre-reqs. I feel much more relaxed about starting NS now, knowing my study style will get me th...