luvs2readlotsRN

Flo Valley..one class a year...every fall...60 students. Forest Park & Meramec...a class each fall and spring.. Meramec takes 40 as another poster said. Forest Park takes 48. Hope this helps.

Country Rat: "Now get those kids off my lawn!"...TOO FUNNY!!! I have to agree with the majority of posters. Do the assessment. How else do you establish a baseline? I have worked for less than a year, on an ortho floor, and I have never caught any of the nurses not doing an assessment. And as someone else pointed out once you have it down it takes what...10 minutes if you run across something to dig deeper, less if "all systems are go". Just do it!

46 student total, 12 guys.

I keep reading all over the site that new grads are having a tough time finding jobs. How is this being played out in Missouri? I'm a luckyone I suppose, because I graduated in December and started looking for a job in August, had one lined up for starting in January by the end of September. But how has it been for everyone else? Thanks!

Just curious...and as the original poster(expo4u)hasn't had another post since sometime in April: Expo4u, did you ever find a job as an RN? Thanks!

Just curious as well...are you an RN? LPN?(either way...that is way too many patients IMO). Check with your state board of nursing and see what they have to say. Agree that's an accident waiting to happen.

I did all 7 of Kaplans question trainers and when I finished those did 100 of Kaplans Q Bank question per day. I studied everyday for 2 1/2 weeks before the exam. I took the day before the exam off. I have to report that out of 75 questions I got 18 drug questions...after I got 3 drug questions in a row I started making tic marks on my dry erase board keeping track! I had 7 or 8 delegation/prioritization questions and only 1 "select all that apply" questions. Good luck with your NCLEX exam!

Yes, we had 10 students who transferred into Forest Park from Flo Valley as well. Funny...Flo didnt think they would be able to pass boards...almost all of them that have taken it have passed boards. I don't know what it is with FLo that they have a high turnover there of students.(Don't mean to scare anybody from going to FLo because they do pass students and they have a high pass rate on boards but so does Forest Park...93% and 96% I believe for the 2 classes previous to mine). It's a hard decision to make that's for sure!

Same here.

It's great that your name is on the list in both places! I say whoever comes through first, go there. I did Graduate from Forest Park and if you get letters from both places at the same time...I would say "FOREST PARK"...but of course I'm biased!!LOL!! PS...Today I found out I passed boards!! Now I'm luvs2readlotsRN!!!

I PASSED!! I PASSED!! Thanks everyone for your good wishes and suggestions on how to make the time pass(distraction!!). I'm now luvs2readlotsRN.!!!

I planned to do the same...write down every lab value I could think of the moment I got there...instead I wrote down:"Today I start living the life I imagined".

I took it in Missouri.

Distracting like crazy! My house has never been so clean!

Hi! I'm confused. I took NCLEX-RN this morning, it took 1 hour and 20 minutes to do 75 questions. It was a mix of some of the hardest questions I've seen and some of the easiest questions I've seen. It alternated intermittently between the two!!!(hard..hard..harder..hardest...easy...hard..hardest...easy etc). I'm sure I didn't pass, but then everyone I know who has taken it, immediatly after the test they were sure they didnt pass. I guess it's just a matter of waiting and keeping myself busy till Wednesday when unofficial results are posted! Anybody else test today? If so how did it go?

I'll say it to ease your fears...I think you are being paranoid!(LOL!) I was a stay at home Mom for 15years with no nursing student work experience(no tech experience; my only hospital experience being my clinical time through school)when I graduated with my associate degree in December. I ended up with job offers from: 1 floor I did clinicals on, one floor I applied to that I really wanted to work on and an OR Fellowship. The floor I currently work on hired 3 RNs from accelerated programs who had no student nurse/tech experience(they had a number of opening due to expanding the # of beds in this specialty). Those are wonderful nurses. Wherever you go to work will teach you to be a great nurse as well! There is a lot to learn as a new grad and they accept that you will need to be taught. I think it helps to have strong recommendations from faculty. Make those connections in the accelerated program quickly as you don't have the same amount of time I had. Treat each of your clinical experiences as a potential job interview: be on time, try to help out the nurses when you have down time, ask questions ect. These things I believe are what make the difference. And start looking for a graduate nurse/RN position 2-3 months before you graduate. Shadow on floors you are interested in. I think you will be fine! Good luck!

I was on it for 2 semesters as well. At the time they told me to expect to be on it for 2 years(4 semesters). I graduated in December of 2008 from Forest Park.(So I would have been on the list 2 years ago). Good luck! I cant say enough great things about Forest Park!

Why don't you want to work as an RN at Barnes? Just curious...seems like a natural step. I know they have a push on now to hire "100 nurses in 100 days". Good luck!

Here's a link to the VA website...states starting salary is apox $46,000 per year/ which at 40 hours a week roughly works out to $21-22/hr. Hope this helps! http://www.jobsearch.vacareers.va.gov/getjob.asp?JobID=79070611&jbf574=VA%2A&brd=3876&AVSDM=2009%2D02%2D06+00%3A03%3A01&vw=b&Logo=0&jbf571=7&SUBMIT1=Search+for+Jobs&lid=17883&SUBMIT1.x=118&SUBMIT1.y=12&ss=0&CustomApplicant=15514%2C15515%2C15523%2C15510%2C15512%2C15516%2C45575%2C15669&TabNum=1&rc=4

As far as I had heard while a student there(Recent Forest Park Grad)it is solely based on timing. I know of several students who where on all 3 lists - Meramec, FloValley & Forest Park and took the first one that came through. Do whatever will work best for you! Good luck!

I agree with WDWpixie...I don't know when you graduate but if you're too early they will tell you(I started applying in August for December graduation). One hospital told me it was too soon, but another hired me for January start the first week of September.(In a job I now love!) Now, this week, that first hospital has called me back wanting to know if I'm still interested in a position...I had to tell them..."Well, I got hired a week after I first contacted you!". What's that old saying....he who hesitates is lost? LOL! I would not only apply online, but I would follow it up with a phone call to a nurse recruiter. I did this everywhere I applied and had interviews scheduled within 10 days of applying on line. I ended up with 3 job offers and picked the one I wanted most. So I say, start early and you are more apt to be rewarded! GOOD LUCK!

Nurse2b09 how did the final go? Hope you did well!! I had pinning on Wednesday night! WOO HOO!!! I'm now taking a week off and then I plan to start studying for boards! I'm so happy, I never thought I would get here!(All right...yes I did think I would get here! LOL! In fact I just knew I would, it's just at times it seemed so far away!) As wdwpixie has said in the past..."You're never to old!" I can't wait to start working! Good luck to all current and future Forest Park Nursing Students! Hang in there!

Congradulations! I'm graduating the very same day! Go to the NCLEX forum(under student nurse discussions). You'll find Suzanne's method under the sticky's. Good luck! Are you planning on taking Kaplan or another review? Just curious!

If your thinking of the VA I know of a fellow student who graduated in May...applied in February and it was a 6 month process(july) till he started working there. I say apply! He also recommended applying in person at their HR thought it would move the process along quicker. Good Luck! ps. Started my own job search in August, I graduate in December. Had job offers by October 1st and accepted a position the middle of October. I know the local BIG TIME hospital(university affiliated)advertises that they accept applications up to 12 months from your graduation date. Heck, contact wherever you want to work and see what they say. Worse case scenario they tell you to apply in January, February whatever instead...but then you'll know for sure! GOOD LUCK!!

kingandhislady: WOOHOO FOR US!! I am right there with you! Start my preceptorship this week, then HESI, then pinning in December. A big thank you to everyone on allnurses.com that has given me tips, support and a place to vent along the way. As kingandhislady says...Don't give up! IF we did it you can too!! Again WOOHOO!!!