Questions about Nuses in California

fergus51 · Jan 14, 2006

Rns are in demand regardless of if they have an associate's or a bachelors. Starting wages are around $25 an hour, but if you work more than 8 hours you get time and a half for the rest. Yes, RNs have to clean up poop and urine. How much of this you do will depend on what type of unit you work.

eandgsma · Jan 14, 2006

I'm in San Diego County and on the waiting list at a Community College for their nursing program. Yes, ADN nurses are in demand. At the end of the day, whether you go through a 2 year program or a 4 year program, you still sit for the same test, the NCLEX-RN. The difference? With a BSN you can move up to management. You can always get your ADN, start practicing and then get your BSN. Lots of people do it that way. Right now I have no interest in moving up to management so I'm sticking to ADN. Also, it is thousands of dollars cheaper. Here in San Diego County, the cost per credit is $26. You can't beat that! The wait is very long, at least two years and thats after you have taken all your prereqs. It may make sense for you to go to a Uni if you get accepted from the beginning. For example, you apply to Cal State and get in, major in nursing and at the end you might have spent 4-8 months in school longer than you would have going the CC way. Since you are young, you also might want to go that route as well. It really just depends on what schools are available to you.

Starting pay in SD County for new grads is anywhere from $18-25/hr. Also depends on the hospital and specialty. Some hospitals are notorious for paying low, some high. As for your last question, I'm not a nurse yet, nor am I in the program yet (accepted for Aug 2006 though!) but from what everyone tells me, you will be wiping butts in nursing school for sure. Basic patient care, and that includes baths and clean up of bodily fluids, are what you learn from the very beginning. Keep in mind that the first semester of the actual nursing program are almost always in a Long Term Care facility. If you think you will have a problem cleaning up after another human being, then you might want to rethink your career choice.

Good luck in whatever you decide! Oh and my 19 year old cousin started nursing school last fall in another state and is doing very well with it all. I thought she might have a problem with the gross stuff but she's fine with it all.

narcissistic · Jan 15, 2006

What?! A 2 year waiting list?! I cannot deal with that! I'm 19 & I feel as if the jaws of time is catching up with me. Ugh, this is all depressing. A two year waiting period could be critical to all the pre-reqs I've learned. It could seriously rust my brain & forget all the biology, chemistry, & all that bothersome math. I would've loved to finish early & get on it with it. I'm disappointed. I can't go into a Uni because of financial reasons... there must be a detour to all this. And seriously, do some hospitals really start paying at $18 an hour? I thought it was $25-$30/hour unless BSN registered nurses are paid more than ADN registered nurses. And if what exactly do the CNA & LVNs do if the RNs still have to deal with the fecal matters?

rn2binca · Jan 15, 2006

And if what exactly do the CNA & LVNs do if the RNs still have to deal with the fecal matters?

In order to properly care for your patient you must be willing to care for every aspect of their needs. Whether that is cleaning them up, changing their beds, bathing them, feeding them, medicating them, changing their dressings or what not. RN's MUST be able to handle all of the above. I didn't say you had to love all of it, but you must do it w/out making the patient embarrassed or uncomfortable. CNA and LVN's typically help with daily living needs of the patients, but again I would not want to wait or have a family member wait for a clean up if the CNA was busy. I honestly believe in teamwork to help the patient the best we can.

Also, some hospitals do not employ CNA's or LVN's. In which case the RN is repsonsible for total patient care.

Good Luck with your education and career.

Tracy

NurseAnn08, LPN · Jan 15, 2006

I live in Central California. Nurses start at $25 here. I am going to a community college (starting ADN program Tuesday!) and did not have to wait at all to get into my program. I just had to have a high enough GPA and have certain pre-reqs completed. Our school still chooses based on GPA, but some in the area have gone to lottery, so it's the luck of the draw to get in. No real waiting lists, that I know of, in this area.

You can PM me if you have more questions.

Good luck to you!

thatoneguy · Jan 15, 2006

#1 I'm pursuing to finish an Associates of Science degree in registered nursing. I'm wondering if Registered Nurses of this rank are in demand in california or not.

yeah just as much as a bsn

#2 What is the starting rate for an ADN registered nurse in (southern) California? $20-$25, or $30 perhour?

i just got hired as a new grad starting at $30 hr. everywhere i apllied the lowest pay was at $27hr. appleid to about 5 different hospitals.

#3 Since community colleges have these waiting lists... how long does one have to usually wait? Does it take years & is it worth it?

yeah they will tell you a 2 yr waiting period but you have

to remember most the lists from various colleges have the same names, everone applies to more than one college. so its really not that long. a friend of mine just started in the program only waited out one semester, i did the same. they told me 1.5yr waiting period but ended up only being one semester. even if you have to wait yeah no dout well worth it.

#4 Is it true that RN's are dispensed to clean the patient's excrements or is that the job of CNAs and LVNs (sorry if this seems like a weird question)?

depends on the unit. in a critical care unit you do everything. on a med/surg unit CNA's do just about all the cleanning and bathing stuff. so for most nurses they have the CAN's do the dirty work.

clee1 · Jan 16, 2006

What?! A 2 year waiting list?! I cannot deal with that! I'm 19 & I feel as if the jaws of time is catching up with me. Ugh, this is all depressing.

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Listen youngster:

I'm 38, and just started a LPN program! I am planning to bridge to RN, then go after my BSN.

When I was your age, I wanted to pursue nursing. I didn't - because I let the waiting list scare me off. After 15+ years in the IT field, I'm back again, thanks to the incredibly tight IT market.

I'm having to do the LPN to RN to BSN and beyond in stair steps because I now have a wife and family to support: so I'm working FULL TIME and going to school FULL TIME.

The biggest regret in my life is that I didn't stick out the waiting list when I was younger. Lemme tell you that at my age, the dual-fulltime workloads are just about to kill me.

If you REALLY want to be a nurse, and yes, you will sometimes be cleaning up messy patients, do whatever it takes NOW; while you are young. Believe me, it doesn't get any easier with age.

suzanne4, RN · Jan 16, 2006

What?! A 2 year waiting list?! I cannot deal with that! I'm 19 & I feel as if the jaws of time is catching up with me. Ugh, this is all depressing. A two year waiting period could be critical to all the pre-reqs I've learned. It could seriously rust my brain & forget all the biology, chemistry, & all that bothersome math. I would've loved to finish early & get on it with it. I'm disappointed. I can't go into a Uni because of financial reasons... there must be a detour to all this. And seriously, do some hospitals really start paying at $18 an hour? I thought it was $25-$30/hour unless BSN registered nurses are paid more than ADN registered nurses. And if what exactly do the CNA & LVNs do if the RNs still have to deal with the fecal matters?

Yes, some facilities do pay $18 per hour and not all pay the 1 1/2 for the overtime. Have you looked into getting a job in a factility that will pay for your tuition.

However, I do suggest that you really decide if this is something that you really wish to do. No matter if you decide to specialize later on, poop, pee, vomit, respiratory secretions come with the territory. The RN is still responsible for her or his patients and therefore also responsbile for all care, what ever needs to be done. Body secretions are not left for other staff to deal with. If the patient needs your help, you do not tell them to wait until the CNA comes.

KatieBell · Jan 16, 2006

I can't answer any questions about nursing in California. But I can attest that dealing with all sorts of human disgustingness is in the domain of the RN. Even if a CNA does all the bathing and such, there will still be patients with nasty wounds (recently had a very nice older man- lives alone with maggots in his foot...ugh) needing care, or ones that choose to vomit on you, or urinate uncontrollably, have a fresh colostomy etc. I never have understood how nurses managed to keep those white uniforms clean.

You would soon become a very very very unpopular nurse if you call the CNA each and every time a patient needs to go to the bathroom.

Here is what the aides do in my department:

transport patients

collect urine samples

assist with pelvic exams

do ekg's

take vital signs

Assist patients to the restroom

deliver meals

do blood glucose checks

restock the rooms

Assist the physicians when they are casting or doing an LP etc.

so you can see that their job involves alot more than cleaning poop up.

So, if you do not like the idea of dealing with people's bodily fluids, I'd suggest doing something different.

narcissistic · Jan 16, 2006

I'm really worried about that waiting list. I've never had a job before & I planned to speed up my pre-reqs so I can proceed quickly but that waiting list is like a dark cloud over my head. I just can't see myself at 23 & still living with my folks & I'm willing to do all that potty business. See, being an RN wasn't really my first love of career choice. I'm more of an "arts" person & I never imagined myself dabbling in some medical profession but I figure if being a theater actor can't guarantee a roof over my head, clothes on my bod, & food on the table, then why not be a nurse. It's a great profession that can guarantee financial stability right? I've never heard of a broke nurse. But I'm aware it's not only about the money & I'm willing to "learn to love" it. What could I possibly do during the span of the waiting lists?! Just rust or take up the LVN route? I'm seriously confused. Plus my dumb ass community college recently changed the pre-reqs for the RN so all the previous classes I've taken that pertained to the RN route suddenly didn't apply. So many hurdles I feel old all ready.

clee1 · Jan 16, 2006

I'm really worried about that waiting list. I've never had a job before & I planned to speed up my pre-reqs so I can proceed quickly but that waiting list is like a dark cloud over my head. I just can't see myself at 23 & still living with my folks & I'm willing to do all that potty business. See, being an RN wasn't really my first love of career choice. I'm more of an "arts" person & I never imagined myself dabbling in some medical profession but I figure if being a theater actor can't guarantee a roof over my head, clothes on my bod, & food on the table, then why not be a nurse. It's a great profession that can guarantee financial stability right? I've never heard of a broke nurse. But I'm aware it's not only about the money & I'm willing to "learn to love" it. What could I possibly do during the span of the waiting lists?! Just rust or take up the LVN route? I'm seriously confused. Plus my dumb ass community college recently changed the pre-reqs for the RN so all the previous classes I've taken that pertained to the RN route suddenly didn't apply. So many hurdles I feel old all ready.

OK.... NOW you're thinking.

Many Community College LPN/LVN programs are 1 year long, plus prereqs. You may already have those out of the way. AFTER licensure as an LPN, there are several on-line schools that will get you an ASN/ADN in another year or so. This method leads to much less wasted time waiting, because there is less competetion for LPN slots. This route also offers the ability to "get out on your own" in as little as 18 months, and a RN ticket in under three years.

The ONE thing I'll advise is that you take a good, hard look at this. Nursing can be incredibly rewarding, but it can also be terribly stressing. You are still very young, and I know that these timeframes seem very long. I promise that a little extra time spent NOW will pay huge dividends in the future.

Good luck to you.