Sac State Nursing for Spring 2018

Keen Observer · Nov 15, 2017

Are you working? How long to land a job? When did you start looking? Was it the job you wanted? How is the pay in your area if you are able to comment on that
Is nursing school actually crazy hard or is it just melodrama? I can see 19 20 21 year olds exaggerating how hard it is. I hear people say you'll have no life, working is out of the question, you'll never be more stressed etc etc and it sounds a bit dramatic. But I can also see it being legitimately difficult and taking up a lot of time.

Good questions. Yes, I am working. I would say 80-90% of my cohort has either started working, or have been hired. There's a lot of variables that go into when you start looking and how long it takes to land a job. For starters, how soon you finish your preceptorship, other classwork, and projects determines how much free time you have to research job openings and new grad programs at hospitals at the end of the semester. (How soon you finish your preceptorship is largely a product of how well your preceptor and your schedule match up). But even then, most hospitals won't look at your application until you have your RN license. As mentioned, however, there are new grad residency programs at hospitals that you can apply to before you have your license (and your working is contingent upon you having passed the NCLEX and having your license by the start date). I think our whole cohort applied to UC Davis Medical Center's new grad program before graduation, and many others had applied at other residency programs as well.

Second, studying for the NCLEX is a full time job, and then some. You have to decide how much time you want to spend looking for and applying to jobs against studying. Some people put off looking for jobs until they had passed the NCLEX, others mixed it up. It all depends on what what you can manage and have energy for. Most in our cohort received our authorization to test (ATT) for licensure in the second half of June, and most had taken and passed the NCLEX by the end of July.

Some things that might increase your odds of getting hired sooner rather than later might be having an externship at a hospital, volunteering, or getting involved with leadership. I know Kaiser and the VA have externship opportunities, and there are opportunities with organizations that operate in rural areas near Chico that I know of people participating in. Volunteering goes a long way. My hiring manager and I discussed my volunteer work for a good ten minutes during my interview. Get involved with Men in Nursing, or CNSA, and take on leadership positions within those organizations. An "A" average is a great thing to have in nursing school, but it only takes up one line on a resume, and lots of other graduates will have it, too. You'll want to have additional highlights on your resume, and leadership positions are something many employers look for.

Was it the job I wanted? As a new grad RN, most people don't start off in the units that they want unless they are willing and able to relocate to areas most people wouldn't. Jobs in large cities are difficult to come by as a new graduate, let alone in the most desirable departments such as ICU's, pediatrics, NICU, L&D/post-partum, etc.. If you are determined to go where you want fast, you need to be willing to move elsewhere. I am fortunate and grateful to have a job at a great hospital nearby.

Pay in Sacramento, Bay Area, and in between is near the top, if not the top in the nation. I think most hospitals in the Sacramento area start in the $49-$54 range. Hospitals in the Bay Area pay a little more, as high as the low $60s per hour. There are many things to consider other than pay, obviously.

About nursing school, yes, it is hard, and there are students of all ages who struggle, but it's doable. I found the most frustrating part at first to be that I could study as much, if not more for a nursing school exam, and still end up with an 84% whereas I would've had a high "A" or over 100% before. That can be disheartening.

doyoueven · Nov 15, 2017

Thanks for all the great answers and suggestions! This might be the hardest question to answer; you may take ~15 units or so as a nursing student - how do those ~15 compare to a lower division ~15 (e.g. physio, english, math, misc in one semester).

I know it will all be fine and dandy, but I'm looking forward to the new challenge/chapter and am just curious while I wait. My friend in the program also said it's less physio and more pathophysio so I think I'll order that book you recommended. Thanks!

Keen Observer · Nov 15, 2017

You're welcome. Nursing school units don't compare with lower division units. You'll have 12 units in first semester, but it will feel like 24 units.

doyoueven · Nov 15, 2017

That's what I was looking for! A quantitative measure

Keen Observer · Nov 15, 2017

Thank you, Keen Observer, to take the time to help allay our anxiety. Hearing the perspective of a recent nursing student gives proof that nursing school is survivable. I ditto your recommendation to get a copy of Clinical Pathology. The book is a ridiculously valuable recap of pathophysiology.
Memorization was the most challenging parts of the prerequisites for me. From what I can glean from the nursing curriculum, one must memorize to build the foundation to develop deeper knowledge and skills.
Is there any memorization you might suggest starting now to prepare for the start of the semester in January?

There are some previous cohort threads on this site where I remembering seeing someone post a list of common medical abbreviations that you will be tested on in during the second week. You'll have to do some searching, but it's there, and I recommend starting there.

That said, the NCLEX style questions you get in nursing school are more clinically based as opposed to memorization; that is, how you will act as a nurse given a clinical situation. You will be given the tools and information to answer these questions, but you might not know what clinical situations the questions might pose, just as you can't alway anticipate a change in your patient's condition or circumstances in real life. (And of course, all of the actions [answers] are correct actions, but which one is most correct?! Or, as one professor told me, "If you could do only one thing and then walk out of the room, what would you do?"). I hope that makes sense.

doyoueven · Nov 15, 2017

https://allnurses.com/california-nursing/sac-state-fall-1087816.html

The PDF is on this page I don't know how to attach documents from my phone

pandalover8642 · Nov 18, 2017

oh okay lol

I didn't want to offend anyone if my post did

but yeah hopefully a lot of the people one this thread got in

I just heard a lot of people not getting an acceptance with a 4.0 gpa.

I know my cousin, who i think is super smart, got wait listed three times before she was able to officially "get in"

idk, i just might be scarred lol

Since everyone says "oh you'll never get in blah blah got a 4.0 and didn't get in" whenever i mentioned sac state nursing

greenmachine · Nov 20, 2017

1 week!

Mom.to.3.boys · Nov 20, 2017

With 82 points I have already written off my chances.

Chevelle2366 · Nov 20, 2017

Don't say that Mom.to.3.boys! While our chances are slim w/82, you NEVER know. I think it is going to be right on the curb.... we know that we will be alternates for sure at least. I am right there with you... but we gotta hold on to hope :)

Mom.to.3.boys · Nov 20, 2017

I am trying to keep my hope, but it is hard, because those of us who will be on the alternate list still have to figure out the next semester.

aksp · Nov 21, 2017

Can anyone on here explain what "three years of high school coursework" in regards to the foreign language optional points are?

If a high school is on a semester system, 3 classes would qualify them for the points right?