What to expect

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Nov 4, 2007

when you get a job before you pass nclex, what do you do all day...are you on your own or shadowing someone else?

how old are you? do you honestly think an employer is going to allow you to stand around all day following someone and do nothing productive? work is the real world. you will get a preceptor and depending on how that preceptor works with new grads you will most definitely be doing hands on work with patients. i was a nurse manager member of a new grad committee at a large city hospital and our new grads hit the floor taking 2 patients under the supervision of their preceptors after a two-week classroom orientation with the nurse educators. at the end of 8 weeks they were taking 4 to 6 patients and managing their care.

how long after passing boards does this "probationary" period last?

you may be asking this question pre-maturely, but the answer is in your state nursing law and you probably haven't had that subject introduced yet in nursing school. these are links you should bookmark because you will want to have them for reference in the future:

http://www.dos.state.pa.us/bpoa/cwp/view.asp?a=1104&q=432869 - pennsylvania board of nursing
http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/049/chapter21/049_0021.pdf - this is the pennsylvania nursing law. see section 21.7 on page 9 - 11 that talks about temporary practice permits of graduate rns. i highlighted a couple of key points that answer your question. it says:

21.7. temporary practice permits.

(a) a graduate registered nurse may only practice professional nursing under supervision and if the graduate registered nurse holds a current temporary practice permit. ''supervision'' means that a licensed registered nurse is physically present in the area or unit where the graduate registered nurse is practicing. the board may grant a temporary practice permit to a graduate registered nurse as follows:

(1) an individual who wishes to practice as a graduate registered nurse

during the period from the date of completion of the educational program to the

notification of the results of the licensing examination

shall submit an application for a temporary practice permit for a graduate registered nurse on a form provided by the board and remit the fee specified in 21.5 (relating to fees). a temporary practice permit granted under this section is valid for up to 1 year from the date of issuance, unless extended under paragraphs (3) and (4), and

immediately expires if the applicant fails the licensing examination

.

(2) at least 90 days prior to the expiration date of the temporary practice permit, the graduate registered nurse shall:

(i) submit an application for licensure by examination as a registered nurse.

(ii) remit the fee specified in 21.5.

(iii) submit the licensure examination registration form and fee required to the professional testing organization.

(3) at least 60 days prior to the expiration date of the temporary practice permit, the graduate registered nurse who wishes to extend the expiration date of the temporary practice permit because of illness or extreme hardship shall:

(i) submit an application for temporary practice permit extension on a form provided by the board.

(ii) remit the fee specified in 21.5. ch. 21 state board of nursing 49 21.6 21-8.1 (319561) no. 381 aug. 06

(iii) provide a detailed, written explanation of the reason the extension is requested. if requesting an extension due to illness, the applicant shall provide certification of the illness from the applicant's treating physician

(4) the board will not grant an extension to an individual who fails to meet the requirements of paragraphs (2) and (3).

what is the average pay scale for brand new nurses?

call around to some of the nursing recruiters of the various hospitals in your area to get these figures--if they will give them to you. many hospitals won't give these figures out over the phone. the best way to find this out is to start looking for advertisements of nursing job fairs in the local sunday newspapers and sometimes your instructors will get news about them and post them on bulletin boards. get on the job mailing lists through your state board of nursing and state nurses association. go to as many job fairs as you can if only to talk with the various recruiters of the many hospitals that will be there. talk with these people to get this information as well as information about their new grad orientation programs. if you have gone into nursing for the wages, you've made a horrible decision and ought to reconsider why you want to be a nurse. nurses are nurses because they need/want to help people. the wages are nice, yes, but it is not their primary motivation for doing this work.

am i going to survive nursing school? lol that one was a trick question..

that's something only you and your higher power know.

MLMRN1120 · Nov 4, 2007

"If you have gone into nursing for the wages, you've made a horrible decision and ought to reconsider why you want to be a nurse. Nurses are nurses because they need/want to help people. The wages are nice, yes, but it is not their primary motivation for doing this work."

I actually am not going into Nursing for the salary,I decided to be a nurse because I experienced a lot of illness in my family, and wanted to help others. I only asked because I was curious as to what I could expect to be making in my first few years. I don't think that it is an unreasonable question, since it is a job. Please don't assume things about me, I feel like I am making the right decision in pursuing Nursing.

Thanks for your input anyway.

MLMRN1120 · Nov 4, 2007

"If you have gone into nursing for the wages, you've made a horrible decision and ought to reconsider why you want to be a nurse. Nurses are nurses because they need/want to help people. The wages are nice, yes, but it is not their primary motivation for doing this work."

I actually am not going into Nursing for the salary,I decided to be a nurse because I experienced a lot of illness in my family, and wanted to help others. I only asked because I was curious as to what I could expect to be making in my first few years. I don't think that it is an unreasonable question, since it is a job. Please don't assume things about me, I feel like I am making the right decision in pursuing Nursing.

Thanks for your input anyway.

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Nov 4, 2007

I was more concerned that you might think you were going to be standing around watching another nurse working all day while earning a wage on a job before you pass NCLEX. That indicates a poor work ethic, no initiative and no productivity on anybody's part. I've been a nurse a long time and have been a nurse manager as well. People who go into nursing just for the money leave it pretty quickly, believe me. I was NOT assuming anything about you. Keep in mind that these are public forums and many people read what you and I write. Your questions were not unique but have been asked many, many times. What was unique was the part about your state licensing. You might try searching the forums for an answer before posting a question.

You're the same student that posted that thread about hating ADPIE's that I responded to. Hmmm? Am I getting a hint of a attitude thing here with you?

MLMRN1120 · Nov 4, 2007

No, it has nothing to do with any attitude I have. I posted the thread about ADPIE's before because I was feeling overwhelmed by them at first. I don't have a poor work ethic, and I didn't think I would be standing around, but I was wondering what new grads were or were not allowed to do when they start. In the future, I will check other posts, so that I don't post any more redundant questions.

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Nov 4, 2007

Then you are emotional and do not think through the consequences of your actions. I hope this changes as you mature and go through nursing school. You cannot problem solve effectively this way and problem solve is what RNs do in the course of their work day.

Conrad283, BSN, RN · Nov 4, 2007

Some institutions have a policy that they do not hire nurses who have not taken the boards yet. Some institutions hire GN's and they go thru their orientation and take the boards in a timely manner (you cannot work as a GN forever). Once you take the boards you are not considered a GN anymore, so therefore if you fail there's a chance that they will tell you that you can no longer work there, or you have to work as a nursing assistant.