What do I do in the meantime?

[JAworried]

I am a little confused and not really sure what to do. I found out I passed my NCLEX on 4/24 was really excited, I went to my current job where I have been working as an ER tech for the last year and couple of months while in nursing school. Now that I am finished with this chapter I went to them to get a job. Yah they want to hire me but the Mac Program/ER Academy does not start until August. Great - my husband says that I have the rest of my life to be a nurse so dont rush it but I am ready - I believed that I have worked hard and now I want to be a nurse, not just a nurse on paper. What suggestions do you have for me that I could possibly do in the meantime considering I have no experience, if anything at all, or should I just patient and wait until August. I do have other options job wise but the System I work for is very good and will also pay for my Masters degree.

[gradRN2007, BSN, RN]

1st relax

2nd read a good book and enjoy the day!

i finished in oct, pinned in dec and took nclex in march and passed, time lapsed not because i wanted it to but school didn't send in papers to the state till jan, etc.....

i am starting as a grad rn on 5/24, little nervous about the time that has lapsed but have read many books, not on nursing except now i am reading ekg for a class i have to take at work. sounds like you have a great job waiting so stop and smell the roses while you can and good luck with your masters!

[llg, PhD, RN]

If the program starting in August is the one you really want, then it is worth waiting for. Use the "stress-free" time to take care of things in your personal life (e.g. cleaning/decorating your house, going on vacation, etc.) so that you can be rested and ready in August with few distractions.

Perhaps you can find something "fun" to do during the summer that you normally wouldn't have time to do -- develop a new hobby, take a class just for fun, volunteer with a local charity, etc. You might also speak to the people running the August program and get some advice from them about some reading you could do in advance, etc.

Consider the time to rest, develop, and prepare as a gift -- a gift many of us wish we could have.

Congratulations on passing boards, getting a job, etc. Now, relax and enjoy the summer a little !

[nyclizzo]

I agree...take the time to RELAX!! Enjoy your summer, catch up with friends...I graduated in January, took the boards in March and started working about a month ago...Believe me...Enjoy the free time while you can!! And it will be a super plus that you already know the floor and staff!!

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

I would relax. Seriously...this is the only downtime you will have for awhile where you can take care of YOU. Clean your house, do yoga, read some really good books, get a facial. Once you begin as a nurse, the concern about someone else's safety and learning the deal with your new job will be overwhelming.

I, too, began as a nurse at the exact same place I worked as an aide and it was far different from what I expected. The same nurses I worked with for years as an aide are not such nice people, now. This is not saying that you will share this same experience, but, remember...as a tech, you may have been more removed from what nurses have had to deal with and now, you will be right smack in the middle of the chaos. I found that some of the nurses that I did not care for as an aide were the ones I now admire compared to before and that was a head trip. You have to pay attention to too much more than before, have a reason for what you do and there will be no clinical instructor to guide you anymore...that is YOUR license on the line. I would just enjoy my time, take a trip, spend more time with my family because when it jumps, it will jump high. It will be an exciting time, but you will need to be well rested to deal with the impact of change.