What are your plans as a RN?

suzanne4, RN · Jun 18, 2008

I will be happy to make this a sticky on the Philippine Forum and hope that others will see it and contribute to this.

spongebob6286, BSN, RN · Jun 19, 2008

this ones nice.. let me tell mine.. :up: :yeah: :igtsyt:

basically after passing the NLE, i would like to gain experience.. i thought that it will be easy fo me to apply as staff nurse in hospitals.. i would really like to be trained in an institution that would not charge me of my own services! you know, paid trainings and volunteer! afterwhich, they are not going to hire us!! finding a hospital that will not exploit us is very impossible.. :yldhdbng:looking for a nursing job here is haunting! job HAUNTING!!(hunting):cry:my plans have been changed.. right now, my priority is to EARN! its very hard to suffer the knowledge and skills we want to enhance:crying2:. but with the current situation of our country, rice, oil, canned food, etc, hike, i have no choice but to look for a more descent job! :banghead: :coollook:

:sasq:

gemini_star, BSN, RN · Jun 19, 2008

Thanks for your post spongebob. I am looking also for part time jobs while waiting for the results of June 2008 NLE. This long wait drives me crazy if I sit and sleep all day long. I can not depend on my parents for everytime.

Here are my plans: I am not rushing anymore to take the NCLEX because I can take it anytime. There is no point in taking it right now when retrogression is in place. The priority is to get a nursing experience. I know I can not get it here, there is just way too many RNs. I'm taking the opportunity in the Middle East. I'll take my chance of applying in every hospital there even though I am not that confident with my skills. I hope they do welcome applicants with no experience.

jenna18 · Jun 21, 2008

to gemini star... i have relatives in Dubai, UAE... however, as far as i can see from the websites... they are also looking for work experience especially because most are international hospitals, owned by the US, UK or Canada... you need to have patience and a lot of perseverance there.

by the way, i envy you because you just took your boards and you did not get your focus off your nursing career. well, i took mine last december and immediately went into the call center industry... because thinking about the boards really made me so anxious. when the results were released last february, that was only the time that i regained my interest in nursing. i quit my job immediately because i definitely cannot find time to pass resumes when im asleep the whole day...only to find out that hospitals are overstaffed. i was willing to pay for whatever training/ volunteer costs, or whatever...i waited for nothing. while waiting i took the time to study again and take the BLS course in Red Cross...i've been trying to go through the IVT certification process,unfortunately,they're also fully booked. I also planned to go to Dubai to get my experience there however i am afraid if i fail to find a NURSING job there... right now, i'm going to our province- Bulacan to get my training there, im not sure if i can stay really long in there to work permanently because ill just be staying with relatives. Once i gain these credentials to brighten up my resume, i hope the hospitals here in the metro will notice me and hire me. And while waiting for employment,I am confused whether I should go through the entire US licensure process or head for a master's degree this october? can anybody help? well we all know that even after having a US license, i called up recruitment agencies, and they told me that they can't help me right now, because US employers are of course looking for the more seasoned nurses. i was thinking that if i succeed with the US licensure, at least i'm done with it but the down part is that the process ends there, my papers will still have to wait. if i take my masters part time i can work at the same time, however, graduate schools of most universities require that i should have at least 1 year clinical experience. in conclusion, first step is to really gain clinical experience!!! This whole thinking and deciding gets me really frustrated... or am i just silly? :confused:

Lorodz · Jun 23, 2008

Way back in nursing college(3 years ago), my professors usually inspire us by giving us quotations of the nursing "shortage" the salary and the projected nursing shortage 20 years from now. Back then it was enough for us to get motivated and start jotting down notes. If only i could turn back time, i would stand up and tell those professors how wrong they were and how they should have presented the real facts!

A year has passed since graduation and i still cannot find a DECENT nursing job. Hospitals exploit us (don't need to elaborate), even one hospital told me during our orientation that they would not hesitate to get rid of us if they are not satisfied with our performance. Talk about supply and demand. I quit the "training" and decided to head on with my "American dream"

I know that retrogression is in place, so here are my plans.

1. pass nclex

2. pass ielts

3. contact all hospitals in the state of my choice and send all the requirements (stay away from pesky agencies!)

4. wait for 1,2,3,4,5, years or more

5. while waiting for eternity for that visa number, go somewhere else, gather experience, have an advanced degree or go into nursing specialties.

P.S. Focus in your profession. You took up nursing, studied nursing and took the nursing boards. So it makes sense that you practice nursing! Nursing is such a broad field, do not limit it to working in hospitals. Do volunteer works, do COPAR in your community (believe me i did) sky's the limit.

Sariah · Jun 24, 2008

Hello! We have diffferent stories but same problems. How to get a nursing experience. I have read your posts guys, here's mine. I took NLE last June 2007 (one year ago.. ). Soon after the board the exam, I decided to apply for any job that will help me earn some money while waiting for the results.(I planned to save money that I can use once I am ready looking for hospitals to apply to). After a week, I was hired as a call center agent. I find it actually a great experience as I am practicing my English everyday. I guess it is an advantage when I take IELTS. The NLE results came, and I passed. I am actually very much happy with my score! I immediately applied for IV Training, and completed my requirements. Unfortunately, my father died few days after. That's when all my concrete plans broke into pieces. I became the breadwinner of the family, and cannot quit my job, as a customer care specialist. My salary here is just enough to support my family. Deep in me, I definitely would want to continue my nursing career. But what can I do?.. I shoulder all the expenses now.. Food.. electricity.. water.. house rent.. as in all the expenses.. My current salary is just enough.. I cannot afford working in a hospital with just half the salary I have now.. To think that there is a very tight competition now...

eueu · Jun 27, 2008

Sigh.... same here. as for me, I just keep on inquiring in hospitals.Been doing this for almost a year. When I am beginning to lose hope I just think about those people out there who have bigger problems than mine. for example: Think of the victims of the typhoon frank, the 700 plus people who sank with the sulpicio lines ship..many families lost their homes, properties and loved ones. Many people in this world are homeless and die of hunger everyday. To think we are more fortunate than them. We should be thankful despite of all these problems of ours as nurses. We just have to persevere and be patient. The Almighty will see our hard work and sacrifices and will reward us in the end.

messageinabox · Jun 27, 2008

For me, I am not yet a nurse but I WILL BE (God willing) after passing Nov 2008 NLE. My plans are:

1. Graduate this October

2. Pass Nov 2008 NLE

3. Take BLS, ACLS and IV therapist training

4. Get myself nursing experience (I know its HARD). I have a separate plan for this:

Volunteer to ANY Health Centers
Volunteer to Tertiary Hospitals (I hope they won't require me to pay)
Apply as Clinic Nurse, Pre-school Nurse or Elementary and High School Nurse (Most public Primary and Secondary Schools here doesn't have a Clinic Nurse. I could volunteer my nursing services to the principal doing First Aid, Health Education, etc for the students)
Go to Middle East (I read somewhere that they accept fresh grads)
Keep my eyes and ears open for nursing oppurtunities

5. Be like a sponge, to learn everything I can. Develop my skills as a competent nurse.

6. After getting experience, take IELTS.

7. Take NLCEX (US), take CAP (NZ) or take CRNE (Canada)

8. While waiting for a visa (to any of these countries), take Masters in Nursing

9. Work in either US, NZ or Canada. Be one of the best nurses there.

10. Be a Nurse Practitioner.

Grand plans, no doubt. But as we Filipinos say, "Libre naman mangarap" (Dreaming doesn't cost anything). And I say grand plans are better than no plans at all . :twocents:

jenna18 · Jun 28, 2008

"Posted by messageinabox: For me, I am not yet a nurse but I WILL BE (God willing) after passing Nov 2008 NLE. My plans are:

1. Graduate this October

2. Pass Nov 2008 NLE

3. Take BLS, ACLS and IV therapist training

4. Get myself nursing experience (I know its HARD). I have a separate plan for this:

Volunteer to ANY Health Centers
Volunteer to Tertiary Hospitals (I hope they won't require me to pay)
Apply as Clinic Nurse, Pre-school Nurse or Elementary and High School Nurse (Most public Primary and Secondary Schools here doesn't have a Clinic Nurse. I could volunteer my nursing services to the principal doing First Aid, Health Education, etc for the students)
Go to Middle East (I read somewhere that they accept fresh grads)
Keep my eyes and ears open for nursing oppurtunities

5. Be like a sponge, to learn everything I can. Develop my skills as a competent nurse.

6. After getting experience, take IELTS.

7. Take NLCEX (US), take CAP (NZ) or take CRNE (Canada)

8. While waiting for a visa (to any of these countries), take Masters in Nursing

9. Work in either US, NZ or Canada. Be one of the best nurses there.

10. Be a Nurse Practitioner.

Grand plans, no doubt. But as we Filipinos say, "Libre naman mangarap" (Dreaming doesn't cost anything). And I say grand plans are better than no plans at all . :twocents: "

i admire you, honestly.... that's great! i wish i have known better before i graduated just like you... i learned from you. i just wish our plans will work... we just leave it to God. tnx.

misspowers · Jun 28, 2008

Grand plans, no doubt. But as we Filipinos say, "Libre naman mangarap" (Dreaming doesn't cost anything). And I say grand plans are better than no plans at all .

I certainly agree!!! Let us keep those smiles and be happy. We are fortunate that we got our education and have a very promising profession. All we need to do is act on it, be patient and hope always for the best. Worrying will lead us to nowhere.

To Sariah, you are doing a wonderful job taking care of your family and sacrificing. Don't worry, God will soon give you the reward that you deserve.

I know what it feels like not being able to help out in the expenses. I look at it as a treasury bond...you have to wait before you will get your money. I am telling my family that soon I will work for them, they just have to bear with all my expenses.

So far I have completed my checklist:

1. Passed the NLE

2. Passed NCLEX

3. Passed IELTS

4. Got a petition from employer

5. Filed visa screen

All I need to do is hone my nursing skills. Yes, it is so hard to land a local job since I don't make up stories. I am a lousy liar. Most of the hospitals will not accept applicants if they are already an NCLEX passer. Right now, I will offer my services for free as a volunteer nurse. I am not a hero or something but opportunities are narrow and I don't want my nursing skills suffering. I am also taking my MAN, so I get to do some teaching.

We can do this!!!

N0rthst4r · Jun 28, 2008

i admire those people who got dreams, visions or plans than those who were afraid to have one because they might just get disheartened when everything fails.

just like you guys, before i became a registered nurse, i was bind by obligations that i have to take as a sign of gratitude to those whom we owe a lot. after failing my first nle, i was forced to get odd jobs just to help the family from sustaining itself, to the extent that i took b.s. agriculture to help my father go back to our piece of land where he can continue working as a farmer not as a mechanic anymore. for my friends and to others, it seems that i am not serious enough of becoming a nurse but deep inside i was dying to become one. by year 2000, i was told by my mother that my obligation is past overdue, and so i took and pass nle. just like you guys, again, it seems that the world for nurses was too harsh that you have to pay your slot to become a trainee in one of the hospitals nationwide. but mind you, i got my first job a thousand kilometers from where we were living. i volunteer myself to work in a place where sick people barely got good nursing services due to compromised peace and order in their place.am not trying to tell you that you have to follow what i have gone to because it's very difficult to live in a place where strangers sometimes considered a good target for cold bloodied insurgents. but i don't have regrets on making that silly decision because right now, i am working abroad as a company nurse that covers combat lifesaving as i am a certified on that aspect in one of the us military base outside their homeland. guys, it's only a matter of grabbing the opportunities being laid in your front door. i am not a us citizen to do this though i like to become one. all you have to do is to grab everything that later on you can put into use when the right time will come.

as of now, my plans are:

ø to go on vacation this july

ø review for nclex

ø back to work and get supplementary review via online

ø go to the states and take the nclex hopefully on the last quarter of this year

ø if i fail, continue working just like nothing happens and wait for another opportunity to come

ø if i will pass nclex, update my resume and qualification for salary adjustment

ø have a taste of living stateside for a while and back to where i am working right now.

ø save money until its time to go home for good and replace my father doing some farm works as i was also born a farmer.

good luck to all of us!!!

"life is what you make out of it.don't let destiny holds your future by a thread."