|
Totally Negro posted:About the nursing job availability in California.. I'm interested to know why there's such a problem finding jobs? Is it because the most desirable costal cities already have tons of people competing for nursing positions? The Valley between SF and Los Angeles (and parts of LA I have heard) are better at hiring new grads but pickings are still slim. Same with above Sac/part of Reno with little rural hospitals. The problem is the hospitals don't have money to train new grads. These are the hospitals in my area: Hospital A has an unpaid internship program which is currently full of grads from LAST YEAR Hospital B (county) doesn't offer a new grad program but will hire a small group of new grads (five or so) and cohort them together in an unofficial new grad program Hospital C has a new grad program where they ONLY take ten students from the local state ~*BSN*~ program Hospital D (my favorite) cancelled their new grad program Even worse, Hospital D is a GREAT hospital but essentially fucks over their staff and patients to save money. For instance, their brand new cardiology building is staffed by something ridiculous like 60% FLOAT POOL. They save money by not having to pay those nurses benefits but cardiology nurses, eager new grads like me and the most critical patients get boned over. I can't complain too much - I specifically want to do correctional nursing and they are always hiring, even new grads. It's just a long process, even if you have worked in a facility before (which I have).
|
#
?
May 30, 2011 17:32
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 22, 2024 13:02 |
|
|
Hey folks, my girlfriend is a brand-new RN this month and asked me for some help with her resumé. It's pretty bare-bones, but I'm wondering if there are particular things she should expand on or highlight, or if there's anything glaring that's missing, or things that are important for nursing-specific applications. My only experience is with technical resumés so I'm a bit out of my element here. Any feedback or pointers would be appreciated. http://www.box.net/shared/9tixfl4ad0jc9rmk7071 I know she really enjoyed high acuity in particular. Any thoughts?
|
|
#
?
Jun 16, 2011 18:56
|
|
|
Seems pretty good to me. Most grads have pretty bare-bones resumes (I redid mine last year and it was refreshing not to have to use any padding) so the focus on her clinicals and other experience is what she needs. Hirers are big on volunteer experience I've found - I got my first job interview based on having some experience volunteering in a home for disabled children. Course, I'd left off that I'd done it when I was 14. So that's the kind of padding she could do if she still feels it's thin.
|
|
#
?
Jun 16, 2011 23:19
|
|
|
Jeez she had a lot of clinical hours. It can probably be made neater and easier to read with some additional formatting; for instance, offsetting the dates to be right-justified, and italicising them. Also, more consistency in the dating - her BSN doesn't have a date and all of her placements should go with hours completed rather than weeks. As far as actual missing information: Does she hold membership in any nursing organisations (union, speciality groups, etc.)? Does she have any nursing or school related awards? And I assume it's been left off to show us, but of course contact details and professional referees. Finally, there might be specific things different hospitals want on it, so make sure she looks out for that.
|
|
#
?
Jun 17, 2011 01:47
|
|
|
I start my Ob/Peds rotation on Monday. Should be very interesting. On a side note, I am interviewing for a patient tech position at one of the major hospitals in the area. Did anyone here work as a tech while in nursing school? Did they follow up and hire you on as an RN when you graduated?
|
|
#
?
Jun 17, 2011 02:43
|
|
|
Hughmoris posted:I start my Ob/Peds rotation on Monday. Should be very interesting. On a side note, I am interviewing for a patient tech position at one of the major hospitals in the area. Did anyone here work as a tech while in nursing school? Did they follow up and hire you on as an RN when you graduated? Good luck with your rotation! A lot of people I know worked as techs while in school. A few were offered jobs as RNs, but not all. It really depends on the hospital.
|
|
#
?
Jun 17, 2011 02:54
|
|
|
Hey everyone, I'm in California and waiting for my ATT number to arrive so I can schedule my exam. Our school enrolled us in Kaplan, so I've been doing 50 of their practice questions a day until I get a definite test date and then I plan on stepping it up. In the meantime, does anyone have any recommendations for NCLEX prep? I was told to avoid reviewing material, but is it mostly just drilling questions over and over then? What did you find helped you most?
|
|
#
?
Jun 17, 2011 05:29
|
|
|
I have a preceptorship question: how important is your placement or specialty? Are there any floors that will hurt or hinder your chances of getting a job out of school?
|
|
#
?
Jun 19, 2011 09:51
|
|
|
Giant Wallet posted:What did you find helped you most? Answer QBank questions until your fingers bleed. Nurse Fanny posted:Preceptorship Question Are you in the US? I never really had 'preceptorship' here, nor do I know anyone that has. Unless you mean for a new job? We did rotate through the floors. No experience is going to hurt your chances of getting a job. Do you mean an internship?
|
|
#
?
Jun 19, 2011 15:03
|
|
|
Nurse Fanny posted:I have a preceptorship question: how important is your placement or specialty? Are there any floors that will hurt or hinder your chances of getting a job out of school? Things I've HEARD.... L&D preceptorships are pointless because you're not going to be hired straight into L&D (could be wrong) 90% of people look down on OR preceptorship because "OR is where you go to lose your skills" (psych too)  BUT...if you want to experience these specialty areas then do it!! You'll have a RN license when you're done not a ~SPECIALTY~ license.
|
|
#
?
Jun 20, 2011 03:18
|
|
|
I graduated a few semesters back with a BS in Plant Biology. Shockingly enough, there aren't any jobs for someone with an undergrad in plants, so I've been working in medical records since then. I want to go back to get my nursing degree, but am stuck paying for $25,000 in student loans, and really don't want to add on crazy amounts by going back for my BSN, and am instead hoping to just get an ASN with the goal to eventually move up to my BSN while working. I currently work full time at a hospital that will give pretty hefty tuition assistance while I'm working there - I'm planning on doing my prereqs that weren't fulfilled by my BS (A+P I/II and Micro) at night while working full time and then getting on the waitlist and taking the few classes I can before getting off the waitlist (Dietary Nutrition, Pathophysiology) while working. I'm going to pay those classes out-of-pocket with assistance from my hospital, and then quit to go to school full time for the two years or so that are needed in the actual nursing program. Assuming a 1-2 wait on the list (which is what they predict, ugh), I'll be graduating in 2016. This will probably take me longer than doing a BSN at this point, but it's a lot cheaper and I can always get my BSN in the future (paying as I go, part-time while working) if I end up wanting some upward mobility as I get older. Is this an incredibly stupid idea? I really dread getting farther into debt when I already have a job that pays the bills - I just want a job with more variety and substance, if that makes sense.
|
|
#
?
Jun 21, 2011 03:31
|
|
|
Zeo posted:Are you in the US? I never really had 'preceptorship' here, nor do I know anyone that has. Unless you mean for a new job? We did rotate through the floors. No experience is going to hurt your chances of getting a job. Do you mean an internship? I meant like a senior clinical preceptorship, I'm sure it's called a bunch of different things elsewhere. It's pretty much where you are paired with a nurse and work as one for your last semester of school. Baby_Hippo posted:Things I've HEARD.... Neato! I guess what I'm asking is, is there a "bad" place to intern/precept?
|
|
#
?
Jun 21, 2011 05:30
|
|
|
Hey, is there a pocket book or app just for IV fluids/push meds? Like what to mix with them, how much, how quickly you can push it, etc? I've been using Medscape but I'd like something that loads quicker and has more specific info.
|
|
#
?
Jun 24, 2011 19:52
|
|
|
In my third week of clinicals for respiratory therapy at SBMC in Livingston, NJ. I was honestly worried after a year of cardiopulmonary classes that I wasn't going to like the actual -job- aspect of it, but I had my first patient contact on Friday and now I feel like I'm (finally!!!) in the right career path. I love the work I'm doing there and wish I could be there every day instead of my "day job" in retail hell. ...there's something wrong with me, isn't there? I can't stop smiling when I'm on the floor, even on hour 10+. There's just something very satisfying about healthcare that I simply couldn't get in other jobs I have had. I like knowing that I made some small, positive difference in the lives of my patients. I feel exhausted yet very happy when I am done each day.
|
|
#
?
Jun 26, 2011 16:37
|
|
|
How much math should a Nurse realistically know? I am currently doing my prerequisites and the Math class I am taking is a developmental one, so I can go all the way up to Calculus if I wanted to or I could stop where I need to for my prereqs.
|
|
#
?
Jun 26, 2011 19:00
|
|
|
Well, I have a few questions... I currently have a BBA from a state school in Wisconsin. During my time attending that school, I actually applied for, got accepted to, and did two semesters in the school of nursing there. At some point, due to a combination of my dumb young rear end, a stupid boyfriend, and a few other circumstances, I decided that I no longer wanted to go through nursing school, changed my major to business, graduated with honors, and went on with my life. I did have a 4.0 GPA throughout all my tough science classes and all the nursing classes I took, so it wasn't that I couldn't take it, just that for whatever reason I decided to quit. I have now been out in the real world working for five years, and I always come back to "why the hell did you quit nursing school?" I don't dislike my current job, but I don't love it either, and it is not very rewarding. I have been looking into nursing programs, and the school I have my BBA from does offer an accelerated BSN program for those that already have Bachelor's degrees. It is a one year intensive course. Since I was in the nursing program previously, I meet all the qualification for it, except for having to renew my CPR cert (which conveniently my mother is qualified to teach, so no big deal there). The next class starts in a little under a year (beginning of June 2012) and I have to have all my application materials in to the school by January. Basically, I am just looking for some advice. I am terrified at giving up my current 50k a year job. I would not be able to work while in the program, and the place I currently work is not in the medical field, so there would not be a chance to get a job back as an RN after I graduate and pass the exams. My husband has a good job that would support both of us while I was in school, but then I'd have to spend every week away from him, as the school is located 130 miles from where we currently live (and I'd be staying with my parents during the school weeks, which doesn't sound overly fun). So, I'm scared at giving up my job, and the prospects at finding a job after graduation, and also of getting back into the program and then decided I hate it and quitting my job would have been for no reason at that point. Anyone have any thoughts or resources they could point me to?
|
|
#
?
Jun 26, 2011 19:02
|
|
|
Etrips posted:How much math should a Nurse realistically know? I am currently doing my prerequisites and the Math class I am taking is a developmental one, so I can go all the way up to Calculus if I wanted to or I could stop where I need to for my prereqs. Realistically? Not much. You don't need calculus to calculate IV drip rates. See if you can find some practice NCLEX math questions as I think that will actually give you a good idea of the kind of math nurses work with on a daily basis.
|
|
#
?
Jun 26, 2011 19:50
|
|
|
You don't need much maths, but the more you can do without a calculator the better off you'll be with drug calculations.
|
|
#
?
Jun 26, 2011 22:24
|
|
|
But for the most part I'm just doing drug conversions / calculations?
|
|
#
?
Jun 27, 2011 06:02
|
|
|
99% of the time. Once you're out of the bullshit of exams you realize that 99% of drug calculations are "give 1g of antibiotic, antibiotic comes in 500mg vials, how many vials do I give?" It's only when you specialize that it gets a little complicated (Eg an adrenaline infusion is 6mg added to 94mls so that 1mg/hr = 1mcg/min - but you'll never see that out side of ICU/Emergency).
|
|
#
?
Jun 27, 2011 07:57
|
|
|
Silentgoldfish posted:99% of the time. Once you're out of the bullshit of exams you realize that 99% of drug calculations are "give 1g of antibiotic, antibiotic comes in 500mg vials, how many vials do I give?" Excellent, thank you for the information everyone!
|
|
#
?
Jun 27, 2011 12:30
|
|
|
I've made it half way through my OB clinicals. I was playing with babies all last week in the new born nursery, and today I was in L&D and was allowed to observe a C-section. Pretty neat stuff. I had no idea that the surgeons did that much tugging and pulling on the abdominal cavity to create room for the baby's head. Tomorrow is the day I'm not really looking forward to, antepartum. As a single guy with no kids, I haven't quite become comfortable around assessing extremely pregnant women.
Hughmoris fucked around with this message at 00:43 on Jun 28, 2011 |
|
#
?
Jun 28, 2011 00:40
|
|
|
It's going to be really hard to not switch into primeval boner mode around them pregnant women. You'll be fine. Just don't let anybody talk your patients out of having a student around. Be as assertive as possible.
|
|
#
?
Jun 28, 2011 02:40
|
|
|
So who's not a very big fan of PowerChart? I used to use Meditech at another facility, and I can only say how unintuitive PowerChart is. It's extremely painful to use, the radio buttons and ticks in the UI require sitting down and concentrating on using the drat thing, rather than what you need to enter, and the default choice is never what you need. Holy crap, they might as well have rewritten Microsoft Bob for charting.
|
|
#
?
Jun 28, 2011 04:25
|
|
|
AmbassadorTaxicab posted:So who's not a very big fan of PowerChart?  Meditech. Sometimes I feel like I'm the only person in the world who loves that program. Everything else feels like I'm quadruple charting.
|
|
#
?
Jun 28, 2011 07:40
|
|
|
Baby_Hippo posted:
you are! seriously, epic is absolutely the best charting system i've used. it's quick and easy, and meditech is such a god drat pain in the rear end. isn't it like literally a 15 year old system or something?
|
|
#
?
Jun 29, 2011 19:09
|
|
|
age doesn't matter at all, the VA uses cprs and it's fantastic. i have actually seen lab results from over twenty years ago in there. cerner, on the other hand, makes me want to pull my hair out daily. i don't know how either of those are from a nursing perspective, but at least from a medical perspective i find cprs a million times more enjoyable to use.
|
|
#
?
Jun 29, 2011 20:37
|
|
|
Hughmoris posted:I've made it half way through my OB clinicals. I was playing with babies all last week in the new born nursery, and today I was in L&D and was allowed to observe a C-section. Pretty neat stuff. I had no idea that the surgeons did that much tugging and pulling on the abdominal cavity to create room for the baby's head. Tomorrow is the day I'm not really looking forward to, antepartum. As a single guy with no kids, I haven't quite become comfortable around assessing extremely pregnant women. I was in the same boat last semester but my instructor told me that 1. lots of these women have male OBGYNs and a good portion of them are used to being assessed by males and 2. as long as you're professional and ask permission before doing anything uncomfortable for either of you most of the time you'll be ok. I even did a cervical exam on a patient last semester and nobody cared much at all because I just went in and told her that I was a student and wanted to get a good, well rounded experience experience in OB but if she was uncomfortable with me doing anything to let me know. If you go in all awkward and timid then nobody's going to want you to do assessments on them in any department, so be confident. I hated OB but sometimes you gotta do some awkward poo poo if you're a nurse, this won't be the last time you'll have to do something you don't want to, so embrace it and then it'll be all over with.
|
|
#
?
Jun 29, 2011 23:24
|
|
|
Baby_Hippo posted:
I like MediTech. I've seen what they use at other Hospitals and it's crazy. The nice thing about meditech is you can operate it almost entirely with keystrokes. Not having to go back and forth to the mouse saves a LOT of time. I chart wicked fast with it, people looking at the screen don't know what's going on haha.
|
|
#
?
Jun 30, 2011 14:53
|
|
|
Zeo posted:I like MediTech. I've seen what they use at other Hospitals and it's crazy. I know!! It's so easy to use and I end up memorizing the codes for different things. At a different hospital I had to use a ~*FANCY*~ brand new charting system which was, for lack of a better description, like a giant Excel spreadsheet. loving awful. With everyone (CNAs included) charting poo poo on the same spreadsheet you had to scroll back forever to find the previous shift report to review. And there was no section for nurses notes!! ALSO they used a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT med charting system that wasn't connected and you had to scan meds using a loving PALM PILOT. Took goddamn forever to do ANYTHING.
|
|
#
?
Jul 1, 2011 02:40
|
|
|
Dr. Capco posted:I was in the same boat last semester but my instructor told me that 1. lots of these women have male OBGYNs and a good portion of them are used to being assessed by males and 2. as long as you're professional and ask permission before doing anything uncomfortable for either of you most of the time you'll be ok. I even did a cervical exam on a patient last semester and nobody cared much at all because I just went in and told her that I was a student and wanted to get a good, well rounded experience experience in OB but if she was uncomfortable with me doing anything to let me know. I made it through just fine. It was slow as poo poo on the floor, only had 1 patient since there was a bunch of students up there. I passed some meds, did an assessment and pretty much just listened to the patient vent for the most part. Easy peasy. I have one more day in the newborn nursery and then I move on pediatrics.
|
|
#
?
Jul 1, 2011 04:38
|
|
|
To what extent does it matter what school you go to when going for your BSN? I have a degree in philosophy and am in the process of doing pre-requisites to apply to the Hunter College (CUNY) accelerated program. http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/nursing/admissions/undergraduate/accelerated-pathway I may also apply to NYU or Columbia as a 'reach' school. But would it be worth the extra tuition to go to a 'better' school if I got in? How different would my job prospects be when I got out? Also: How much of an advantage do I have in admissions as a male? Also x2: What would be a good 'safety' school in the NYC/Newengland area if I didn't get into hunter?
|
|
#
?
Jul 12, 2011 16:46
|
|
|
My partner and I are sweating bullets waiting for her CRNE results  She spoke to several people from her graduating class who received theirs yesterday and so of course the mind wanders to "they are sending out the failed results later!"edit: the more reasonable assumption would be that Canada Post sucks and there is variation in delivery times, I guess.
|
|
#
?
Jul 13, 2011 18:22
|
|
|
boneration posted:My partner and I are sweating bullets waiting for her CRNE results Oh man, you have my condolences. If I had to sit through a postal strike to get my CRNE results I would have been an absolute anxious wreck.
|
|
#
?
Jul 14, 2011 04:39
|
|
|
otter space posted:Oh man, you have my condolences. If I had to sit through a postal strike to get my CRNE results I would have been an absolute anxious wreck. Results received: pass! Celebratory drinks and dinner all round!
|
|
#
?
Jul 15, 2011 19:34
|
|
|
boneration posted:Results received: pass! Celebratory drinks and dinner all round! Congrats! Does she have a job lined up yet?
|
|
#
?
Jul 15, 2011 20:01
|
|
|
Hughmoris posted:Congrats! Does she have a job lined up yet? Yep. She's been working as a graduate nurse since early May in the local hospital's rehab facility (physical rehab, not drug rehab, which is what I assumed when I first heard about the job) as a casual. She was worried about hours, but has been booked straight through to September with a full schedule. Hell, she had to get the day off to write the drat exam! It's not her first choice of position but as I understand it you take what you can get, get some hours under your belt/union seniority, then start applying to other places. Some of her peers have no job at all, others have positions in more desirable areas but are getting few/no calls or else the floor is toxic as hell. All in all things could be so much worse. Money's great, job isn't making her want to kill herself, and things are looking a lot better than they were in her third year when she was torn between killing herself or dropping out and becoming a welder 
|
|
#
?
Jul 15, 2011 20:41
|
|
|
I passed my NCLEX! boneration posted:All in all things could be so much worse. Money's great, job isn't making her want to kill herself, and things are looking a lot better than they were in her third year when she was torn between killing herself or dropping out and becoming a welder Her too?! Tell her I said congrats.
|
|
#
?
Jul 19, 2011 04:35
|
|
|
Ideas for making extra money? My husband is a school teacher and has not found any work this year. Like many of you I am a nurse and work 3 days a week, but I'm interested in branching out from the hospital and doing side jobs like community clinics, flu shots, etc. Where can I find some job postings like that? I also thought substitute school nursing sounded neat, but I am not sure what to expect. Would that be too much of a commitment if I already have a full time job?
|
|
#
?
Jul 20, 2011 18:53
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 22, 2024 13:02 |
|
|
Compo posted:Ideas for making extra money? My husband is a school teacher and has not found any work this year. Like many of you I am a nurse and work 3 days a week, but I'm interested in branching out from the hospital and doing side jobs like community clinics, flu shots, etc. Where can I find some job postings like that? I also thought substitute school nursing sounded neat, but I am not sure what to expect. Would that be too much of a commitment if I already have a full time job? Indeed.com is a good job search site. It doesn't have everything but it seems to compile a lot of listings. If your hospital runs clinics, look into working at those (a lot of hospitals have central job-application parts of their web sites that list all open positions of places they run in a community). I would also try applying to local nursing homes and asking if they have per diem work. Flu clinics and school nursing are good jobs but if you're just looking for extra money and flexibility, they won't pay as well as a nursing home (at least in my area) and it would give you some money while you're looking for a clinic.
|
|
#
?
Jul 20, 2011 20:42
|
|