Nurse & Nursing School Megathread: The NCLEX is the spookiest test you'll ever take

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Business, Finance, and Careers > Nurse & Nursing School Megathread: The NCLEX is the spookiest test you'll ever take

Snord: Mar 5, 2002; We hugged it out, but I was still a little angry.

I'm starting a 1 year accelerated RN program in September to get a BSN/MSN after I had no luck at all finding a job with a MS in Healthcare Management. Most people I talk to say I will end up doing nursing administration in a few years, considering my previous degree and experience. Will that end up helping me find a job right out of school?

I would also like to try working in the ED instead of the floors (I'm a man), but I was told that I should work at least a year before transferring. I've also been working in a hospital for the past 9 years in Environmental Services (working through undergrad/grad school) and might be a NA in January, even if I would end up taking a decent pay cut.

# ¿ Aug 24, 2009 07:24

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# ¿ May 3, 2024 16:04

Snord: Mar 5, 2002; We hugged it out, but I was still a little angry.

Wow, after reading that I have absolutely no interest and in fact fear med/surg nursing.How the hell can a hospital administrator allow this to happen? Seems like it will burn out all the decent nurses and leave the ones that don't care to make it even worse.

# ¿ Sep 21, 2009 05:52

Snord: Mar 5, 2002; We hugged it out, but I was still a little angry.

I'm actually doing my peds clinical now (along with med-surg and OB/GYN) and so far its not bad, although it is in the cardiac floor, and my only patient was older and very used to any kind of procedure. The mother was pretty crazy, however. I spent a day in the pediatric ER, however, and it did seem far more interesting.

# ¿ Feb 9, 2010 00:54

Snord: Mar 5, 2002; We hugged it out, but I was still a little angry.

enjoymywaffles posted:

Wow, I'm really glad I found this thread. I'm a 24 y/o dude with a BA in Politics from NYU and not at all happy with the job I've found or my career prospects in general. So lately I've been giving a lot of thought to going back to school for something more practical, and nursing is pretty much at the top of my list.

Right now I'm looking into different programs and trying to figure out what pre-req classes I need to take, it looks like there's about 6 or 7 that I'll need to apply to just about any program. The only thing I'm not totally clear on is what to do after I knock out the pre-reqs at the community college. It looks like I have two good options: try to get into the Associates degree program at the cc, or apply to an accelerated BSN-as-second-degree program somewhere else. Which is best?

The accelerated program seems like it would be the fastest route to becoming an RN, although the associates program would likely be cheaper. Does the prestige of the place from which you get your RN/BSN actually matter to potential employers? It seems like it doesn't, but I could be wrong. I've read that having a BSN will enable you to move up the management ladder, but I've also seen a number of RN-to-BSN programs that seem to be cheap and easy to accomplish while holding down a job. And then there's the matter of actually getting accepted into any of these programs; apparently a shitload of people apply to associates programs, and I imagine they are more selective than a BSN as a second degree program, and possibly with longer waiting times, though again I could be wrong given the economy and the number of people returning to school to change careers. Then there's the matter of having to actually move/quit my job to go the BSN route vs being able to stay here and go to the CC. I'm having a hard time figuring out what to do, but I want a solid plan before I start to invest the time and money into all this. What do you guys think is the way to go here? Those of you that are starting/finishing your pre-reqs, what's your plan from there? And anyone who's been through a second degree BSN program (especially in the Northeast) and would recommend it, I'd be interested to know where you went.

I'm in a second degree BSN program now. It is really hard, but its only a year. My program also leads into my schools FNP program, which will be nice when I want to go that route. Just be prepared to study a lot, and be prepared to spend tons of money on tuition. PM me if you want more guidance, since the school I am in now is also in NYC. Time to go back to studying, I have a Pediatrics exam and a Med-surg exam two days apart, fun stuff.

# ¿ Mar 24, 2010 19:07

Snord: Mar 5, 2002; We hugged it out, but I was still a little angry.

Mr Tweeze posted:

So I've been working on a med-surg floor for about a year and a half now and I'm starting to realize I want to move more to the business side of the game. Has anyone here thought about or actually went into something like a Masters of Healthcare Administration program? If I did decide to pursue it I'm sure I'd have to do it online and I just don't know what programs are considered credible in regards to online degrees.

I actually did the reverse of this, did my MS in Healthcare Administration a few years ago, and I am taking the NCLEX after an accelerated program in October. Now I just need to figure out if I want to go start my NP program sooner rather than later. My BSN program includes the MSN, so I am already in the program, I just need to register for the classes. Any advice? I will probably start next September, assuming I can afford the tuition, or my employer will (hopefully) pick it up.

JAF07 posted:

We haven't had flu shots mandated yet, but we all need to have 2 PPDs within one year now. Apparently this "aggravates the immune system" to be really sure you don't have TB!

I had to get a background check and drug test. In addition to titers, a physical, and a PPD. We didn't need to get the H1N1 vaccine, but most of us got it for free from the school.

Snord fucked around with this message at 04:46 on Oct 2, 2010

# ¿ Oct 2, 2010 04:44

Snord: Mar 5, 2002; We hugged it out, but I was still a little angry.

Any tips for a new Psych nurse? I've just started, and I haven't even been on the floors yet. I'm a new grad, so I have zero actual experience.

# ¿ Jul 31, 2011 23:42

Snord: Mar 5, 2002; We hugged it out, but I was still a little angry.

Enigmatic Troll posted:

Praise Jesus.

I also believe that a few days later (at the end of Feb.) I made an arrogant post about how I believed that being a short dude somehow helped me avoid being attacked. I was wrong. I was full of poo poo. I was hit in the head two weeks later for the first time whilst knocking a chair out of an agitated fellow's arms. He was swinging it a bit too close to a pregnant co-worker for my taste. Too long to read: I knocked the chair down and he hit me with a round-house. Better his fist than the chair, but I learned to not be the first one in on a ruckus.

Goddamn. I guess I am in for some fun. Mind if I PM you some questions if I have any? And at least I am at a state facility, so it doesn't seem quite that insane.

# ¿ Aug 2, 2011 17:33

Snord: Mar 5, 2002; We hugged it out, but I was still a little angry.

Oxford Comma posted:

There is a hierarchy in nursing that basically goes like this: CNAs (certified nursing assistants) are at the bottom. They do the feeding and butt-wiping. Next are LVN/LPNs (Licensed Practicing Nurses...or Little Pretend Nurses, if you ask my friend.) They pass out meds, give shots, do enemas and catheter changes. Then you have RNs (Registered Nurses) who do things like give blood via IVs and such. There are exceptions, of course but as a rule of thumb, this is how it works.

You can get to be an RN via a 2-year degree program or a 4-year Bachelor's degree (which is a BSN.) LPNs can be done in a year. CNAs, a month.

There are also Nurse Practitioners, which can diagnose patients and write orders for other nurses. They can also prescribe medications. They need a collaborative agreement from a physician, however, and this can vary from state to state.

# ¿ Aug 11, 2011 23:32

Snord: Mar 5, 2002; We hugged it out, but I was still a little angry.

Does anyone have advice on how to do IM injections? It has been way too long since I did one, and I was too unsure of myself when I had to do one last week.

# ¿ Aug 28, 2011 04:20

Snord: Mar 5, 2002; We hugged it out, but I was still a little angry.

So, does anyone have any ideas for a new nurse about to be laid off with 3 months of experience?

# ¿ Sep 29, 2011 05:16

Snord: Mar 5, 2002; We hugged it out, but I was still a little angry.

somnolence posted:

Is your position being downsized, or did you gently caress up? If the former is the case, I would suggest looking for a new job. If the latter, I don't really know.

Downsized. I am going to start looking this weekend. I just wish the job market wasn't utter poo poo right now.

# ¿ Sep 30, 2011 17:46

Snord: Mar 5, 2002; We hugged it out, but I was still a little angry.

somnolence posted:

Are you an RN? LPN? I know that in my city there are always positions available for both. If you're willing to re-locate, there are lots of areas where nurses are very in-demand right now.

RN/BSN. The problem is that they aren't hiring new grads in my area.

# ¿ Oct 1, 2011 14:53

Snord: Mar 5, 2002; We hugged it out, but I was still a little angry.

Sgt. Poof posted:

I meant that it seems barbaric.

It's not that barbaric. It used to be done chemically, but it is far safer to do it electrically. The point of the electricity is to start a controlled seizure, not be painful. Patients don't feel a thing, at least when under general anesthesia.

# ¿ Oct 2, 2011 20:44

Snord: Mar 5, 2002; We hugged it out, but I was still a little angry.

Lava Lamp posted:

Can you do the 8 hour/5 day week shifts right from the get go, or is that mostly for senior nurses?

I am doing 8 hour shifts now as a new grad, but I wish I was working 3 12 hour shifts.

# ¿ Oct 23, 2011 01:55

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# ¿ May 3, 2024 16:04

Snord: Mar 5, 2002; We hugged it out, but I was still a little angry.

Enigmatic Troll posted:

Different strokes. One good thing I can say about my job is that I've never had to wipe anyone's butt since school. But in psych you don't always have to deal with straight-up crazy - I ended up in a niche working with winos and drug addicts more (and tend to like these patients better - but it's still dealing with crazy folks - they're not doing what they're doing because they're sane). I've only been doing this three years, but the acuity does seem to be getting worse - we're getting crazier folks who are more medically compromised. I don't know if that's because the economy is going south and people can't afford their meds or if people are just engaging in more bad habits in general. Another nice thing about my job is that every night I learn from the patients a new way not to lead my own life.

I am working on the admissions floor now, and most of my patients seem medically compromised as well. Then again, my patients really are quite crazy. Highly paranoid, bipolar, borderline personality disorder, etc. Most are schizophrenic. And I haven't wiped an rear end (or wore scrubs) since nursing school.

# ¿ Apr 27, 2012 15:47

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Business, Finance, and Careers > Nurse & Nursing School Megathread: The NCLEX is the spookiest test you'll ever take