I am blogging over on Tumblr now about nursing and have been since I graduated almost four years ago!! Come join me there! There's lots to read and you can ask me questions!
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
New blog
Whew.... long time no post!! I completely forgot I had this blog until I was trying to answer a question about my NCLEX study habits... And then I had to jailbreak myself back into this blog. Anyway...
Monday, February 24, 2014
My NCLEX-RN Study System
Alrighty, now that I'm a mere week away from my NCLEX date (YIKES!!!) I'm here to post about my NCLEX study system.
This is definitely not the only way to study, heck its probably not even the best, but it's what I did. And we'll see if it works when I take boards!
So here's the broad timeline of my studying. Unfortuantely I had no way of knowing a concrete date for me to take the NCLEX due to some stupid school issues with releasing my certificate of completion to my state (in order to get my authorization to test).
But I knew ahead of time that there was going to be about a 6 week time period from graduation to when I could test. (Turns out it was more like 2 months and a day).
I graduated the middle of December and did absolutely no studying for the next week and half. I went on vacation, I relaxed, I watched TV that I'd missed in the past 16 months. Granted this is not for everyone. Some people don't want to, or can't take a break because they have to (get to) take the NCLEX soon after graduation. I'm actually pretty glad I had a bit of time because I was braindead after finally finishing school.
December 27th I started doing Kaplan Q bank questions.
I did my first Kaplan Question Trainer test Jan 1. The question trainers 1-6 were required by my school prior to releasing our certificate of completion. But I did QT 1-3 the first week of January.
I also started going through my Saunders comprehensive review book.
This is the book that I'd seen people recommend for content review. It breaks down each body system into chapters, with meds in the next chapter for the body system. There are chapters on fundamentals, maternity, peds and mental health in addition to adult. I felt like I needed this review. Because there is just a ton of info I couldn't remember when going through Kaplan Q bank questions.
In the beginning I did a couple of chapters a day, and then slacked off a bit but recently I'm back to doing 1-2 big chapters or a couple of smaller chapters everyday. I read, highlight and do the questions at the end of the chapter.
**A disclaimer about Saunders: I feel that the questions in this book are way too easy! There are good to review concepts you just learned.. but I don't think that they're on par with NCLEX or Kaplan questions. So keep that in mind if you just choose one study system.
I went to the 4 day Kaplan review session which was included in my school tuition, but anyone is free to take if you pay for it. This session basically included info about the test, how to test, what's required and then the Kaplan Decision Tree. After you learn the decision tree it is basically just going through question after question with the teacher. She explains how to go through the question, how to think about it and what the correct answer is and why. It was long.. and kind of hard to sit through but I think it did help me.
After the review I finished QT 4-6. Then I continued to do q bank questions each day as well. I aimed to do about 50-100 questions per day.. and I did okay some days and others not that great.
Towards the end I was doing Saunders content review chapters each day, and making qbank quizzes of 25-50 questions.
I eventually dropped down to just Q Bank questions. Then I did nothing to study the 24 hours before the test. I reviewed an RN exam cram sheet. Looked over lab values the morning off and off I went.
The exam shut off at 75 questions and I was sooo relieved. Even it meant I had failed at least I was DONE.
I found out the next day that I had passed!
WOOHOO. Officially an RN.
How did you study for the NCLEX?
This is definitely not the only way to study, heck its probably not even the best, but it's what I did. And we'll see if it works when I take boards!
So here's the broad timeline of my studying. Unfortuantely I had no way of knowing a concrete date for me to take the NCLEX due to some stupid school issues with releasing my certificate of completion to my state (in order to get my authorization to test).
But I knew ahead of time that there was going to be about a 6 week time period from graduation to when I could test. (Turns out it was more like 2 months and a day).
I graduated the middle of December and did absolutely no studying for the next week and half. I went on vacation, I relaxed, I watched TV that I'd missed in the past 16 months. Granted this is not for everyone. Some people don't want to, or can't take a break because they have to (get to) take the NCLEX soon after graduation. I'm actually pretty glad I had a bit of time because I was braindead after finally finishing school.
December 27th I started doing Kaplan Q bank questions.
I did my first Kaplan Question Trainer test Jan 1. The question trainers 1-6 were required by my school prior to releasing our certificate of completion. But I did QT 1-3 the first week of January.
I also started going through my Saunders comprehensive review book.
This is the book that I'd seen people recommend for content review. It breaks down each body system into chapters, with meds in the next chapter for the body system. There are chapters on fundamentals, maternity, peds and mental health in addition to adult. I felt like I needed this review. Because there is just a ton of info I couldn't remember when going through Kaplan Q bank questions.
In the beginning I did a couple of chapters a day, and then slacked off a bit but recently I'm back to doing 1-2 big chapters or a couple of smaller chapters everyday. I read, highlight and do the questions at the end of the chapter.
**A disclaimer about Saunders: I feel that the questions in this book are way too easy! There are good to review concepts you just learned.. but I don't think that they're on par with NCLEX or Kaplan questions. So keep that in mind if you just choose one study system.
I went to the 4 day Kaplan review session which was included in my school tuition, but anyone is free to take if you pay for it. This session basically included info about the test, how to test, what's required and then the Kaplan Decision Tree. After you learn the decision tree it is basically just going through question after question with the teacher. She explains how to go through the question, how to think about it and what the correct answer is and why. It was long.. and kind of hard to sit through but I think it did help me.
After the review I finished QT 4-6. Then I continued to do q bank questions each day as well. I aimed to do about 50-100 questions per day.. and I did okay some days and others not that great.
Towards the end I was doing Saunders content review chapters each day, and making qbank quizzes of 25-50 questions.
I eventually dropped down to just Q Bank questions. Then I did nothing to study the 24 hours before the test. I reviewed an RN exam cram sheet. Looked over lab values the morning off and off I went.
The exam shut off at 75 questions and I was sooo relieved. Even it meant I had failed at least I was DONE.
I found out the next day that I had passed!
WOOHOO. Officially an RN.
How did you study for the NCLEX?
Sunday, February 9, 2014
My first interview and.. job offer???
So I guess I got a nursing job?
You’ll notice the question mark because I’m still gobsmacked that this happened.
I’ve obviously been submitting quite a few applications, starting after I graduated in December. I got no emails, no phone calls until the middle of January. I got an interview for a job I’d applied for a few weeks before. I emailed them back with on Tuesday with a couple of possible dates. They emailed me back and wanted to see my that Friday. I never figured it would go that fast. I figured hey this will be great experience, you have to have your first interview sometime. I did a good bit of prep. Reading sample interview questions and writing out answers to them. I’m much better on paper than I ever am in real life, so I thought it might be better this way.
I drove to this city (not where I’m currently living) and stayed overnight. Interviewed the next day. I was sort of ambivalent on how it went. I feel like I’m always an idiot in interviews. But I had a pretty good answer for most of the questions that they asked. They also talked a lot (which I just read apparently is a good thing???) which I thought was kinda weird. I talked with a nurse recruiter at the hospital and I thought hey, at least I’ve got a good contact here so when I don’t get this job I can apply for some more.
I drove home that day and thought some about the interview. But I basically had the feeling that if it was meant to be it would happen. I had done all that I could. I prepared and did the best I could, so now it was out of my hands. The phrase “que sera, sera” was stuck in my head on a constant loop.
I put it out of my mind (well I tried). I got called to work Monday morning at 1 am and made it home and into bed at 7 am. I checked my phone around 11 to see what time it is and LO AND BEHOLD I had an email from HR. They were offering me the job I had interviewed for… on Friday.
Shocked. Flabbergasted. Who gets the first RN job they interview for?! I haven’t even taken boards yet. They don’t know that I’m not an idiot and won’t fail! I cried immediately. Not necessarily from happiness. More from shock and the feeling that this was going to change everything. I was going to have to move 7 hours away. Move away from my friends and family. But I had wanted this right?! I chose this city and this hospital because my best friend lives there. I just hadn’t (even after going there to interview) thought that I would actually have to move there!
I slowly came to grips with it, emailed back and forth with HR to get more information and tried to make a decision. But from the beginning I knew that I was basically going to take it. The job is in a trauma step down unit at a level 1 trauma center. Its what I think I want to do (how can anyone know for sure when they’ve never been a nurse before). It will be great experience, I will learn so much, its step down which is awesome. With a couple of years experience here I will be able to go anywhere I want. ICU, ER, L&D, anywhere. I know that this is the right job for me. If by no other way than that I interviewed for it and they offered it to me 3 days later! If that isn’t a sure sign, I don’t know what is. Still, it was a terrible decision to make. It felt like I was ripping myself apart at the seams. Leaving my job that I LOVE, but that I cannot make a sustainable full time job out of. Leaving my family including my young niece and nephews, leaving the friends that I’ve made. Its comfortable being here. My parents are here to help me out constantly. Its easy.
Leap and the net will appear.
I’ve tried to tell myself that no one ever gets anywhere by being complacent in life. You have to jump to see if you can fly. All that stuff. Its sort of working. Usually I’m excited about this new chapter in my life. When I’m not busy being petrified that I will actually have to BE A NURSE.
Because in all of this, the rush to study for the NCLEX, take the NCLEX, find a job, I seem to have forgotten that I will actually have to be a nurse. That I will be responsible for my own patients, that I have to have some idea what I’m doing so that I won’t kill them. That patients and families will ask me questions and that I’m supposed to know the answers to give them. Terrifying, astounding, shocking. How did 16 measly months of nursing school prepare me for this??
Luckily I will have at least 8-10 weeks of orientation on the unit where I won't take patients by myself. Perhaps longer if I need it. This is slightly reassuring.. but STILL.
How do I go from being someone who is still making stupid mistakes on IV med administration (albeit because I wasn’t taught) and requiring someone to sign off on my charting.. to actually being a responsible nurse!
Honestly, I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop. I'm waiting for them to email me back, to tell me that it's taking too long, that they've changed their mind, hired someone else. Someone who's not a new grad. Someone that HAS A CLUE how to be a nurse.
But it hasn't happened yet.
This will be a good place for me. I’m so happy to be moving to the same city as my BFF after 3 years apart. I really like this city, on top of it. It’s going to be a great unit for me to start out on. It’s a great hospital to work for. All in all, I’ve heard the first year to two of nursing is incredibly challenging regardless of where you are, so I’ve got to start somewhere.
To get yourself a new life
You have to give the other one away
- Sara Bareilles
You’ll notice the question mark because I’m still gobsmacked that this happened.
I’ve obviously been submitting quite a few applications, starting after I graduated in December. I got no emails, no phone calls until the middle of January. I got an interview for a job I’d applied for a few weeks before. I emailed them back with on Tuesday with a couple of possible dates. They emailed me back and wanted to see my that Friday. I never figured it would go that fast. I figured hey this will be great experience, you have to have your first interview sometime. I did a good bit of prep. Reading sample interview questions and writing out answers to them. I’m much better on paper than I ever am in real life, so I thought it might be better this way.
I drove to this city (not where I’m currently living) and stayed overnight. Interviewed the next day. I was sort of ambivalent on how it went. I feel like I’m always an idiot in interviews. But I had a pretty good answer for most of the questions that they asked. They also talked a lot (which I just read apparently is a good thing???) which I thought was kinda weird. I talked with a nurse recruiter at the hospital and I thought hey, at least I’ve got a good contact here so when I don’t get this job I can apply for some more.
I drove home that day and thought some about the interview. But I basically had the feeling that if it was meant to be it would happen. I had done all that I could. I prepared and did the best I could, so now it was out of my hands. The phrase “que sera, sera” was stuck in my head on a constant loop.
I put it out of my mind (well I tried). I got called to work Monday morning at 1 am and made it home and into bed at 7 am. I checked my phone around 11 to see what time it is and LO AND BEHOLD I had an email from HR. They were offering me the job I had interviewed for… on Friday.
Shocked. Flabbergasted. Who gets the first RN job they interview for?! I haven’t even taken boards yet. They don’t know that I’m not an idiot and won’t fail! I cried immediately. Not necessarily from happiness. More from shock and the feeling that this was going to change everything. I was going to have to move 7 hours away. Move away from my friends and family. But I had wanted this right?! I chose this city and this hospital because my best friend lives there. I just hadn’t (even after going there to interview) thought that I would actually have to move there!
I slowly came to grips with it, emailed back and forth with HR to get more information and tried to make a decision. But from the beginning I knew that I was basically going to take it. The job is in a trauma step down unit at a level 1 trauma center. Its what I think I want to do (how can anyone know for sure when they’ve never been a nurse before). It will be great experience, I will learn so much, its step down which is awesome. With a couple of years experience here I will be able to go anywhere I want. ICU, ER, L&D, anywhere. I know that this is the right job for me. If by no other way than that I interviewed for it and they offered it to me 3 days later! If that isn’t a sure sign, I don’t know what is. Still, it was a terrible decision to make. It felt like I was ripping myself apart at the seams. Leaving my job that I LOVE, but that I cannot make a sustainable full time job out of. Leaving my family including my young niece and nephews, leaving the friends that I’ve made. Its comfortable being here. My parents are here to help me out constantly. Its easy.
Leap and the net will appear.
I’ve tried to tell myself that no one ever gets anywhere by being complacent in life. You have to jump to see if you can fly. All that stuff. Its sort of working. Usually I’m excited about this new chapter in my life. When I’m not busy being petrified that I will actually have to BE A NURSE.
Because in all of this, the rush to study for the NCLEX, take the NCLEX, find a job, I seem to have forgotten that I will actually have to be a nurse. That I will be responsible for my own patients, that I have to have some idea what I’m doing so that I won’t kill them. That patients and families will ask me questions and that I’m supposed to know the answers to give them. Terrifying, astounding, shocking. How did 16 measly months of nursing school prepare me for this??
Luckily I will have at least 8-10 weeks of orientation on the unit where I won't take patients by myself. Perhaps longer if I need it. This is slightly reassuring.. but STILL.
How do I go from being someone who is still making stupid mistakes on IV med administration (albeit because I wasn’t taught) and requiring someone to sign off on my charting.. to actually being a responsible nurse!
Honestly, I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop. I'm waiting for them to email me back, to tell me that it's taking too long, that they've changed their mind, hired someone else. Someone who's not a new grad. Someone that HAS A CLUE how to be a nurse.
But it hasn't happened yet.
This will be a good place for me. I’m so happy to be moving to the same city as my BFF after 3 years apart. I really like this city, on top of it. It’s going to be a great unit for me to start out on. It’s a great hospital to work for. All in all, I’ve heard the first year to two of nursing is incredibly challenging regardless of where you are, so I’ve got to start somewhere.
To get yourself a new life
You have to give the other one away
- Sara Bareilles
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Fall semester - SENIORITIS
This fall I took:
- Critical Care Nursing and clinicals
- Community Nursing and clinicals
- Informatics
- Leadership/Management and clinicals
- Ethics
Critical Care nursing was a beast of a class with a TON of information covered and much more in depth than previous classes. I had to go back to a bunch of my old pathophysiology stuff to understand some of critical care. Our clinicals were on a medicine floor, which could be considered slightly more acute than the other floors, more like a step down or progressive care unit which this hospital didn't have.
The best part of these clinicals were that we got to go on 4 observation days to the ICU, CCU, ER and Trauma/Neuro ICU. I didn't get to go to CCU, and instead went to the ICU twice. But that was fine with me because I am really not a cardiac nurse!
I was shocked to discover that I REALLY LIKED critical care!! I loved ICU as the first place I went and I love Truama/Neuro ICU even better. I already knew I liked the ER and I liked it again, but critical care nursing in an ICU is so much different from other nursing. I could definitely see myself doing trauma or neuro ICU in the future. It definitely is hard and you truly have to think on your feet and be a great nurse, but there are great rewards.
Skills performed:
- Med administration including oral, IV and IM
- Head to toe assessments
- Charting
- 4 catheters and 2 IV starts in the ER
- Bed baths
Community Nursing was not my favorite class. This class required us to drive to sites all over the city to take parts in different types of community nursing. I went to or followed around: a home health care nurse, a free clinic, a soup kitchen, diabetes educators, in hospital navigators, cancer center nurses, an acupuncture provider, a school nurse and a couple of other ones. My favorite was definitely the free clinic where I had actually volunteered before. They provided a much needed service to their community and it was super interesting to help out there for a day. Could I ever do community nursing? Maybe eventually. When I'm tired of working in a hospital.
Informatics was only a didactic class. It was boring, boring, boring. I understand why technology and computers are important to nurses but this class was a yawn.
Ethics was actually a sort of interesting class. Sadly I didn't have much time to devote to it with community and crit care. But it was at least applicable to being a nurse. I enjoyed some of the writing we got to do on topics of our choice and I researched and wrote about the ethics of fertility treatments.
My leadership/management clinicals were in the Trauma/Neuro ICU and I really enjoyed them, even though I was on nights which was pretty hard to do when I had other stuff to do during the day the rest of the week. I got to see some great things, interesting cases and I came to understand what managers and charge nurses truly do. Which is put out fires, help out the nurses and work to satisfy a variety of employees from housekeepers to doctors.
I really like the trauma and neuro side of ICU. I find the brain fascinating and its interesting to see what happens when there is trauma, strokes, brain tumors, etc. The trauma was just pretty horrible, but interesting all the same. Car, moped and bike accidents, falls from heights, tractor accidents, etc.
All in all it was a tough semester but I think it was worth it. It was pretty awesome to finally see and find some nursing that I really liked and could want to do for a while. In the end I still feel somewhat unprepared to be a nurse, but I know that you come out nursing school with just the basic skills to be a nurse. The rest you learn on orientation and by doing your job hands on.
Now that I'm done I've started the never-ending loop of looking for and applying for jobs, polishing my resume and writing cover letters. Hopefully there are jobs out there and hopefully I get offered one I like.
Now to study for the NCLEX and pass that sucker.
- Critical Care Nursing and clinicals
- Community Nursing and clinicals
- Informatics
- Leadership/Management and clinicals
- Ethics
Critical Care nursing was a beast of a class with a TON of information covered and much more in depth than previous classes. I had to go back to a bunch of my old pathophysiology stuff to understand some of critical care. Our clinicals were on a medicine floor, which could be considered slightly more acute than the other floors, more like a step down or progressive care unit which this hospital didn't have.
The best part of these clinicals were that we got to go on 4 observation days to the ICU, CCU, ER and Trauma/Neuro ICU. I didn't get to go to CCU, and instead went to the ICU twice. But that was fine with me because I am really not a cardiac nurse!
I was shocked to discover that I REALLY LIKED critical care!! I loved ICU as the first place I went and I love Truama/Neuro ICU even better. I already knew I liked the ER and I liked it again, but critical care nursing in an ICU is so much different from other nursing. I could definitely see myself doing trauma or neuro ICU in the future. It definitely is hard and you truly have to think on your feet and be a great nurse, but there are great rewards.
Skills performed:
- Med administration including oral, IV and IM
- Head to toe assessments
- Charting
- 4 catheters and 2 IV starts in the ER
- Bed baths
Community Nursing was not my favorite class. This class required us to drive to sites all over the city to take parts in different types of community nursing. I went to or followed around: a home health care nurse, a free clinic, a soup kitchen, diabetes educators, in hospital navigators, cancer center nurses, an acupuncture provider, a school nurse and a couple of other ones. My favorite was definitely the free clinic where I had actually volunteered before. They provided a much needed service to their community and it was super interesting to help out there for a day. Could I ever do community nursing? Maybe eventually. When I'm tired of working in a hospital.
Informatics was only a didactic class. It was boring, boring, boring. I understand why technology and computers are important to nurses but this class was a yawn.
Ethics was actually a sort of interesting class. Sadly I didn't have much time to devote to it with community and crit care. But it was at least applicable to being a nurse. I enjoyed some of the writing we got to do on topics of our choice and I researched and wrote about the ethics of fertility treatments.
My leadership/management clinicals were in the Trauma/Neuro ICU and I really enjoyed them, even though I was on nights which was pretty hard to do when I had other stuff to do during the day the rest of the week. I got to see some great things, interesting cases and I came to understand what managers and charge nurses truly do. Which is put out fires, help out the nurses and work to satisfy a variety of employees from housekeepers to doctors.
I really like the trauma and neuro side of ICU. I find the brain fascinating and its interesting to see what happens when there is trauma, strokes, brain tumors, etc. The trauma was just pretty horrible, but interesting all the same. Car, moped and bike accidents, falls from heights, tractor accidents, etc.
All in all it was a tough semester but I think it was worth it. It was pretty awesome to finally see and find some nursing that I really liked and could want to do for a while. In the end I still feel somewhat unprepared to be a nurse, but I know that you come out nursing school with just the basic skills to be a nurse. The rest you learn on orientation and by doing your job hands on.
Now that I'm done I've started the never-ending loop of looking for and applying for jobs, polishing my resume and writing cover letters. Hopefully there are jobs out there and hopefully I get offered one I like.
Now to study for the NCLEX and pass that sucker.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
GRADUATION!!
I'M DONE! I'M DONE I'M DONE I'M DONE!!!!
I finished my last final this morning at 8 am!! Then I went out to breakfast with some friends from school.
I took my critical care final last friday and got a B. Critical Care was the one I was stressing about the most because it was a cumulative final and there was soooo much information on it! But I made a 56 page study guide and studied my butt off!
Then Ethics was monday, but that was easy-peasy.
I had my last leadership clinical last week and left at midnight from there. I didn't really even think about the fact that it would be the last time I was leaving the hospital from a clinical. But it is bittersweet. It will be weird not heading to the hospital every week for clinical.
I still don't think it's set in. That I'm actually done.
Pinning is tonight. WOOHOO!
I'll officially have my BSN!
A more updated post is coming on how my last semester went and what's going on now. As well as my NCLEX study plan.
I finished my last final this morning at 8 am!! Then I went out to breakfast with some friends from school.
I took my critical care final last friday and got a B. Critical Care was the one I was stressing about the most because it was a cumulative final and there was soooo much information on it! But I made a 56 page study guide and studied my butt off!
Then Ethics was monday, but that was easy-peasy.
I had my last leadership clinical last week and left at midnight from there. I didn't really even think about the fact that it would be the last time I was leaving the hospital from a clinical. But it is bittersweet. It will be weird not heading to the hospital every week for clinical.
I still don't think it's set in. That I'm actually done.
Pinning is tonight. WOOHOO!
I'll officially have my BSN!
A more updated post is coming on how my last semester went and what's going on now. As well as my NCLEX study plan.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
What jobs am I going to apply for??
Here with less than a month left of nursing school and I'm still not decided on where I want to work. People keep asking... and I still have NO IDEA.
This is not great..
Places I know I do not want to work:
- Geriatrics, nursing homes, rehab hospitals
- Ortho
- NICU
- Anything cardiac
- Really any floor nursing
Places I might like to work:
- Trauma/Neuro ICU
- ER/ED
- Labor and Delivery (in the right hospital)
- PICU (Mybe?? I never got to observe here and now I'm wishing I had)
- High risk OB
- Medical ICU (or other. NOT Cardiac)
- Progressive care unit
- PACU (not likely to happen due to no ICU experience)
- Peds?? (I thought I was over peds.. but then I was thinking about infant/toddler the other day...)
So what jobs am I going to apply for? People keep telling me, apply for everything. Get your experience and then go wherever you want. The problem is I don't know if I can stick it out for 1-2 years in a job I hate! So... I don't know. Maybe we'll see how desperate I get.
I'm actually still really leaning towards ER. I'll get lots of skills practice. Lots of assessment. See lots of different stuff. Less wiping butts/bed baths. People are only there for a couple of hours. It's fast paced, etc. I would love to do ICU but I'm still super scared of how much I have to learn to do it. Plus it may be super hard to find a new grad ICU job.
What jobs did you apply for straight out of nursing school? Where did you end up?
This is not great..
Places I know I do not want to work:
- Geriatrics, nursing homes, rehab hospitals
- Ortho
- NICU
- Anything cardiac
- Really any floor nursing
Places I might like to work:
- Trauma/Neuro ICU
- ER/ED
- Labor and Delivery (in the right hospital)
- PICU (Mybe?? I never got to observe here and now I'm wishing I had)
- High risk OB
- Medical ICU (or other. NOT Cardiac)
- Progressive care unit
- PACU (not likely to happen due to no ICU experience)
- Peds?? (I thought I was over peds.. but then I was thinking about infant/toddler the other day...)
So what jobs am I going to apply for? People keep telling me, apply for everything. Get your experience and then go wherever you want. The problem is I don't know if I can stick it out for 1-2 years in a job I hate! So... I don't know. Maybe we'll see how desperate I get.
I'm actually still really leaning towards ER. I'll get lots of skills practice. Lots of assessment. See lots of different stuff. Less wiping butts/bed baths. People are only there for a couple of hours. It's fast paced, etc. I would love to do ICU but I'm still super scared of how much I have to learn to do it. Plus it may be super hard to find a new grad ICU job.
What jobs did you apply for straight out of nursing school? Where did you end up?
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Where have all the nursing jobs gone??
Where have all the nursing jobs gone?!?
I don't know if it's some horrible combination of the economy, the affordable care act, general panic or what... but the hospitals around here are just plain not hiring. Or at the very least not hiring new grads.
I don't know if this is widespread but in my, large midwestern, city there are few RN jobs to be had for new grads. The hospitals have been laying off nurses for months now. They're rarely posting new jobs and the ones they do post are not for new grads.
When I got into nursing school everyone assured me there would always be jobs! "Oh you're going into a career where you'll always have a job!" "Oh there's always a shortage of nurses!" HAH. Yeah, sure.
Until now apparently.
Veteran nurses, my instructors, and pretty much everyone keeps saying, "Don't worry. It'll turn back around. Nursing does this all the time. They try something new. It doesn't work. They'll hire more nurses again. It'll only take 12-18 months."
12-18 MONTHS! Because I just have that kind of time to sit around unemployed.
Needless to say I'm quite perturbed. I got into nursing, yes because I actually like it, but also because... they always need nurses! Always! You can't get rid of us. And yet...
I'm hoping that the situation is not as dismal as it looks. I'm hoping that things will turn around by the time I take the NCLEX and start looking for jobs.
In the meantime I'm considering moving to other states, doing some certifications to make myself look more appealing... and well.. praying.
How long did it take you to get a nursing job after you graduated? Does the nursing job market suck everywhere??
I don't know if it's some horrible combination of the economy, the affordable care act, general panic or what... but the hospitals around here are just plain not hiring. Or at the very least not hiring new grads.
I don't know if this is widespread but in my, large midwestern, city there are few RN jobs to be had for new grads. The hospitals have been laying off nurses for months now. They're rarely posting new jobs and the ones they do post are not for new grads.
When I got into nursing school everyone assured me there would always be jobs! "Oh you're going into a career where you'll always have a job!" "Oh there's always a shortage of nurses!" HAH. Yeah, sure.
Until now apparently.
Veteran nurses, my instructors, and pretty much everyone keeps saying, "Don't worry. It'll turn back around. Nursing does this all the time. They try something new. It doesn't work. They'll hire more nurses again. It'll only take 12-18 months."
12-18 MONTHS! Because I just have that kind of time to sit around unemployed.
Needless to say I'm quite perturbed. I got into nursing, yes because I actually like it, but also because... they always need nurses! Always! You can't get rid of us. And yet...
I'm hoping that the situation is not as dismal as it looks. I'm hoping that things will turn around by the time I take the NCLEX and start looking for jobs.
In the meantime I'm considering moving to other states, doing some certifications to make myself look more appealing... and well.. praying.
How long did it take you to get a nursing job after you graduated? Does the nursing job market suck everywhere??
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