Nurses: Tell me more!

[BeccaSueCongdon]

Originally Posted by z2akids I just graduated in June with an ADN. I was very fortunate to get a job on a telemetry unit at a 850ish bed teaching hospital. I didn't work while I was in school, but the vast majority of my classmates who have jobs worked while in school. My region is saturated with nursing schools and new grads. It is important to look at the reputation of the school, as well as whether or not it is accredited in addition to whether it is an ADN or BSN program.

What kind of jobs did they work? Do you mean practicum?

[z2akids]

Originally Posted by BeccaSueCongdon What kind of jobs did they work? Do you mean practicum?

Most of them were UAPs (unlicensed assistive personnel - unit clerks, nurse aids, phlebotomists, etc.) When it came time to apply for jobs, they were internal applicants and that made an enormous difference.

I had no healthcare experience outside of clinicals (and my preceptorship). Things that I had going for me were the fact that I graduated in the top 5% of my class, have a work history showing lots of customer service and analytical experience and that my senior preceptorship went extremely well. My job is on the unit where I did my preceptorship. I have yet to get a single call back from an unsolicited application. Nearly 1/2 of my class is still jobless. Most of those who are employed who did not work in a hospital during school are employed at SNFs/nursing homes.

Central Ohio is saturated. New grads with BSNs absolutely have a leg up in my region. Part of the reason is that 4 of the 9 local hospitals are all Magnet, which relates to the quality of the nursing care. While Magnet hospitals are not forbidden from hiring ADN grads, it is highly encouraged that they significantly increase their percentage of BSNs.

The job market definitely depends on where you live and could change dramatically in the time that it will take you to go through school and graduate.

[loni1090]

OR Nurse. I work three 12 hours shifts, so I am home 4 days a week to take care of my 4 DS, 2 in grade school. My SIL lives with us and helps me watch the kids on my work days. I also take call on the days I work and weekends.

[nursemama23]

Originally Posted by BeccaSueCongdon Thanks ladies! Did any of you go through school while you had children? I'd love to get started but DH is thinking he wants me to hold off school until our kids are in school all day (like 1st grade) which will be 6 more years. :-/ Also, how much control do you have over your schedule? I think my ideal would be to work 2-3 days a week during my husbands "busy" seasons, and maybe 4-5 when thugs are slow.

I'm an ER RN, have been for 6 years. I started out as a Unit Secretary/ECT and loved it! I started taking prerequisite classes at our community college when my oldest was 1, went to school 2-3 days a week for 3 semesters and decided to transfer to a university to do the actual nursing program part. I had to wait a little over a year to start that program and had another baby in the interim. When I started full time as a nursing student dd1 was 4 and dd2 was 9 months. It was grueling and difficult, dh worked night shift and I worked every weekend but 2 years later I graduated with my associates. I am expecting #4 in January but will be starting to take classes that semester (online) towards my bachelors.

Where I work we self schedule and there us almost always opportunity for overtime whether you are FT or PT.

[mom22sofar]

Well, I will share a whole other angle. I am a nurse (RN) with a BScN, and a MN, and I am very close to finishing my PhD (fingers crossed I pass!!!!!). So, I work mostly in research, and could also teach, but primarily I have worked in research settings. I have had two children while doing my PhD and currently pregnant with our 5th child, who I hope will hold on until I finish to be born! Because I will have a newborn when I get done (I am so superstitious, I don't want to assume I will pass b/c it is by no means a sure thing), I will probably just continue doing some consulting work from home for a while until we find our groove and then look at a faculty position somewhere or something. So, I am a nurse but I don't work for a hospital or health region or anything, and I don't work traditional hours or job setting. And while I know you are just starting out the schooling journey, I said I would never ever do a phd, so, you never know!

[mebl0901]

Originally Posted by mom22sofar Well, I will share a whole other angle. I am a nurse (RN) with a BScN, and a MN, and I am very close to finishing my PhD (fingers crossed I pass!!!!!). So, I work mostly in research, and could also teach, but primarily I have worked in research settings. I have had two children while doing my PhD and currently pregnant with our 5th child, who I hope will hold on until I finish to be born! Because I will have a newborn when I get done (I am so superstitious, I don't want to assume I will pass b/c it is by no means a sure thing), I will probably just continue doing some consulting work from home for a while until we find our groove and then look at a faculty position somewhere or something. So, I am a nurse but I don't work for a hospital or health region or anything, and I don't work traditional hours or job setting. And while I know you are just starting out the schooling journey, I said I would never ever do a phd, so, you never know!

Very interesting! Thank you for your input! Would you mind sharing more about the nurse's role in a research setting is? I honestly don't know much about it but I'm curious. Thanks!

Congrats and good luck on baby and degree!!