Cherie Cordova
SAC RN c/o: Spring 2018
Q: What was the most memorable part of nursing school?
A: Panicking outside the classroom after a test and reviewing/debating our answers
Q: What was your favorite part of nursing school?
A: The connections I made with my peers and instructors
Q: If you could go back to nursing school, what would you have done differently?
A: STRESSED WAYYY less about things out of my control.
Q: During nursing school, what is one thing you wish you would have experienced?
A: More PIV placements, a code in 4th semester
Q: How long did you study for, before taking the NCLEX?
A: weeks. My goal was 50-75 questions daily.
Q: How long after passing the NCLEX, did it take to find a job?
A: I was offered a job which I declined about 4 weeks after at a subacute peds hospital. I decided to hold off accepting until the next RN residency program at my work (CHOC).
Q: What type of nursing job are you currently in or do you want to be in if you aren’t currently employed as a nurse?
A: I am a proud Pediatric Oncology/Hematology RN.
Q: If you are not working in the type of nursing job you want, what is your ideal nursing post?
A: I know that I want to work with women and children- If I were not a Hem/Onc RN, I would like to do L&D.
Q: Have you pursued higher a degree? BSN? MSN? FNP? DNP? CRNA?
A: I am in progress of my BSN currently at WGU.
Q: What is one piece of advice you would give to a current or future nursing student?
A: Get a job in a hospital you would like to work at while you are in RN school. Those of us who already worked in a hospital had easier times finding employment once we graduated.
John Farrell
SAC RN c/o: Spring 2019
Q: What was the most memorable part of nursing school?
A: Exposure to so many different healthcare settings and time with classmates.
Q: What was your favorite part of nursing school?
A: Studying in groups for tests/forming friendships
Q: If you could go back to nursing school, what would you have done differently?
A: Drink more coffee
Q: During nursing school, what is one thing you wish you would have experienced?
A: NICU rotation
Q: How long did you study for, before taking the NCLEX?
A: Two months, tested end of July, did about 2,000 questions between Kaplan and U-World
Q: How long after passing the NCLEX, did it take to find a job?
A: ~2 weeks
Q: What type of nursing job are you currently in or do you want to be in if you aren’t currently employed as a nurse?
A: Home Health
Q: If you are not working in the type of nursing job you want, what is your ideal nursing post?
A: Have you pursued higher a degree? BSN? MSN? FNP? DNP? CRNA?
Pursuing online BSN
Q: What is one piece of advice you would give to a current or future nursing student?
A: Practice NCLEX style questions from the get-go, stay current with assignments, solidify basic skills as soon as possible!
Gwen Kohnke
SAC RN c/o: Fall 2017
Q: What was the most memorable part of nursing school?
A: The friends that I made.
Q: What was your favorite part of nursing school?
A: When it was over.
Q: If you could go back to nursing school, what would you have done differently?
A: Nothing. Going to Santa Ana for nursing school was one of the best decisions I have ever made.
Q: During nursing school, what is one thing you wish you would have experienced?
A: An ED rotation.
Q: How long did you study for, before taking the NCLEX?
A: 2 months
Q: How long after passing the NCLEX, did it take to find a job?
A: 3 months, but I passed the NCLEX in February and I didn’t start looking for a job until May (and I got a job in May). I have some job-hunting advice. Pick like 3-5 jobs you really, really want and follow the next steps:
Apply online: Print out a copy of your resume, cover letter, and references. Put on your best interview outfit and walk it in to the nurse manager on the unit that you want to work in. Drop it off and say that you applied in person, but you wanted to follow up with a hard copy of your resume just in case. Let the nurse manager know how much you would like to work in that unit. Give them a good handshake and then leave! No need to stay long. Expect to go in, say you are interested, drop your resume, and thank them for their time. This should take maybe 5-10 minutes. If you can, get their card!!! 2-3 days later, send them an e-mail thanking them for meeting you and taking your resume, and reiterate your interest in the job. If you don’t have their e-mail address, call them. Be brief. Do this for the 3-5 jobs you are most interested in. If you don’t get any interviews in those positions, pick 3-5 other jobs and do this again.
Q: What type of nursing job are you currently in or do you want to be in if you aren’t currently employed as a nurse?
A: I work in a Step-Down Unit at Mission Viejo.
Q: If you are not working in the type of nursing job you want, what is your ideal nursing post?
A: I want to work in ICU, and I will start training in our Cardiac ICU in a week.
Q: Have you pursued higher a degree? BSN? MSN? NP? DNP? CRNA?
A: I am pursuing my BSN at the University of Texas Arlington online.
Q: What is one piece of advice you would give to a current or future nursing student?
A: Don’t quit. Keep on going. See my thoughts above on how to get a job.
Zauhra Nazery
SAC RN c/o: Fall 2018
Q: What was the most memorable part of nursing school?
A: I liked seeing how everyone in my cohort traveled in packs lol.
Q: What was your favorite part of nursing school?
A: Can’t say, too many!
Q: If you could go back to nursing school, what would you have done differently?
A: Don’t procrastinate, especially with concept maps.
Q: During nursing school, what is one thing you wish you would have experienced?
A: Getting enough sleep.
Q: How long did you study for, before taking the NCLEX?
A: weeks, using both U-World and Kaplan. Literally for 6 - 8 hrs a day doing questions.
Q: How long after passing the NCLEX, did it take to find a job?
A: 3 months to get job offers, 4 months to get the job I wanted.
Q: What type of nursing job are you currently in or do you want to be in if you aren’t currently employed as a nurse?
A: Emergency!
Q: If you are not working in the type of nursing job you want, what is your ideal nursing post?
A: See above
Q: Have you pursued higher a degree? BSN? MSN? NP? DNP? CRNA?
A: Received my BSN from Cal State Fullerton, but I want a bit of a break before going after my MSN/FNP.
Q: What is one piece of advice you would give to a current or future nursing student?
A: ALWAYS ASK FOR HELP. Find a buddy, or several buddies. Help each other out. You are not here to compete against one another, so helping each other out will work out for you too.
Brian Valencia
c/o: Fall 2017
OCM ER RN
Q: What was the most memorable part of nursing school?
A: The clinical setting, during preceptorship and how much I learned and helped me with my new role as the RN.
Q: What was your favorite part of nursing school?
A: My favorite part of nursing school was the didactic portion. There is something special when a professor is providing their years of knowledge and experience to the students.
Q: If you could go back to nursing school, what would you have done differently?
A: I can’t really think of anything I would have done differently to be honest.
Q: During nursing school, what is one thing you wish you would have experienced?
A: I wished I would have experienced the Cath lab exposure in nursing school.
Q: How long did you study for, before taking the NCLEX?
A: A week only after nursing school is the amount, I studied to take the NCLEX.
Q: How long after passing the NCLEX, did it take to find a job?
A: Immediately after because I already had a job as an ER tech.
Q: What type of nursing job are you currently in or do you want to be in if you aren’t currently employed as a nurse?
A: I’m working as an Emergency RN.
Q: Have you pursued higher a degree? BSN? MSN? FNP? DNP? CRNA?
A: Not yet
Q: What is one piece of advice you would give to a current or future nursing student?
A: Enjoy your time as a student and sponge up as much knowledge as you can because you’ll soon be by yourself. You’ll always be learning so don’t be afraid to ask questions even when you start working as a nurse. A lot of people have gone through this so don’t be afraid.