I love this request Sonia! I placed it my request folder & cannot wait to make it for you!! See you soon!! xoxo - Caroline

Thank you so much for sharing this!! So true!! xoxo!!

Hi Sari! Thanks so much for letting me know!! That is awesome that you are already working as an agency nurse! Yes, nurses will talk & tell you so much about each hospital & unit... we get a lot of experience on each... It can be hectic and you are expected to be very flexible... It definitely is not for everyone, I know a lot of people who tried it & didn't like it. But fortunately there are a lot of options for us :) Looking forward to seeing you on here again soon!! Much Love, - Caroline

Hi Shirley! Wow, I had no idea... leave it to Cali to do it the right way ;) I do think that the floor nurses should get the higher pay, because they are the ones that the hospital/units can rely on most! I just never heard of that :) But again thanks so much for letting me know!! Nice to see you again!! xoxo - Caroline

Awe thanks so much for letting me know!!! xoxo - Caroline

Hi Whitnie! Thank you so much for posting this comment! It means so much to me :) I am so glad to hear that the videos have helped you! I really felt like they needed to be created.. so I guess this is why ;) Congratulations on your acceptance into the BSN program, I know you worked so hard for that... and you really should be proud of yourself! I always want the videos to be relevant to you, so please let me know if you ever have a video request :) Also, thanks so much for picking up the book! I really hope you love it!! And that is awesome that you already have the Mosbys NCLEX RN!! You can start reviewing questions in the Fundamentals section. It would also be a good idea to contact someone from the school and find out which classes you will be taking first (usually it is fundamentals, but double check to make sure). Then based on whatever they say, start reviewing questions in that section. Keep in touch & I'm really looking forward to hearing from you again soon!! With much love, - Caroline

***** Thank you so much Caroline. Yes I did work very hard to get into the program, I also had the extra motivation from my 2 year old son as well. :-) I definitely cannot wait for your book to arrive tomorrow, I ordered on Amazon. The 1st semester at Louisville University I will be taking, Community Health Nursing, Health Assessment, Therapeutic Nursing Interventions, and Foundations for Professional Nursing Practice. Honestly all of that sounds like a foreign language to me, so I will definitely read your book, and apply your studying steps/tips to have a better understanding before the program starts. Also.. I don't know if you have heard of Rhonda Byrne's "The Secret" & "The Power" or Joe Vitals' "Abundance Paradigm" but your audio's really remind me of there steps to succeed and getting what you want out of life. I listened to both Rhonda Byrne & Joe Vital audio's every morning to class, and that honestly helped me stay focused and get threw "Anatomy1&2", "Chemistry", and "Microbiology" with all (A)'s. I'm so thankful for your audio's because they are specifically reaching out to nurses/nursing student... and that's exactly what I need. I'd love if you made a video about nurses becoming bilingual, and if that makes you more marketable or if bilingual nurses get higher pay. I was thinking about buying a Rosetta Stone Language kit, because I have a friend that's a RN and she knows how to speak Spanish (from Rosetta Stone). She said her pay is higher because she is bilingual. It would be great if you could make a video on the benefits of being a bilingual RN, and if it benefits RN's who are willing to go the extra mile, too pick up another language. Thank you again so much for all your advice and help Caroline! :)

Hi Fatima! So glad you saw the video!! I enjoyed making it for you ;) I know... it just came out lol! I haven't shown my hubby yet! Cannot wait till he see's it hehe!! Let me know if you need anything else!! See you soon!! xoxo - Caroline

Hi Elizabeth! Great way to look at it! Yes you usually need 1-2 years of experience in your specialty, however after that... you could get started!! Welcome to FL!!! A little warmer than NY huh ;) See you soon!! xoxo - Caroline

Amy Woods Hi Amy! So nice to hear from you! How exciting... your first night :) Don't worry if it is not perfect right away... it does take some getting used to :) I hope you love it!! Looking forward to hearing from you again soon! Much Love, - Caroline

First 2 weeks have been great! I love this. Everyone is a team at the For Profit Hospital I now work at. You're right, you get so much more experience.

Thank you so much Jesse!! I think I may have already done that :) Here is the link: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/eZmfZdGf0sy3Y3k.html Let me know if you had something else in mind!! See you soon!! xoxo - Caroline

Hi Sonia! It is so nice to hear from you! I know that it would be wonderful to not have any fear... but honestly, this fear is a good thing :) It keeps us focused & on our toes :) Just so you know, it does get much much better.... but will never completely go away. Because you have this fear though... it just shows me what a great job you are going to do ;) Congratulations on your new job & keep me updated ;) See you soon!! - Caroline

Hi Stacy!! Congratulations on your first job!! How exciting & med surg is so much fun :) I did work on a regular unit for almost 3 years & started picking up 1 extra day/week, because I didn't know if I could do it :) it is super scary, especially at first :) I would recommend working at least 2 years... some agencies will accept you with 1 year of experience... but I definitely was not ready after 1 year... I'm not sure I have a the video you are asking about... do you mean exactly where/what specialty I worked in prior to starting as an agency nurse? If so, I can just type it here ;) 2 years at a Med/Surg Tele unit in NC 1 year at a Neuro Step down unit in MD Then started picking up an extra day with the agecy while still working on the Neuro Step down unit... Then, went per diem on my full time job... and agency... usually working 2 days on my per diem job & 1 day with the agency. When I moved down to FL, I started out full time with only the agency. I hope this helped & was worth giving up Mad Men lol ;) Let me know if you have any more questions!! xoxo - Caroline

yes, what units you were on, type of hospital, number of patients you had before you went to agency, not location geographically speaking. that kind of thing

Hi John!! Really nice to hear from you again!! When you work full time at a hospital, that is only 3 days/ week. This could be your full time job. However, you could have another job where you work 1 extra day/week & this could either be a per diem or part time position. Some nurses work a lot of days/week & this is how they work 2 jobs... you can make a lot of money that way & I know a lot of people who do it :) I hope this helps!! Let me know if you need anything else! Much Love, - Caroline

HI Caroline Thank you this makes a lot sense now. I look forward to your next video. Stay strong and God Bless.

Hi Sarah! Thanks so much for letting me know!! I love this request :) Thanks so much !! See you soon!! xoxo - Caroline

***** Thank you! I looked at your videos on how to study for nursing school it was very very helpful. I also did not do well educationally like others. However, nursing school requires so much reading and plenty of chapters, how do I know what I should read? Its so much nearly impossible to read ALL of whats assigned.

Hi Love!! It is really nice to hear from you! When it comes to switching specialties, I find that the only hard thing can be how supportive the staff is towards agency nurses... not every hospital, unit and individuals are welcoming towards agency nurses. Therefore I honestly work my hardest so that I have a choice on where to work.... This does take time... however after time, you can start to get your first choice more often than anyone else. I have seen many hospital administrators, unit directors & also hospital staff have a negative & unsupportive attitude towards agency nurses, but then when they desperately need the extra staff, they cannot get it. So they have only hurt themselves. Ultimately as a agency nurse, your best option is to find supportive people to work with, because there are a lot of them out there :) I would definitely have insurance, it is easy to get & pretty cheap... it is a personal choice though :) I hope this helps!! Looking forward to seeing you again soon! Much Love, - Caroline

Hi Liz! It is so nice to hear from you!! Ever since my latest book came out for new grads, I started to get tons of emails from new nurses who were having a hard time. What I noticed was that a lot of the emails were coming from large cities and popular states... NY, CA, MI were top of the list. So yes, many new grads are having a hard time, however it does not seem to be everywhere. Also, keep in mind (especially since you do live in CA).... there are a lot of new grads that do get jobs and do not have a hard time.... My advice to you would be to just focus on yourself & push yourself to create a great resume & do a great job filling out a ton of applications!! One thing that I do think helps you stand out, is prior work in a hospital setting or even prior work in a multi tasking job ie waitressing.... but if you do not have any prior work history, just focus on your academic/other achievements :) I hope this helps!! Let me know if you need anything else!! Much Love, - Caroline

Eunice L Replied to your email!! xoxo!!

+EmpoweRN I am in the same position. Can you please e-mail me with some advice also?

Please let me know how you are doing as I am starting through a temp agency as a brand new nurse

Honestly Ozi, They are 2 different worlds... I mean a year or 2 in Med/Sug can only help.... but it is definitely not necessary. They used to say that you needed to get your feet wet in med surg prior to working anywhere else in the hospital, however, more & more people are being hired directly where they wanted to work because the specialties are so different. It really is up to you... but if I knew where I wanted to go, I would just push myself & go for it... ;) I hope this helps!! xoxo - Caroline

Thanks so much for letting me know!! See you soon!! xoxo - Caroline

Hi Love! Thanks so much for the request!! I will do it as soon as possible :) Looking forward to hear ing from you again soon!! Lots of love, - Caroline

An agency nurse is a nurse that works for a supplemental staffing company. Basically, a hospital will never know how many nurses they need, because the amount of patients will always fluctuate. Therefore there are companies that employ a pool of nurses to helps hospitals when they are busy! We travel around to different hospital where ever there is need! Kind of like a "local" travel nurse. You have to have at least 1-2 years of experience in a specialty & then you can work as an agency nurse in that specialty. I hope this helps!! xoxo - Caroline

Awe, so sorry to hear that! I know your doing the best you can... just keep on doing what your doing & apply & stay strong :) You can do this :) Lots of love, - Caroline

If you can, try taking ACLS or other classes related to the specialty that you want to work at. Also some hospitals are more eager to hire new grads than others. God bless!

Hola! It is easier to get "hired" with an agency... they will pretty much hire anyone with the right credentials. However, I would say that it is much harder to get steady work :) I hope this helps!! xoxo - Caroline

Hi Thayer! Really nice to hear from you! Kind of... Travel nurses take an assignment that is usually 50 miles or more away from their house. This is usually for a specified amount of time though... for example 13 weeks. What I do is local... meaning I travel around to different hospital in my area and I do not have a contract. I hope this helps! Let me know if you need anything else! Much Love, - Caroline

Hi Bridgett! No, you just have to have a RN license which you can have an associate degree :) The main thing that the agency needs prior to hiring you is 1-2 years of experience in your specialty. I hope this helps!! xoxo - Caroline

Thank you, Caroline!

Your welcome ;) xoxo!!

Bridgett: I'm an LPN & have been an agency nurse for 3 yrs. So NO, you don't need to be an RN or have a BSN. You can have an ADN or a diploma in nursing even & they'll hire you, you just need between 1-3 yrs of experience (depending on the agency). Good luck.

nickyb163 Travel nursing just means that you go to a particular place (at least 50 miles away from your home), Sign a 13 week contract & work there... but you can be an agency nurse that works locally. Essentially they are the same thing, just the location that makes the difference :) I hope this helps!! xoxo - Caroline

thank you so much for that wonderful information. im thinking about travel nursing. i want to start nursing school and get a certificate, take the state exam and pass it, do some training , you know like an internship with a hospital to get a feel of what its like working with the nurses, then look into travel nursing. do you think that is the best route to go? i graduated from a technical college to say, with an administrative health specialist certificate but i cant find a job in that field as yet. so i said hey, why not try nursing. my mom is a cna for almost 20+ years so she knows what its like. but i dont like nursing homes, i like hospitals, but i would want to travel to some place warm. i live on the east coast so its always cold. so does travel nursing and agency nursing let you have permanent housing?

I need your help to do up a nursing contract agreement