Applying for NCLEX

This post is for those who, like me, have joined the bandwagon of MD-RNs and are already in the US, trying to see the fastest way to get licensed. I first saw the "quickest way" in a forum but that pointed out to the NY way for those who are residing abroad.

I asked about my case, because I am already a permanent resident. And the suggestion by the generous lady there was for me to inquire at Vermont instead of NY, which I did. I went to the vtprofessionals.org and clicked on the drop down menu for nursing, then clicked on application link for foreign nurses. I emailed the contact personnel.

Here was the exchange of emails:

ME:

Dear Ms. Patty Sartelle:

I am a Filipino immigrant who finished my nursing course in October 2003 in the Philippines, but did not have enough time to take the licensure examination there because of immigration processing. I now hold a permanent resident status and would like to pursue a career in nursing here.

I visited your website to see the requirements for foreign nurses, but one of them is the license from the country of origin. Kindly advise me on the next step I should take to proceed.

Appreciatively yours,

REPLY:
You have up to 5 years to take the exam. If you took you nursing courses in English than you may qualify to take the exam. The application is on the web at www.vtprofessionals.org go to drop down bar, nursing and the application that you need is foreign exam/endorsement – where it calls for licensure just put the date you graduated and that you never took the exam in the Philippines. Pat

ME:

Dear Ms. Sartelle:

I have browsed over the application instructions, and I have a question about #3 where the nursing school is to complete the" Verification of Education" form and it says to return the form along with a certified copy of the Transcript. My question is, will the school return the form to you, or will I have to ask them to return it to me first then I will include these with the other documents that I will submit to your office?

Thank you for your patience.

REPLY:

I prefer that they return it to you and you forward the complete application onto me. Pat

So I have asked my friend AJ in the PI (another MD-RN) to process my papers (the application form from Vermont BON site) and send them to me. I then submitted my Application, the fee ($150 on check), the TOR, and then later, they asked for my documents showing hours of lab and theoreticals (which was what we termed in PI as RLS - related learning subjects?). I should have included those in the first place, but it was not mentioned in the application instructions, so I did not think of it. I included other documents that would prove my identity since my name on the TOR was different from my present name.

It took them about a total of 1month to process everything (considering the delay regarding my RLS, that was fast!). When I received my approval to sit for NCLE, I was instructed to register at Pearson-Vue ($200) then to mail them back a form to tell them that I had registered. Then they would send a notice to PV about my eligiblity to sit for the NCLEX, then I could schedule my test.

So now, puspusan ako with my NCLEX review (dilly-dally kasi eh!)

I bought the following books from amazon:



More books (USMLE, Kaplan, etc.) are available at amazon. You can search for new and used ones using the below search engine.

Got the go-signal for NCLEX!

I just received a mail from the Vermont Board of Nursing, that I am eligible to take the NCLEX  (Yehey!!! No need for the CGFNS!).  So I registered at Pearson-Vue and Paid $200.  Then I will have to return a paper to the BON to notify them that I have registered.  Then they will inform Pearson-Vue that I am registered, and I have to take the NCLEX within 90 days from there.

Now I really have to seriously review for the exam!

Tags: nursing, nclex, nclex review, Pearson-Vue

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I posted in a forum about GDI as a way out of having to send money to the Philippines

This was the exchange...

Thank you for taking your time to read and respond to my post. It took me a while to weave a response to your post, because I had to suppress my initial reaction of rage, and so I hope the below post is civil enough. I apologize beforehand if it may sound condescending. My intent is to clarify my lack of desire to involve people in a "scheme."

JamboME wrote:

You sign your family up for a pyramid scheme? Nice.

I signed up my sister so she can have a job.

The job: Promote webhosting services for personal or business use.

Potential clients/market: Small business owners in PI (clinics with branches; small private hospitals; crafts-related industry; specialty stores, etc.; private use by people who want to put up their own website to feature weddings, baptismal, and other significant events in their lives. (Examples of businesses in PI which have their own websites are http://www.jumbonet.com/ and http://www.garmentsasia.com/garments.shtml)

Their options: Either continuously pay ~P 500/month to keep the website online and running, or get back the money by actively participating in the referral system (which you call pyramid scheme).

For a free start-up, I now have a business, with monthly expense of $10/month, with my own website and free use of website building tool and URL forwarding. I plan to employ my sister (since she will be jobless by the end of this month) to market the webhosting service GDI provides, instead of plainly sending her $200/month (I will lessen what I send to my mother). If she turns out to be successful, I might not have to be her "employer" (no longer need to send her money) after several months, and she might not have to do marketing while still earning. I will also task her to find a freelance website designer, who can offer his web design services to potential clients for a one-time fee (up to him how much he will charge), if clients do not know/intend to build their own website.

Now if other people there in PI will do the same thing, I might be indirectly contributing to job production in my country, with a mere investment of $10 for the business itself and my sister's salary of $200/month (which I would still give nonetheless if I have not come across this opportunity). Meaning, if more people there will sign up to market the webhosting services to business owners, and more people will see the need for web designers, I am sure it will fill in a void in the job market for these type of workers.

JamboME wrote:

I believe the secret to riches in Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) (ie pyramid schemes) is to be the one who starts the idea. Collect $1 for every new person that signs up. New members collect $1 for every new member they sign up etc etc etc.

Yeah, that is the secret to riches. But I do not want to be rich. I just want to earn a little extra, and would want my sister to do the same. If it turns out to be highly successful by virtue of this "pyramid scheme," then that would be an added bonus.

JamboME wrote:

I know it seems easy for someone outside to just dismiss the idea offhand, but thats because these are so easy to spot.

I signed up because it was a free trial, and during that period, I had a chance to observe and see the potential of the business. I myself tried to build my own website, and I liked what I saw, hence, the decision to give it a try. I can cancel anytime, anyway, but I doubt, because I have also enrolled in other affiliate programs which I will be advertising in my website.

I also think I have more imagination than most people who see such "pyramid schemes" in such a shallow manner. I always try to investigate things, and while some people have become rich concentrating on the pyramid scheme itself, I focus on the product and service and see if there is a need for such. I do not expect to make much if only based on the pyramid compensation plan.

JamboME wrote:

A company that cannot succinctly describe their product or service in one paragraph on their home page is not worth a second look.

Since I am now legally allowed to market the webhosting services, I treat myself "the company" and in one sentence, here is my product/service:
We offer webhosting services with website builder tool at no start-up cost and free trial period of 7 days.

JamboME wrote:

You seem like an intelligent, educated person with a good job.

Thank you for that observation. I am also beautiful and slim...Haha! Kidding! Modesty aside, I am a physician by profession when I was in PI, a blogger by hobby, a wannabe website builder, a work-at-home medical transcriptionist quality assurance personnel by trade here in the USA. While my income in my job is not that high, it is above average for the residents in this rural area where I live since my employer hires people from all over US, and because I work from home using the internet, I do not have expenses for gasoline, wardrobe, and make-up, unless they are non-work-related.

JamboME wrote:

I believe you have already lost your investment, and are putting more in every month. Put your cash in a proper investment, or invest in your OWN business venture (not someone elses idea).

I believe otherwise. Because of putting up my own website with my own domain, I realized there are a lot of other residual income that I can get involved with, businesses where I do not even have to be awake and will still earn, at no cost.

JamboME wrote:

If you can afford to send $300/month, you are doing pretty good! How many people in the PI will that feed?

I work and my husband work. Living in a rural area with low cost of living, living a simple life devoid of luxuries like SUVs, fancy vacations, fancy wardrobe, or a fancy home, not engaging in vices such as alcohol, drugs, or gambling, we do make enough and then some.

azcactus wrote:

Hey I have one question for you? Who was sending your family $300 a month fron the USA before you did? Just curious.

Pardon me if I am wrong, but I sense that your question is tinged with malice, and as such, initially I did not intend to answer it, but then I thought, why not?

To satisfy your curiosity, I worked as a physician then. My sister was a marketer for imported beef. I was a widow with two sons, she a separated mother with two children. Together we worked almost like husband and wife. As a physician, I was making a little bit more the $300 a month, enough to pay for monthly bills and groceries and give some to my parents, but not enough to buy myself a car.(See http://www.geocities.com/lrg1212/medprac.html)

WE DID NOT NEED ANYONE TO SEND US MONEY, although when I was in college, my aunt who lives in California, married to another Pinoy who works in the US Navy, was sending me money to pay for my tuition in University of the Philippines Diliman. When I was studying for my medical degree, she did not have to send me help, because I had an academic scholarship. (See http://www.geocities.com/lrg1212/medgrad.html)

I tried to put up my own clinic, but it was hard to start. It was then that I took a second course in nursing, to join the bandwagon of MD-RNs. (See http://www.geocities.com/lrg1212/nursing.html) During that time, I met my then fiance on the internet. My fiance was a divorcee with a daughter, is intelligent, very capable, not wordly, simple, loving, and only 5 years my senior. He was unemployed when I met him; nevertheless, I fell in love with him. We fell in love with each other and are now happy with our blended family.

Now I only have one wish that I want to fulfill: help generate jobs for Pinoys.

(At first, I thought I needed to be wealthy before I can do that, but now, maybe I can start with this webhosting service by GDI.)

One other affiliate program (which, to me, is another form of economic pyramid, whether you accept it or not) which I enrolled in recently is Speedypin.com where I purchase my phone cards online ($5 for 41 minutes to Metro Manila landline, 25 minutes for cellphone)). I buy 4 $5-denominations to get a discount. I will also put that in my website.

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Strep Throat and Vaginal Candidiasis

More than a week ago, I diagnosed myself with Strep sore throat (streptococcal pharyngitis). It started with painful swallowing, right-sided cervical (neck) lymph node tenderness, and, when viewed on the mirror, right tonsil was inflamed (red) with some tiny pinpoint exudates (white spots). I was also starting to feel muscle pains on my thighs (the kind of soreness when you have sudden physical effort exerted). The next day it got worse, and the exudates were more and larger. The right one was also getting affected. Body aches and joints pains spread quite fast, involving headache. I knew it was another bout of strep.

Of course, even without the benfits of lab, it was easy to treat -- penicillin type of medications, first in line is amoxicillin. Can be intramuscular penicillin (one shot) or other penicillin-type antibiotics like cefalexin.

But, since I am not a licensed physician here in the US, I have to seek consultation with one to get the Rx, which I did, and the throat swab confirmed my diagnosis. I spent $60 for the cosultation, inclusive of the $15 lab test, which were unnecessary but inevitable expenses for me when I only needed a valid prescription (that is what a miss in my life in PI. Then the cefalexin (Duracef) was $70 for the 10-day course of treatment (it was cheaper when I had the penicillin shot at $50 At Reddington Fairview General Hospital when I went there during emergency hours. The bill then was higher because of the "emergency" hours. (It is cheaper to go to a clinic at an appointment. Our family clinic, Skowhegan Family Medicine, could immediately accomodate us usually, if we call during office hours on weekdays. Hence, when I had my symptoms on Thursday night that progressed the next day, I did not waste time. I called them rather than go to ER during weekend/night. Strep is, anyway, cured only with antibiotics.

Now, I have finished the course of cefalexin, and I have a new problem, as a result of altered vaginal flora (the normal bacteria residing in the vaginal mucosa), the environment within my vaginal canal was also altered (mainly pH), and it was an opportunity for a yeast infection (moniliasis). Symptoms: pruritus (itchiness) at the vulva and perineum (private parts) plus white cottage-cheese like discharge that is adherent (you can't go wrong with that -- once you have these symptoms, and knowing the predisposing factors, you may not need a laboratory done. Treatment: Monistat or Clotrimazole are very good first line of treatment.

Of course, the best way to prevent is practising good feminine hygiene, but that was not my problem. I was predisposed to it because of my prior intake of the wide-spectrum antibiotic cefalexin.

More info on vaginal candidiasis here.

Tags: strep throat, penicillin, antibiotics, cefalexin, vaginal candidiasis, monistat, infection, feminine hygiene

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Online Businesses

My number #1 online business at present is offering my service as medical transcription quality assurance to MT companies as an independent contractor (self-employed).  IC is a glorified term for those who are "employed" without benefits.  The only perk in this job, aside from not having to travel and wear make up and buy a new set of wardrobe annually or every season, is that I get to set my own hours (that depends on the MT company, though).  Realistically speaking, it is still a sort of twisted employee-employer situation (twisted to benefit the employer).

# 2:  I recently signed up for an online business that revolves around promoting the GDI web hosting services by having my own domain/website  Sign up is free, and the service is free for a trial period of 7 days.

I am not really a business person -- I am not out to try to rake in as much money as I can.  But, after seeing freedom.ws and the Pinoys already involved in this business, I could see that it could be a good way for Filipinos to earn $$ without leaving the Philippines.

My sister who was a probee call center agent has found the end of her contract before this month ends.  When I talked to her about the business, she thought it might be what would save her and her children (and what would save me from feeling guilty if I would not be able to send more than I could afford to send).

And I thought it could be a good way for me to provide her a chance to be self-sufficient, instead of waiting for my monthly "padala."

For those who will be interested in this, please go to freedom.ws and enter manangkusinera in the access code field.  Watch the DVD and the Pinoys' testimonials.  If you have any questions, please feel free to email me.

#3.  Another online income generator by means of blogs is joining the network of advertisers.  In my case, as evident in this post, not only am I making use of the Qumana blogging tool to make posting easier, but also to take part in their advertising scheme where I might be able to generate income by promoting websites of products related to my post.

#4. Also, I am considering of putting up an online store using my website.  I am not sure yet what to offer (suggestions would be welcome).  I just know I would not want to sell food items, as that involves a complicated set of regulations to follow (in the same way that health professions are highly regulated).  I have looked into the process of putting up an online store (filing application at the town office for "Doing Business As" and applying for a license to resell, then signing up an account with paypal to facilitate online payments).

All these are potential sources of income without me having to spend every waking moment working.

Tags: online business, GDI, blogging, blog ads, qumana, blogging tool, web hosting, PayPal, e-commerce

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Circumcision

I have just finished editing this report.

This is why I have long since decided to be anti-circumcision and pro-intactness...There are many more other untold stories.  I myself have seen some tragic outcomes, and I could only wonder how the boy would grow up to be...Tags: circumcision, Gomco, anti-circumcision, pro-intactness

PREOPERATIVE DIAGNOSIS:  Circumcision complication.

POSTOPERATIVE DIAGNOSIS:  Circumcision complication.

OPERATION:  Reconstructive penoplasty surgery complex.

INDICATIONS AND FINDINGS:  This 2-day-old baby boy underwent a Gomco-type circumcision earlier in the day.  Had persistent and intermittent bleeding and silver nitrate was applied.  We found that the inner prepucial skin was still in place on the glans penis.  Approximately half of the urethral meatus was exposed, but the remainder of the glans remained covered by the inner prepucial skin.  The outer penile shaft skin had approximately 1-cm length on the dorsum, but on the ventrum was possibly only 1 to 2 mm from penoscrotal junction.  By report, a Gomco clamp had been used with a 1.1 diameter "bell" and explanation has to be that a partial dorsal slit was performed and the bell portion of the Gomco clamp must have been inadvertently placed between the prepucial skin layers.

For a picture of Gomco clamp, go to http://www.circlist.com/instrstechs/gomco.html.  You will also learn more about the horrors of circumcision.

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Circumcision

This is why I have long since decided to be anti-circumcision and pro-intactness...There are many more other untold stories.  I myself have seen some tragic outcomes, and I could only wonder how the boy would grow up to be...Tags: circumcision, Gomco, anti-circumcision, pro-intactness

PREOPERATIVE DIAGNOSIS:  Circumcision complication.

POSTOPERATIVE DIAGNOSIS:  Circumcision complication.

OPERATION:  Reconstructive penoplasty surgery complex.

INDICATIONS AND FINDINGS:  This 2-day-old baby boy underwent a Gomco-type circumcision earlier in the day.  Had persistent and intermittent bleeding and silver nitrate was applied.  We found that the inner prepucial skin was still in place on the glans penis.  Approximately half of the urethral meatus was exposed, but the remainder of the glans remained covered by the inner prepucial skin.  The outer penile shaft skin had approximately 1-cm length on the dorsum, but on the ventrum was possibly only 1 to 2 mm from penoscrotal junction.  By report, a Gomco clamp had been used with a 1.1 diameter "bell" and explanation has to be that a partial dorsal slit was performed and the bell portion of the Gomco clamp must have been inadvertently placed between the prepucial skin layers.

For a picture of Gomco clamp, go to http://www.circlist.com/instrstechs/gomco.html.  You will also learn more about the horrors of circumcision.

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