[SMK1]

Hi I am Shannon and I graduated March 18th of this year and took my boards April 3rd and passed. I started working in the Clinical Decision Unit in April as an RN.

[betty boo]

hi, i graduated last dec in finland, we dont have to do any reg exams here, now i am workin in a surgical ward where we have Gyn, Breast and plastic surgery patients. I also applied for NCLEX in Calif and waiting for my ATT, I am not finnish and i studied in english so working in a foreign language is the reason why I am trying to move out of finland, In the meantime, just reading for the exam and loving being a nurse

[princesskarabu]

Hi Everyone! I recently passed my boards and I have no idea of where to start. I'm looking for jobs now, but should I be looking into insurance first? Should I apply for jobs in a hospital or is a nursing home better to start with? Which shift is better for a new nurse? I've never worked in a healthcare setting before. Any advice?

[ODUMS_54]

Originally Posted by princesskarabu

Hi Everyone! I recently passed my boards and I have no idea of where to start. I'm looking for jobs now, but should I be looking into insurance first? Should I apply for jobs in a hospital or is a nursing home better to start with? Which shift is better for a new nurse? I've never worked in a healthcare setting before. Any advice?

First, Congrats on passing the boards! The nursing world is your oyster.

I'm new to this site...so to introduce myself, hello everyone. I just graduated earlier this month (!), and have accepted a position in an Emergency Department at a Virginia trauma center.

That being said, my advice to you princesskarabu is to a.) follow your heart/gut b.) put yourself out there.
What did you like most in school? Have you had any clinicals or shadowed on evening/night shift? If you are truly unsure or like everything you see, apply to as many places as possible and take the offer that appears the best. At this point, I feel we are little sponges; no matter where you are you will soak up so much knowledge. Also, make sure you find a really good orientation program that will facilitate your learning needs. You will make the right decision.

My experience working at one particular nursing home was that the nursing staff had a lot of autonomy and responsibility. Usually they were the only nurse on staff with the unlicensed personnel. A lot of medication, charting, and delegating. But also a more routine environment. Just my opinion from an aide's perspective (not a nurse's) in that field about 4 yrs ago.

As for the insurance question...I am unsure myself. I believe some employers offer, but I have read about a company (nso) offering additional insurance. I would run a search in this site for some better advice.

Congrats again, hopefully I will have the same success on my boards, and look forward to seeing you around on the 'site.

~ODUMS_54

[goody986]

I have already posted an introduction, but I have a question.....I have worked in three different areas of nursing since graduating in December of 2007...Cardiology, Nursing home, and Med surg....I am now looking into a position in dialysis....will i ever find my nitch......I loved all three positions, but was really turned off by the co-workers and employers...and the fact I had immense responsibility straight out of school....help....Will I know when I find the right place?????

[RN0707]

Hi I have been an RN since 7/07 love the idea of nursing ...having a very tuff time with the reality of nursing... staff shortage, people who truly dont care about there pts and complain about their jobs etc. its really hard not to get caught up in all the neg as a new nurse I have been told I spend too much time with my pts I feel like I have been just too idealistic thinking nursing was this place where I could go out and really make a difference but half the time I feel like when I do others dont like it and tell me how important the paper work is. alot of times forgetting the pts even telling me this is just the way it is nurses dont get to spend time with their pts there is too much else to do! Has anyone else exp this??? anyone feeling confused overwhelmed and scared??? I just want to find a place where I belong with a postitive working enviorment so I can enjoy my pts and my job. any suggestions from exp nurses or new grads out there??????

[I have already posted an introduction, but I have a question.....I have worked in three different areas of nursing since graduating in December of 2007...Cardiology, Nursing home, and Med surg....I am now looking into a position in dialysis....will i ever find my nitch......I loved all three positions, but was really turned off by the co-workers and employers...and the fact I had immense responsibility straight out of school....help....Will I know when I find the right place????? ]


I am feeling just the same as you I have been in med surg and psych and now have an interview for L&D I am so scared and I just want to find where I belong and stay!! I would have stayed in psych (long story big mess) but I can't at least not at that place and there are really very few peds psych areas around here with 0 openings at this time. I would like to do NICU or mother baby but never got call backs. so I decided I would go back to med surg but this time in one of the nations best hospitals. I had my self all set and thinking of it as a learning process waiting for their call back for my second interview today. But i got a call from somewhere I applied a month 1/2 ago today for special care nursery asking me to come frisday for a L&D postion UGH!!! I had given up on that area and now they call and I am freaked and scared! I am not sure If know enough !!!I love the idea of teaching and being there for the mircale of birth but I have no monitor experience or OR exp (OR kinda scares me)! This hospital does Mother baby and L&d together so I guess I would be working on both I am really nervous and torn Even though I am not a med surg nurse I had myself already to become a very skilled nurse in this big hospital. so I could go anywhere like mother baby!!! I am not sure what to do I guess this job is close to home in a community hospital. Plus the med surg job has yet to call back today as they said they would!!!!
I am afraid employers will think I just jump jobs... but there was a good reason for leaving my 2nd one It is a feild I would have stayed in forever if things were not so messed up there and someday i may find it in another hospital
MY fear is what if no one wants to hire me because i have 9 months in with 2 jobs already!! WEEEW sorry this is so long didnt realize how much I must have needed to get out!! But I know how you feel I am so nervous about this NEXT job because where ever it is I have to stay for at least a year or no one will want to hire me UGH! I hope I know when I find the right palce too I just want to find my home and stay there!!

[candyisdandy]

Hello,
My name is Candy and I have been Working in an LTC for a year. I am currently in School again for my Masters but hopefully I will win the powerball tomorrow so I can retire at the age of 28

[dfarr]

Hi, I'm David. I graduated in May and just passed my boards this past Wednesday. I'm starting in the ED at UAB Hospital in Birmingham. I went to UAB for nursing school too.

[candyisdandy]

Hello David,
Good look and God Bless in the ED. Lord knows those MDs can be a little...uh...jerkish, but you will be fine. Practice makes perfect and you will get plenty of it. I didn't win the powerball by the way, maybe Wednesday.

[williamsmom]

Hi Guys. It has been months since I last logged on. So I guess I will introduce myself again....
I have been a nurse for one year now. Started out at an Acute Rehab Hospital in Woburn, Massachusetts but then found a job in public health and decided to take that job instead. Public Health is really different, not such a great environment to use all the wonderful nursing skills we learned in school, but it is a great environment to work closely with populations that don't have access to good health care. Often I am the only link to health care for many and I feel honored to be able to bridge that gap for them. I work with a large and diverse refugee and immigrant population. For someone who loves different cultures and languages, I feel this has been a real great move, even though I miss some aspects of hospital work. Anyone else had experience or is currently working in Public Health? What were/are your experiences in PH?