[Nursie2k6`]

HI all I am a newly graduated LPN and I accepted my first job at a major hospital in Cleveland...the only thing that I am scared of is the fact that they hired me on a Thoracic Surgery/Telemetry Step down unit......the patients are so acute on my floor that I am scared to death.....my orientation is 12 weeks and in that 12 weeks they are giving me EKG Class, Critical Care Classes, Cardiac Class, Thoracic Class and ACLS classes but it seems that I am learning things to quickly and that I am going to miss something there were 3 codes on the floor Friday 1 of the codes was a open chest where they literally opened up the pts chest at the bedside and massaged his heart back to beating ( I was like what the heck) I mean I was petrified the only good thing is that I will have a preceptor for 12 weeks and the first week on the floor I will get 1 pt, then the second week 2 pts and so forth....we always have a 4-5 pt ratio......I just wish when I interviewed that they would have told me that it was step down unit and explained what step down mean....but anyway keep me in your prayers I am scared to death


Ohhhh and I forgot that I am also going to have to take a BKAT test does anyone know what that consist of


NursiePoo

[nursemike]

I know what you mean. My neuro/neurosurg unit has a step-down attached to it. I've heard one or two fellow newbies say they prefer step-down because you only have up to 3 pts, but they can be pretty hairy patients. (I do like taking my turn in stepdown, because I feel like I learn a lot there, but there are plenty of times that two in stepdown keep you as busy as six on the floor.) I hope you'll find yourself in the position I've been, with charge nurses and co-workers who are ready to back you up when you find yourself over your head. It's hard to avoid anxiety, but you can get through it if the support is there. I've also found that a lot of the training with hospital orientation sticks with me in a way I wasn't sure nursing school had. It's more job-specific, for one thing, and it appears as though I actually did learn a lot of stuff in school, and the orientation sort of refreshes it.
My manager had some interesting advice for codes, which I haven't actually had to implement, yet. She suggests that if you are involved in a code, jump right in and start doing chest compressions. Her rationale is that it isn't technically difficult, but it puts you right in the middle of things to observe what others are doing.

[RNKittyKat]

I wholehartedly sympathize. I'm going through a very similar orientation. The classes are packed with massive amounts of information and the caveat is that failure to pass an exam could land me back onto a general floor. I've been hired for critical care. It's all so much. After 8 hours of classwork, there's homework too. It seems like there's no down time and that's not a good thing.

[RN34TX]

Originally Posted by Nursie2k6`

HI all I am a newly graduated LPN and I accepted my first job at a major hospital in Cleveland...the only thing that I am scared of is the fact that they hired me on a Thoracic Surgery/Telemetry Step down unit......the patients are so acute on my floor that I am scared to death.....my orientation is 12 weeks and in that 12 weeks they are giving me EKG Class, Critical Care Classes, Cardiac Class, Thoracic Class and ACLS classes

I don't know. It may seen rough now, but it sounds like one heck of an experience to me.
Stick it out for at least a year. That's going to be great experience for you and something great to put on your resume should you decide to leave.
Take full advantage of all of those classes offered and find some good nurses to learn from.
Besides...where are you going to go if you leave here? The nursing home or a clinic? No way.
Stay right where you are.

[Nursie2k6`]

Wow thanks for the wonderful advice and encouragement!!!!! I had my first full day on the unit yesterday and honestly it was not that bad and OMG the nurses were so helpful!!!!! I think that everybody had scared me to death saying that the Rn's were not going to help me and the PCNA's don't help either but everyone was helpful and pitched in I am learning a lot I am just tired of all these classes it's so much information in 1 8 hour day that it's crazy...... I mean the human brain can only take so much


NursiePoo