[allthingsbright]

This month marks my 6 month mark from graduation--I have had my job for 5 months, and while it has been hard, exhausting, and crazy, I can actually say I like it. Ok, its not LOVE, yet!

Everyone says give it 6 mos and you will start to feel a little better, and I think they are right. I guess I am starting to get my groove on. It is amazing how much I've learned, the amazing people I have met, and how good I feel about myself most of the time. Yeah, I get REALLY stressed sometimes, but overall, I am happy w/ my decision to become a nurse and going straight into OB as a specialty.

(OH! And the paychecks have really helped my family. Just sayin'. We were really struggling while I was in school.)


Now, if I could just balance my life a bit more outside work, things would be really grand!

Anyone else liking work?

[sockeye]

so glad to hear things are going so good for you. I just finished my second day of being on my own and today was hard with lots going on and me busy busy busy but like you I really really like my job. I am blessed to have wonderful co workeres that have been so patient and supportive.

I am excited to be on my own, it ws funny yesterday my first day solo without preceptor I was asking my charge nurse to ck everything for me...finally I relaxed but still I feel lucky that the nurses I work with don't give me any bad attitude when I ask questions or need help. I like my job too!!! I work in Med Surg and enjoy the challenge and love to feel like i'm making a difference and llike you my family is very much enjoying the paycheck and having insurance is huge.

[SoundofMusic]

Not sure yet if I like it. Many days I don't like it and I'm very worried about being off orientation. I think what will make it or break it for me will be to see how supportive the staff is when I do get off of it, which is next week!

I think about 75% of them will be supportive, but many will not, just because they will also be so overloaded themselves -- for which I cannot blame them.

We have a master preceptor who will be around, so I expect I'll be seeking her out for a lot of help.

Some of the folks who do charge I cannot even imagine going to for help at this point, but hopefully they will prove me wrong.

If it turns out not to be helpful, I may not stay at this unit for very long. It hasn't been the best and if they let me flounder, there's not just too much motivation for me to stay and deal with it on this particular unit.

I'm hoping for the best.

[BumblebeeRN]

I do like my job.

I've been there 5 months already- in a peds surgical floor- and it is stressfull at times- when I get 4 kids & they just happen to get pain at the same time!

I hate when I have to go with the computer to scan the pt and the med and I wake them up (I work nights).... then because I woke them up they start having pain.

During orientation- I learned that we can take the chart to the computer-scan the med & patient's chart then go directly to the patients room--- and now they want us to take that huge computer to the room to scan the patient--- meanwhile I am bumping into bedside tables, chairs & unbundling my sleeping patient just so I could see their ID band!

And now they are starting these monthly meetings---

I brought up the concern that in some of the rooms there are ANTS- and that on one patient who had just had scoliosis/ROD surgery and obviously can't move-- had an ant on his bed and poor thing he was trying to blow it away from himself-- and luckily I saw and took it off........ you know what they said to me in the meeting?? "call maintenance" ummm when I do call they tell me they can't spray anything untill the patient leaves--- as soon as that happens the next pt comes in. That made me really upset. I told the director that what happened to my patient "is very sad" and she said "you are right, it's very sad". Then why don't they do something about it??



I am planning to stay another 6 months to complete my year contract- then I plan to do it part time and do some home health care-
or just get a position during the day shift. I am very tired of nights & taking care of my toddler is not easy. Specially for my mom that she takes care of my little girl during nights when I work & days when I come home from work.

[luv4nursing]

Ya know,
I dont want to jinx myself, bc Im still on orientation and its only my 3rd week...but I honestly think Im going to like my job as well. Dont quote me if I ever come back on here bashing my job lol.

I was totally prepared for everyone to be mean to me, but so far they have been sooo nice. Its a small community hospital and I think its the perfect place for me to start since it wont be as overwhelming as some large hospital I would get lost in. The nurses joke that in the maternity ward they deliver 1 baby a day . Most suprisingly, its a med/surg floor which I thought I would dread, but I really think Im going to like it.

Good for you! Im glad you like your job, it will make your first year as a nurse so much easier to endure.

[omeg]

I'm a peds RN with 9 mos. experience and I'm still hanging in. I started out having a tough time but it's getting easier. I read on this forum that most people have 5-6 pt load; I only have 3-4 pts. Maybe 1 kid is equal to 2 adults or maybe we have a good contract - who knows. Anyway I find I can handle the work okay, even on nights when we don't have an aide and must do it all ourselves. I liked my job less when I had a preceptor; she seemed to expect me to know everything and her idea of the preceptor role was to overwhelm me and then quiz me on everything. Now we work opposite shifts and I'm much happier.

[Sterren]

I am so glad to hear this, I've been working for 3 weeks now and know it's where I want to be, but am not thrilled with it at the moment. I'm glad to hear I may love it sooner than I was expecting (because I do think I will, when I don't feel like I'm barely keeping my head above water). I am glad it is getting better and better for you!

[BumblebeeRN]

Originally Posted by omeg

I'm a peds RN with 9 mos. experience and I'm still hanging in. I started out having a tough time but it's getting easier. I read on this forum that most people have 5-6 pt load; I only have 3-4 pts. Maybe 1 kid is equal to 2 adults or maybe we have a good contract - who knows. Anyway I find I can handle the work okay, even on nights when we don't have an aide and must do it all ourselves. I liked my job less when I had a preceptor; she seemed to expect me to know everything and her idea of the preceptor role was to overwhelm me and then quiz me on everything. Now we work opposite shifts and I'm much happier.

I have 4 pts and sometimes I get 5 because of an admission at night. I works peds RN also.

I can handle work okay.

Nights is really hard. I am tired all the time, and I am working every other weekend without any weekend pay.

I love peds though. I can't see myself working ever with adults.