First hospital job, need advice

funtimes · Mar 11, 2015

Nights you'll be mainly taking vitals, helping patients to the toilet/bsc, repositioning and cleaning up incontinent patients, emptying tubes and drains and recording output, maybe weighing people, checking blood sugars, restocking, and maybe a few other things here and there.

If you want to work oncology as an RN(god bless those people) then this is a great place to learn. Personally this would not be my first choice for a unit to work on as a tech(or my 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th etc choice). As for acuity, ive worked on different units and floated to many different units at a few different hospitals, and I would say from my experience there are harder units to work on and easier ones in terms of work load, but oncology would probably be mentally taxing because, well, most of your patients have cancer. Then again on any inpatient unit you are going to have your share of dying patients, but cancer can be a painful way to go. Still I thought pulmonary was the worst. It can be painful to see end stage COPDers at THE end.

kcsunshine · Mar 11, 2015

Nights you'll be mainly taking vitals, helping patients to the toilet/bsc, repositioning and cleaning up incontinent patients, emptying tubes and drains and recording output, maybe weighing people, checking blood sugars, restocking, and maybe a few other things here and there.
If you want to work oncology as an RN(god bless those people) then this is a great place to learn. Personally this would not be my first choice for a unit to work on as a tech(or my 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th etc choice). As for acuity, ive worked on different units and floated to many different units at a few different hospitals, and I would say from my experience there are harder units to work on and easier ones in terms of work load, but oncology would probably be mentally taxing because, well, most of your patients have cancer. Then again on any inpatient unit you are going to have your share of dying patients, but cancer can be a painful way to go. Still I thought pulmonary was the worst. It can be painful to see end stage COPDers at THE end.

I know it will be mentally and emotionally exhausting, but I really feel like I can handle it. I want to help people, and I just feel like I belong on oncology. I really want to help no matter how hard it will be. Why do you say it wouldn't be your first choice? Because of this?

Thank you for your response!

vannazoie2 · Mar 12, 2015

I would like to say good luck with your new job! I myself work as a PCA in a CCU for the past two years and love it! It even inspired me to go back to school to further my education in nursing! I'm proud to say I'm half way down with my first semester in the LPN program and thanks to my PCA job I've been ahead of most of my classmates in basic knowledge and experience! The best nurses come from PCAs! So always try to bring a smile to your patients face, after all its the kindness your patients will truly appreciate and remember about you. Best of wishes to you!!!! :up:

secretsunflower · Mar 16, 2015

Thank you!!!

cdsavannah59, CNA · Mar 16, 2015

Everyone that knows where I work think I have the best job in the world. I work in mother/baby unit, and although that is the best part of the job, the workload is tremendous. 12 hours of constant walking except for total of 45 minutes break/lunch. I don't have a desk to sit at like the nurses, although I can sit occasionally at front desk when not busy. So my advise to you is to get a comfortable pair of shoes because you are going to need them. I got a pair of sketchers go walk shoes and I love how they feel like pillows under my feet. Also wear support stockings daily that prevent varicose veins. My legs don't ache since I started wearing them at work. Make sure to get plenty of rest on work night if your doing two or three days in a row of 12 hour shifts.