First year coming to an end and boy do I have a few opinions!!

[lovegoddess1977]

my first year of being an rn is almost over. i have to say that i have alot of opinions!

first of all, let me tell you that i was a cna for 2 years (ltc), an lpn for 5 years (ltc), and an rn for almost 1 year (cleveland clinic). so yeah, been there...understand...and am entitled to my opinion.

i feel that some of the best nurses are the ones that have worked their way up. i started out on the bottom and slowly worked my way up the ladder. and i just have one thing to say. responsibility and education and the two major concepts for me. i work on a neuro floor at the clinic and i have to say that this has been the scariest year of my life. i have cried, laughed, been terrified and been depressed. every emotion that you can feel...i felt. here are a few of my pet peeves that i need to get off my chest!

1. nursing school does not prepare you for the real world! no one can tell me that it does!

2. just because you are an rn does not make you better than the cna's and the lpn's. we all need to work together.

3. acuity is more important than numbers. hello!!! when are employers going to realize that??

4. use as many pto days as you feel you need... your sanity is more important than anything else!

5. i am not your maid.... i am educated in nursing, so let me do what i need to do.

6. just because you have rn after your name does not mean that you can't clean up poop!

7. just because you are an lpn does not mean that you have to play dumb and put your work off on me. i know what you are licensed to do because i was you for 5 years!!

8. just because you have been a cna for 15+ years does not mean that you can tell me what to do. if you want to be in charge so bad then go to school!!!!

9. drug seekers can wait... end of story.

10. when i tell you that i had 8 high acuity patients last night... don't tell me that that's nothing cause you had 30 (ltc). i'm sorry but there is a major difference. i worked ltc for 7 years and it is totally different from the hospital.

whew!! i feel better ...lol!!

i learned that respect is the key! i have to say that i love being a nurse. i have worked very hard to get to where i'm at now. i am starting an rn-bsn program in the fall. i can't wait to keep going. it takes a very special person to be a nurse. the problem with this recession right now is that too many people are going to school for nursing for the wrong reasons...not because they want to be a nurse but because of the money. it is decent money. i make about $50,000 a year at my full time job. i know a few people right now that absolutely hate hands on care but they are in nursing school. why? for money!

just to give my two cents: i had no problem finding a job. the cleveland clinic paid for my education and i have fantastic benefits!! i have a lot of perks. i also work prn at a ltc facility as a supervisor. i got that job easy. they liked my past ltc experience and hired me on. it's a nice place and trust me i have worked for some bad facilities.

also, in my experience...there is no pay difference between associate and bachelor's rn's. i make the same as the bachelors rn's at both places. i was just told that if i wanted to climb the ladder then i needed my bsn. so that is what i am doing. :)

i welcome any comments! :)

[Lunah, MSN, RN]

Congrats on surviving your first year! :) My "anniversary" is in July ... looking forward to hitting that mark myself.

[llg, PhD, RN]

When I opened this thread and read that you were going to state your opinions in a strong way, I thought I would probably disagree with several of the things I was about to read.

But even though our backgrounds are very different (started as a BSN grad 32 years ago and now have a PhD) ... I agree with pretty much everything you said. You'll get no debate from me!

I congratulate you on your successful career ... and wish you more success in the future.

[RedhairedNurse, BSN, RN]

I totally agree with you, sounds like something I could have written myself on #1-9, i never worked long term care, so that's why #10 isn't included.

Take care and way to go on pursuing BSN. I need to do that myself.

[SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN]

Congrats!! I am still counting down my first year.

[lovegoddess1977]

Thanks for the encouraging words! I am glad that somebody shares my opinion! :)

[cmram28]

Going on barely 5 months and don't think I may hit my 1 yr mark...I don't want to give up though.

[bjz823]

Well said. I have been a CNA for 20 years in LTC, med surg, ortho, home health and assisted living. I am a new LPN and I am still waiting to be hired. I have to diga little deeper to find something I guess.

Thanks for that post. I appreciate that. The only time I don't want to jump in and help with the CNA duties is when I have not enough time to get my LPN duties done. I have had CNAs ask me to help during my LPN training when they could have gone down the other hall to get another CNA. I do help and it is a good time to see the patient more.

[southernbelle08]

No argument from me either, just a big ITA!!!!!!!!!!! I'll be 1 year out this month myself!

I came at it from a bit of a different angle, but I still agree 100%. I was never a CNA or LPN, but I totally, completely agree that respect is key. If you don't have that, you are going to have a hard road ahead.

Right on! GL in your future!! :)

[AllieRat]

Almost to my first year... I too worked my way up was a nurse extern (basically a CNA but was shown helped out with nursing activites) before getting my RN... Kudos on the aides comment..

[loricatus]

my first year of being an rn is almost over. i have to say that i have alot of opinions!

first of all, let me tell you that i was a cna for 2 years (ltc), an lpn for 5 years (ltc), and an rn for almost 1 year (cleveland clinic). so yeah, been there...understand...and am entitled to my opinion.

i feel that some of the best nurses are the ones that have worked their way up. i started out on the bottom and slowly worked my way up the ladder. and i just have one thing to say. responsibility and education and the two major concepts for me. i work on a neuro floor at the clinic and i have to say that this has been the scariest year of my life. i have cried, laughed, been terrified and been depressed. every emotion that you can feel...i felt. here are a few of my pet peeves that i need to get off my chest!

1. nursing school does not prepare you for the real world! no one can tell me that it does!

2. just because you are an rn does not make you better than the cna's and the lpn's. we all need to work together.

3. acuity is more important than numbers. hello!!! when are employers going to realize that??

4. use as many pto days as you feel you need... your sanity is more important than anything else!

5. i am not your maid.... i am educated in nursing, so let me do what i need to do.

6. just because you have rn after your name does not mean that you can't clean up poop!

7. just because you are an lpn does not mean that you have to play dumb and put your work off on me. i know what you are licensed to do because i was you for 5 years!!

8. just because you have been a cna for 15+ years does not mean that you can tell me what to do. if you want to be in charge so bad then go to school!!!!

9. drug seekers can wait... end of story.

10. when i tell you that i had 8 high acuity patients last night... don't tell me that that's nothing cause you had 30 (ltc). i'm sorry but there is a major difference. i worked ltc for 7 years and it is totally different from the hospital.

whew!! i feel better ...lol!!

i learned that respect is the key! quote]

you are a very wise person. i only wish i could work with other nurses like you. and, you are highly respected, in my book.