Help with assignment! Please answer these questions.

FutureNurse2B · Feb 23, 2010

1) I became a nurse b/c I always knew I enjoyed taking care of people but I especially enjoyed children; hence the reason i became a pediatric nurse.

2) I love that nursing is so rewarding in so many ways!

I do not like the way hospitals some times seem more wrapped up in their budget and how many nurses they are allowed to staff rather than the safety of the patients as far as how many patients can 1 nurse safely HANDLE.

3)My first job was somewhat what I expected, my first job was on a general pediatric med/surg type floor. It was similar to the training I recieved in nursing school so I felt somewhat prepared.

4)Unfortunatly at that particular facility, the more experienced nurses treated the new nurses a bit unfairly. There was alot of immaturity, gossiping, tattle-telling, and not as much mentor-mentee like behavior. The older nurses were hard on the new nurses and alot of times acted as if they didnt want to help us or like if we asked a question we were idiots for even asking. Not my favorite experience but glad I got thru it.

5) Best advice I can give is READ READ READ and ABSORB ABSORB ABSORB. Read the floor policy/procedures on the unit you are assigned to, make sure you know them, ask lots of questions and never be afraid to ask. The more questions you ask, the safer your experience becomes. And always double check EVERYTHING! Silly mistakes always arise somehow.

noreenl · Feb 23, 2010

did you get enough responses or do you need more? let me know!

LoveThisNurse · Feb 27, 2010

Hello, i must turn in this assignment before my last day of LVN school. It must be answered by a Registered Nurse.
Thank you and will be joining the nursing world as of March 2010 hopefully after passing boards.
I HOPE THIS IS NOT TOO LATE!
1.What made you decide to become a nurse?
You know, I've always had a hard time answering this question. Both of my parents are registered nurses, so when I started college, my parents told me it was the field to go into so I pursued it. It wasn't forced at all. I just never thought of anything else to do and I'm glad that I had parents who supported me along the way. And I'm also glad that even nursing school was hard, I stuck with it and new that nursing was where I needed to be.
2.What are your likes and dislikes about the job?
Because I'm a new grad, my dislikes are the fact that I'm literally learning as I go. That's the hard part. I wish that my brain was just filled with the experience and knowledge of a 20 year veteran or even just a 1 year! There were and still are sometimes where it's frustrating because I'm simply don't know what to do in situations where you're patient's going into a procedure and how to prepare them or dealing with parents and just nursing care in general.
What I love are my kids. A lot of parents ask me if I have kids and I tell them, "You see this unit? It's filled with my kids. They're all my kids, even if the parents are there because I'm responsible for their care!" I love the fact that I'm blessed enough to work with the some of the best nurses. You're coworkers can make or break your nursing job and I'm glad that I've got a great bunch that supports me.
3.At your first job after school, was it anything like you expected? What was your first job?
Yes. I expected it to be challenging! I'm a pediatric nurse. In the next week, I'll be coming off of my 4 month orientation. I knew it wasn't going to be easy. But again, I had some great preceptors that helped me along the way.
4.How did the more experienced nurses treat you and other new nurses?
They treat us new nurses very well. I think the more that you show that you want to learn the the best, the more receptive they are. Sometimes there are a few times when an experience nurse complains about what a new grad did but it's only because we don't know better. But the more weeks, months and years we put in, we'll be just as efficient.
5.What is the best advice you can give a newly graduated nurse?

Be open to new experiences. Don't hold back. If something doesn't look right to you, even if you may not know how to fix the issue or problem, say something out loud so someone who knows can step in.