May 2008 grads....how are things going?

Nurses New Nurse

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For those of us who graduated in May (or thereabout) how is the first few months of nursing? How are you feeling and where are you working? Thoughts?

I'm working in a PICU at a teaching hospital and I LOVE it! I learn something new everyday and my co-workers are the bomb! I feel supported and there is always someone if I need help/have questions.

There have been some days where I feel very overwhelmed and want to throw in the towel but most days I really enjoy it. I'm thankfully that I work on a very supportive unit to new grad ICU nurses. I had a 10 week orientation and that was adequate I thought....so far so good on my own.

Yesterday was funny for me, I have to share. Everyone had told me that new residents don't know anything but I never really believed it. Well yesterday was the first of the month and the new residents/interns came. The resident who was assigned to one of my patients (we usually have 1-2 patients per nurse) told me it was his first day and he didn't know what he was doing. So *I* the new NURSE had to show him the ropes....she him how our vents worked, etc. He then got assigned to pull back my patients PICC line to 5cm and I had to show him step-by-step how to do that and then I dressed it. ME a NEW nurse?! LOL He was so thankful and kept shaking my hand and telling me how thankful he was.....lol. Hopefully down the road he will remember the nurses who helped him when he didn't know what he was doing :)

Specializes in oncology, transplant, OB.

Wow! I'm soo happy that everyone loves their units so far. I wish I had the same positive experience as you all!!

I started off in the ICU and realized the first day on the floor that it wasn't for me. And it makes me angry because when I tell some of the RNs that I know I no longer work in the ICU they say "I could never have handled the ICU right after graduation either." So basically I feel like a failure. And the thing is it's not that I couldn't handle it, I just didn't want it enough. Without a doubt I know I would be doing great if I gave it 100%, but my heart just wasn't in it.

I'm currently interviewing on other units at my hospital and keeping my fingers crossed.

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Specializes in oncology, transplant, OB.
Just passed NCLEX this past Wed!!!! So relieved and happy. :yeah:

CONGRATS! :dncgbby:

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Specializes in L&D.

I also graduated in may, passed the nclex, and have been working in an ICU. I like some things, dislike some things, and generally feel undecided at the moment.

glamgalRN, we are in the same boat. I hired straight into the ICU and am not sure it was the right decision. I've gone on one job interview but haven't been truly searching for a different job (yet), I'm trying to decide whether to give the ICU a year or whether to start over somewhere else right away.

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Hey guys! It's great to hear that everyone's doing well...despite all of those horror stories of nurses eating their young. I graduated May 16th and passed my boards on July 21st with 75 questions (still can't believe it!). I started just a week later on July 28th on a Pediatric Hematology/Oncology unit, and I absolutely love it. Sometimes I feel akward because I thought I would never work with the Pediatric population...I don't have kids...so I don't really know how to communicate effectively with kids. I'm working nights, and I love it because it doesn't really feel like a "job," and I still get to spend time with my fiancee because he's a night owl like me (he's a 9-5er but he stays up LATE). Well...I'm starting to rant a little bit, but I hope you all continue to have great experiences!

Kim

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I started working in the ED in August and although I love being a nurse, my whole experience has been tainted by my preceptor. He's just awful. He's so jaded, thinks the worst of everyone ("that pt must be a drug seeker" is his phrase of choice), takes every short cut in the book, is sarcastic, and isn't even a good teacher. I've gone home in tears half my days there. One day when we had a man die in a code, the daughter came in completely distraught and I hugged her and sat down a few minutes to explain to her what was going on and just held her hand. My preceptor yelled at me afterwards for wasting time and said I had no business to get emotionally involved with patients or their families. He said I had a job to do and I better be thinking about that instead. Ugh, he's just NOT the nurse I want to be. Ever.

I spoke with the manager who is assigning me to someone else for half the time starting in October, but I'll still be with this jerk half the time too.

So I'm just going to try to make the best of it and learn as much as I can from the other person and ignore this guy when I'm with him.

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Specializes in Med Surg, ER, OR.

JSU:

I am so sorry that your precpetor has to be such a butt! You did the right thing by being there with the family during this time of struggle. I would talk with some other staff members there and even your NM to see how they suggest handling this situation.

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Graduated May 10th, started working on June 9th in Women's Services (Mother/Baby) and took my boards June 23rd. Passed with 75 questions :yeah:

I had 2 weeks of hospital orientation and then thanks to a grant and extra week of classes, then about 7 weeks of floor orientation. I've been off orientation now for about a month now.

I LOVE my job! I knew that this was the area I wanted to work in but I had no idea how much I was going to LOVE it. I work nights (7p -7a). I am slowly starting to feel more confident about handling what comes my way. Though I stil have not had or seen a postpartum hemorrhage. Our nurse to patient ratio is 1:8. At first I never thought I wold be able to handle 8 patients but that's slowly getting easier. Though I am usually busy all 12 hours! :zzzzz When I have 6 I usually have time to get a couple good breaks during the night.

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Not only have I heard of the Versant Progam but I was accpeted into it. I ended up not taking a position with the hospital system here that has the program so I can't speak of what it's like. But I have a few friends that are in it and they've told me that there is too much classroom hours and not enough floor hours.

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I googled it and it looks great. Personally, if one is going to do a residency (I'm in one now), I think they should take advantage and do it in a speciality.

Why waste this opportunity on an area you don't even care for? If it was just a regular ole hospital with standard orientations, then I would probably advise you to do med-surg first, but if Versant provide all the resources they claim they provide on the website, just go for it and do L&D.

Thanks Zahryia- I googled it too and got more information from one of the ladies in the L&D program at the hospital. She loves it and highly recommends it for a new graduate. I have an interview this Thursday for the L&D department at the hospital so im nervous and excited as it will be my first interview for Nursing.

On that note, does anyone have any advice on how to answer interview questions particularly behavioral and scenario type questions? Most of the info online pertains to the questions but does not really delve into how to answer them. I get nervous and im hoping it doesnt mess up my chances of landing a job there. The program is very competitive. Hopefully ill be back with great news.

Thanks

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Not only have I heard of the Versant Progam but I was accpeted into it. I ended up not taking a position with the hospital system here that has the program so I can't speak of what it's like. But I have a few friends that are in it and they've told me that there is too much classroom hours and not enough floor hours.

Thanks Mommybess- the way they have is scheduled is classroom days are Monday and Tuesday 8am to 4:30pm then two days for 12 hr shifts on the unit. I personally would appreciate the extra classroom time as im hoping to get into a specialty area- L&D which i last encountered a yr ago in Nursing school so i could def do with the refresher. I have not had a job since graduation so i may also be a bit rusty. I think it will be very intense but im up for the challenge. 18 weeks will fly by fast :)

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I started work on a med/surg floor on July 14th. I'm still on orientation (it's 16 weeks total) and I will be switching to my scheduled shift (nights) at the end of September.

I really like my job. My preceptor is great, and has become a good friend. Turns out she lives around the corner from me! LOL

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Specializes in Medical, Surgical.

hi all,

i graduated on May 18, took boards july 7. i started working on a 27 bed mainily postop surgical floor (but we get medical pts too). i love this floor because it will help you to get organized because of the high patient turnover and everyone seems to be in pain (so you really have to be on top of things). at the moment i am taking 5 patients on night-shift and next week i go to my full 6 patients. my preceptor says do you think you want to come out of orientation early? i was like no thanks i need all the time to learn as possible before i am on my own lol! basically she has 1 patient and doesnt have to do anything for mine. i come out of orientation October 3. i think i am learning alot!!!

hope all is well with everyone else.

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