shannarini71

I'm right there with you, Calinurse! I started as a new grad in L&D in January and am not on my own yet but am anxious and uptight every day on shift and always feel like I am forgetting something, feeling clumsy and slow, and overwhelmed! I am hoping that in time we will both feel as confident and relaxed as Knufflebunny.

Wow, 1-2 years before on your own? That seems like a dream come true to me! I got my RN license in November 2013 and started a L&D full time position in January. I am about to finish a 2 month course (classroom time and preceptorship)--I'm supposed to have about a month more of training, but the other day I was called in to work because someone didn't show and I was on my own! It was very busy and I was completely overwhelmed and felt like crying all day. In no way, shape, for form do I feel anything close to ready to being on my own, yet I am not sure why they would have me working on my own as OT when I haven't even finished preceptorship yet! Needless to say, I'm extremely nervous. Being a brand new nurse, I am still trying to get IV sticks in--which is in itself stressful because often there is a bit of a rush to get an IV in--like someone is coming for emergency C-section and it has to be done right away and blood drawn--several times I went to do the IV but wasn't fast enough and so someone else did it for me. I have also heard it takes a good year to feel like you know what you are doing, so I don't know why I would be on my own so soon. It's incredibly nerve-wracking and stressful and I have a lot of anxiety. I too froze up when I had my own patient the other day, and it was very crazy on our floor that day. Signed a contract so I'm stuck for a while so am hoping it all gets better in time--just hoping they let me have my full preceptorship before setting me loose, but I have heard others got thrown in there prematurely too by themselves. It seems like it is sink or swim. I do hate the stress of feeling this way and hope it gets better because I don't want to be stressed out every shift for a long time and it is an interesting specialty and one in which I do want to do well.

I was not able to get student loans because I had too many credit hours for my ADN program so had to get a private loan. My plan is to pay this loan off FIRST before going into the bachelor's program--and to wait until I am employed somewhere for whatever time is required in order to qualify for tuition reimbursement. There's no way I'm going to accrue more debt when my monthly payment is so high now!

Hiya folks, FAU is now offering an Advanced Holistic Nursing master's degree, which I find really cool and interesting since my own philosophy on medical care is more holistic and nutrition/alternative medicine based. I'm about to graduate from my ADN program and will be going on in my education after I get my bachelor's and my 2 areas of interest are in becoming a psych mental health NP and holistic nursing. Does anyone known about the odds of finding work with a holistic NP degree, where one would find work, etc.? Although I would love to get the holistic nursing master's degree, I fear that it wouldn't serve me well in our Western medicine-dominated medical culture. Thoughts from anyone in the field or anyone who has researched this more? Thanks :)

Hi Harmonizer, Why do you hope this will be the trend--will there be better compensation for the DNP? Do you think it will pay off for those of us who choose to go this route? MSN school is already so expensive I'm a little nervous about this change to DNP.

Hi, FIU's PMHNP program recently came off moratorium for their PMHNP program--however, they apparently are changing from a master's degree program in 2013 to a BSN-DNP program in 2014! Is this the "norm" for other PMHNP programs? I have my heart set on becoming a psych NP (I'm about to graduate from ADN school) but the thought of additional expense and schooling to get a doctorate for this is a little disheartening. Anyone have any input on if this is the norm across the board for things to come?

Thanks, GrnTea! I didn't know you were a psych NP :) This idea really appeals to me--I guess I'm just tired right now so the thought of more schooling pains me, but it is necessary to get to where I want to be. Muchos gracias....

This sounds like the ideal nursing job to me! I am interested in psych/counseling (always wanted to be a therapist actually but it never came to fruition for various reasons). Thanks for your story!

Thanks, that's a great idea. I appreciate it.

Hi there, I graduate in a few months with my ADN. I definitely don't want to work in traditional nursing and psych and counseling have always been my interest. Most people tell you that you must get a job in med-surg for at least a year as a new nurse and then pursue specialties or you are not as desireable to prospective employees in those respective specialties--but is that REALLY true? I know I want to work psych in nursing and not anything else, so wouldn't it be wise to just try to get a job in a psych facility off the bat? Advice, please, and thank you.

Also I am wondering if that old wisdom about "working at least a year in med-surg as a new nurse before pursuing a specialty" applies here--should I not just try to get a job in a psych facility out the door since traditional nursing isn't my bag anyway? Anyone "in the know", I would very much appreciate your advice.

Yes, I have considered psych nursing. THAT does appeal to me much more than traditional nursing. I had thought of pursuing an advanced degree as a psych NP but I guess I'm a bit conflicted whether to pursue that...is it worth the time and money spent on an advanced degree? Are there enough jobs?

Hi, I will be graduating soon with my ADN. I went into nursing because my previous career had become very difficult to make a living at and is becoming obsolete (medical transcription) and I was newly divorced. I was also sick of working from home and feeling like a hermit all the time, chained to a computer. I felt I needed to go back to school to find a career that would allow me to support myself financially and offer me some sort of job security (I know, no job is secure definitely) and satisfaction--I really wanted to care for people. I always enjoyed medical, so I thought nursing would be a viable option, although admittedly I never considered it in the past. My real interest lies in counseling and therapy but after speaking to friends in that field and for various reasons (pay, up and down nature of client load, etc.) , I thought choosing nursing would be better. Now that I am near the "end of the road", so to speak, for nursing school, I realize I am not liking nursing at all. I work in a hospital on a busy floor as a tech and I watch the nurses and see what they deal with--I realize I don't want to be a nurse! Feeling kind of conflicted on what to do next--I want to pursue a bachelor's to give myself options away from bedside nursing and possibly into counseling, but not sure whether to pursue a BSN and just do my time on a med-surg floor for a year and try to go to other areas of nursing or just get a bachelor's degree in something else altogether where my RN degree isn't wasted but I can get away from bedside nursing (I'm interested in nutrition, physical fitness, holistic health, counseling). I don't think I want to pursue an advanced degree at this point in the future because I'm in my late 40s and I'm tired! Sorry for the long post--I'm sure it is redundant as others have posted similar things, but I would ask for input from any who have contemplated the same and come up with any answers for themselves! Thanks :)

Thanks, Reddgirl. Yes, I am definitely moving down there. I will actually be in the Weston area but am willing to go to Miami for work. I don't understand why the moratorium on the program, though. I am still in the ADN program and will graduate in a few months so just taking it one step at a time but yet I know this is what I want to do. Good luck with your job search!

Hello all, I'm moving to the Miami area after graduating from my ADN program in October. I have discovered that I really want to pursue a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner route--is there any school down in the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area which offers this? Thanks in advance for any help!