Need some help. Venting/ questions!!

[KaitRN]

Hi there,

I graduated in May 09 w/ a BSN, passed my boards in July, and had a difficult time finding a hospital job (i live in the northeast w/ hiring freezes at the moment!). I reluctantly accepted a job at a SNF/LTC/Rehabilitation Center in September and have been working there ever since. Some days I love it and other days I hate it. I feel as though I am losing a great amount of the skills and knowledge I learned in nursing school. I'm just a med-pusher, doing occasional dressing changes on 20+ patients. I have repeatedly been "locked-in" for a second 8-hr shift, on top of my first 8 hr shift (total of 16+ hours at a time) if someone calls out. We cannot say no to being locked in, they threaten us with patient abandonment. This facility is one of many around the country under a very big corporate for-profit company (my first mistake of taking this job!!).. I am searching for hospital jobs in order to gain experience, but I have become hopeless. I'm sick of LTC and I really do not enjoy these awful hours!!! I'm starting to doubt myself in why I became a nurse Does anyone have any ideas/ options for new grads with almost a year experience?? I eventually would like to become a school nurse but must go back to school to get my Master's for that... I would love some community nursing involvement/ anything with better hours or a better company! Any suggestions are welcome!! Thanks

[Thank_You_RNs]

I feel your pain. I did work in a SNF/LTC/Rehab facility before and I didn't stay there long enough. I'm suprise you stay there for almost a year. For me, I couldn't stand it. I felt that my license is at stake everytime I go to work. Plus, the patient to nurse ratio is too much. Like yourself, i'm still looking at hospital jobs with no avail. There are times I wonder whether if I should have stayed. But, there are also times I'm glad I left that facility. I followed my guts and been happy since.

[Moogie]

Run, Forrest, Run!

You deserve a healthier place to work. Get out there no before you have a meltdown and maybe can't finish your last semester!

(BTW, you don't need a master's to be a school nurse...)

[KaitRN]

Yes, I agree! I need to get out of there. The only reason I'm staying is because it pays the bills, however I'm becomming more and more miserable In Rhode Island, I think you need a Masters for school nursing or at least community experience... I have a Mass. license as well, and i think you can start school nursing with a bsn there, but they all want community nursing experience... Should I look for home health care jobs? There aren't many options when it comes to community health??

[ShayRN]

I would never do home health without some acute care experience. You have to know too much and think on your feet. I tell you what, I wouldn't cave into the constant threats. Call your state board and ask what the policy is for "patient abandonment." That is such a crock...

[SWS RN, ASN, RN]

Regarding school nursing:

In Florida you do not need a Masters or Bachelors. You do however, need to be an RN, not LPN. I did school nursing for several years. Experience in the hospital and pediatrics is also required. You do not need community health experience. However, with the economy the way it is, I would be a little concerned about school nursing these days. With all of the govt cuts in spending, school nurses could easily be eliminated. It was not that long ago there were no school nurses at all. It could return to that.

The pediatric experience is essential-you need to know what a well kid is like in order to assess a sick one. Believe me, many of the little darlings come in "sick" b/c of a test...or other related issue. They miraculously recover after the test, class is over and it is time for ,say, lunch.

Conversely, I also had many genuine emergencies that required sound nursing skills and judgement.

I would continue to try to get into the hospital. Is there a hospital in your area that has a physical rehab unit? and does your current facility do subacute rehab-post ops, etc. ? You could use that to your advantage by telling them you have experience in rehab. I worked in a hospital rehab unit my first job out of school (16 yrs) but as soon as I could-I transferred to pediatrics and then to PICU (and then to ICU etc) but it worked out for me.

Good Luck, Nursing is tight here in Fl as well. I do know that they are not hiring any more school nurses and the ones that are leaving , they are not replacing. This is in Palm Beach County, where in 2007-we were the ONLY county in the entire country that had a full time RN in every school!!!!! Not now.

Oh, yeah, You definitly need clinical experience in order to do home health care-for the same reasons for school nursing. You really need to have that base of knowledge.

Way too scary to attempt HHC without it. Also, I do not know of an agency that will hire nurses without experience. Likewise with travel nursing (which is a great gig by the way)

Get the experience...

ss

[berube]

i know in MA you don't need a masters to do school nursing, tho there is a certificate/testing (separate from boards) that you do need to obtain,,, i agree doing HH (which i have done for almost 25 yrs) you do need acute care experience, you are essentially on your own out there....best wishes

[Jules A, MSN]

I wouldn't quit until I found something else but even just starting to look and apply might make you feel a bit more pro-active. Good luck!

[KaitRN]

Thank you for the posts and encouragement everyone! I am actually looking to move to Florida soon with my fiance (he's in the military so we are very lucky that his job is as flexible as mine travel-wise) so I'm just hoping if I can stick it out at this place until then, at least I'll have some experience to put on my resume. Also- that's a good idea about call my state reps and asking about the guide lines for patient abandonment, I will do that and let you all know!