Shelly0928

Thanks for the responses. I just wanted to update and ask a few more questions to know if what I experienced was normal.. 1- I showed up for a 4 hr orientation ( prior to working my actual 8 hrs to follow), spent time following a nurse, getting a high level overview of the point and click system, layout of the unit, giving meds and then, boom. On my own after getting a covid test ( after 4 hours on the unit , sigh). 2-No intro to others on the floor so I didn't really know who was who, I didn't even know who my CNA was. CNAs do not even put vitals in .. 3- No report given, so I surmised health hx by the meds taken. 4- 80 % of residents looked the same- scary during med pass.. 5- Residents wandering hall, and approaching me at the med cart while I was trying to pull meds for patients I didn't know, and couldn't distinguish from photos to ask me for coffee. 6- Going to give meds to find residents no in their rooms. Put their meds back in locked cart and continued with next on the hall. 7-Call bell ringing off the hook and no one answering it except me, I answered for fear of someone really needing help. Is this normal or was it just a crappy unit?? Walked in praying I didn't kill anyone. Walked out praying I didn't kill anyone.

Hello all. I have been a nurse for almost 21 years, in a variety of settings ( pacu, OR, L&D, ER, corrections, M/S and management). I am picking up shifts with a local agency in my town and will be going to a LTC setting for the first time ever. I have worked in a corrections infirmary as the only nurse on NOC, with 12 patients to give meds to and no CNA so I don't anticipate that LTC will be much different in regards to meds/vitals management, but again, I am on here because I don't know.. The facility that I am going to appears to get high ratings and is staffed ( supposedly) with a 1:15 ratio on each unit, and 2 CNAs and a bath aide one each unit. Any tips for this old gal to help make my shift a bit more manageable? Thanks in advance!

Hi all. Just seeking your perspectives here. I want to move to Florida from the Pacific NW. I am a nurse with 20 yrs experience mostly in outpatient surgical services. I thought about taking a travel job to get down there, but with all this uncertainty thanks to COVID, was afraid that an outpatient gig might get canceled if elective surgeries stop, and then I would be stuck. Ideally, I want a change anyway, so am thinking about hospitals and a different specialty all together. Would you 1-take an agency job to get to the desired location. 2-apply to hospitals and wait for an offer, then move. 3-or, just relocate, and find something once you get there? I do not have kids to worry about, but I always thought selling a house is better to do in the Summer time because of school calendars. Any feedback appreciated!

any updates? It's Mid-June seems like they should know something...

Hi, I know this thread is from last year but I am interested in learning more about teaching BLS, ACLS, PALS as well. [email protected]

HI. So I recently took a job in a hospital after being away from that environment for over 12 years. Its a night shift job which itself poses it's own challenges for me since I am an early bird day person, but I digress.. We see med surg and post ops , ratio is 1:6. What are your tips for the best way to organize your night? By the time we get report on all our patients, it is usually arleady 8pm. I usually will take about 15 mins afterwards to review anyone's info that I didn't get to prior to the start of shift. D o you do a 9 pm med pass on each patient and then go back to do assessments, or do you try to tackle both at the same time, finishing with assessments around 10 pm ? Just trying to keep myself from double work. Any tips are greatly appreciated.

Holy smokes!!! As Been There Done That has stated, I would have walked out of a physical such as the one you described. If an employer expected me to do as you described to pass the test, I would not want to work there. I am also 50 and looking at bedside nursing from mainly desk type work, but also believe us as nurses need to get paid for what's in our brain, not whether our backs and muscles can endure what you described. What crap!! At any rate, I hope things are going well for you!!

Hopern84, I would absolutely NOT omit your first job- what if you get hired somewhere and come across someone you used to work with? If your employer found out you falsified your application, you could be terminated on the spot. Dishonesty could harm you deeply. Apply, apply, apply...apply to jobs/specialties you never thought you'd be interested in... I am currently on the hunt for a new job in a new town and I have years of experience, and am disappointed at how slow the process can be sometimes. I am trying to be patient, and it is very difficult! Hang in there.

Hi. I couldn't tell from your profile where you live, so I will just throw some ideas out there.. Public health/county health dept? Private duty-home health urgent care? School nurse? I am wishing you the best luck, sometimes it can be discouraging out there.

Hello all. I am an experienced RN, have recently moved to the Boise area, and am applying for RN positions on Indeed, Ziprecruiter, and the health system's websites. I moved from Atlanta Ga where things are decidedly more fast paced than here in Idaho. It could be that employers are more competitive in Atlanta so HR and recruitment departments jump on candidates more quickly, but here in Idaho... not so fast.. I have applied for 20 jobs in the last 10 days, have received 2 almost immediate auto reject emails, had 1 interview today at an SNF, one pending phone interview for St Al's for next week, and 2 emails from St Luke's saying my resume is "under review" for 2 positions. I am anticipating a job offer to come from the sub-acute SNF, but would hesitate to take it right away. I guess my question is for those in the area, what has been your experience with timely responses from the larger systems? Good, bad and ugly with the larger systems?? Any tips? thanks!!

Greetings! I am seeking some advice from my peers. I am 50 years old, and have been a nurse for 18 years. The past several years ( 10) I have worked in a mainly clinical director type role, although I have had the need to throw on scrubs and jump in to help frequently without any issues. My most recent job has ended, due to company struggles, and I am re-evaluating my life at this point. While most of the past 18 years in nursing have been in some form of an outpatient surgery environment, I am using this transition period to determine where I go next? Do I use this opportunity to try something new? The idea of working 12 hours shifts again and having a few days off does appeal to me, but I am not sure if I want to continue to do the same type of work...Pacu has been my mainstay and area of most comfort, but I can also do preop, and the OR circulating. I am not keen on taking call.... At 50 years old, I consider myself extremely active, I work out 5 days per week... But working out and "working" a 12 hour shift are totally different things!! With this opportunity to " reset", am I too old to go back to the hospital? Do I stick with what I know? I know it sounds kind of silly to say a fairly seasoned nurse is scared.. But I am... Thoughts to consider about a change of field? Any suggestions of areas that might be worth considering would be helpful.