ellisjl

I would agree with other posters that this type of hierarchy reigns within hospital walls as well as outside. I began as a new grad RN on a med-surge floor. I now work in one of the ICU’s in my hospital where I’ve witnessed many, many of my ICU coworkers look down on “floor nurses”. Each time I hear it, I’m a bit bothered because it feels like the lowly med-surge nurses and telemetry nurses are being mocked.

I’m a guy who passed with 75.

Being a nurse is just that, being a nurse. A description of my crew on the medsurg floor I work on: charge nurse - heavy set early 50's male with large tattoos on forearms, a goatee, shaven bald head, and generally gruff apearence; very tall late 40's male with a long gray pony tail, Gandalf beard, and drives a vintage Harley to work each day; fire red haired early 20's female with a sugary sweet voice; myself - late 20's male with a neatly trimmed beard and haircut and a slightly unreasonable sized collection of sneakers. We are four really, really good nurses. It doesn't matter what you look like. It only matters that you care about your patients and that you are able to do your job.

I second what OldDude said! As nurses, it is easy for us to give and give without expecting things. It means a LOT to us when patients do things like what you described, wheels. I would be so excited to see you feeling well enough to visit my coworkers and I!

As a brand new baby nurse, I'm still in my preceptorship on a medsurge floor. My first few days, I was absolutely terrified I would be expected to know how to do anything and everything when I knew that I honestly did NOT know how to do anything and everything. I think I earned fast trust with my preceptor mostly because I am extremely honest about my abilities. I've been fast to run to her and ask how to perform something, to be accompanied for something I'm familiar with but not confident to do alone, and to observe a task I haven't been exposed to. I've asked so many questions, some of which were embarrassing "no duh" things and some of which may have been a little less "no duh". I graduated from a program that has a reputation for shelling out new nurses that have a "know it all" attitude, however I am no where near that personality type. I've asked for assistance with nearly every aspect of the job. The key, in my eyes, is to honestly learn from the time with preceptorship and being new and to never use your new-grad status as an excuse to get out of doing a task you aren't terribly excited for. For example, I admittedly did not get a lot of experience in school doing ADL activities such as bed baths, linen changes, and other things like that. My biggest pet peeve I have developed is seeing nurses who think they are too good to do these tasks. Yes, I ask my CNA coworkers for assistance, but I ask to BE ASSISTED instead of demanding a task be done. My pt needs changing after diarrhea? Cool. I'll ask a CNA for assistance, actively participate, ask for advice and tips, and learn from it so I can be a better help for the next time it happens. I've learned a LOT doing this, because you should NEVER make the mistake of thinking your CNA is supposed to do these things at the drop of a hat because "nurses aren't paid for that". Yeah we are freaking paid for that. We are paid to be there for the pt and to work as a team member. I've made mistakes, I've been giggled at a few times (in a good humored way), and I've felt utterly useless a few times as well. It's all part of growing and getting your feet wet. Those amazing nurses we admire weren't amazing when they first left school. They started where every one of us does. Take each opportunity to learn and try to enjoy the process. Use your knowledge from school to be a safe caregiver, and utilize all the people you work with to learn how to get better. Lastly, pay it back. Be appreciative. Be thankful. Be humble. Offer help where you can. Be an active learner with the potential to become an asset for your patients, their families, and your coworkers.

I recently graduated, so I'm not exactly on the level of one of the super hero nurses out there kicking butt and taking names like the ones I admire. I'm lucky to get my kicked butt in gear and clumsily juggle an average work day as a baby RN. Today was just one of those days. The frustrating days we all have where you can't seem to do anything right or smoothly. I wondered what the first domino was in the chain of fallen ones I'd left behind myself all day. I figured it out. I figured it out in my car after a grueling 12 hour shift. I looked down while cranking my car in the parking lot of the hospital only to realize something horrible. No, I didn't make a med error that just popped into realization. No no I didn't forget to give report. No no no I didn't find "saved for later" medications in my pocket I'd neglected to give. I looked down to see I had managed to put on unmatched white shoes from two different pairs. I can only hope I was alone in this hilarious enlightened moment where I'd missed the detail which started my day off on the wrong foot. What are some of your embarrassing moments as a nurse?

I only use secondary tubing when using a separate bag of fluids as a driver. The pharmacy at the hospital I work for supplies our ABX with diluent either pre-mixed or ready-to-mix so there's no need to use a driver unless you choose to, which I only do when there already a bag hanging. It's not cost effective to hang liter bags all willy nilly. Also, could be bad for the patient, like a patient with CHF also having an infection needing an IV ABX.

I only use secondary tubing when using a separate bag of fluids as a driver. The pharmacy at the hospital I work for supplies our ABX with diluent either pre-mixed or ready-to-mix so there's no need to use a driver unless you choose to, which I only do when there already a bag hanging. It's not cost effective to hang liter bags all willy nilly. Also, could be bad for the patient, like a patient with CHF also having an infection needing an IV ABX.

I got full time as my first position as an RN during the first interview I had before taking the NCLEX. Though, this isn't uncommon in my location. Education level, experience, and all that are always things an employer looks at too. I'd just graduated with my BSN, had two solid job histories lasting more than 1 year prior to nursing school, and was in my late 20's (rather than 21 or 22 which may appear as a "risky hire" to some employers). Keep looking! One will come up for you. Speak with your manager and see if he or she would be willing to be a reference for you. Changing jobs to acquire a FT position shouldn't be something management would look down on. Get your ACLS training too if possible, because that looks good for you as well as being something the potential employer doesn't have to financially plan for immediately after hire.

I work in a different environment from you; two CNAs split patients on a 26 bed floor. They do HARD work, and I honestly don't see how they do it as well as they do with so few complaints. As as far as any advice from me goes... just be reasonable and respectful when delegating. If you can and have the time, do it yourself. If you can't do it because you don't know how, don't ask them to do it and walk away. Ask them to show you how. Be a team player. If they request lift help, for god's sake please help them because no one should do that alone and also because you'll need lift help soon enough. Also, biggest advice: never, ever make the mistake of thinking that being a nurse makes you smarter than a CNA. On my floor, one of the ladies really saved my patient's and my own ass one day by noticing her foley bag had the same amount of urine in it that it did when she glanced at it that morning. I couldn't be absolutely sure (bc I didnt chart it/nurses on my floor aren't required to keep I/Os without an order, even with a foley) but I really thought I'd seen more in the bag just a couple hours before. Turns out the sitter emptied it and didn't want to tell us bc she thought she would somehow be "in trouble" for it. Phew.

@crush I want to second this opinion! I'm a (very) new nurse. While I'm enjoying my gig on a med surge floor, I would not classify myself as feeling "comfortable" in any way. There are three different schools doing clinicals on my floor. So unfortunately for students working with me, I accompany and walk them through any and all tasks I feel confident in being able to perform myself in order to "push" them into doing something they may be able to shy away from. I had a lot of teachers and nurses with a "do it if you feel you want to" attitude, so I did my fair share of shying away in school. I want to give these students opportunities to get their hands dirty and have the experience before entering the real world.

I completely agree with this. It was YOUR patient that you used YOUR nursing experience and skills to provide care to based on what YOU believed to be the ethical and patient-centered. I think you sound like an extremely good nurse.

I know this was posted near to a year ago, but just in case anyone else was curious: I bought kurus when I entered nursing school and they held up and stayed comfortable until this day. I'll be buying another pair (that's less ugly than what was required by school) for my job. The inserts are like memory foam and eventually settle into the imprint of your foot. It's awesome.