Sheika34

It’s a unit since it is inside a hospital. When I first went I thought it would be separate from the hospital but it’s not

For Alabama, it’s about a little over a dollar more for what a new grad would make. I work in GA and there are some who refuse to work in AL because of the difference in pay. For Alabama, it’s about a little over a dollar more for what a new grad would make. I work in GA and there are some who refuse to work in AL because of the difference in pay.

You do have a point. But I feel like my experience in med-surge, even though it’s just 1.5 yrs, should count a little more. You still develop skills and improve on my critical thinking. I Have been told when stepping into a new specialty it can be like being a new grad again. I’m not looking for the highest pay but idk if I should be ok with being lowballed?

Thanks for the advice. & it’s Alabama & nurse pay is not that good here but I figured for a specialty I should get more. The clinic is within a well known university hospital and is the only peds clinic in the state. It’s always been my dream to work there and in that area but I had also promised myself I wouldn’t settle with my second Job like I did with my first. Anyways, after looking up salaries the offer is abysmally low & now I feel as if my intelligence has been insulted with an offer so low. If they wasn’t even going to offer me so significantly los why offer me the job at all

Hi everyone! I’m just going to get right to it. I recently accepted a position to be on peds dialysis unit at a university hospital. I know salary isn’t usually discussed but I was hoping to get some perspective. So I accepted the position for 24.00 dollars hourly pay. Which is a dollar more than I currently make. But I think I am being offered way lower than what is generally paid in this specialty. I have 1.5 years of med surge experience but no dialysis or peds experience so I just settled & Working in peds has been one of my dream jobs. But now I’m hoping to renegotiate my pay. While I had verbally agreed to take the job I have not submitted the contract agreement. Has anyone had to renegotiate payment terms? If so any advice? I would like to renegotiate but I hope I haven’t already sent that ship sailing and I wouldn’t want to ruin the a job opportunity. In hindsight, I should’ve asked them what is the typical pay range for the job offered. Lesson learned.

Hi all, Just looking for some advice. I recently accepted a job on a pediatric dialysis floor. Now it has been my dream to work at this hospital & I loved peds in clinicals. But I am wondering what is working as a dialysis nurse really like. I’m going back to observe next week just to make sure it’s what I really want. Anyone can offer insight into working as a dialysis nurse? Also what is the usual pay rate? & I know this clinic is the only children’s clinic in the state. So although they are in a hospital they run a little bit different. It’s more like Davila clinic I’m told

Yes I think this also the case. During the interview process it was pretty easy to pick up on the fact that L&D and mother/baby have an abundance of applicants. I also hear that they don’t get many openings and that when ppl work there they tend to stay. Thanks. I that’s what I’m doing now. I could definitely enhance my interview skills. I’m gonna need it.

& that’s also what I was thinking. I could work on connecting better. But I also am good on picking up on the tone and vibes people put out as well. When I say I am told by the interviewer that they are looking for someone one with more experience in 0.5 seconds into the interview, I mean that quite literally. I will sit down, say hi, & then bam! I get this spiel about how they need someone with more experience or something of that nature. I went to one interview and none of the managers asked me a single question. It was the weirdest interview ever. I had another one where the interviewer was surprised by the fact that I only was a nurse for a year... when it’s clearly stated on my resume. I could honestly say I’ve only had one interview where the people seemed genuinely interested. But I will definitely buff up interview skills. I get the feeling this a specialty that has no problem waiting for a more experienced nurse.

Thanks for the advice. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one having a hard time getting into this specialty. & I think some shadowing and volunteering would be my best bet at this point. I do feel like like how you felt working in the hospital. I would like to get into my specialty before the burn out from being in the hospital is complete. Thanks again

So I’ve been in med surge/ telemetry for a little over year now. And I’ve been having THE HARDEST time getting in to both labor & delivery nursing & post part in nursing. I’ve always Felt like I’ve belonged in maternity nursing. I’d Gotten into med-surge because by the time I was able to move back home after graduation all the maternity nursing jobs seemed to be taken. Now I've gotten a good amount of experience on my telemetry floor but I feel like the fact that I’ve gotten some nursing experience, it has done absolutely nothing for me as far as benefiting me in getting the job I want. Which is not what I was expecting.. so I guess I set myself for that let-down. I’ve had many recruiters call me but that’s always as far as it will go. I’ve seen in job postings and even had interviewers tell me within 0.5 seconds of the interview that they wanted someone with more experience or experience in the field. Obviously I’m starting to really question is it me after being on so many interviews and being told the same thing. I’m honestly contemplating volunteer work or shadowing. So I'm wondering is this often a problem when looking for a job in this specialty? Or is it just me?

Hi all! Hoping to get some advice/suggestions. I am working on a tele/ med-surge floor. I have been a nurse for a little over a year. I’m really ready to leave for a much less stressful job and just find my niche. I don’t mind working hard, I just don’t think I’m in the right place for me. ive Been attempting to get onto a maternity unit at numerous hospitals but have been out of luck in this area. Every interview I get told they want someone with actual experience in maternity. Which apparently I’m not going to get because I’m supposed to miraculously already have it. anyways I am currently looking at more jobs that seem like would be a better fit for me. While enjoyed my time unit as it did provide tons of experience in just ready to be somewhere I’ll be happier with. So for my first question.. does anyone knows what a noninvasive cardiac nurse does? I do like cardiac so i wouldn’t mind this. But what do this job entails? Also, any suggestions on a more laid back nursing job? I know they all have stressors but I just need something where I don’t have a pt going ape shxx crazy in one room while coding one in the other and the other calling the AOD because they don’t feel like they are getting enough attention. Also i prefer to have a job where I can have some routine and know what to expect from my day. Thank you for any help!

Hi! I’m in need of some good sound advice. I’ve been an RN for 6 months on a busy med-surg/Tele floor. & currently.. to be honest I hate it. I have good days & I do love patient interactions at times but I just cannot see myself doing this any longer. I can barely see myself doing this for a whole year. i feel like I’m constantly fussing with adults to do what they need to do. They are in the hospital but some reason wants to deny needed treatment which leads to another set of problems. Or I get yelled at by doctors when trying to get orders to help treat pts but since the problem isn’t an emergency they are angry because I’m calling at ungodly times in the morning... which I can hardly help most of the time. & tbh I’m feel like I’m being burnt out & I haven’t even really started. I’m just tired ALL the time. Maybe it’s not my niche. I also feel like I’m not where I’m supposed to be as a nurse as well. I know we all need help throughout our career. But I feel like there are so many things I didn’t know & often wish I could go back in time & spend more time shadow nursing or working as a tech. & i am always the only one from night shift who stays 2 hrs over trying to document. I rarely leave on time. It’s quite noticeable. & I’m always running like a chicken with its head cut off. My saving grace in all this has been the people I work with. I honestly believe my charge nurse try to give me the easier pts & the last admissions(when it can be helped). Usually I have 5 pts. & I struggle with keeping things on time with those 5. I just know this isn’t for me. & it just seems like every other nursing job requires 2 years or more of bedside nursing or a masters degree. Which sucks for those of us who hates it. So my question is.. any suggestions on some other nursing jobs I could take that could be less stressful?? I know no nursing job is easy but I want something that doesn’t make me want to burst into tears before I go. I was thinking case management... if anyone has details on case management I will be open to that to. Or nursing informatics?? I just need some ideas on where I could possibly go?

Thank you for the advice! & I do have a brain sheet but I think I may need to revise as you said since it's not working out like it was. Right now I just feel so incompetent & now I'm questioning why am I even doing this. At this point I'm just worrying about my clinical thinking skills. Today i I have a patient her PRN morphine for pain. Her respiration's were good, her b/p was good (in the 120s/70s. So I saw no harm & I didn't wanna leave her in pain. But as soon as I have it her whole demeanor was different she started saying she couldn't breathe and she just looked different & she seemed to be in distress. & I know it's morphine & sometimes ppl are effected by it like that. I assessed her & she seemed ok, followed commands, and was awake. But I'm new, 5th week on orientation, & I wanted to be sure. The last thing I would want to do is harm so one because I think I got it under control. So i asked one of the nurses to check her as well to be sure. & everybody was looking at me like " can't you assess her since your a RN"... or at least that's the vibe I got from the frowns I received. But my charge nurse was nice about it & checked & everything else seemed ok. She just said keep an eye on her. anyways I felt like a complete idiot. Like I can't even give meds and I always seem unable to resolve the simplest problems for myself.

So i am a current new grad on orientation on week 5. I am currently taking 3 pts & I know this may sound insignificant but I can't but notice that I am behind, performance wise, the other oreintees. We are supposed to be able to take care of pts based on the number weeks we are on orientation so I should be able to take care of 4-5 pts. But I do not think I am progressing as well as I should. I have been able to get more feedback from my preceptor. She has been giving me advice and talking to me about my time management... which is something I struggle with but has been slowly improving on. & she always says I'm doing good. But sometimes I'm wondering if she's just telling me that to preserve my confidence. I honestly believe I would do better if she would tell me what all I need to fix. The reason why I think I'm not a good fit for my floor is because I don't think I act as independently as I should. I have had various situations where my pts would appear to be in distress & I just feel like I go into a panick. None of the situations I was in was a reason for panic, mind you. & I do have a gut feeling that these situations are not as bad as they seem but instead of trying to effectively resolve it I always get my preceptor and it turns out it something that could've been easily resolved with just a call to the doctor. Just simple things. If I can't effectively resolve simple problems how am I going to operate on my own and with more complicated problems? I feel like this is a sign of lack of critical thinking skills and therefore I should not be on a high acuity med surge/ Tele floor. anyways at this point I don't see myself making it past orientation. I know some ppl have said you just have to find your niche... so I've been thinking about transferring to another unit if possible. Ultimately I would prefer one with a lower acuity set of patients or slower pace(if such a floor exists). any advice?

Thank you to everyone for your advice, encouraging words, and time! I really do appreciate this especially because it seems that in this profession it can be hard to express feelings of doubt or worries. And especially hard to express these worries to the right person. i think I was also shocked at how different this is from what we were allowed and handled in nursing school. So thank y'all again for your words of advice to this anxious new grad! & I have decided to stick it out.. at least a little bit longer because honestly it really wouldn't be any different anywhere else. & with almost any job you will have bad days.