EDGRADNURSE

Hi there, I'm a relatively new grad and have a target date of Sept 18 to be off orientation on a busy medical/tele floor in a big city hospital. I've had a few different preceptors due to scheduling--no big deal. Lately, I've been with one that can ...

Thank you so much for your kind reply. Amen to your post. I believe that a lot of patients are undertreated for pain. Perhaps the docs are scared of the DEA and are quick to assume "drug seeking" due to some "red flag" behaviors. These behaviors ar...

Hello, I'm a new-ish grad (RN-Dec, 2005) and am considering a position in LTC. Long story short, I started in an ED and decided it wasn't for me as a new grad after 3 months. Since I left, I've spoken to my manager there and can come back if I want t...

rn_imw, Thank you for the information. I'm sorry to hear about your injury and the pain that you are experiencing. My story--dear husband (36) hurt his back-just a bulging disc (not even herniated). After 2 YEARS of pain and misdiagnosis, he was fin...

Hi, I'm an RN orienting on a medical/telemetry floor. Yesterday, I helped care for a patient w/ESRD (dialysis 2-3x per week). He was admitted to the hospital for cellulitis in the arm with a new A/V fistula (not healed enough to use). This patient ...

SmileySenior, I hear you. I've been on my own for 2 weeks on a similar floor. Always have 6 patients. All very sick. Some on tele monitors, some on cardiac med drips. Just heard that our floor will be the designated floor for a certain condition. ...

Hi, I was pregnant during the second 1/2 of my first year and had my son at the beginning of my 2nd year of school. It was fine. I went to clinicals until I was ready to burst. After the baby came, I took my tests on time and the instructors worked w...

Janfn and Tim responded to similar posts that I have written. Thanks for sticking up for the new grads! I'm just so sorry to hear that new grads are feeling the same way that I do. Yes, 4 vented patients that are so sick was an inappropriate assignme...

forest2525, I'm so sorry you feel this way. Can't offer any advice as I'm in the same boat. Check out first year of nursing forum as some people replied to my very similar post. Good luck

Hi there, Thanks for the replies. Suzy253, I'm sorry that you feel the same way and hope that your shift goes well tonight. TraumaRUs, at this point I can't tell you if any of my shifts have gone ok. I always feel very out of control. Most of the...

Timothy, Thanks for your post w/such valuable advice. I like your idea of 3 rounds. How would you fit those into this scenario? I get to work and immediately have to get my assignment. I print out unit census and mark my patients (my crib sheet for ...

not much better on the floors...............sigh

I'm in orientation (3 weeks left-11 weeks total w/preceptor) and am carrying a full patient load (6) on a med/tele unit. Re: breaks. I NEVER get lunch or breaks. I get maybe 5 minutes to choke something down (literally--I choked on a sandwich because...

Thanks for the info. I think the issue boiled down to not being comfortable or knowledgeable enough about accessing or running abx through the permacath. I think it would have been far more detrimental to the patient to just wing it (not knowing a...

I'm so sorry that you are feeling this way. I see that you have a lot of experience as a nurse. I'm a new nurse (graduated 12/05) and I already feel this way. Med-Surg is incredibly hard nursing. Just yesterday, I had a pt w/ a serious GI bleed, a ...

Thanks for the reply! Very helpful for the future. I think this gentleman had a femoral line before but he has bilateral bka now--maybe not possible anymore? Anyway, thanks so much. I couldn't help feeling like we dumped on the dialysis nurse.

I started in an ED when I graduated from nursing school. Although I was doing fine (according to preceptor, etc. not tooting my horn here), I left for floor nursing (have worked IMC and now on a split m/s-tele unit). To start in a specialty area, I...

Hi, In the facility I work in, insulins are mixed. However, insulin is a "high alert" medication and an RN is required to have another RN verify the correct dosage. Of course, if you are mixing, this requires another RN to check the dr's order and th...

Hospital policy where I work requires RNs to use 2 patient identifiers (ex-name/birthdate) before med administration. I was caring for a post-op pt today. Went into room to hang IV abx and push some morphine. I asked her to state her name and her bi...

Thanks for all of the responses. I guess I asked pt to state her name/birthdate because it was only my 2nd shift on the unit and I'm a relatively new nurse with a lot of patients. Still getting used to the place.......... Of course, I could have che...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/24/AR2006062400984.html the gist of the article: Some hospitals, in order to compete, are offering patients (or making standard) internet access, flat screen TVs, massages, availability of ...

Hi, I started in a small, community hospital's ED (40,000-50,000 visits per year) as a new grad. Had a great orientation (ENA modules plus 3 months w/preceptor). Personally, I found it overwhelming to learn basic nursing skills in an ED. Per my cho...

Congratulations on your upcoming graduation! I guess the ease of finding a job as a new RN grad depends on the region? I'm in the Balt/Wash metro region and found a job easily (had 2 offers 2 months before graduating). Also, depends on what type of ...

Hi there, I was 36 years old and between my 1st and 2nd semesters of nursing school when I found out I was pregnant w/my first baby. Basically, I think a lot depends on the understanding of the faculty. I had a c-section between semesters and all ty...

YIKES, Well, congrats on taking on 6 patients in nursing school. We had 2 or 3 during our last semester. In the ED as a new grad, we got 6 months--3 of them w/preceptor. I switched to an IMC unit (my choice-an ICU step down unit) ) and got 3 months ...