darcsyde

Hi everyone, I'm a new grad nurse who will be making the switch from night shift to days after 6 months in the program. I work on a busy med-surg unit at an academic medical center. One thing I've noticed about the day shift nurses so far is that they all seem to be more stressed and irritable compared to my fellow night shift nurses. There's an impression that day shift is more chaotic, and that night shift nurses tend to have it easier. Does that tend to be the case? My experience so far is that I really like the night shift nurses. All have been very competent, supportive, and proactive in helping me as a new nurse. I'm nervous I may not get the same from the day shift crew. I'm making the switch mainly because I haven't handled the sleep schedule well and it's really affecting my health. Would appreciate any thoughts on what to expect and any tips on dealing with the schedule change. Thanks in advance!

Thanks for the response and advice! I actually just had another patient who was confused and was verbally and physically combative. Tried to de-escalate, but he physically tried to grab me and other nurses who came in to help. Called the provider in, and he even tried to grab the provider and then pulled out his IV. At that point, we just all backed out of the room and left a sitter to watch him. He later claimed that we hit him and now his family is filing a complaint against me and our hospital. Lucky for me, there were multiple witnesses to the incident, and I documented everything that happened on his chart afterwards. Starting to realize that this unit is not really for me.

I'm a new grad RN about 4 months in to my program and work nights in a busy med-surg unit. I've been noticing that patients are acting out much more frequently and violently against nurses and other staff who are genuinely trying to help them. Some behaviors that are common are patients responding very sarcastically and condescendingly to basic questions. Then, they complain and get verbally and sometimes physically aggressive when they don't get what they want (e.g. a 2nd dinner tray or early PRN pain meds). I've asked the other seasoned nurses on our unit if this is the norm. There is a general consensus that patient attitudes and behaviors have gotten worse since COVID. These patients have forced me to use my de-escalation skills. But, truth be told, it's getting old and frustrating quick. What gets me the most is how their attitude prevents other patients from getting the rest and recovery they need. Just wondering if this trend is being seen in other hospitals as well. What has helped you deal with these type of patients? I work in California if that helps. Thanks in advance!

I haven't received the e-mails from HR yet either. I signed my offer letter on 2/18.

My offer was from 15 Long at Parnassus. It's an acute geriatric med/surg unit.

Good to know. I accepted an offer on 2/18 and was waiting for the HR forms. Reached out to the HR person who offered and was told to keep checking e-mails. Sounds like it takes a few days to send them out.

Never too old. I'm graduating from nursing school at 45 and starting on a Med/Surg floor soon. Honestly, there were clinical rotations where I had more energy and was outlasting nursing students half my age. You bring a maturity and focus that many younger new nurses may not bring. Your unit will appreciate that. I just take care of my back and ensure I'm using proper body mechanics whenever I move a patient. Younger nurses, from what I've seen, try to muscle everything and not use good ergonomics. That's why their bodies break down quickly after several years. Take care of your body, mind, and spirit, and you'll be fine!

Just got offered a position in Med/Surg. Was waiting for the UCSF program to get back, but they've been very slow. I think I'll accept at John Muir.

I interviewed with a Med/Surg unit last Friday. Still haven't heard anything back yet. Wondering how much longer I should wait. I have another offer in hand at a different hospital. Didn't think UCSF would be this slow.

Anyone interview yet for any of the Med/Surg units? It sounds like they interviewed for the critical care units first. Not sure yet about Med/Surg.

Hi there, I live in the Bay Area now, and you are right in that competition for new nurse jobs here is very fierce. One reason is that there are a LOT of nursing schools here from ADN on up. So, not only will you be competing against hundreds of other applicants, but most will have experience in the local hospitals, which is a plus. There are plenty of non-acute RN jobs available for things like COVID testing, vaccines, or SNF work. However, if you want to be in an acute setting, you'll likely need to find a new grad program. Most of the new grad programs do strongly prefer BSN grads. Not saying it's impossible to get a job with an ADN, but many hospitals favor folks with a BSN or higher. If you're interested in Kaiser, they do have a new grad program for their Nor Cal hospitals. I think their application process begins in the Spring sometime. It's a very hard time to be a new grad. So, apply to as many positions as you can and don't get discouraged. Good luck with the relocation and job search!

I submitted my application on May 17 and have had to resubmit my photo twice with no explanation as to what was wrong with it. I called BRN on July 12 after it was rejected a 2nd time. Agent approved the picture and passed along for expedited review. Now two more weeks later with no approval. Called BRN yesterday and the agent said the photo requirement was DROPPPED as of about a week ago. So, the one thing that was holding up my application for 2 months is not even required anymore?! Classic BRN. I've now involved my Assemblyman. Everyone else in my cohort has already received their ATT, and some have already taken the NCLEX. The level of incompetence at BRN should be criminal.

I was also an alternate for the BSN scholarship, and was just notified of my "tentative selection" (whatever that means). CONGRATS to everyone receiving notices! I'm sure there will be a ton of questions to ask on the Town Hall next week.

I'm in my first year of nursing school in the San Francisco Bay Area. My clinical rotations were cancelled last week, and I'm pretty sure all clinicals in the area have been suspended until further notice. Lectures have been moved online, and our school is setting up virtual sims for some clinical instruction. Biggest issue is with the BRN and loosening up their clinical requirements. We have students in their last semester who don't know if they can graduate because of their disrupted clinicals. It looks like NCLEX dates have been postponed as well. So, things are pretty uncertain now especially for those who were close to graduating.

The differences are that the Accelerated program finishes 6 months earlier and costs about $40K more. Curriculum is exactly the same.