Morelaur288

Hey everyone, so I’m a new grad in ICU about to get off orientation and I’m going to nights. At my hospital, we are allowed to self schedule (although it’s not always approved). Anyways, I was just wondering, for those of you on nights, how do you like to schedule your shifts? I know everyone is different and prefers different things but just want to get an idea. I have a 5 year old so I’d like to make a schedule that permits me time to see her. I was thinking of doing 3 nights in a row so I have 4 off. Just curious, what works for you all?

Thank you all for the advice and tips!

I’m looking to upgrade my stethoscope as the one I have now isn’t the best quality. I work in the MICU and could potentially be working with cardiac patients later in my career. Which stethoscopes do you recommend?

I’m 31 and I just graduated from nursing school. You are still young and have time! Do what you think you can handle. Best of luck!

Awesome! Thank you so much : )

Hey fellow nurses! So I am a total newbie nurse in ICU. Still on orientation and I’m on a mission to find a brain sheet to help organize my day. Which ones do you all use?

Oh I also want to add she gets out of school almost days at 2 pm. So on the days I work days, I will not be able to pick her up or be home for her. The afterschool program at her school is completely booked up and she’s on a waitlist. So yeah... not sure how this is all going to pan out.

Hey fellow nurses! So I am happy to say I just recently passed the NCLEX and I’m officially an RN. Whoo hoo! Now that that hurdle has been overcome, I now face another one. So I’m a single mom to a 5-year-old girl who is starting Kindergarten next week. I was hired onto “varied” shifts so I’m going to be working days and nights depending on the month. Where I live there are hardly any daycare places that open early enough for me to be able to drop her off before school and even if there were, they don’t bus to her school or provide drop off services. To add to that, the earliest I can drop her off at her school is 7:20 AM, which isn’t going to work on the days I have to be at work at 7:00 AM. I do have help from her grandma and dad on the days he doesn’t work but he’s an EMT so his schedule is crazy as well. Anyway, I wasn’t sure where to post this but I just wanted some advice from other nurse parents with little ones. How do you do it!? Thanks in advance :)

Congratulations to you as well! That’s so exciting. I have never heard of ECCO but my hospital does a Versant residency program that is a year long. We start with preceptors and classroom time and then gradually get to go on our own. Is this your first nursing job? I wish you the best of luck!

Thank you for the tips and advice! I will definitely have to check out that book. The hospital I will be at has a really good residency program and I will be paired with a preceptor and will be doing classroom time as well, so that is definitely reassuring.

Hey everyone, I had an interview today for ICU at my dream hospital. I got a call 4 hours later saying I got the job! I am beyond excited but nervous since I am going to be starting as a new grad. Any tips or advice to prepare?! Thanks and I’m excited to be joining this community with all of you ?

I’m sorry I have no advice to give because I’m not an ICU nurse (yet)... I’m still in school. But I am also freaking out just about starting my career in the ICU. I wish you the very best of luck! I think you will pick up the pace with time. I’m sure you were slow when you started in Step Down too. It’s just one of those things where you have to practice and develop that motor memory. I’m sure you are going to do great and your background in step down will help you a lot. Good luck!! You got this.

Im a senior in a nursing program about to graduate and scared outta my mind bc I still don’t know where my passion lies. I got into nursing because I had a daughter and I wanted a job that I could support her with. That was my initial reason. Once I started taking the pre-reqs and got into my nursing classes, I LOVED learning about the science and physiology behind everything. I still love everything about the study of medicine. That is what drives me. Of course, I care about helping others as well but it definitely isn’t the main reason I continued with nursing. It is a great field with so many opportunities and avenues. I think you will do just fine! Best of luck to you.

Thank you for the advice. I think I'm going to give the ICU a try for my practicum and if I decide it's too much, then I can always change to something else. I'll never know unless I try!

Yes, I am seeing a therapist. I used to take medication and still do PRN. I only take it when really needed though. I also do yoga, although I haven't had much time for that with school.