AlmostThere19

If you're a hands on learner, nursing school will make you feel like this. I know when I was in nursing school, I mostly was only allowed to watch everything at clinicals and was only occasionally allowed to do skills. Once I started my first job, I felt like I knew nothing. I wouldn't have been able to hang a primary bag of fluid (let alone a secondary) and program an IV to save a patient's life. Now I could do that in my sleep. I used to drive to work praying that my patient wouldn't need an IV because I couldn't hit a vein if it slapped me in the face. Now starting IVs is one of my favorite nursing skills. Once you start working, they'll actually let you touch the patient and practice your skills. That's when it'll start coming together. That's when you'll start feeling like a real nurse.

Hi, I have been a nurse with a BSN for about 8 months now. I've always know that one day I wanted to go back to school to get my Master's Degree, and I've been thinking about it a lot lately. I want to hopefully start in Fall 2021 or maybe 2022. I am looking for any and all information I can get about it. I know I either want to do family nurse practitioner, pediatric nurse practitioner, or adult gero acute care. Other than that I am just in the beginning stages of researching and any info would be much appreciated.

I definitely see what you mean. I know I have a ton more to learn, especially with this being a completely different hospital with a different way of doing things. I just meant that it's a strange adjustment to go from caring for all my own patients for so long and now I'm back to how it was when I first began nursing last year.

Moved to the right forum

I worked for almost a year at my first nursing job. I changed jobs and went to a new hospital after that. I started orientation three weeks ago, and I have to admit it's kind of frustrating. I'm used to taking my own patients and working on my own. I'm definitely not used to having another nurse follow me around and having to explain myself and what I'm doing. Plus, I have a preceptor that leaves like a few hours before shift change when they send someone home early and they make me switch to following another nurse with totally different patients. Anyone else experience with orientation beyond the one with your first job?

I worked for almost a year at my first nursing job. I changed jobs and went to a new hospital after that. I started orientation three weeks ago, and I have to admit it's kind of frustrating. I'm used to taking my own patients and working on my own. I'm definitely not used to having another nurse follow me around and having to explain myself and what I'm doing. Plus, I have a preceptor that leaves like a few hours before shift change when they send someone home early and they make me switch to following another nurse with totally different patients. Anyone else experience with orientation beyond the one with your first job?

I have to go next Wednesday to turn in all my paperwork to HR, so I'll definitely ask about it then! The first time I went to do my drug test and get my paperwork, I didn't want to ask for a tour of the unit because I figured they would want to limit who is in patient care areas due to COVID. It seems like every hospital uses their PCU for different things, but I'm excited to find out what new things I'll get to learn! I definitely want to start studying up before orientation starts. Thanks for the info, I'll definitely be looking up aquapheresis! I'm really excited to go next week to HR and get more information about their specific PCU!

I will soon be starting a new job on a progressive care unit, and I am very excited! I know that progressive care is patients who are not quite sick enough for the ICU but too sick for med/surg. Other than that, I don't know too much more about it. Like, would a patient on a ventilator ever be on a PCU? Or one with CRRT? I guess I'm just wondering what things I might see there that I wouldn't have likely seen at my old job in med/surg.

I have tried everything. I have applied for a transfer within my hospital. I have applied at every hospital within an hour of me. I have had several interviews and it's always "We were impressed with you, but we aren't offering you a position." I even applied at a hospital where a long-time doctor of mine works and tried asking that doctor to please put in a good word for me. The floor I used to work on doesn't have enough hours for me. I finally broke down and applied for unemployment today. I know this is because of COVID. Please tell me there are more of you nurses in this situation, because I feel like giving up trying to find any job at this point. I graduated last August, so I didn't even get to work a full year before all this happend and it's really starting to take a toll on me. I just needed to reach out and find others who can relate.

You're right. I know things are crazy because of COVID, and I'm doing my best to be patient. Patience and waiting are so hard when it's my dream! LOL I plan to follow up with the recruiter next Friday if I haven't heard anything by then.

I had a phone interview for my dream job Wednesday. It lasted a really long time, and the hiring manager told me all about the unit, orientation, and just the overall job. It just felt like a relaxed, casual conversation. When I asked at the end, I was told that they had some more interviews to do but that I should hear something by next week. Now it's the weekend and I'm going to lose my mind ? anyone else in the same boat?

There haven't been enough patients on my floor to get enough hours since COVID 19 started, so I applied for a transfer within my hospital and also applied for jobs at several other hospitals. I am worried that COVID is going to stop me from finding anything. Anyone else looking for a new job right now?

I'm having the same dilemma as many of you. My parents both have respiratory issues (COPD and aspergillosis). My grandparents, who I help take care of, are obviously elderly and more susceptible to this virus. I'm also have many health problems (heart problems), and I worry about how the virus would affect me if I got it. I feel like if I keep working, it's not a matter of if I get it but when. We don't even have enough PPE in a lot of places to protect ourselves. I'm going to keep working for now, but it's a dilemma I struggle with every single day at this point. I feel like I'm playing Russian roulette with my family's lives every time I go to work.

Yeah I get what you're saying. I just didn't even realize the other night shift nurse was even attempting the IV on my patient until the charge nurse called me out because no one had told me.

I had a pt. who kept pulling out IV's and needed one at shift change. I attempted twice but wasn't successful. I was always taught you only attempt twice and then you get someone else to try because it's not fair to the patient. Pt. was begging me to stop. I told charge nurse I wasn't successful, and I put supplies in the room so that she could try. Meanwhile I gave meds to another pt. Charge nurse asked for me to come help with IV but when I went in the room to help she was already giving report to another nurse. I just gave report to the day shift nurse and let her know I was unable to get IV on pt. As I was leaving work, charge nurse said "You're just gonna leave knowing your pt needs an IV? Go and help the other night shift nurse start that IV." She said this in front of the nurse I had given report to. Then she belittled me again in the room when I was helping the night shift nurse with the IV, saying "yeah she was just gonna leave when this pt. needed an IV". I have never been so humiliated. What do you think of this situation?