"nursy" RN

Basically, honesty and a direct approach always works best. You have "heard" that she has blocked people from transferring, but you don't really have the facts. Transferring involves being accepted by the other unit, that may not always be a given...

I won't lie, Med Surge is hard, your first year will be hard. Success tends to depend on what kind of support system you will have, esp what kind of preceptor/internship program they have. In a good unit with good support, you can do it. If ther...

I'm so sorry you had to go through that, but don't give up on nursing. Corrections is notoriously tough (did it for 5 years). I loved the job, loved taking care of inmates, really felt like what I did mattered. BUT....unfortunately, corrections (m...

I was an infusion specialist for years. One handy hint: Even if someone teaches you on a certain pump, you will probably not remember everything, and may be at a lost in the home care setting. Remember, every pump has an 800 number attached to it,...

My personal response to schedules has been interesting, and I've worked all the permutations: 7 on 7 off, 3 12's, M-F, etc. It seems whichever one I'm doing seems great in the beginning, and then I get jealous of the other ones. 3 12's is great...

Unfortunately, to be the most eligible for most specialties, it is recommended to have a good foundation which usually means putting in some time in med surge. After that, you can kind of figure out what appeals to you. A lot of nurses love L &...

I've been a nurse for 40 years and loved all the things I did, and never had any desire to go back to school. However, if I was starting out now, I would definitely be considering going back to NP school (as is just about every other nurse out there...

Learning something and keeping it in your head are two different things. Doctors learn more than we do. And if you become a neurosurgeon you will know the brain inside and out. But you would probably be a nervous wreck if you had to deliver a ...

I agree, that you should not mention your grievances against the previous employer. There is no way to make it sound good. All you need to say is you are looking for a change, which is very common in nursing, and no one questions it.

Most nurses would be envious of someone who knows exactly what she wants to do and has an opportunity to do it! Go for it!

There are always ways to make a change. The beauty of nursing is that no one is ever "trapped." Getting or changing a nursing position is usually dependent on multiple factors, and theses factors change over time. If you live in a small town ...

Agree with pp, don't focus on anything negative. Always talk about positive, I.e. I'm looking to expand my knowledge base, I love learning new things, while I was doing my nursing I realized how fascinated I was about the medical tech aspects, etc...

Newbie nurses sometimes have the worst circumstance .....they are new, there's so much to learn, sometimes the support isn't there, it's just rough. And those pie in the sky ideals of "helping people" are there, but they get lost in the first year o...

A patient would have to be pretty severely compromised to be in a state where they could potentially die from a sip of juice. Many things happened, many decisions were made, many orders written and carried out between the time he had the sip of ...

IV'e been a nurse for 40 years. Back in the day, I thought nursing was the be all and end all, and I would have urged anyone to go into nursing because it was such a great area. And I have truly loved all the different types of nursing that I've do...

I don't know what your financial situation is, but I became a school nurse and I love it. Very low stress, but the pay is much less.

I was in the same type of position as you are. When my husband started to complain about the effects my stress was having not just on me, but him as well, it was time to quit. Best decision I made, I feel like a new person. I, like you, allowed t...

Really pay attention to your documentation. As you document, it should be evident if you have taken all necessary measures. If you document that you instructed on Foley and patient verbalized understanding, then your job is done, and if something ...

It's very important to be exited about what you do, and It's obvious you are excited about being an entrepreneur. When you read enough of these posts, there is a decided lack of enthusiasm from a lot of nurses about bedside nursing, a lot of complai...

There's never a "bad" time to apply, just go for it, you have nothing to lose. The cons to working in a clinic/Dr office are not cons, if that's what you really want. The pay may be lower. If ten years from now you want to go back to the bedside, ...

She is probably jealous because you're going back to school. Remember, the best revenge is living well!

That may be true in theory, but I can only tell you what I saw in practice. I worked in an ICU for 4 years where we had NO pressure ulcers using side positioning. Also it is critical to maintain the q2 hour schedule. If you keep someone on their s...

The most important thing I have found is offloading. When I had my first ICU job, we were meticulous about turning patients, and I mean turning them, and making sure they were ON THEIR SIDE. Never saw pressure ulcers, unless the patient came in fro...

I read a book that is NOT a textbook, but IMO should be required reading for anyone in healthcare. It is called "My Stroke of Insight." It was written by Jill Bolte Taylor, a neuroanatomist, who suffered a severe debilitating stroke. She writes ab...

When you apply, nobody is going to actually test you to see if you can lift 50 pounds. However, you will be in many situations where that ability will be critical. You're walking with a patient and they start to fall. You have a patient that weigh...