Bearcat-RN

I will be relocating to Jacksonville, FL in July or August of this year due to my SO's job. I graduated in December of 2019 and have been working in a MICU ever since. While I enjoy the ICU, I think I definitely want to try something different at my new job. I'm interested in working in a procedural area like Cath Lab, possibly OR. I'm also really interested in the PACU. I actually did my preceptorship during nursing school in the PACU and really enjoyed it. I know these are three different specialties and all have their pros/cons, I would just like to hear from some people who work in these fields and get their two cents. I'm also slightly worried about my experience. By the time I move I'll have close to 1.5 years of ICU experience and my CCRN. I work at a smaller hospital, so while I'm familiar with drips, hypothermia protocol, CRRT, etc., we get no real cardiac stuff. So while I'm interested in the Cath Lab, I'm worried my lack of cardiac experience would make the transition tough. I know this post is pretty scattered, but if anyone has any input on these nursing specialties, or the Jacksonville, FL job market I would greatly appreciate it!

Of course you should really try to not call in. If you're sick, you're sick. What can you do. However, you even said yourself that you could have sucked it up a couple of those times and gone in. Even if your manager doesn't say something, think about your coworkers on the unit. With you calling off, extra work is likely being displaced onto them. Do it often enough, they will notice and will likely not be too fond of you...

I'm only about 6 months into my nursing career, so not a veteran by any means, but I was in your shoes a short while ago so I thought I would chime in. It sounds like you're starting out on a challenging floor. The most important piece of advice I can offer is NEVER be afraid to ask questions. I'm in the ICU, and I ask questions all the time. Trust me, it's way better to ask a lot of questions than to try and guess yourself through something that you aren't sure about. Some other things that come to mind: -I personally wouldn't worry too much about reviewing stuff before you start on the unit. Give it a couple weeks to see what the common diagnoses on your unit are, meds you come across frequently, etc. If you come across something and you know nothing about it, google it. But as far as studying ahead of time, I wouldn't worry about it. -Don't expect too much right away. I'm not sure what kind of orientation you get, but start off with very limited expectations -Celebrate the small accomplishments. The first time you hang IV meds and program the pump alone, the first time a family member compliments you, the first time you give report. It's daunting starting out as a brand new nurse, and if you think about everything you don't know, you'll never feel like you're getting anywhere. Celebrating the small accomplishments is a good way to acknowledge your progress and prove to yourself that you are getting there. -Lastly, coming off of orientation and being on your own is terrifying. I am very fresh out of orientation, so I am still in that phase of being uneasy and nervous heading into work. As you progress through orientation, your preceptors should be backing off and letting you run the show. I found that what helped me the most once I was officially on my own, was to not think "oh my god, I'm on my own and all by myself". I go into work with the mindset that I am still in orientation, and my preceptor (whether they are actually there or not) is on the other end of the unit if I need them. Meaning, I treat it like it's any other day, and if I need help or get lost, I can always ask for help. So much emphasis is put on "being on your own", when really you are never "on your own". Yes you will be the primary nurse responsible for patients, but there are always people on the unit who can help you. Good luck, you can do it.

Is this a joke? The only thing "jinxing" you is your lack of work ethic. Not saying that you deserved the s*** show at the nursing home or the creepy preceptor at the psych facility, but leaving after the first day because you have to orient on days? Ridiculous. At some point you have to look in the mirror and determine if you are the problem, not everyone else.

I agree with the above posters who say you should keep your answer short and sweet. However, if the interviewer keeps pushing and absolutely NEEDS more info, be very careful with how you explain the situation. I would still stay as general as possible. Maybe something like, "I am a recent graduate who is very eager to learn and am looking for an opportunity that is more conducive with that".

I would say if you have to question whether or not it is appropriate to post, it most likely isn't. The biggest suggestion I have is do not mention your employer/hospital by name. You'd be surprised how big, yet small this site is.

Cincinnati metro area, new grad: -$24.71/hr base pay -$4/hr night differential The system I work for has the lowest starting pay in the area, but some of the best benefits

I just recently finished my new grad orientation, so I feel as though I can relate to a lot of what you are talking about. That being said, It seems like most of the issues you pointed out were your own perceptions, not necessarily problems brought to you by your preceptor or manager. Every new grad feels like they can't keep up in the beginning. Between the time I finished my role transition, graduated, took the boards, and actually started on the unit, I felt like I had forgotten everything I learned in clinical and was starting over from scratch. It's actually comical to think back to my first month or so on the unit and how little I knew. How little I STILL know. And trust me, nobody is comparing you to the 8 year vet of the unit and expecting you to be on their level- except maybe you. We are our own harshest critics. It may be easy for me to sit here and say this because I was lucky enough to find a unit very supportive of new grads, with some great preceptors. I think if you do decide to give it another go, you really need to set some realistic expectations moving forward, and try not to compare yourself to other nurses on the unit- especially the experienced ones.

This is great advice. Im a new grad in a medical ICU. I was lucky enough to get a 6 month orientation, and just recently finished orientation and am officially on my own. Writing out the hours and what you have to do during each helps a ton. It makes it so much easier when you can see it all written out, and I find I'm less likely to miss a lab or med if I have a checklist to follow. The other thing I've learned early on is if you have time to get something done, do it right then and there. It's really easy to want to relax a little bit during the shift, socialize for a few minutes with coworkers if the unit is a little slow, but use this time wisely. There have been multiple shifts where I am running around nonstop for the last 2 hours of the shift trying to get caught up before report. Make sure your charting is caught up, look ahead and see if there are any dressing changes you can do, tubing that needs to be changed, baths that need to get done. I've found that I would much rather have time to relax and take it a little easy during the last hour of the shift than be running around trying to play catch up before giving report.

I was at a bar, looked over and saw a group of people standing around an unresponsive man. Did CPR for about 5 minutes until EMS arrived. The bar gave me and my friends a free tab for the night ?

When I read this to begin, I was expecting so much worse. Like others have said, I'm sure you are thinking about this way more than anyone else ?

If you need more time, don't hesitate to ask for it. Switching specialties is a major adjustment, and just because you have previous experience doesn't mean you should be short-changed with orientation.

Not a med error. Could you have called the doc or pharmacy to get something else ordered? Yeah, but you gave the med as ordered, so nothing to report.

I have been a nurse for about 6 months now, but still remember the stress that came with clinical. I didn't always have the greatest attitude towards clinical. I always felt like us students were in the way and a burden upon the nurse to which we were assigned. This always made me feel uncomfortable, and quite honestly made me dread clinical some days. Looking back on it now, I wish I would have cared a little less. Yes, you probably are going to be in the way, and yes, some nurses probably would rather not have a student with them. And that's okay. The important thing to remember is that all nurses have had to go through clinical, so no matter how uncomfortable you feel, they were once in the same exact position. So try not to take anything too personally. Additionally, I would suggest seeking out skills as much as possible. If your patient for that day doesn't have a lot going on, or if your nurse isn't too receptive to having a student, ask your instructor about what else is going on in the unit. I'm sure there is always a patient who needs a dressing changed or is going to a test that you could observe.

I definitely agree with whoever suggested PA school. If becoming a practitioner is your end goal, that may be a more direct/cost efficient route (although PA school is definitely not cheap). But I would definitely not suggest taking out 175,000 in loans. I did an accelerated BSN program and took out $50,000 in loans and am kicking myself for it. The interest adds up and it will take me a while to pay it off. Should have just gone to community college for an ADN. Also, do not by any means bank on a loan forgiveness program to bail you out. I had that mindset when I was going through school, but there are so many stipulations involved with those that it's usually never an option. Not to mention that government funded loan forgiveness programs are not guaranteed, and can be cancelled.