Jules Anne

Munson in Traverse City has a good reputation. They're Magnet and got their status before it was "cool" and all the hospitals wanted it, so they probably really are Magnet and didn't just buy the title. I have a friend who works in their Neonatal ICU and LOVES it. Also, my grandmother had CABG there two years ago and received excellent care. Let me give you a heads up, it took Michigan 10 weeks to process my license endorsement from Virginia when I moved home last year and I doubt they have streamlined the process. Good luck!

If you're looking for a good peds experience in Michigan, I suggest also looking into C.S. Mott Children's Hospital at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. You can find their job postings here Nursing Careers at University of Michigan Health System - Search Results

Here's a link to information about the program TRANSITIONS RN Residency Program for New Graduates - Childrens Hospital of Michigan The program director is --------.

It's all about personal preference. If you want to wear your credentials on a necklace, go right ahead.

You have received some great advice from the above posters. In answer to your question about cardiac drips, the drips that I deal with regularly on cardiac stepdown: Heparin, Integrilin, Nitroglycerin, Dopamine, Dobutamine, Milrinone, Diltiazem, Amiodarone, Vasopressin, Furosemide, Bumetanide. I suggest that you ask your preceptor what drips and oral are common on your floor and get to know them. Also,even though cardiac units can be very busy, don't skimp on your assessment. For example, I know a nurse who "looks at" her IV access but doesn't take the time to flush her sites to check if they are patent. I always flush my sites at the beginning of my shift. I wouldn't want to find out that I need to start a new IV when I'm starting a critical drip or pushing a code drug. I started in cardiac stepdown as a new grad and getting my ACLS certification early helped me to feel more comfortable. Your unit may not require ACLS but I felt so much better to know that, as a brand new nurse, even though there was a lot that I didn't know, I could handle myself in a code situation. Best of luck to you!

I bought the practice test from the AACN website and it was certainly worth the money. It is very similar in style, content, and level of difficulty to the actual test as it is written by the same people who write the exam. Good luck and kudos to you for pursuing certification!

I think it's just a vent to others in healthcare who may feel under-appreciated for all that we do to improve peoples health and lives. I have always found these boards to be a safe environment in which to share feelings of frustration or feelings of joy that those who do not work in our field may not be able to understand.

I have been a preceptor for quite a few new grads and I'll tell you what I do with and expect from my orientees. I let them shadow me the first day and let them see the flow on the unit and how I manage my time. Then I start them out with 1 or 2 patients to let them start getting the hand of their own flow and time management and advance them to more patients as appropriate. Throughout the day, I ask them lots of questions about the meds they are giving, what responses they expect to see from the patients, other critical thinking questions. I also expect that they will know about the meds that they are giving and the procedures/tests that they are prepping patients for/sending pts to or that they will look these up independently prior to giving the med/getting the patient ready. If it is a time crunch (example getting pt ready for an emergent cath/CABG) I just jump in with them to get the pt ready and explain to both my orientee and the pt as we go and discuss it more in depth with my orientee afterward. Your preceptor will probably do the same with you. If you don't get this kind of feedback/interaction from your precptor, talk to your preceptor about your needs and if the situation doesn't improve, ask your manager for a new preceptor. It's your job, your license and ultimately the health of your patients-protect them. If you want to set yourself up for success, I recommend getting very familiar with the meds that are common on your floor and the lab/procedure results that you will be seeing often. Also don't be afraid to ask questions! For the safety of your license and the safety of your patients, ask anytime you are unsure of something. Even if you are at the end of orientation or off orientation and it's a med/procedure you aren't comfortable with, ask for your preceptor or another nurse to come in a double check behind you. I still do this and I've been a nurse for years and have precepted many new nurses. Best of luck!

Check out this link for a list of hospitals in the area with links to their websites. http://hamptonroads.com/2010/02/hospitals-hampton-roads I work for a Sentara location and per their "social media policy" I can't say anything about them in a public forum. You can send me a private message if you have any specific questions about them. Good luck with your job search and relocation!

I would have your nclex result verified to MI. That would most likely be faster than waiting for your current state licensure and then verification of that license to MI for MI to take 6-8 weeks to process. GL!

Trust your instincts!

I think you should go for it. Since you are wanting to leave med/surg, it would be good to have some experience in another area so that when you apply to other hospitals, you have a bit of an edge. Good luck on your decision!

You might get more responses if you post this in the Georgia forum. Good Luck!

Definitely include the clinic jobs and highlight the differences between them on your resume to show that you have gained different types of experience. A good website for job hunting/resume writing tips is hosted by a nurse entrepreneur, Donna Cardillo. Just google her name to get to her site. Good luck!

Congrats to you on graduating and obtaining your license! One of the girls I graduated from nursing school with has worked at Henry Ford-Macomb since we finished school. She likes it pretty well and said that they have good benefits. My advice to you is to apply, apply, apply and then when you get your interviews, just ask to shadow on each potential unit. The hospital may be great overall but have some units that aren't in great shape or just might not be the right fit for you. Shadowing will help you to figure those things out. Good Luck!