SherryBSN

I graduated in Dec '05 and have been hired into the cardiac float pool. The first floor I have been training on is Telemetry. We do not have monitor techs, the strips are our responsibility. We are a top 100 hospital in Eastern Ky and very busy. All of our beds are telemetry beds on this floor (30). We also hand all the major drips on our floor. Sometimes I feel very overwhelmed but I have a preceptor and so far things are going ok. There is an opening on this floor and I am debating applying for it, I just cant decide if it would be better to float..I would have to float between Telemetry, the Cardiac Surgical floor, chest pain unit, and the Cardiac ICU stepdown. I wonder if it wouldnt be better to stay on Telemetry and learn everything I can first. If i bid on the full time position I am required to stay a year on that floor. Any suggestions?

I am a new grad RN/BSN..I was a LPN for years before that. I have never worked in a hospital before and am now working on a Cardiac Stepdown Unit. On my first day with my preceptor she handed me the MAR for one of our patients and asked me to pass those meds. She pointed to a one time order for 30 meq K+ and told me to be sure not to forget that..the patient had a low K+. There were no initials in the box beside the order. So i gave it. Well..turns out the med had already been given..no harm came to the patient..Doc notified and all that...but did she say a word about telling me not to forget that order? No...I had to call the med error hotline and report it. Yes I know I am responsible and accountable...but I feel like she should have at least acknowledged to me that she told me not to forget that order. So now I am bummed and somewhat scared. The rest of the day went better and I am getting another preceptor who told me that she loces to teach. The floor was so busy.....and I feel that I have so much to learn. I hope I can do this.

Maybe you should try LTC..the pace is a little slower and the residents need extra tlc and love.

Thanks for the advice. I start my new job 1/23, ( I take boards 1/17), the hospital that hired me is taking steps to make new nurses feel welcome. Guring my interview the nurse manager told me she would not tolerate the nurses "eating their young", but I am not naive enough to believe this will totally eliminate it. I only pray my mentor will be taking me under their wing because they "want" to..not because they "have" to.

Hello! I am a new grad BSN seeking advice to help me with my new job in the cardiac float pool. Any tidbits or advice welcome! ...my head is spinning!