bopps

Yes, I frequently dream about work. Some are funny, some frusterating, and most often all are stressful! I also have sleep terrors since starting working in the ED 3 years ago. Sometimes, I wake up to hear my self shouting in my sweet boyfriend's arms. He pats my back untill I wake up. Other than that I am a healthy normal person. I just figure it is a "side effect" from working in a stressful enviroment, as well as from working nights.

that is unsafe and if i would be looking for another ED job somewhere else. as a new grad myself i can understand what u are going through. the max patient load i have had though is 7 at one time in the ED and i felt unsafe. there are other EDs out there dont put up with that u will burn out.

1. I became a nurse so that I could use my brains and heart to help people and get payed at the same time! 2. My education was an excelerated RN program that I finished in a little over two years. It was very stressful for me. I took at least 17 credits every semester, did clinicals, and worked evenings and weekends to pay my way through school. However it was worth it! 3. Classes included A&P, Chem, Microbiology, Psychology, and varied and sundry nursing classes including but not limited to Fundimentals of Nursing, Peds, OB, and critical care. 4. Yes , yes and yes! But again it was worth it. You need to be very dedicated to finishing and staying focused since all nursing programs have GPA requirements. 5. I'm an ER nurse so every day is different. Exciting and very challenging. 6. I feel good, but there is frusteration involved too. People aren't always very nice especially when they don't feel good. And people die! 7. Yes life is stressful. Stress is a part of life though!

All of the above and All are very competitive positions all require you to have a minimum of 2-5 years of in hospital ICU or ER nursing experience. And all want you to be a team player. I've researched this quite a bit cause its my career goal. Good luck!

Okay! Be confident Develop a thick skin if you don't have one already, you will need it Take care of yourself and finally "IF NOTHING ELSE STAY CALM" Good luck Have fun!

Yes happy EMERGENCY NURSES WEEK! We got pizza from the doc's, good pizza not the cardboard stuff. Free cute little pocket travel CPR masks, and a giant colorful poster celebrating ER Nurses week in the back corner by the break room where none of the pt's can see it! Sorry for you in the pit. Hugs to you, and we are all freakin awesome!:monkeydance:

No, you are right. I am a new nurse and things like this bug me too! I worked my rear end off to become a nurse. I earned that title. There is no shame in being a EMT paramedic. If that is what you are than you are not a nurse period. You worked hard to become a Paramedic, call yourself one! It really annoys me when people call their family members who are CNA's QMA's or MA's nurses when they are not. If you didn't take the NCLEX RN or the NCLEX LPN you are not a nurse PERIOD!

I agree alot of it is cultural. My family drilled into my head respect, honor, dignity, and the code,"love your neighbor as yourself." As a result of this training, this emersion of accepptance, nonpredjeduceness and love I have always thought of myself as a very easy-going nonviolence prone person. I am even a staunch pacifist! However after working as a nurse in the high stress enviroment I do, I find myself prone to road rage, sleep disturbances, and relationship difficulties. I chalk it off to stress and sleep deprivation, and I pray I will not let it destroy my life as it has some of my coworkers. We nurses are human beings. We can only take so much. Taking time for ourselves in out personal lives is essential. I find working out, sleeping, and spending some quality time with my family helps me get control. I know there are spelling errors in this posting.

yes! graduated in april and am still saying duh!! my coworkers tell me "don't beat yourself up so much!" but i still find myself feeling much like duh new blond nurse!

What does it mean to be a nurse... Being a nurse means being able to see aspects of the human nature few other people are priviledged to see And being able to help those people through those hard confusing times Even if it doesn't feel like you are making any difference at the time when tears and pain are falling all around you and you feel as if you will fall apart if you take even a small breath you are able to reach through the confusion and touch your patient or his grieving family and tell them this is what is happening we are doing the best we can this is what being a nurse means to me. "Just let me hold you while you're falling apart."- Rob Thomas

I have the latest one. Since I passed the class i no longer need it. I think mine is copywrited 2007 just took the class in august. Send me a PM if you are interested let me know and ill mail it to you!!

I saw a lady in church this morning in scrubs. She looked clean, professional, and sharp so I am assuming she is a nurse! I think she was hitting a worship service before going to work. I didn't get a chance to talk to her so who knows. I didn't find it offensive at all.

Its up to you really. I would focus on becoming an critical care RN first cause thats what you will have to be first for at least 2 years before CRNA schools will even accept you. You can still make very good $$ doing that. I guess I would discourage you from making that decision before you have even tried nursing. Being a CRNA is an awesome job( and one I have and am considering mysef), but can you tell you want to be one with out observing RN's and CRNA at work first? It really isn't all about the $$ there are other jobs one can find that pay 150K a year without the specialized knowledge and stress associated. In other words you really have to know your stuff and enjoy your stuff if you are going to be a CRNA. I don't think thats something you can base a decision on ahead of time. I'm not trying to discourage you at all. What would I advise? Spend some time shadowing RN's in critical care areas and time shadowing CRNA's first. Then if you think you like it get your BSN, work as a RN in critical care ICU ED etc and go from there. Thats what im doing! Good luck and remember regular RN's make good $$$, have fun, and use their brain too!

I like this personal thread! Great idea. I always, always take a nice long shower before work. I am paranoid about being clean for work. I must confess I don't shower right away when I come home, but I always change out of my dirty scrubs right away. I wash my hands/arms very thoroughly before I leave work. And shoes off, yuck!! I hardly ever get sick(although I am sick right now!). And, I do work in a busy ED, too. If I've had a odiferous bodily fluid filled day you can bet I hit the shower running, though!!

Aww Tazzi, From your posts you seen to be a put together RN, girl!! (((((hugs))))) going your way. Is there any way you can take a temp. sabatical from life while you are waiting for results? Like how about checking yourself into a motel with some good movies and friends. Or when all else fails .....a box of chocolates?? Waiting is so hard!! I recently went through a small waiting process for my job and I was a nervous wreck so I hear you.. Good luck! Prayers! Bopps