TKL

Thank you for sharing. It's hard not to question the what ifs and contemplate how our decisions shape our reality, both good and bad. Unfortunately, not everyone has control over how they can make these decisions. Your health is very important and should always stay at the top of your list. Do whatever you must to meet your needs. Dreams can always be recreated, reformed and found in another aspect of life. Congratulations on your new job, I hope it treats you well and you continue to find what works for you.

Congratulations on the birth of your little one! I will jump right to your questions: -Yes it is manageable. Especially if you find the right nursing family to join. It won't always be easy. There can be tears shed of exhaustion and discomfort as you slowly let your feet plant on the ground; and of missing your baby. You can definitely do it, though. -What setting do you desire? You may not have a laundry list of options but look around to see what is out there. Find something you are passionate about, find a great manager, find a good team, find a unit you feel supported in as a new grad (you may not get all these in one) -Find some CEU options, they can be costly depending on where you look. Review your nursing notes, review your patho book-I know, way overwhelming so take it easy until you find where you plan to work or get accepted into. You will learn a lot on the job itself. There's so much you don't know until you are there doing it. -It can be but it's rare. Many units hire you FT then after a couple years of experience, allow you to drop to a PT or per diem status, if a position is available. You will at least need orientation to the hospital and the unit FT for a specified number of weeks (depending on care area) I wish you the best of luck!

I agree with everything mentioned. Having a PRN/Per diem job can really be the best of both worlds. Each hospital system is different but some have little requirements for how many shifts you need to pick up each month or each pay period. Another thing you can do is work on your CEU's and staying competent. I love listening to podcasts and doing a bit of reading in my areas of expertise and researching areas I'm interested in & want to know more about. I'm sure you know how busy you will be in just a few months time. Allow yourself grace, recovery time and sleep time. You'll be exhausted taking care of your new little one so plan for the bare minimum in everyday life and allow satisfaction in anything more than that. You can plan more after things settle down. Congratulations and best wishes for your laboring experience!

I'm another considering Vanderbilt for 2022, a lot of my research has put this school in my top 3. Block scheduling is a little scary due to the distance I need to drive/fly but the school is very highly regarded. Just a few more months before application! Best wishes to you both ?

Some hospitals have shadowing programs you can apply for, they tend to have a list of requirements before you are allowed in due to HIPAA and health & safety issues. Obtaining experience as a patient care tech/nurse assistant, etc. can be very beneficial for applying for internships and RN jobs in the future; they will give you great inpatient experience in different areas of the hospital; some hospitals have programs that will provide you with the education if you work for them. This will give you a larger understanding of the roles of nursing within a hospital system. Lastly, and not the most reputable but finding Youtube videos, more reputable-podcasts about different individual's day in the life of nursing. Warning, some can be very biased or not always accurate in their subjective experience of nursing. Always interesting to look into. Check your local hospitals and give HR a call. Good luck!

It's a terrible feeling, loss. Some stick in our minds for quite some time. As others mentioned above, it's okay to acknowledge and have emotion. With time, it is still difficult but you will find different methods of coping. I always like to tell anyone who is willing to listen, to reach out to your hospital's form of EAP program if you have one. Being able to discuss or find techniques of coping can be helpful with guidance.

Everyone provided beautiful insight. You're human, and sometimes freezing happens. Panic, feeling overwhelmed; sounds like you hit fight or flight mode. Recall the good aspects of your care: you noticed the problem, you acknowledged it and began to look for help...great! Now comes the learning experience, and guess what, you already know what else you could have done. Next go: your body will be set in motion, your brain will be right there with you. What's great about nursing is you are part of a team. No one wants to see harm done to anyone, so yes, it will get better!

The first unit I worked for used the I've been here for x number of years approach, not approved by management or the nursing office, but oh well. When I went from FT to casual status, I also tended to be pulled every time I was working; it kind of felt like I didn't have a home unit... I was in all ICU's, PCU and sometimes med/surg; it gave me a lot of experience. The unit I work for now uses a binder, we all take turns. No one likes to be pulled so it helps to keep things fair. I tend to volunteer to float, if it is to a unit I'm comfortable with-I'm able to bump myself on the list easily with this approach. I'm also of the mindset that a nurse who is new to the floor needs time to stabilize and become comfortable. It seems a bit unfair to ask a new employee to float so quickly but such are the ways of each unit's expectations.

Best wishes! As mentioned above, check with HR about transferring...many hospitals require 6 months to 1 year in a position before you move departments; unless you are moving from a PRN or PT position to FT. CRNA school is very competitive, so double check you have the prerequisites, higher GPA, work on obtaining your CCRN, shadow with a CRNA, obtain PALS and ACLS, join a unit committee and make a great impression with your manager and the NP's/surgeons for letters of recommendations. I've considered the route many times myself, it's an amazing career. It takes a lot of dedication but if it's your passion, absolutely go for it!

I just wanted to wish you luck! Apply for those med-surg positions, the ones in the hospital that has a NICU you want to work in. Build yourself up there, make connections and attempt to transfer once you gain RN experience.

Absolutely use your experience, they will want to see you have leadership skills, communication skills, customer service experience, etc. Apply for any area you would like to be in, sell yourself. Let them know you are eager to learn, that you know you don't have RN experience (not necessarily a weakness, you are shapeable) but you have drive. It's all about how you can sell your past experience to market yourself in this new role. Good luck!

It's better to ask then practice unsafe care as you guess your way through each task. Have a small notepad so when you ask, you can write things down. Remember to look up things you don't know later, get a full in-depth understanding of what you are unsure of. Hands on skills can only be done and learned as you do them; let someone watch you, with the patient's permission, ask how they would do it, clarify misunderstandings, follow policy and you will get the hang of it. ?

The above was perfectly written. You will learn with time, you are still getting your feet wet. You can do this! Have a small sheet for each patient on the important notes from the prior shift, task items, MAR, labs and area of focus. What has to be done on your shift, what do you wish to accomplish; when things go sideways, you at least have your must do's, your important information to pass on to the physician/family/PT etc. Delegate! Don't be afraid to ask for help. Use your techs, not abuse, but let them help you. Ask your fellow nurses, many will be happy to assist you as you work your way to being efficient. It takes time, allow yourself at least a year before you start to feel like you have control.

I'm sorry for your struggles to get in. I don't live in California but my local hospitals are pushing heavily for BSN prepared nurses. Half of my unit went back to school to receive their Bachelor's, some nurses with exceptional experience and care to our patients....for it's the goal for Magnet status; it seems to be the new normal. Keep plugging away. Apply for anything and everything; once you get the experience, you can be picky to the type of unit and specialization of your goal. Keep thinking outside the box. Make connections on linkedin, network, ask recruiters what they are looking for..it only takes that one application. Good luck!

I'm sorry you haven't received responses yet but wanted to wish you the best of luck! I began working as a new grad in ICU and found I loved it. I worked there for 3 years before I transitioned to OB/Peds. My background helped to understand the complex cases/medical history backgrounds of a patient, for not all of OB comes with healthy moms. Although completely different fields, I had a surgical understanding as well as ACLS/code scenarios down...so my ability to stay calm in emergency situations was helpful. I had a lot of information to learn but during my shadowing, I was able to show the team how dedicated I was to the role. An additional bonus was my time volunteering for a breastfeeding organization. I spent countless hours helping dyads and spent a pretty penny on educational hours to become an IBCLC. I also found a position with educational services in our hospital where I teach childbirth classes and assist with our breastfeeding help line. I think the combination of all let the manager know how much I was willing and able to bring to the team. Try to attend a conference, volunteer, etc. Anything within the field to sell yourself to the role.