summertx

I am new to the department at a hospital and the environment is very toxic. Rude staff, not a good learning environment, walking on egg shells around my preceptor. I don't feel comfortable. I have heard some terrible things about this company as far as staffing and culture goes. During the morning or evening meetings before shift starts everyone seems miserable getting their assignments: everyone is quiet and not speaking. I believe I made a mistake by choosing this hospital and I feel stuck. I signed a contract. Not smart I know. The department is short staffed, no one gets breaks, not even a 15 minute break for 12 hours. I can't bare the thought of going back again, to endure the same grueling 12 hours with no break, no one cares if you get one or not. If they do it's along of the lines of 'hey, don't forget to take your break!' knowing full well you can't take an uninterrupted, 30 minute restful break. I'd love to see a nurses face in an ER when we say, hey here's 5 patients, they're stable, I'm going on a 30 minute break! I am still in the orientation period. I am in a position where I can quit, but I don't want to because I don't know what the next job will say after quitting. I really want to have a good learning experience. Any thoughts?

Was there a pattern of concepts that you missed? If you know what topics are going to be covered try to study in advance (weeks), but don't limit yourself to just 3 resources, find whatever resources you can to get a good understanding of the topic. Job searches and all extras can wait until you are finished if it will cost you the semester, even if you're the last to get a job. You did good by doing test questions before the tests, are you listening to recorded lessons if your school does that, even in your car? I would go over why I did not understand the questions because that format may end up on your next test. Usually the same concept will end up on the next test. The professors know what you don't understand.

Congratulations!

Did you pass? How did it go?

I believe BLS is required. CNA or PCT certification could also strengthen your application and also prepare you for some aspects of nursing.

Here's some suggestions: 1) Maybe find resources that would speed up processes, such as for clinical if you're weak in an area, for example, looking up meds, or care plans get an app on your phone that makes it easier to look up such as Lippincott Advisor or the Davis Drug Guide app (this is expensive I think) if you don't have one. You can look up care plans, meds, signs/symptoms pretty quickly. 2) Study question banks such as UWorld or another Q Bank and do questions relevant to the topic you are studying, to prepare you more for content and tests. 3) If possible, if you know the topics that are going to be taught ahead of time, try to read important content, do questions to practice.

They were mocking patients, not just 'venting'. If I were the patient I wouldn't want to see these nurses working there again or would want these nurses being my nurse.

Well, you if you give an inch, they take a mile. You know that's how it works in LTC. You shouldn't accept that as a manager either. To just run your employees dry until they can give no more.

If you receive an ATT, then you sit can in any state including CA to take the exam from what I know. The board has to approve your ATT. The only people I know that have problems getting their ATT are from the schools that aren't accredited.

If you get your ATT (authorization to test), which is a requirement of the BON, then you can sit for the exam in any state. You will be licensed in the state that issued you your ATT (and can practice in the compact states if it's a part of that). Cali is not a compact state.

Look, I never said I would not do CNA duties. You really need to read. I simply stated I am not going to be taken advantage of by administration and especially if they are ungrateful. I AM NOT sacrificing my duties to do CNA duties. That is final. Chest pain, pulmonary edema, falls, injuries, & trach care comes first. I'm not risking trach suctioning and aspiration to do CNA duties. Nurses aren't superhuman. Hire more staff, schedule more CNA's per shift if you have an issue with staffing. You're undertone was not great to begin with when you accused me of not doing CNA duties.

I understand you fine. I state it's not the nurses duty, it's your job to find staff to cover the CNA's responsibilities. That's why you have CNA's. Looks like those 'nurses' include you also, and you can get on that floor and do the CNA's duties.

Just because it's in the nurses scope of practice doesn't mean it's her/his job duties. You simply can't pin down CNA job responsibilities on the nurse just to cover your own bottom, which is the case in most LTC's. I'm definitely helping, but the admin will be paying me more for not finding staff and paying me more to do two jobs. I absolutely will and I don't need the nurse practice act to see it, but you will be paying me for the job of the nurse and the CNA if you can't find a CNA. Fair deal, isn't it? I think we can agree on that.

I didn't say once that I thought CNA's duties are beneath nurses duties. I said staffing isn't the nurses problem. If there are no CNA's the nurse will have to fill in as needed. but that is not what the OP stated. The nurses duties come first to any CNA duty to the nurse. We aren't there to do to 2 jobs if you can't find CNA's. If someone is having chest pain, cleaning a patient isn't priority. The OP stated when they are 'short staffed', we all know that in LTC short staffed is every day. Nurses can't get their jobs done if they are bogged down doing CNA's duties. Staffing isn't the nurses problem. It's bad management. Not sure what you mean about not learning that in nursing school but that comment is not appropriate.

No, nurses duties come first.