Medic2RN72

Naw, I'm not the "get bullied" type. I came into nursing with vast medical experience, plus being a veteran, so I have a very low tolerance for stupid people LOL. I've seen others, like new grads, go through it. I think people can read me and know what they can get away with. Bully culture exists in all disciplines. I've seen residents, seasoned nurses, new grads, younger physicians, PA's, paramedics, you name it, get bullied! We are all humans with a "perceived" pecking order. Sometimes, weak prey on people they "perceive" as weak. Those individuals know who they can bully and whom to stay away from.

I was fired from a nursing job. I submitted a 30 letter of resignation because I got another nursing job. I was going from ED to Case Management at another system. On the 2nd to my last shift, one of my patients eloped (with a history of dementia) on my lunch break with another nurse watching. I had been with this system for 3 years. I never had any counselings or write-ups, EVER. It was a blessing because I now have a better schedule, better pay, and can go to grad school. I even have a position after school. Looking back, staying would have been a HORRIBLE decision. They did me a favor. I got 2 DAISY nominations at that system, and a DAISY Award after they fired me. LOL

It's hard to answer because resources may not be your issue. You didn't give enough info on WHY you're failing. There are MANY resources and NCLEX preps. I used Saunders NCLEX Review guide, UWorld, and Nurse Sarah (registerednursern.com). I will tell you my story: I was an ex-army medic, special operations medical instructor, paramedic, and adjunct paramedic instructor before I went to nursing school. I was failing tests also. I studied hours and hours and still would fail. I had a meeting with my DON. She pointed out why I was failing tests. It was because of the way I was studying. I was studying patho, and pharmacology because that was the most important in my "medic/paramedic" approach to care. I skipped the nursing education & teaching sections. Well, nursing tests are just big "safety" exams. The sections I skipped were the most important. After changing the way I studied, I didn't fail another exam. When you go back, talk to your instructor. They will be able to point out your "gaps". Dust yourself off, and get back to it! Trust me, we need more nurses. We need you! Hurry Up! LOL

1. A typical day in the ED is crazy. It also depends on what level of trauma center you are working (1-4). But usually, we have a meeting 10 minutes before your shift starts to get your pt assignment (ratio is 1:4), get a report from the outgoing nurse, and decide what patient to see first. Afterward, a constant rotation of assessments, medication administration, preparing them to go to procedures (CT, xray, surgery etc), discharges, preparing for trauma alerts, code strokes, code stemis, and conscious sedation for reductions. I logged about 17,000 steps a day. The ICU is the opposite. You have less patient ratio in the ICU 1:2, but you have a lot of tasks and charting (more than the ED) 2. I'm a former US Army Medic, paramedic, and SOF Medic/Paramedic Instructor. 3. Skills include good communication, ability to work under stress, good work ethic, self-motivation, ability to work with others, and strong ability to ignore stupidity. 4. Pros: Whatever you make of it, Cons: Whatever you make of it 5. Do your research online and see what interests you. Nursing is vast (ED, Critical care, peds, in-patient/out-patient, endo, surgery, interventional radiology, oncology, OB, case management, utilization management, hospice, informatics, anesthetist, midwifery, nurse specialist, nurse leadership, legal nurse consultant etc). It may take multiple jobs, in multiple areas, with multiple systems before you find your match.

It happens. I've made med errors as an army medic, paramedic, and nurse. You will in your career, that's part of the job. You are more prone to errors in fast-paced environments, especially when short-staffed because you feel like taking shortcuts will make you faster. You will learn from them, and become vigilant. Don't be hard on yourself, and just learn and try not to repeat the same mistakes. If you want to impress your leadership, see if anything system-wise contributed to the error that may need to be addressed. If no system issue, do some self-reflection to see where the breakdown happened (distracted at pyxis, multi-tasking while administering meds, admin meds BEFORE scanning, etc)

Everyone has their "opinion" but your STATE Nurse Practice Act defines abandonment. The language is clear in your practice act, just look it up. Just showing up, punching the time clock, the deciding to clock out without accepting an assignment in my state DOES NOT constitute abandonment. If I take a report, I have to "refuse" the assignment. If I take the report and don't refuse, then I'm assuming care.

Red Flags! I would cancel that contract. If you have an assignment on your FIRST day, and no orientation, it's not safe. Keep in mind, that when you take an assignment, you take responsibility for those patients. The hospital will NOT have your back. You have to protect YOURSELF and your license. I've seen MANY travel nurses get disciplinary taken on their licenses for things like this. I saw a travel nurse get a reprimand from the BON because one of her dementia patients "walked out of the hospital" and got injured. They gave her a 1-day orientation, 9 patients, and no NA help! To make matters worse, she had a sitter, but the sitter went to lunch without a replacement (the charge nurse was aware). The bed alarm went off, but nobody went to see what was happening. Today, 4 years later, she can't find an inpatient job or another travel contract because of the disciplinary action on her license. It's not worth it!

I live and work here in the Raleigh area. There are 3 major systems in the Raleigh area. Wakemed, UNC, and Duke. I've worked at all 3 and am now on my 2nd rotation with Duke. The systems here are Magnet Hospitals, and you will be required to get your BSN within 7 years (mostly enroll in your 2nd year and 5 to complete). If it's a financial issue, tuition at most state universities (besides Chapel-Hill) is cheap. We have a program called NC Promise where some colleges like WCU, Fayetteville State, and UNC-Pembroke's undergrad tuition is capped at $500 a semester. There are plenty of nursing jobs at all 3 systems here and it doesn't matter the age or the fact that you have an ASN.

From experience, finding "your fit" may take a while! Don't be afraid to move from area to area. There are so many areas in nursing from outpatient to inpatient. You will KNOW when you have found your fit!

It's a "job". It's not your family or your life. There are more jobs and places of employment. You're disrespecting yourself working for a system that doesn't respect you. Find a place that will have a reciprocal relationship with you. They invest in you, you become the provider you wanted to become. Forget all that scare tactic "ohhhh bad reference mess"! Go somewhere where you are wanted!

Today, I took the CCRN-Adult. I followed the general information that everyone has discussed here. I will share my plan. I studied over a month and a half in this order. Materials: Barron's book. I read that book from cover to cover and made mostly 80s on the quizzes except for a few areas. I completed both exams in the back of the books. My test scores: Practice Test 1 (66%) Practice Test 2 (78%) The online test (109/150) Nicole Kupchick's Review course helped, BUT there were some inconsistencies in the teaching. For example, she stated that SVO2 in Sepsis would be low (increased O2 extraction), but other materials stated SVO2 would be high. Overall, it was a great course and I did well at the end of course quiz (can't remember the score). Pam Bartley's CCRN Study Guide. Great concise organization of testable materials. I did well on the answer choices (I had already completed Barron's book and NK review course). PASS CCRN test bank. I went through every question in each section in study mode, tracking my wrong answers and reading each rationale. Overall I did well percentage-wise, mainly in the 70's and 80's. I also did 3 timed tests (92, 84, 90). Test day! The questions I felt were harder than everyone else, but more in line with PASS CCRN. The questions were very vague. It was a beast though. I passed 101/125

If you want to be a nurse, go to school and get your RN. Nursing isn't all about bedside, working 12 hr shifts etc. Nursing has many aspects: School Nursing, Advance Practice Nursing, Case Management, Utilization Management, Nurse Navigators, Nursing Educators, Legal Nurse Consultants, Nurse Informaticists, Nurse Executive Leaders, Nurse Scientists, and Nurse Entrepreneurs. I said nothing about "bedside". Most people outside have a limited view of what nursing is about. Do a little more research, you will see. Hope that helps!

Community college ADN then bridge to BSN.....

There are other routes to nursing. If you finish a bachelor's degree, you can try ABSN (less competitive) in some areas. Try an ADN, some are less competitive than a university. My point is that even now, YOU HAVE OPTIONS!

I couple of things to consider. I know this area well because I WAS you. FIRST, don't make your decision based on a timetable! No matter how long it takes to become an RN, once you're done, you're done. 2 years, 3.5 years, 5 years, doesn't matter. Time will pass, no matter what. SECOND, what are your pros and cons? Let me help you. I have 2 AAs (Emergency Medical Science & ADN). I went through a paramedic to RN bridge (3 semesters/Summer off) at a Community College locally (I was lucky). Then I transferred to a state university (East Carolina) for my BSN. Option 1. Pros of an ADN: Less tuition, fewer credits, 2 years then test NCLEX, if not accepted, can try at another community college. Some systems pay tuition reimbursement. CONS: Graduate with ANOTHER associates, may have to get a BSN (more schooling). Option 2. Pros of a BSN: Transfer credits mean taking fewer classes. Depending on your credits, it may take 2 to 3 years to complete a BSN instead of 4 years. More flexibility in job hunting (some systems may want you to have a BSN in a certain number of years), you won't have 2 associate degrees. CONS: Credits cost more than a CC, if you don't get accepted, you will have to declare another major or transfer to another school. Either way you choose, time will go by! Hope that helps!