gemswanson90

Woo! Times they have been changing. As a nursing student, do not expect Anything; the best you can hope for is a fairly nongrumpy preceptor who will agree to let you be involved with any actual patient care...and that is only if you are Not an entitled uptight know-it-all. Show some respect; you are not owed Anything from us. Your job is to beg borrow and hope for meaningful clinical experiences. You are not owed a chair in report, respect from the CNA or LPN on shift, or me. Earn it. Or lose it.

That was a Great Comment. I encourage all nurses to go on "Okay What is This About" interviews. No harm, no foul. I recently went to an interview for a hair removal place; YES for an RN. It was weird, but I liked it. I definitely knew that was NOT for me...but hey there is a niche for all RN's, right? Who is to say..My job is more important than your job...right? I also learned a lot from asking questions about the hair removal business in the process. I consider it an educational experience.

Nope, but it sounds like you're trying to be aggressive, passively. It didn't work it's obvious. Got to get to work. Have a lovely day, primary care RN

I was a new RN back in the mid-90's; a 96 year old nice little lady pushes her call light and my nurse preceptor and I get there quickly. \ Little Old Nice Lady:Oh! Thank You for Getting here So Quickly! Us: Hello! How can we help you; your call light is on;? Little old nice lady: I would like the head of my bed up just a little; I can't see Jerry (Springer) very well in this position Me: Here is the button you can push~right here on the bed~ to make the top of your bed go up;)). Little old annoying nice lady: I am 96 Years Old!! What Do You EXpect Me To DO?! Preceptor and Me: ( LOL'ing)...Okay!! While we're here, is there anything else that you can think of that you'd like right now?

Yay for you, primary care RN. I worked in Specialty Clinics...not primary care. If you're in primary care, you get to funnel your "problem" elsewhere... that is where my specialty clinic takes over. Primadonna Specialists abound, and you've got to have a Very Strong back and stomach to put up with it. You've Got to know where your RN authority ends; do not Ever expect an MD to cover your behind if it comes to it. It can be "implied" all the way uptown and downtown, but that will not hold up in court. Never feel embarrassed or intimidated into Not asking and/or calling the MD to verify orders. His or her angry and/or intimidating speech will of course cause your heart to race and thoughts to be scrambled. Don't fall for it; repeat your initial concerns and what you would like to do; their dinner or sleep is of no concern to your license. They are getting well paid to be on call; the only people to suffer from a bad choice is your patient and you, if you don't advocate for the patient in distress.

LOL; you won't need to oversee them much. In my experience, they're calling out sick or on break when most needed. You will wind up rooming patients, taking vitals, and making appointments much of the time. Please feel free to return in six months and challenge my assertion. On the other hand, they will be there to cause drama, stir the pot, and complain about anyone to try to hoax your buy-in so that the rumour mill can Really get some wind. Don't take the bait; remain neutral and pleasant. Word to the wise

In the mid-90's I completed a BSN through Regis University in Denver. I did have to complete about a year or so of prerequisites prior to acceptance; I had a B.A., so some of the courses transferred from my prior degree. The Bachelor's to BSN program was about 14 months of Full Time 8-5 attendance expected, and it started After all the prerequisites had been completed and accepted. I would look carefully at the potential school's ratings and whether or not your degree is accepted nationwide. If for some reason you needed to stop before completion, would your credits transfer to another school? How much is the total cost? What are the program's NCLEX pass rates for graduates? What is their graduation rate/percentage for that program?

Why would you Want to take a lower-level position? Just to stay in the OR? Perhaps think of branching out to med-surg, home health, or clinic work (no narcotics administered), or school nurse. Even if you were to obtain a scrub position in the OR, you would be constantly around narcotics; I don't think the BON would see this as you officially stepping away from a specialty position at all. Additionally, you would be slashing your pay in half.

I worked in outpatient clinics for about seven years. Overall, it's more about being okay with office politics and kissing up to certain influencers and doctors than any other nursing jobs I have ever had. Even though you might not be running your *** off all day from room to room, it is stressful to triage over the phone. People will call in, you will give them three or four options, and they will not want to agree with any of those options. You will need to be a skillful negotiator. Also, after not starting an IV or obtaining an ABG or EKG for years, a new MD will pop that on you out of the blue. You will need to have good communication skills with DME providers and the vendors who come to the clinic, and it will be key for you to have good relationships with your assigned MD's. You may or may not like these people, but you will need to be able to have working relationships with them.

Congratulations!! Way..Way back when I took the NCLEX, we had to wait about a month to get results by Regular Mail. It was excruciating!! I remember the night before I took the test, I got maybe three hours of sleep. You have every right to Celebrate!! Best wishes to you in your new position, wherever and whatever that may be. Just two more months of the lower paycheck and then I wish you well on your new career!

That would be concerning! See if you can click through your license specifics to gather information. It should list a reason. If it does not, make sure to write down the BON phone numbers and email address, and call them on Monday to gather more information. Do you have anything on your criminal record that would be a problem? Is your application incomplete? Those are two reasons I can think of off of the top of my head. Please update us and let us know what happened. Check your phone and email messages to see if you missed messages from a representative of your BON. They might have been trying to contact you regarding missing information on your application.

Yes, yet be ready for push-back, and have a back-up plan or be ready to walk and apply elsewhere if you feel Very Strongly about the pay. You could Most Likely find a closer option with equal or greater pay, yet you will have to go through the pain of further interviews, meeting new people, and becoming accustomed to a new place. There is no harm in requesting politely yet with confidence. You could still backpedal and accept their firm offer. If you don't ask, you'll never know. My vote is to go for it.

Agreed with all of the above! If the BON had to deal with every nurse with a drinking issue, they would never be able to get anything done. Seriously. As long as you're able to get a grip and get yourself back into line without getting into legal or work trouble, you're good.

Rachel, Thank you very much for the information! I really appreciate it! I am also a night owl, by the way.

What specialty have you chosen? It's difficult to offer advice without knowing your situation, yet I would have to say that it's common to get into the "real world" of nursing and realize that it's not textbook. Is the pace too intense for you, is it personality conflicts? Is it the hours? Some nurses embrace 12 hour shifts, others would Never endure such a long shift. Is the drive burning you out? Sometimes, overeager new nurses accept a job offer without a blink, then realize that it's 45 minutes of a drive each way...every shift. Pin down what exactly about this job has you feeling burned out. Now that you're past the phase of "new nurse I'll take anything", and have yourself and your career more figured out, you can probably make a more informed choice going forward. You have no one to impress but yourself, so there is no shame in leaving a well-known big hospital to work in a clinic or smaller home health chain, for example.

At 46, you're still a Spring chicken!! Without knowing your general health or activity level, I would recommend that you go for where your heart and instincts are leading you. I'm 54 and diving back into my career after taking five years away from a high-intensity level pulmonology clinic job. Do your job hours coincide with your household vibe? If you are looking at working 12 hour nights, but your spouse works days, that will put more stress on your life than other options. If you have young children or other daytime obligations at home, how will it all mesh together? That would/should be one of your guideposts. Never take a job just because it may sound more prestigious to you and/or others. Do it because you sincerely Want to work with this/that population; you feel you have something to offer and the desire to do such. A few dollars more or less in pay, and a stranger's approval or disapproval of your career path should Not be your guiding light. Perhaps to a stranger, working at XYZ hospital sounds more impressive than working in a clinic or nursing home...but at the end of the day, You will need to put in the hours, the heart, and compassion.

My vote is for the rehab unit. You will get more exposure to a variety of patients. My first year out of school, I worked on a Med/Surg Tele unit PRN for a few years, then transitioned into the PACU for a few years. If you go straight into GI or Renal, you're kind of specializing yourself. Just my two cents. Best wishes to you and your career!! Please update us and let us know what you chose.

Keep your chin up, be grateful that once you are done with that shift and rotation, that person will be out of your life. It happens!! Since it was your first unpleasant experience with clinicals, I'm sure it was an unexpected shock. When you feel like telling someone off or bad-mouthing them...keep your goals in mind~Always!! What is the goal of being in nursing school and being treated like a fraternity pledge during hazing week? That's Right. To get your nursing degree and help optimize people's lives. That nasty old hag will be out of your life in a few weeks or months...just think...all the other employees...they have to live with that...shift after shift. Thank Your Lucky Stars! Now you know where NOT to apply for a job. Suck up to the witch, kill her with kindness, do what you need to do to keep moving forward. Heck, bake some cookies and put her name on the cellophane wrapper and say...from "..you"...to..."her...(the witch but do not write that!!)... She is inconsequential in the larger scope of your life. Welcome to Nursing!

I agree that being charge nurse is over rated! I have done it a few times and did not care for it one bit. At the time, I think the pay was maybe fifty cents extra an hour. Fifty Cents!! Also, if a nurse called out sick, the charge nurse would usually need to take over all or most of that nurse's patient load if staffing couldn't find a replacement in time. As others have mentioned, it seems to be more of a self-confidence/sense of self issue for you. I would start interviewing for another position, and make sure to secure trusted references for that new job. You will need the reference/person's name, phone, email address. Do you think you want to continue in the same type of nursing, or explore other areas of nursing? Can you ask for feedback from management in order to gain more insight going forward? There was obviously a disconnect between your perceptions and that of Management. I would be interested to know if they feel that it is personality issues, issues with getting along with co-workers, time management issues, or could it be some nursing/technical skills they think you could brush-up on? Best Wishes to You Going Forward in your Nursing Career

Thank You Very much for the helpful information and encouragement! I actually did receive the email from my new employer with all the information I need to get started. I know where to go, when to be there, and what to bring. What a relief! Sometimes, it's just the little things that ease my mind the most. Some of my nursing friends are curious about me branching off in this direction, but it just feels comfortable and natural to me. When I look at myself in the mirror, I see a confident and secure lady. I'll continue to read as much as I can absorb about hospice and palliative care. I'm truly fortunate and blessed to be provided this opportunity in my career. Best Wishes to you!!

Thank You Very much for the comments and the link; I have checked out some of the articles which I am sure will be helpful for me in the upcoming days/weeks/months of my new job. It was so confusing getting hired as I had three different recruiters calling me from the same company. One said she would send me an email with details of my start day/time/place to be, then she said actually someone else from your home office will be emailing you that information. It feels a bit off-putting to not have clear instructions from one source here in the beginning. I'm hoping this is not the way the company usually runs. Of course I realize that a bit of handing off takes place between the recruiter and the hiring manager. It is a for-profit hospice/palliative care company, and they have stated clearly that it is a Salary Position, no overtime, and XYZ this is your salary, and this is your bonus structure, and your on-call hours are 5pm-8am Monday through Sunday/Seven days on, seven days off. Half bonus after a few months, then the other half at one year. I do have a lot of questions, yet it seems that I'll need to wait until I get started to ask the questions. I have been told that I do not have a set number of patients to see, nor will I have a list of "regulars" or appointments. I was hired to be a go-between for families and patients who already have scheduled visits during the day, but feel/know that the scheduled visit cannot wait, which probably means change in status, death, need for additional comfort/pain measures, guidance/advice on falls, possibly family dynamics becoming confused. I have seen all this happen and dealt with such situations in regular hospital settings when the patient is Not expected to pass soon. I guess I'm just anxious and excited to get started and see what this position is all about!! Thank you again for your guidance and helpful information!

Hello; I would call your state's board of nursing directly and ask. You might be directed to email a specific person on the board, or to call another person in order to reach a licensing specialist who can give you a straight answer. Some states have enacted pro-reinstatement measures due to nursing shortages, and from what I have read in the news, California is certainly one of those states. You can find CEU's (contact hours) by going on the ANA/ANCC website; some are free and you will need to pay for some CEU's. Then you can upload all your CEU;s into one PDF for easy transmission via email or a company website (or the Board of Nursing website). Welcome back to nursing and I hope that you can get a straight answer quickly!

Hello and welcome to Nursing!! Part of the issue is also that schools have a hard time finding nurses to teach in nursing programs; the pay is low, and the hours are sporadic. It is an ideal position for a nurse who doesn't work full time, and is quite possibly transitioning into retirement. As for getting out of the program, you probably signed a contract which included a promise to pay the amount in full unless you wanted to leave after a few weeks or months...and usually, that would be at a lower rate of reimbursement. I'm so sorry that you are experiencing such a sad/bad/ situation with your program. How much longer do you have left to complete it, and are any of your fellow students feeling the same way? Would you feel comfortable reaching out to others to discuss and outline your issues with the school/program...so that then you could meet as a group with management/owners of the operation with your grievances? What you describe does sound serious, especially if others are feeling the same way and not feeling they are getting value out of this program. Are any of your credits transferable (to another school)? Please update us and let us know how it's going; just as with any other group of professionals, some people can be warm and inviting...others, not so much.

I just accepted a new job offer and after reading these posts about salary and per hour pay, I'm a bit tense. It is a nice salary with a bonus (but of course that bonus will be diminished quite a bit through taxation). My hours will be 5pm-8am on call 7 days on/7 days off. I will get reimbursed for mileage, yet I'm not quite sure what I have gotten myself into yet. I start next week; my Very Thorough background check finally came back without any issues...it was just much more intense than I remember from previous jobs. Times have changed, of course. Are there any hospice nurses out there who can offer me advice, tips, things to watch out for going forward? This is my first hospice job, and I have been an RN/BSN for quite a while. I still would Really Appreciate advice and/or encouragement from other hospice workers, in any capacity. Thank You very much. As I said, I will start training on Monday; they haven't even asked me to do a drug test yet. I'm not worried about it , since I have nothing to hide, but thought that all nursing jobs required a drug screen/test before hiring, or at least somewhere during the process. My own mother was in hospice care prior to her death about four years ago, which sparked my interest in palliative and hospice nursing. A new perspective, deeper, with more meaning to me personally. Thank You again in advance for any and all responses.

I can sympathize for sure!! Sometimes, when all we want to do is scream and cry, all we can really do is take a deep breath, laugh, and keep moving on through life. If I were to never find humour in anything which had personally affected me, I fear that I would be left an emotionless, humorless shell of a person. A robot. At that point, why would nurses even be required at many bedsides, on the phone, or in outpatient settings? Just program in the patient's affliction/illness, and have the robot computer give an answer or perform the task. Just a thought; hugs to all human nurses!!