ORRocksRN

what do you all do about lateral violence? some nurses are not very nice to us new nurses and I feel abused at times. I am doing my best, but I am not perfect and I have a lot to learn. Why do some people feel the need to bring you down, when they should really be supportive and encouraging? I cant see myself EVER treating anyone the way I've been treated on my first job. These nurses feel the need to "tattle" on me instead of helping me. Its discouraging and I wonder if I didnt choose the wrong place to work. I know the first year is tough, I was prepared for that, but its a wonder anyone makes it through.

do keep in mind that this month marks the first of the baby boomers turning 65. there will soon be rapid fire retirement of older nurses from here on out and positions WILL open. Hospitals WILL have to hire. Keep motivated, volunteer, get extra certs, be willing to relocate and have hope. It will happen for you.

i think thats the key. the SATA questions are the hardest ones, so if you get a lot of those, that means you are consistently above the passing line. If you get easy questions, I would be a lot more worried. congrats and welcome to nursing!!

stereo- the standard OR bible if you will is Alexanders Care of the Surgical Patient. Get the 13th edition, not the most current. they left out some good things in the latest version plus the older copies are generally less expensive. I got mine for $16 on Amazon but that was a super deal. they generally run about $100-110. also get the AORN standards book, also about $100 but cheaper if you are a member. the best instrumentation book i have is by Shirley Tighe and is called Instrumentation in the Operating Room, although I learn them best by holding and working with them, not from pictures in the book, but it helps me with names. Lots of instruments have about 5 different names people call them by, add to that the European names and it makes things challenging!! :) Theres also another good book called Essentials of Perioperative Nursing that does a good job of going into sterilization techniques and positioning. If you can wow them with your knowledge of the latest evidence based practice on positioning techniques, prep procedures, and safety issues, that is where you will really shine. Many of the more experienced nurses don't know the latest techniques, and a few may fight you, but if you have a good rationale for why you are doing it or can produce the data to support it, you will become a very valuable member of the team. The new nurses are the ones who know the latest innovations and technology. Use that to your advantage!!

absolutely do that if its offered!! wow, what a great opportunity to meet everyone! let us know what the manager of an OR does, because i still don't really know. lots of meetings i suspect. at our facility, the L&D nurses do all the ceseareans, they are not part of our service in the OR. the nurses learn how to circulate those cases and there is very little if any crossover with us. if you want to work with moms and babies, go into L&D instead. then you get to do a little bit of both! I have never gotten to see a ceserean. sometimes folks come into our OR though for emergency reasons and the trauma causes the baby to makes an early appearance anyway.

remind me to tell you, as soon as you get into the program! for now, i have to sleep. get your rest now, they will work your butts off!

bds165- i don;t know what a L&M is but i did 2 terms of nursing school in an OR setting which was a special rotation offered by my school. I went to this school because that was an option there. I was focused on OR since the beginning and getting through the M/S and L&D was torturous for me, but it had to be done. If you can get on as an OR tech or CNA, or even a housekeeper in the OR, you'd be in the position to meet the right people...but if all you can get is a few days in the OR during school, beg for more! Ask the dean to make arrangements for you to spend an entire rotation in an OR setting. If thats what you want, then focus all your energy on it and make it happen!! Good luck.

stereotypical- find out what kinds of procedures your facility does and focus on learning the instruments for those cases, also review meds, sterilization, positioning, fire safety, codes and circulating duties. Knowing what the case is aboutand why they are having it is interesting but not necessarily the most important thing. Your number one duty is to keep the patient safe. also, join the AORN. congrats and keep us posted!

The versant program starts at the end of Feb, and they realize people need to give 2 weeks notice at their current job, so Id say if you don't get a call by mid Feb you can safely assume you didn't get a second interview. That being said, there is always the last minute thing...all managers and all depts operate a little differently and even the versant program isn't completely set in stone...remain flexible is my best advice. They are not hiring more this time because Legacy is in a giant budget crunch, just like everyone else. The fact that they are even taking these 16 is a bit of a miracle. They have committed to the versant program so they are obligated to take some, but they are cutting other jobs in order to afford these spots. SW Washington has a residency program also for certain specialties, and Seattle has some openings for new grads. Keep up the hope and enthusiasm, something will eventually open up for you.

a job means many more trips to come in the future...right? but likely, if you get called for an interview it will be a week before you go in. i think you are pretty safe. just make sure they have your cell phone number. have a great trip

BOY!! Aren't we just the luckiest people on earth right now? so many new grads are having such a tough time...and here we are walking into the dream job of a lifetime, right out of school. I still pinch myself sometimes, wondering what kind of good karma I used up on this one. I am so happy to be working, exhausted, but happy.

so how can you use those connections? Can they make some calls for you, write letters, notes, emails, texts? Make some recommendations to key people? can you get in touch with them and charm them into doing whatever they can for you? how did you impress them? remind them of those things and ask them to make some phone calls directly to the manager of the unit where you want to work. good luck.

Legacy requires patience in lots of ways. Id recommend you continue looking for other positions while you wait, and get your ACLS, PALs and any other cert that you can. Join a nursing organization in your specialty. Stress those in your interview. Whatever money you can show you are saving the hospital will only work in your favor. interview questions just depend on the unit, be ready to answer the standard ones with unique and honest answers. Tell them why Legacy is special to you, do some research. If you have plans to leave town, be ready to change them. If you get an offer, you will be too busy with appts and paperwork to go anywhere. there will be another cohort in July, so don't dispair if you dont get a call this time. Legacy is laying lots of people off right now, mostly office staff, so any hiring they do is a huge sacrifice. Be entirely grateful for the opportunity to meet key people and show it. even if you dont get an offer this time, they will remember you for future positions if you make a good impression. above all, dont put all your eggs in this basket, and definately look outside of Portland, there are jobs out there.... Good luck everyone!

Lilredrn- i'm sorry to say that your clinical instructor lied to you. Not on purpose probably, but she has no idea what the current situation is like and how would she? her focus now is on educating and keeping students in the school so that she has a job...she hasn;t been out looking for a job as a new grad recently. Most nurses who graduated even 3-4 years ago and beyond don;t have a clue about the current new grad job shortage because that wasn't their experience. almost everyone, nurses and others, I talk to are STILL in the dark about how hard it is for us to get hired. we need to work to change that perception.

I am also interested in travelling. I have applied for my Cali license and am interested in Sac, Bay area, NoCal and San Diego, for next January 2012. OR is my specialty. Would love to find some travel buddies... I am open to other places around the country as well, and would love some advice about agencies. I have heard that travellers don't get paid what they used to...only slightly more than a staff nurses, is that true?