alambert603

Hi everyone! I am working on my MSN in Nursing Education. What can I teach in the meantime with my BSN besides clinicals and nurse aide classes? Can I teach anything online at all? Thanks for your help!

mimis mom...thanks for the reply...yeah...all we want to do is make a difference with our patients and I feel bad for them because they deserve more. My stress is really taking a toll on my health. I get constant migraines. My body feels worn down. I really feel like a failure for wanting to give up so early, but all I want to do is run far far away. I wonder if I'll ever be happy in my career. If I'm not meant to be a nurse, what am I meant to do? I've wasted so much time and money on multiple degrees, etc. The money I make at my hospital is great, but is losing my sanity worth that price? I don't think so. I think I should take care of myself first. I'm glad I'm not alone in my feelings....does anyone know if I need a lot of RN experience before going into home health or doing outpatient mental health? I think I just need to get out of where I am right now.

I posted this in the psych nursing forum as well: I work in a 23 bed psych unit at a hospital. This is my first job as an RN, however, I've worked in the psych field for about 5 years doing other things. I am still on orientation until the beginning of October. Due to staff issues, I have already worked without a preceptor many times. My patient load increases daily it seems and my pt's seem to have higher levels of acuity. For some reason right now, most of these pt's are all axis II and are very demanding, needy, cutters, constant suicidal thoughts, swallowing things for attention, etc. I am constantly sending down pt's to have things fished out of their stomachs. We have more pt's than we can handle and they still seem to find a way to squeeze even more in. We have been getting pt's that are admitted to us who are elderly and depressed because they have been diagnosed with terminal cancer....duh! I'd be depressed too. Some of these pt's medical conditions far outweigh their mental illness. We have tons of pt's on coumadin, tons of IV's, people on oxygen, etc. We have had 3 deaths on our unit in the last couple of months because they send three elderly pt's there to basically die since they were depressed. I wanted to be a psych nurse and now I am a med surg nurse anyway. I have been going home and crying in the last few weeks after work. I am so stressed out. There is so much to learn. There is so much paperwork. I don't know if I'll ever learn how to do it all and manage it all. I am going home depressed. I really love the counseling end of psych nursing, which we do as well, but rarely because we are always calling doctors and giving meds and running around crazy. I love the quality time with the pt's and I have no more quality time than any other nurse. I thought this was what I wanted. I just feel like a bad nurse because I feel that I can't possibly do my best under the stress I'm in. I don't know what to do. I didn't sign my contract yet. It was supposed to be for 3 years. I really hate being a staff nurse. I would love to do outpatient behavioral health counseling or even home health at this point. I just don't know how long I can keep this up. I am not happy and I'm starting to feel like not even getting out of bed. Does anyone feel like this? Can I work in home health or something without working as an RN for a long time? Ugh! Warn: (0%) alambert603View Public ProfileSend a private message to alambert603Find More Posts by alambert603Add alambert603 to Your Buddy List

I work in a 23 bed psych unit at a hospital. This is my first job as an RN, however, I've worked in the psych field for about 5 years doing other things. I am still on orientation until the beginning of October. Due to staff issues, I have already worked without a preceptor many times. My patient load increases daily it seems and my pt's seem to have higher levels of acuity. For some reason right now, most of these pt's are all axis II and are very demanding, needy, cutters, constant suicidal thoughts, swallowing things for attention, etc. I am constantly sending down pt's to have things fished out of their stomachs. We have more pt's than we can handle and they still seem to find a way to squeeze even more in. We have been getting pt's that are admitted to us who are elderly and depressed because they have been diagnosed with terminal cancer....duh! I'd be depressed too. Some of these pt's medical conditions far outweigh their mental illness. We have tons of pt's on coumadin, tons of IV's, people on oxygen, etc. We have had 3 deaths on our unit in the last couple of months because they send three elderly pt's there to basically die since they were depressed. I wanted to be a psych nurse and now I am a med surg nurse anyway. I have been going home and crying in the last few weeks after work. I am so stressed out. There is so much to learn. There is so much paperwork. I don't know if I'll ever learn how to do it all and manage it all. I am going home depressed. I really love the counseling end of psych nursing, which we do as well, but rarely because we are always calling doctors and giving meds and running around crazy. I love the quality time with the pt's and I have no more quality time than any other nurse. I thought this was what I wanted. I just feel like a bad nurse because I feel that I can't possibly do my best under the stress I'm in. I don't know what to do. I didn't sign my contract yet. It was supposed to be for 3 years. I really hate being a staff nurse. I would love to do outpatient behavioral health counseling or even home health at this point. I just don't know how long I can keep this up. I am not happy and I'm starting to feel like not even getting out of bed. Does anyone feel like this? Can I work in home health or something without working as an RN for a long time? Ugh!

Hi everyone! Sorry I am posting this question here, but this has been the forum that I've been on for the last 6 months. I just recently passed boards and you all congratulated me about a month ago. Thank you for that:) Okay, now the job search is on....I have my RN license in the state of PA, but I'd like to apply for jobs in MD and VA...they are both compact states, which doesn't mean anything, since PA isn't one. If PA was a compact state, I could practice in VA and MD with no problem. Since PA isn't a compact state, if I apply for a job in MD and VA and end up getting hired, how do I get a license in that state? I will not take another NCLEX exam...good lord no. Can someone please help me find the appropriate resources to apply for licensure in another state? Also, is it appropriate for me to go on an interview in another state even if I don't yet have a license for that state? Please help! Thank you so much, Angie

I took my NCLEX in PA....and my license number was posted on the SBON website within 2 business days. I took my test Friday and found out Tuesday morning. Good luck!

I did saunders out of the book for the first time I took the test. I was getting 60 ish % I believe. Then, this time I started getting high 70's to 80's. Just keep practicing. Eventually you learn to think like the people that write the questions. Good luck with everything.

Wow...I never thought I'd be able to post such a happy post like all of the other new RN's did. Well....I'm an RN...yipppeee!!! This couldn't have come at a better time for me. I took it for the second time on friday and found out this morning that my license number was posted. I just can't believe it! God is very good and don't doubt him for a second. There is a reason why I didn't pass the first time and there is a reason why I passed this time. I put everything in God's hands and I trusted him. I failed the first time with 75 and I passed this time with 88. Good lord, I can't believe I only had to sit there for an hour and a half. I am going to be on cloud 9 all day today. I never thought I'd see MY name with the words registered nurse by it. The second time I did only use saunders...I used the CD. I did 100 questions on average from January 30 (the first time I failed) to two days before I took the NCLEX this time. So, I waited about 3 months before repeating it again. Good luck to everyone. I know that your turn will come and you will be overjoyed like me!!!!! Angie RN lol

Hello everyone! Yesterday (Friday) I took my NCLEX-RN for the 2nd time. The first time I got 75 questions and this time I got 88. I had like 5 select all that apply, a couple of meds, a lot of priority, delegation, teaching, OB, and Psych. I have learned to just put everything in God's hands. I can't change my fate. I guess if I'm meant to be an RN it will happen. The wait this time isn't quite as excrutiating since I already failed once and like I told people before, I statistically can't fail forever lol. So, I pray that I pass, but if I don't, then I will go on and try again I guess. So, I should find out next week, probably by wednesday. I am crossing my fingers...I will beat the NCLEX!:smiley_ab

Haha...the ATI tests did not sit well with my nursing class at all. We had to take a bunch of them every semester and then finally, the RN comprehansive predictor. After graduating from the AD program in Dec, I am now in the BSN program with about 6 of the people that I was in the AD program with. Currently, we are conducting a research experiment on the school's use of the ATI's....because ever since they instituted the ATI tests in the nursing program.....the pass rate on the nclex for my school has actually dropped....and continues to do so. And ATI claims that their tests are 96% predictive for outcomes on the NCLEX.....yeah right. So far, in my program in PA....approx every 2 out of 3 students who took the nclex have failed since our graduation. So....does it work? I don't care for the company at all personally. I found that preparing for the nclex products over the past two years actually hurt me. We were forced out of clinical time to go to school to take the tests. Their tests are ok for content review, but their questions are nothing like the nclex at all. We would have been better off to have more clinical time where prioritization, delegation, etc....could have been mastered, since that's what the nclex is all about. Not knowledge level questions. Okay....that's all for now lol.

I so know what you mean by being broke. I quit my job when I graduated from nursing school because I thought...well, I'm going to be an RN in like a month. At least I'll be able to just focus on studying and interviewing. And the world played a cruel joke on me when I failed. I have no job....I had a job lined up as an RN, but obviously I can't start that. It was quite embarassing to tell them that I failed. My car doesn't work anymore. I had planned on buying a new car with my new job. Haha....I don't know whether to laugh or cry. I have no money at all. I'm getting back money in tax refunds so I will be paying to take the nclex again and trying to pay my bills. I think I just need to find Doctor 90210, marry him, and move to beverly hills. This is insane. And of course to top it off I feel like such a loser. Most people would not quit their job before they had another one...but that is why I am so different from the rest of the world. Just know that you are so not alone. Angie

I agree! That is so horrible that you had to go through all of that on test day. And I thought it was bad that both of my parents drove me there and were arguing the whole time. My mom and I don't get along, so I was under a lot of stress as well. The test was three hours away and we got lost. It was so foggy that you couldn't see anything. I barely had time to eat anything. I went to Denny's but i only had like 20 minutes to eat. I was not really relaxed. That was the first time I took it and I failed at 75. I am taking it again the end of next month. All we can do is continue studying and try our best. At least we have seen the exam so it won't be so scary this time:) I have definitely doubted my ability and went through all of the stages of grief. I really doubted that I should even be an RN. I've never been good at standardized tests, but I got really good grades. I'm working on my fourth degree now....two associate's, two bachelor's....music school, AND graduate school. I was going to attend law school, but I decided I hated it. So..I am a professional student. Well rounded, pretty intelligent, but I can't take a standardized test to save my life. My SAT and GRE scores were equal to special education...seriously. I don't know what my issues are with the tests. I am horrible at them. But we will all study again and do our best. We can't fail forever. It just won't happen statistically speaking. We will be RN's soon. The fact that we aren't now..there is a reason. I've been trying to figure it out myself:) Angie:rolleyes: Angie

I took the NCLEX for the first time Monday January 30th. I got 75 questions and failed. I will be taking it again around the time you will be as well. I really think that half my problem was that both of my parents drove me to take the test...my mom and I do not get a long at all and I had to listen to her and my dad argue the whole way. But also, I think that i have a hard time eliminating answers. Sometimes I guess I don't know what the question is asking. The last time I took the NCLEX I was super prepared. I had prepared months in advance, but I think honestly I did way too many questions, and the two days before my test, I spent about 16 hours doing questions. I exhausted myself. I hadn't planned to cram, but essentially I think that's what I did. This time I am really practicing answering questions and eliminating and working a lot on priority issues. I think the overall knowledge base is there, but unfortunately, the NCLEX is not knowledge based. They already assume since you graduated from nursing school that you know that basics. Man, they sure did not prepare my graduating class to take this exam. I was shocked. It was nothing like I had expected. This time I will spend the last two days relaxing. I'm also getting a hotel room the night before right across the street from the testing center. I know I am rambling. I hope this helps! Don't feel alone. I am right there with you:) Angie

I've heard about this HESI exam...what is it exactly?

Do you post these all in a file somewhere on here or can you? These are really good.