NancyNurse27

We use i-stat. The doc's hate it and it doesn't seem to be very reliable.

I have never floated to any units but I have experienced the holier-than-thou attitude by ICU nurses first-hand while transferring patients to them. On one occasion the nurse said to me "Hurry up i've got two other patients" while I was giving her report. It took all my power to not snap back at her and tell her how my night had been going so far, you know my 8 patients, including the one I was sending to her who was being put on a vent. The same patient I had just spent over two hours with while neglecting my other 7. And then there's the time that they wanted to blame me for a pt going into fluid overload by saying that I had given blood in 2 hours, which in fact I had documented everywhere that it went in in over 3. I am a new nurse and I absolutely do not pretend to know everything. I ask questions every time I work. I don't care how stupid or small the problem may be I ask first if I don't know the answer. It just really bothers me that these critical care nurses feel they can belittle med/surg nurses. And this isn't just me. It happens to everyone in my hospital who has to deal with them. And yes our director is aware and no the administration does not seem very interested in our problem.

In my former life I have been, a newspaper girl, a grocery bagger, foodservice worker, cook, made Levi's and last but not least a waitress. Funny though how much nursing is like waitressing... At least on the floor I work on. Only my customers are more sick than hungry and when I forget something or screw up I can lose my license or go to jail, instead of just getting fired! I still prefer nursing though...

First of all, I think the original post got lost in the mix here. She was asking people who are OVERWEIGHT AND/OR SMOKERS who also happen to be nurses if they had gotten any flak, not opinions on whether or not overweight smoking nurses were competent. SO, as an overweight nurse who occasionally smokes, the answer is No, i've not gotten any flak about my weight or my smoking. However, overweight people are often made fun of or cornered and told "You're so pretty, if you could just lose some weight, you would look so much better." So of course you are going to deal with that as a nurse sometimes too because nurses are human, doctors are human, management is human and our patients are human. And we all have vices and no one is perfect. Also, how many patients have you educated about the danger of smoking and being overweight and have gone home and kept on smoking and not lost any weight? Our jobs as nurses is to educate patients, yet the ultimate decision weighs with the patient. If my patients don't take me as a credible source of information that's their choice. So as a nurse I know my dangers of smoking and being obese. I unfortunately have decided that right now I am not going to quit smoking and haven't gotten serious about losing weight. I hope this helps. But it's your decision...

During school I became very good friends with 3 of my fellow classmates.We graduated this May and 3 of us now work at the same hospital and on the same floor, oncology, 1 on days and me and another at night. We have this same conversation EVERY DAY! It really helps having them there, being able to say how i'm really feeling and having them say "I feel the same way." We all have questioned our desire to become nurses and still one of my friends says, 6 more months and then she's done, back to bartending, if things don't get better. We all had good preceptors who were there for us when we had questions and who we still feel comfortable asking questions now that we're on our own. I know all new jobs take time getting used to so i'm not cashing out yet but I definitely understand what you're going through. Just keep imagining yourself 1 year from now, when all the "new" grads are coming on and they see you as the "expert" nurse instead of the novice!

Well i'm not sure how comfortable I would be with an 18yo RN but the idea of the 5-year program is great. My sister is 17 and currently in a similar program here. She is not getting her ADN however. Next May she will graduate with her AS in engineering and then about 2 weeks later graduate from high school. All of her college credits count as high school credits so she is able to get both simultaneously. The program is very very hard to get into and trust me she has worked her butt off to get her degree. I might add that those in the program are unable to get into the nursing program until after they have graduated. So maybe that guy should take a look at some other successful 5-year plans!

I just graduated two weeks ago with my ADN and I can't believe it's over. Nursing school was by far the hardest thing I have ever done in my life but also the most fun I have ever had in my life. I met some wonderful people and have made such great friends. My experience was probably a little harder due to the fact that I worked, had two children, got divorced and moved during school but I loved every minute of it. My advice to you. Do your assignments as soon as possible, take advantage of every opportunity you are given and don't worry, EVERYONE is nervous!