DebanamRN

I am just entering my preceptor class. After this, I have capstone and then I'm done. I work as a hospice nurse non-management but I find the education has benefited my practice.

I hated nursing school, hated clinicals, hated working after school, hated life in general. Nursing school is like pregnancy - by the end you are done with it and want to scream "when will the suffering end?" Well, it does. And like pregnancy, you get a gift when it is over - not a baby but a career full of possibilities. You sound exhausted. Quit one of the jobs if possible. It is too much to do school and two jobs. Hang in - nursing is full of possibilities and when you find your niche you will know it. I'm glad I stuck it out. I have a good job and own my own home. On the days when work is hell I try to hold onto all that nursing has given me. And some days, it ain't easy!

As an ER nurse I give you all the credit in the world. I can tell when residents receive loving care, and I feel proud of the nursing profession that includes such wonderful, caring nurses. I can't do LTC, I just don't have the personality for it, so God bless all of you. I really think you are doing great work.

"I do get sick of the pat answers. they usually make the job candidate sound insincere anyway. That is why I never ask "What are your weaknesses." Quote from an earlier post. I drink to much coffee and have to run to the bathroom a lot. OK so I wouldn't say that but its too true! This is an lol - these posts get to heavy and need a little levity. BTW my real weakness is I don't like to ask for help because I'm afraid it will make me look weak and incapable of handling my assignment. I'm working on it and know that everybody needs help sometimes and I certainly don't view my co-workers that way when they ask for help. The person who does the interviewing knows what they are looking for. Like it or not they are responsible for the people they hire and have supervisors they must answer to also. They know what personalities will fit into their team.

I have recently transferred from a small community ER to a large teaching ER in the same healthcare system. In both jobs my co-workers commented on how I fit right in. It may not seem fair or pertinent to some but it is apparently important to my co-workers, who are also my team members. Having the other staff like you makes the day go easier. In the end it makes for better care and outcomes for the patient. Some people just don't fit in. I've seen a lot over my 30 years of working (6 as a nurse). The good, the bad, and the "huh?" Just my humble opinion.

Keep up the good work. Eventually you will become more comfortable. I've seen experienced ER nurses go nuts with hard patients. I would have had the pt sedated and in 4 points ASAP and had the doc by his tail. But when I was a new ER nurse, no way. I didn't know the routine. I just transferred from an 18-bed community ER to a huge teaching ER and boy was it culture shock time! After 5 weeks I just started to feel comfortable and the others are accepting me. Of course, I'm to crazy to care what they think but it helps when your coworkers accept you. Also, when others throw stink bombs at me I throw them back, but again, when I was new I just clammed up. With this new job, I went to my educator and let her know which nurses I liked precepting me and luckily she let me go with them. In the past I had rotten preceptors and had to suck it up. Their attitude can bring you so down but really its about them, not you. After 6 years in the ER I finally learned this. You will be fine and just keep on going. One day you will not cry anymore. That is the day you will get mad instead and then you will know you have made it.

Hysterical! Proof that we are not only nurses but detectives too!:rotfl:

You did a great job. Lots of times the family doesn't understand, or won't understand, or won't accept, or can't accept, how sick the pt really is. Everybody hopes for a miracle, but sometimes it just doesn't happen. When its time to go, its time to go - we can only beat back the grim reaper so long, but he eventually gets through our blockade and snags the pt. All you can do is offer kind, gentle, and sympathetic words and make the pt look nice for the visitation. We deal with this in the ED all the time but it is never easy. And to agree with HouTx, sepsis screening is so essential. We now have a screening tool in our triage screen which is great. I recently had a pt come in for r/o cva but I thought he was septic. Sure enough, he failed his sepsis screen, and was admitted for urosepsis. But sometimes its just too late. Again, cheers, you did the best job possible.:thankya:

I love the ED because we get such interesting cases that lead to so much learning. Keep up the great posts!

What you learn will transfer well, because its the basics. Trauma is all fine and good, but you gotta recognize that MI, CVA, septic, etc. patient. Even in our tiny ER we do trauma, because we are on the Jersey Shore and they often come to us. I've transferred out lots of trauma patients. We stabilize them and get them on the rig or chopper. It can be more interesting because if they come to us they aren't considered so sick. We get lots of surprises - brain bleeds, cervical spine fractures, all kinds of stuff. We don't even have a cath lab and they get helicoptered out pretty quick with MIs. I'm like an EMTALA queen - watch out, I get those forms filled out, report called, and the pt packaged to go pretty quick. Your paramedic experience is invaluable, but now you get to expand your scope as an RN. Good luck!

Not only do I extend the member upwards, I have them breathe deep (a tip given to be by a more experienced nurse). It helps.

I've taken the W several times. It's never been an issue all these years and degrees later.

I work in an 18 bed ER in NJ and we see some wild stuff. Go in with a great attitude and soak up all you can. You will probably be surprised what goes on in there.

Graduated last June. No problems - nobody cares where the BSN came from, just that I have it. Going back to them for my MSN-MBA.

I wasn't difficult. I reworked a project from an earlier class. It was all my original work, so I tweaked it and got an A. My subject was CHF and so it was very relevant. I still use that information when doing patient teaching. It was a powerpoint project. Good luck!