supernova004

The hospital I work at is rearranging it's layout and the oncology department next to us will be doubling. They are asking for volunteers from other departments to float to oncology for about six months until they are able to hire everyone they will need. I understand we would receive about three days of classroom training. I'm not sure what other training, but they did say we would not be chemo certified - that we'd have to pursue that on our own if we wanted to. I have two years experience as RN on a medicine floor. I'm thinking about volunteering for this to get new experience and learning. Anyone have some strong thoughts about pros and cons of oncology nursing in general?

Just want to say you are not the only one. I stepped down from critical care after three months and your original post describes to a T, exacty how I felt. My critical manager was supportive and arranged for me to speak a mgr in medicine in the same hospital. The mgr in medicine never grilled me and seemed thrilled that I would fill one of her positions in the unit.

I'm thinking about switching to 12 hour nights from 7p-7a. My question is how do you sleep when you work nights?---I've never worked a night shift before ever. 1. How/when do you sleep when you work nights? 2. How much sleep should I get to stay awake all night? 3. Do you stay up all night on your days off? I've heard not to flip flop back and forth on sleeping schedules. I was thinking about scheduling three nights in a row then four days off--I don't want to stay awake at night the four days in a row I am off. Is it hard to switch gears?

I'm thinking about switching to nights. I've been on days for three months and I'm drowning. My anxiety and stress level is out of control. I understand that I will have more time at night. My question is how do you sleep when you work nights?---I've never worked a night shift before ever. And, should I schedule the three twelves together in a row and then when the three are over, go back to a normal sleep schedule for the four day off. Any advice is helpful. 1. How/when do you sleep when you work nights? 2. How much sleep should I get to stay awake all night? 3. I've heard not to flip flop back and forth on sleeping schedules, but I don't want to stay awake at night the four days in a row I am off.

I think the hospital offered a good oreintation. 12 weeks: half in the classroom and half on the floor. I didn't realize we'd spend so much time in class...I would have preferred to have had that time on the floor with a preceptor. I learned a lot, but the pace of the unit and the diversity of Dx is too much for me. The worst part was that I felt I lost the confidence of staff/RNs: atmosphere of show you once and after that, you should know. Any bonehead mistake or act of omission was strongly frowned upon. They seemed to expect perfection from new grads. I don't think I could get a better orientation anywhere else, but I wonder if I could find a more supportive environment where they would give me time and room/space to perfect my talent.

I graduated in mid-June and have been working in a critical care step down unit. I have been trying so hard: I was getting to work 45 minutes early to prep., charting on breaks (until they told me I could not anymore), and staying late w/o declaring the time to finish my charting. My employer didn't intend it this way, but due to circumstances, I didn't have a permanent preceptor and ended up working with about 9 different nurses over orientation. My manager told me they almost all (preceptors) had concerns about me. For some reason, I'm just not getting the hang of it. So yesterday, I asked them if I could move to a unit that provides a lower level of care. I feel relieved, because I had too much anxiety and fear. More than anything, I became traumatized by the impatient preceptors. I don't want to leave the unit, I want to keep trying, but I just can't image another day of the stress, anxiety, and fear as nurses tell me I am not managing my time wisely, failing to prioritize correctly, making mistakes, struggling, etc. I hate throwing in the towel, but I'm starting to get afraid that I may hurt someone becuase I feel I'm pushed so much to go faster and when I ask questions, I have to deal with impatience from the other nurses. (I did make some medication errors --calculation and timing--over orientation, but thankfully no one was hurt). I realize that I started at a level of care way over my head and I want to go to the simplist unit in the hospital. These units (below) have openings and hire new grads. I was thinking about the rehab unit or general medicine. What do you think is the simplist unit for a new grad? Would you recommend mental health? I'm also considering that I shouldn't work in a hospital at all and work in a convalescent home instead. Where is the least stressful place for someone who is scared of stress right now? Thanks. Oncology/Hematology General Medicine Comp. Rehab Unit Orthopedics/Trauma ENT/Plastic/Urology General Surg/Transplant General Surg/Neuro Neurosurgery/Trauma

Thank you!

Healer 27, I'm a new grad RN and not feeling too well about myself these days. It seems I've become my own worst enemy and critic. I'm hoping I've reached the anxiety plateau and am now coming down the hill; I have to be because I don't think I can take the negative self talk and doubting much more...it's so embarassing to me that I'm having such a hard time coping!!! I assume I'm being way harder on myself than anyone could possibly be, but I'm paranoid that I'm gonna get tapped on the shoulder and asked to my manager's office for my walking papers. My fears have been getting the worst of me, but I'm ready to go back tomorrow and make a turn around. I say that everyday and I think it's getting better a little every day. I know that the whole day may not be great, but I'm just going to take it task by task. And I'm trying to give myself the support I need instead of beating myself up all the time. I work in a nice org. but I've been so needy for positive support and I'm worried that I have weirded people out... I'll send some good vibes your way.

Hi, I'm a new grad RN on a critical care step down unit. I'm trying to figure out how to best organize my 12 hour day. Any tips? Thanks!

Hi Everyone, I graduated in June and passed boards in August. I've been working since mid July in and intermediate intensive care unit. Cheers!

Hello, I graduated in June and passed boards in August. I've been working days in Intermediate Intensive Care.

Thank you for the responses. I'm going to carefully reveiw all the research suggested. I love this site!

I"m studying for the NCLEX and I'm trying to find specific and concrete info about what can and can not be delegated to an LPN or LVN by an RN. I find plenty of info re: UAP (unlicensed assistve personnel). Can anyone point me to a web site or document? Thanks

Maybe someone can help me here. I don't understand what is the difference between sterile and clean cathing. Obviously you use sterile technique vs. clean in one versus the other and I understand that fully, but the device goes in the same place(s). If pts. getting UTIs from steril cathing that wasn't quite as sterile as desired is problem in hospitals, how come anyone would ever clean cath themselves? Is it because clean cath is not usually indwelling and sterile is usually indwelling? Thanks

Lots of perspectives. It's very helpful, thanks! I start my 150 hour monitored care unit/telemetry preceptorship tommorrow and I think that if I do well in that setting, I'll start in a step-down or a med/surg unit first then move up to ICU. If I'm not digging my preceptorship, I'll think about a direct move to ER. That's my thinking process at this point, but I welcome more perspectives and feedback.

I'm graduating from nursing school in a few months. I've loved my ER experiences IMMENSELY. The hospitals in my area say they want a few years of ICU experience in candidates. I've been applying to critical care and step-down units for my first job. The other day I talked to a unit manager in a hospital out of my area who runs both an ICU and an ED. He said he couldn't disagree more, that that sort of thinking was old school. He said if I want to do ER, I should just aim for the ER. Your thoughts?

I agree with lostdruid. Ask as many graduates or current students as you can what they think of the program. Find out the NCLEX passing rate. I was pretty disappointed to learn the final quarter of school that the expensive program I had almost finished had dismal NCLEX pass rate compared to almost all the community colleges. Ask the recruiters what they think of the graduates from schools xyz. What ever school you go to, make friends with someone in the class (quarter or semester before you) so you can have a head's up on what's coming next.

hckyrox7886 vbmenu_register("postmenu_1587021", true); , i see you are in ca. is the hospital you speak of with the "wonderful new grad program and strong preceptor program" in ca? if so, which hospital?

Thanks for all your responses!

I'm finishing up the final 10 weeks of nursing school at a private college that is Seventh Day Adventist. I'm not an Adventist, nor is half the nursing class. But, we do pray before each lecture and each clinical. At 6:30AM after one hour of driving, I sure don't mind the opportunity to close my eyes and bow my head for a few seconds. :) And we are supposed to offer to pray with our patients. I just ask them if they would like a visit from the Chaplain. Personally, my clinicals in Catholic hospitals have been more friendly than the for-profit hospitals. And then you get the patients that ask you, "What you think happens when you die?" or my all time favorite question, "What does it all mean?" I usually just throw the question back at them and listen to what they think.

I had my first RN job interview today. There was a scenario question that I was kind of short on answers for. How would you have responded? "You come on shift. You receive report. You check on your patient with ORIF. The lights are off in his room. He's agitated and states pain 10 on a scale of 10. He's sweating and (some other symptom related to pain....can't remember). He says he's been pressing the call button all night long. He says someone came and turned off his light but did nothing else. His call button is stuffed under his pillow out of reach. Family member has just come to visit and is irate demanding to know your name and who is your supervisor, yelling "heads will roll"! What four things do you do? Here are my answers, but I think I got the order wrong and forgot one thing: 1. Make such call light is within pt. reach 2. Address irate family by listening, stating name, and supervisor, and that you are remedying situation now by getting pain medication stat. 3. Get pain medication (per chart); administer 4. Careful documentation of the details and events of the situation Do you think I should have got the meds first before investing time to deal with irate family? I now think about it, I think that I should have checked the hip first. Your thoughts? Thank you.

Thanks for your perspective; it's good to hear that in your opinion, neuro ICU experience bridges well to the ER.

I'm graduating in June and applying for my first RN job and could use some advice. Ultimately, I want to end up in the ER of a trauma center someday. For now, I'm following the advice to get critical care/ICU experience. I've read here and it seems that CVICU is the best ICU experience, however, I've facinated by the brain and cognitive assessments. I'm so glad to learn there is Neuro ICU. I've been searching for and applying to Neuro CC/ICU positions. Most of the new grad programs in critical care I'm applying for are cardio. I'm willing to do that for now to learn the ropes but I can imagine myself wanting to move to neuro after one,two (?) years. Can anyone tell me if Neuro CC/ICU will come back to haunt me down the line when I go into emergency nursing? Should I not talk about my interst in neuro at the new grad interviews? I don't want to do neuro med/surg only becuase I do want to move to ER someday and want to start with critical care. Can anyone tell me who is in Neuro CC/ICU the pros and cons of this path? Do neuro patients have cardio issues too? Thank you

Hi there, I'm in a similar boat as you. Nursing will be my second career and I'm aiming to land in critical care/intensive care in June when I graduate with my ASN. I'm also plan to do an ASN to Masters program in the future. I talked to advisors from University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) at the job fair last week in Sacramento, CA. I think most would agree UCSF is a pretty kick-ass school/program. She was ultra nice and wrote down for me the following regarding their Masters programs: advanced practice ped nursing, acute care ped NP, adv. prac. neonatal nursing - 2 years exp. nurse midwife - 4-5 years L&D, or related critical care/trauma (CNS) at least 1-2 years, typically 4 years acute care NP - at least 1-2 years, typically 2 Hope this helps; it's one school; I'm guessing they may all vary somewhat.

I'm graduating in June and applying for my first RN job and could use some advice. Ultimately, I want to end up in the ER of a trauma center someday. For now, I'm following the advice to get critical care/ICU experience. I've read here that CVICU is the best ICU experience, however, I've facinated by the brain and cognitive assessments. I've been searching for and applying to Neuro CC/ICU positions. Can anyone tell me if Neuro CC/ICU will come back to haunt me down the line in a few years when I go into emergency nursing? Can anyone tell me who is in Neuro CC/ICU the pros and cons of this path? Thank you