RN-Diane

I am also a new nurse. At the facility I am at, I have been the relief charge nurse too times. Each of these times, I have had major staffing problems. There were nurses on the schedule who did not show or who had been taken off the schedule without staffing being notified. I have had to reassign and rearrange patient assignments 20 minutes after shift change. These same days there have been nurses who have more experience (by several years), but refuse to charge. They also make about twice as much as I do. I have been working 4 twelve hour shifts a week, so I am cutting back to 3 for a change. I could vent all day, but shouldn't. We will get by and by better nurses for it. I try to be very supportive of the new orientees.

I have heard about these Z-coil shoes. Kindo hard to find and very expensive. I mean like $170. But they supposedly have a lifetime warranty. They have a spring in the heal that aligns your back. I know three people who swear that they have been a cure for their back pain.

Maybe you could start by telling them that you know they are busy. then just say, "I would love to help you if there is anything I can do for you so you can have a chance to look at the IV for XYZ. I think this is what is happening with it." I am an orientee at a hospital. Stuck in the middle. I have lots of questions for my preceptor, but I also love to show students if I am doing anything interesting!! Good luck!

I have not read all of the responses, but I do have some input. As a student and a new nurse, you would be a great source of info for me. I can't see how nurses think they could manage without you. I consider myself good at patient care (but still have tons to learn). However, I don't know up from down when it comes to paperwork, finding things, knowing the doctors, ect. I hope things get better for you.

Good for you schooldays. Seems like you found a solution that worked well for you. My grandpa always quoted that song that says "You've got to stand for something or you'll fall for anything." He was so wise!!

I knew people in nursing school who never did one thing by themselves. Every quiz, worksheet, careplan, ect. was a group effort. They cheated themselves through all of nursing school. They all passed NCLEX, so as for the whole sorting out thing....not sure. You can still learn plenty when you cheat, but it is still cheating. I am just glad that I do not have to work with any of them because they will probably need their hand held just to clock in. Anyway, I think Lilpeanut made a good point. When there is any sort of "cheating patients" going on in the workplace, it is important to report it. It is very scary that these students are in clinicals with patients. I also think it is sad that we are the #1 (I think) most trusted profession, but there is so much lying and cheating going on. If everyone knew how some people got through nursing school, we probably would not be as trusted.

I worked and went to school both full time. My work was really awsome about letting me work the days I could fit into my school schedule. I worked a couple doubles because it was better for me. I do think that my grades were affected though, but I made it!

I like urbane scrubs, but am not sure if I am tall or short or if they have petites. I do know that they do not have the excessively large crotch. I think the website might be www.urbanewarehouse.com. Hope it helps. I also shop from Jasco uniform company online. they carry several different brands.

Echota, my friend took hers in Cali and said it took longer to find out. I am not sure how long though. Good luck

I have to say that if it bothers you, you should do something. I was in a similar situation. At the top of each of our test, we had to sign the honor code. I felt like if it somehow came out and the teachers knew that some students could have taken steps against it, I was going to be in trouble. An anon. letter is the way that one of my classmates went about it. The only problem she had, was that the professors came to class and said that if they did not have names, method, ect that they could do nothing.

As a student, I had a patient who was arguing with her hubby. She called and asked me for water (or something-- this is not the part of the story that I remember). I told her that if she needed anything else to use the call light. A minute later, I was walking down the hall when her call light went off. I was by her door, so I knocked. No answer. I opened the door and walked in on her pleasuring he husband. Apparently one of them had accidentally hit the button. I could not believe that she, who was in pain and stuck in bed, was doing that for her husband who had been so mean to her all day. I guess they were just "making up."

I can make no promises, but I know of 6 friends of mine who all had 75 and passed. I also did. Most of mine were priorities and pharm. We all went to the same school and used similar study materials, so that might mean something too. Remember that if you get a question right, you get a more difficult question, so maybe it is a good thing that it seemed difficult. Good luck!!!

Before I took mine, I used two really helpful tools to get ready. I had the Saunder's NCLEX review. You can find it at hasting's or Books a Million. It has a CD that breaks down into sections. When you anser a question, it gives you a detailed rationale. I also used a book called Frye's 3000 nursing bullets. I had read it once during school, but in the few days before my test, I went through the index and looked up topics I new nothing about, especially medications. There is also a HESI/NCLEX book that breaks into sections and give test taking hints. I read my test taking strategies the morning of the test whil having breakfast. I am lucky enough to be a good tester, some people aren't. My hubby had a 3.98 GPA when he applied to pharm school, but could not get the minimum score on the PCAT at first. Hope that this helps somebody!!

I know two nurses who are both very smart and great nurses now who took all the questions. Both began ICU internships shortly thereafter. Good luck!!! Keep us updated.

I felt the same after mine. I had told my soon to be husband that if I had the minimum # of questions that I probably failed. I thought I would have to spend my wedding week and honeymoon pouting and worrying. (I took the test 6 days before I got married.) A friend told me that if I thought it was hard, maybe I had been answering the questions right. You know how if you get the question right, you get a harder one next. Makes a little sense. I have not heard anyone who has come away from the test feeling chipper. I am sure you both did great!!!!!!!!!! Good luck in you r future nursing jobs.