2ndcareerRN_2004

Wow, I am so glad I found this thread. I know this is an older thread, but this is exactly how I feel. It is nice to know that others have experienced this too. I feel like I can't see the end yet for it is way too far away. Everyday I ask myself why I am doing this? I have straight A's, but clinical is just brutal. I try my best, but there are just some CRNAs that are plain mean and rude. There are things that I need to work on in clinical and everyday I try my best. I have many more months to go and I am not sure how I am going to endure this any longer. My only saving grace is that I change clinical sites. I am optimistic it will be better there.

Congrats to all of you that gotten in. that's awesome! I have my CRNA interview next month and I am so nervous... I am so not the typical applicant, still in the ICU (one day per week as a per diem) and work in another facility's ICU on occasion as an agency RN, work part-time in a PACU, and work agency in a very busy ER. Overall, I work 60+ hrs week in a critical care setting...I am so nervous that I will be looked down upon in my interview b/c of all of this. (Used to work full time in an ICU before I went agency). I have shadowed an CRNA and work with them in my PACU, so I know this is what I want to do. Just very nervous! Do schools ever look at one's graduate grades... I have a MS in engineering and did this before going through an accelerated program. Did well in that, but still very nervous. Any advice?

Thanks everyone so much for all of your advice. Unfortunately my current job does not have paid time off. I am a weekender (sp?) and do 3-12 hr shifts Fri-Sun night 3 out of 4 weekends in a row. If I don't work I don't get paid. The thing that stinks too is that I have an hour commute, which I didn't mind before, but now the >14 hrs 3 days in a row is awful. I have given my notice at my current job, with next weekend being my last. It has just been way too much for me. I am going to work agency in an ER, in a hospital 15 minutes away from my home. I have been doing this agency job for awhile, so it is like I am staff there, but I have never done it as my only job. I think it will be better b/c I can work as little/much as I want and I will be closer to home. As far as the nausea/vomitting goes, some days it is really bad and other days it is bearable. I am now up to 8 mg zofran and my OB also prescribed reglan for me, which seems to help some. Crackers, ginger ale, ginger tea just don't work for me, I wish they did. I will try mints. I just feel like other RNs I work with aren't very sympathetic to my adversion to smells, vomitting in pts rooms, etc. It just makes me want to crawl in a hole and not come out. The only thing that makes me feel a bit better is sleeping, which unfortunately I can't do on a 12 hr shift. Thanks everyone for the advice and the well wishes and please keep it coming. I really appreciate it. I do hope this gets better soon. I was sick with my son for 15 weeks, not nearly this bad... does this mean it is a girl?

Hi Everyone, I am sure there have been posts like this before, but I need some advice. I am 11 weeks pregnant and have been having a hard time with hyperemesis gravidia. I have already recvd IVF, am on zofran for nausea. But nothing seems to help with the n/v and the constant fatigue. This is my second pregnancy and I can only hope it gets better soon. Anyway, I am having a very difficult time working as a RN during this time. The smells of the hospital are awful. I work 12 hr weekends nights, although I am going to be an agency RN starting in July (have been doing agency since Jan), and find that my once loved 12 hr nights (1900-0700) to be extremely exhausting. I am having a hard time taking care of my patients, almost don't want to take care of them. It is so hard to take care of others when you feel so awful yourself. I have thrown up at work and have had staff laugh and say "oh that is part of being pregnant" I don't know what I want to do, but all I want to do is crawl in a hole, away from everyone and come out once I am feeling better. Can anyone emphatized with me? Am I going crazy? I am on my 1st 12 out of three this weekend and I really want to call in the next two b/c of how awful I feel. Prior to being pregnant, I generally liked my job, now I absolutely hate it. Please any advice would be helpful. Thanks everyone.

Hi All, So I got the float pool weekend position - start in Feb.Cannot wait, less time for my baby in daycare and more money! I am a little nervous b/c it is med/surg general float (although I can go to the ICUs). I have worked on a busy tele floor, but have been doing ICU nursing for over a year. They told me that once I came on board, I could always transfer into critical care float pool should a weekend position open up. I am staying per diem at my ICU job, so I won' lose my skills completely. I am ready for a change, and I am ready to not deal with the unit BS/politics, so I specifically applied for a float position. I will only be doing it 3/4 weekends a month (so 9 days a month). Am I nuts? Any other float people out there? Right now, I just want to do what is best for my family.

Thank you so much for all of your replies. Right now I am not in a good situation and am trying to weigh my options. I have a child To top all of this off, I got a very quick orientation and a lot of my coworkers are very hostile towards everyone. I feel like there is no one I can trust on my unit. I feel terrible and depressed b/c I have only been at this job for less than six months, but I am looking for a way out. I had worked at a per diem job (prior to this job), where I really liked my coworkers, but I thought it would be better for my family if I took a job with benefits. I interview for a job last Thursday (weekend position at another hospital), but it was float pool. I have done a year of telemetry and a year of ICU, and I like both of them, and it would be nice to float and expand my skills. Thank you so much again for all of your replies. I really appreciate it.

Hi All, I am considering doing float pool nursing in a hospital b/c it would mean better pay and better hours. I am also thinking it would be nice to not get involved with unit politics. Any advice? Advantages? Disadvantages? I am in a very toxic unit right now and it is absolutely horrible. I try to ignore it, but I feel like I get caught up in it all, by even ignoring it. I am looking for a change. Thanks in advance!

TrudyRN, I can totally sympathize with your pain you are feeling. I know this may not be a comfort, but I am working in a toxic environment too and am feeling very depressed about it. I just want to quit. The problem is that I have been at the job for 3 months and I feel like this would look bad to another employer, especially since I left my full-time job to do per diem after my son was born in March. Then I thought I was ready to go back full-time at another facility and it is not working out on so many levels. My schedule is terrible and my child is in daycare way more than what I want him to be and it is just a very hostile environment. Plus all the guilt that I have leaving my child in daycare. I just don't know what to do, but all of this has left me very depressed. I hope things work out for you. I will be thinking about you.