maximaxi

Hello, I am a returning student starting an online program RN>BSN program @ Purdue Calumet University.I start January 2012. This will be my first time taking online classes & I'm stressed. Has anyone taken that program or are in it currently who could offer helpful advice?Any help,advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

I live in CHicago & work on a tele floor.They just closed my unit for the second time in 3-weeks,"due to low census". So now we have to call in 2 hours prior to our shift to the staffing dept. to find out where we will be floated. Tht's also if we don't get floated that day. We have been cancelled/"low censd" at least 1-day a week. - It's very frustrating.. I hope my floor opens again. A few of my co-workers have already started looking for jobs.

[qu ote=fawnsternurse;2759593]--------------------------------------------------------------------------------I work in a Chicago hospital now its 1: (4-6 pts) on a telemetry floor. On nights its Up to 1:9 pts. Which anyone working tele knows that's a horrible,& yes it does affect pt. care. That's if you don't add a dishcarg,admission,transfer,blood transfusion, cardiac drip, stage iv wound changes,of course no lunch/bfst1 Dealing w/crazy families, jerk off Dr.s. & of course every 100yr old is a full code... (no comment) I recently spoke with a recruiter in this area and was told that 12 patients to one nurse was a common ratio in the Northern NJ and NYC area. IS this true? If so this is awful! And they wonder why the nursing shortage! Can you someone please address this and tell me this is not so? (med surg) I passed this info on to the nurses I work with and they were furious to hear this.

Where I work we had a drug rep from the Lovenox company come in to do an inservice & posed the same question to her. She said the manufacturer suggests only to give it in the abdominal area. They say in the event that "something" where to happen if it where given somewhere else.. you could be asked why you gave it somewhere else other than where the manufacturer suggests.. hmmmmm... That was the answer I rcvd...:icon_roll

So you are saying you have applied everywhere & still no job? All the hospitals in your area as someone else posted. To all the nursing homes, all the home health agencies, looked at all the newspaper wanted adds for nursing. Looked at the Nursing spectrum section for jobs. Looked at all the online options as others have suggested? Craigslist, Monster.com, most local newspapers have online versions also. I believe all nurses.com has sections for that also.. Are you in contact with any of your previous classmates? Ask them about leads if they have already gotten jobs. You have to be very proactive.. Apply to any job,any department just to get your foot in the door. :icon_roll

Take a deep breath. No one is perfect. At my work the riders k+ or mag -have to be checked by 2-RNS w/ the order and signed off on the MAR.This is to prevent or assure no mistakes are made. We get usually 40meq riders. 1-bag.This may differ from facility to facility. Don't beat yourself up. When your new you always feel like your walking on eggshells anyway. Experience comes w/time. If you have any questions always double check w/someone else. They prefer you to ask, than assume your a miss know it all and make a big mistake.Believe me it is not worth it.Better to be safe than sorry.. Best wishes to ya.

Hi, Just thought I would share some good news. I have been working for 10 months now as a RN and just made employee of the month. It's a great feeling to be noticed for the work we do.Someones always watching. .When I found out my patient nominated me, I thought to myself, " now this is why I went into nursing. To make a difference if even to 1-person is worth it.

Hello, Well so far I have not experienced that. I work in a hospital that has a very diverse staff. I happen to be the only hispanic/Mexican on my floor. I haven't even been a RN that long & at the hospital that long (under a year) .Last month just made employee of the month for the hospital.To me that's a pretty good example to set. Sometimes it's the things that we don't say that makes a difference. I put my best foot forward. I just start each day optimistic. I believe in treating everyone equal. Hopefully I don't have to experience interacting w/ ignorant people. I learned that you just need to let go of the things you have no control over.

Wow, Simple ,sweet and to the point. Love it. You should be a teacher... Thannnnnnnnnnnnnks...

Hello, Im scheduled to take my ACLS in a month or so.Im not the best at the ekg stuff. What exactly should i expect? Is the majority on this?I was told we have to ge 100% on the strips? Of course im stressing over this.. Any advice would help. Thanks.

I need some advice.Please help. Im new RN and also newly off orientation at the end of my second week. I feel sooooooooo overwhelmed. I feel like the teams I have are so heavy.Sometimes I feel the team I have is just so overwhelming.Do I have the experience to handle this?Sometimes I just feel like crying.I hate to sound like such a baby.I wonder if when making the assignment the fact that im new should count for anything. Lunch/break what is that.. I have no time.I feel like im just watching the clock to get out of there. So from anyone with experience-when you have a heavy team how do you try to stay organized without loosing your mind.Sometimes when the patients are soooooooo sick it freaks me out.. I had a long week and had to vent.

I need some advice.Please help. Im new and also newly off orientation at the end of my second week. I feel sooooooooo overwhelmed. I feel like the teams I have are so heavy.Sometimes I feel the team I have is just so overwhelming.Do I have the experience to handle this?Sometimes I just feel like crying.I hate to sound like such a baby.I wonder if when making the assignment the fact that im new should count for anything. So from anyone with experience-when you have a heavy team how to you try to stay organized without loosing your mind.Sometimes when the patients are soooooooo sick it freaks me out.. I had a long week and had to vent.

How did you study. How long did you study for? I think the study strategy the ohter person gave is a good way. Going through each body system.You could go through 10 different books or resources.But if you arent studying the right way it is just a waste of your time.

Try ebay.

Don't let negative people influence what you decide to do.What may have been their experiences may not be yours. Everyone is different.Go to the websites of all the hospitals listed and see for yourself. Why do you think those hospitals have such a high turnover?Has to make you wonder rt?Do you really want to work somewhere because it's "trendy". Is that why you went into nursing?They forgot to mention what it costs to park at Northwestern a month. Last time I heard it was one hundred and something. I wish you luck in whatever you decide to do. P.s. I actually am from San Diego,CA..

I need your help with a certain topic. I went to an ASN program that offered a bridge program. After the first year in the summer we had the option to take the LPN class & take boards.That way you can work your last year of nursing school working and getting paid more money and gain experience. Many students did do this. Now heres the thing. Many of us who were working as LPN's now have taken jobs at hospitals now that we have graduated with our RN degree. I have a friend who is in limbo. He keeps asking me if there is a difference from working in a hospital vs the nursing home. He keeps saying he can make more money.He has been working there for almost 5 years. From cna to lpn to now rn. So he is somewhat attached. He said soon hes going to be getting his profit sharing. He said that hes been told theres nothing he can do in the hospital that hes already doing. I keep telling him the experience is very different. Also that his skill level will grow. Am i wrong in telling him that? I told him to come to this site and ask himself. So until he does what suggestions does anyone have that i can tell him? Please help me help a friend. THanks.

Try going to the websites for the hospitals.The following are hospitals I have heard that do take new grads in ER. Resurrection Hospitals,Weiss hospital.Sweedish Covenant hospital.Hope that helps. I know Northwestern/Evanston hospital & Lutheran Hospital dont.At least thats what we were told at the job fairs.

Did you buy the NLN-RN book? It helped. Go over the section that you have been having problems with.

Hi, I know a few people who failed the NCLEX_RN first time.I took a review class and passed the first time. I recommended that they take it and they did. They passed the second time. I don't know if im allowed to give the name of the review class on this site? It's a very well known one that has been around along time and the intructor is very funny.She goes over testing strategies. Try a book if you havent already by Mosby called Delegation,Prioritization and Assignment. Very helpful since those are big test subjects on the NCLEX. Stay positive and remember you made it through nursing school you obviously know something.

During your orientation at some point has your preceptor allowed you to take some of the patients from the team you guys are working with? My preceptor the first day let me shadow her.Then the next day I got 1 of our five patients and she got the others.Then the next day it was 2 and so on.She was still there,but I guess she's trying to slowly get me into feeling comfortable with having my own patients.By doing this you start trying to get a routine down.With being on the cardiac some of the patients are really complicated cases and she does help me. Often I feel overwhelmed, but I know I can always ask for help.I would rather ask to many questions and seem annoying vs not asking and risk making mistakes.

First that sucks about your situation.Things happen for a reason. Their loss not yours. Later you will look back & be glad that you are not there anymore.How supportive,informative would they have been down the road? I would ask the manager and the educator to please sit down with me and talk about exactly what the problem was. And be like this way I can use this information for any future jobs/orientation I will have. If you don't know what you did "wrong" or what you were deficient in how can you improve yourself? Hi im also in orientation and was wondering what type of questions was the educator asking you. Yesterday was one of first days I actually got the nerve to ask my preceptor how I did yesterday after my first 12 hr shift with her.I asked her as we getting our stuff and getting ready to get on the elevator. I was glad I did & I noticed that she seemed glad I was actually asking.She all of a sudden started letting her guard down and actually was telling me how I could improve. She was telling me how she has noticed that I have progressed from the first day &what she thinks the big thing for me is organizing/prioritization. I got the nerve after reading several posts on this site. Im glad I found ALLNURSES.com.I was once told by an elementry school teacher that there was no such thing as stupid questions.He said the stupid thing is not to ask. You get alot of advice from people with various levels of experience.You can look stuff up & if you can't find it start a net thread. Huh.. What a concept I love it. I also have told alot of my classmates about it.

im in the same boat.i just started this month.when i get out of my car before each shift i tell myself. you can do this. do you have a med cheat sheet yet? example-common cardiac meds & action? just wondering. organization tips?

Theres a book by Mosby called Prioritization,Delegation & Assignment. I used it while studying for my NCLEX-RN & was glad, b/c it really helped.

Ooops :uhoh21: Im new & just did that yesterday..Actually my preceptor actually went to the same school. I think in nursing school they condition you to be like that. You just don't want to do the wrong thing. Now i know. She said to me, "your going to find things are different in the "real world".

Yes it was required as an exit exam for our school.Any specific questions about it? It is true the NCLEX questions are not as straight forward.Critical thinking, prioritizing questions. If you havent taken the HESI yet, read from front to back the HESI book. This book can also help you study for the NCLEX exam.