Mo_RN

4

In nursing school we were instructed to use 1-1 and a half inch needles IM, depending on the patient's chubbiness. But now on the floor, some nurses actually use five-eigths needles on skinny adolescents for deltoid injections. My colleagues also insert 1 and a half inch needles only half way when administering IM. I question this.

Just wondering what the job was like?

How could I even get 2 yrs experience without certification?

I am an ADN graduate considering school nursing. I've noticed that the job requirements include certification and or BSN graduate. Can you still get certified with ADN for employment or is that just offered to BSN nurses? :typing

Thanks for your responses--and taking the time to reply to me. From what I hear it sounds like it might work for me. How long was your orientation? :typing

I was told the nurses get around 17 patients--is that comparable with what you get? How do you prioritize and chart on 17 patients?

New grad considering working in nursing home. Pay is decent, hours are great...is it as bad as everyone says?

I am having the same problem. :bluecry1:I applied to one hospital for 9 positions--only one of those I really wanted, but kept applying for other positions JUST to see if they'd call me back for anything! ell, they never did. That same hospital interviewed my friend and didn't call her back for over a month! She's got the job, but GEEZ!! I think maybe they are just busy, but they should have the decency to at least call back. Says a lot about it's facility.

I would interview a little more and apply to more hospitals, even though they may say they don't hire new grads. What have you got to lose by applying? I'm a new grad also, and there are some hospitals that will take new grads. Did you call the HR departments and ask? IMHO if the facility wants to hire you that quickly, then maybe you might want to investigate that. Maybe the job is very stressful, nurse turnover high, nurse--patient ratio too high...etc. Just a thought.

Wow! I love these answers! It sure sounds like most of you knew from the start where your interest was. That's great to still be happy with your job...years later! I suppose you have more good days then bad, I'm assuming. Was your experience as a new grad what you expected?

Do you LIKE med-surg? I would imagine that it is very different from psych nursing?

I'm just curious where you had to start off? Did it help you get to where you are at now?

https://allnurses.com/forums/f8/new-grad-adn-difficulty-finding-work-327156.html Here...try this...:typing

I wasn't aware of you situation, but I like to hear when others feel like they BELONG at certain jobs. It must be a comforting experience to know that you are exactly where you need to be. AND you never gave up on nursing OR yourself. I hope I can feel that way soon! Check out my post earlier which details MY situation...I'd love your advice! :)

NURSE PT RATIO!

As long as you are an RN they don't care about GPA. We're not in school anymore, where they put your personal worth as high as your GPA. In the real world, if not seeking an intership/extership...they really don't care! :wink2:

I've never heard of the 'weekend program'? I'm in the Chicago area also and I haven't come across an opportunity like that! Sounds good! I hesitate working nights (I started a post that's active now with my situation) but 2 days a week sounds great!

Today's update: (I feel like I'm blogging). :wink2: I became desperate and submitted my application/resume to a local community hospital in the city...about 15 minutes from my house. HR called me twice in 24 hrs wanting to schedule an interview, though the position available is for tele...and I hate that! The hours are great...rotating weekends with one day during the week--for a total of 3 days a week on AM shift--what I wanted. I haven't called him back yet, because I dread tele, though everybody in nuring school push new grads to work med-surg or tele upon graduation. Another HR lady from a different hospital sent me some personality test to do online (about 65 questions) required for recruitment process--things like, how reliable are you, how you deal with conflict, are you a leader, etc. I don't even know what position this was for since I applied like 9 of them in the past month! This hospital is in walking distance to my house and only applied for part-time AM or PM shifts. I am still waiting to hear back from another hospital about a half hour away who had several openings in the specalty I want and have heard great things about their staff/floor, though I have never visited their unit. But I must admit that night shift position is still in the back of my mind, since I had my clinicals there in that specialty and know the staff and has a great environment all around. If it were any other shift I would be a very happy gal right now. My family is divided in their advice ...my husband thinks I'll be crabby all the time working nights, but my sister and father think it's great being able to take my kids to school and pick them up, cook, do homework, etc. But that just sounds very overwhelming, especially with the stress of being a new grad in addition to the lack of sleep. What would I do if my kid was sick and needed to be home or go to the doctor? Not go to sleep that day? What about Christmas break, summer,half days from school, etc.? Sorry, but this has been haunting me since I turned down that job offer about a month ago! Please help!

I just graduated from an ADN program (2yr. nursing school), which was difficult. Now that I am job-searching, some hospitals specify the requirement for the BSN nurse, so they may get hired more quickly and have more opportunities than the ADN nurse. This is what I have noticed in the past few weeks.

I don't have any advice, but I can relate to your story. Just before I graduated, my instructor told I was "thorogh" also and said that I was too slow. She also liked that I was SAFE, but said I shouldn't seek a telemetry/cardiac position because I'd never leave the floor. :chuckle I believe she was probably trying to show how to prioritize your time, though I think every nurse is different and you should never try to be someone you are not. Better be safe than sorry. :wink2:

Get the latest Kaplan review book. It comes with a CD ROM with a question bank. Also Saunders is good too. Ask your friends to burn you a copy if they already have them. Worked for me as a new RN.

I haven't had my orientation yet, but on my interview they described it as having hospital orientation for the first week or so. Then you would be orientated to your unit for na few weeks on day shift and then a few weeks on the shift you were hired for. I think the orientation is full-time and, of course, you are paid for it also. I'm sure orientation is different for each facility. Sounds like you are going into a better environment with better pay.

Hello fellow nurses! This is my first post on this site and I am looking forward to hearing from you! I have a dilemma as a new nurse. I turned down a job offer in the department I wanted to work in, since it was for night shift, and that doesn't appeal to me. I hear terrible stories about it and even the director told me a few new grads had to quit not that long ago due to that particular shift. Problem is, I am unable to even get HR people on the phone after submitting countless apps/resumes to other local hospitals. Either they don't call back or they want experienced nurse, which is very frustrating. I am considering going out of my specialty to get the hours I want, though I know I'm not a med-surg kinda gal. What would you do? Take the night shift position and be constantly tired and crabby or hold out for a better opportunity, assuming it's headed my way? Any other new grads having trouble with finding jobs? Pardon the icons...I have fetish for them! :loveya:

How was it working in a nursing home as a new grad?