parrot07

Thanks everyone for comments. I do not get enough sleep and I know this is a factor. I also do not excercise enough. I have tons of excuses like I have a two year old keeping me busy,,, but I know its what I need to do. Just things I have to work on. I have been nursing for 2 years so I imagine as the years go by my immune system will get stronger.

Hi All! I work every weekend night shift. I feel like every weekend or at least many of them I leave sick. This past weekend I literally felt a chest cold coming on thru the night shift, and by morning totally lost my voice, coughing. I know working night shift is bad for the immunity but its what I do. I have airborne I just started. I just don't know how to get my immunity up where I can fight this stuff off. It doesn't help to have patients coughing all over you for 12 hours straight. Any suggestions or comments?

Hi nurse friends! This post is for me and symptoms I have been having and can't figure out. Was hoping for ideas or maybe someone has or knows someone with these symptoms. In the last 4 months or so I have had 4 "attacks" where I suddenley get upset stomach, diarrhea, at the same time feel nausea and sometimes throw up. Then my hands and feet become incredibily itchy and feel like they are on fire. Sometimes my HR increases as well and sometimes I feel faint. This attack lasts about 1 hour or so. When it is over I feel fine just tired. I saw an allergist who though maybe I was allergic to IBropfen since 2 out the 4 times I had an attack I had taken IBupropfen. So stopped taking that (which sux) This most recent one however I had worked night shift, ate a piece of cold pizza (great diet) took and ambien and went to sleep. No Ibupropfen It happened a few hours after waking. I am having a hard time finding relationships. I have an epi pen just in case it gets worse. I keep reading on google tons of stories like mine, but no one has a diagnosis. Any comments appreciated.

I used to do 3 12 hour night shifts..tried all different arrangements of shifts to see what worked best. Usually ended up do 3 in a row twice a month and then the other weeks breaking them up. It would take me days to feel rested. The next day I like to use the term "Zombie" b/c that is how you feel..totally out of it and want to sleep all day. It stinks. I do every weekend nights now...Monday is a total wash out b/c I sleep and then even when I wake I am still tired....but then that night I can't go to sleep. So messed up. Just gotta keep going. Try to sleep when you can.....and coffee.

Hi all, I have been a nurse since May 08. No one at my facility where I work ever really mentions CEU's. I see that they offer a credit here and there for some lectures/classes, but other than that I don't hear about it. I know it is state regulated and mandatory. I have no CEU's as of yet...well maybe a few but I have not kept track. My license expires Oct 2010. I have found some online stuff but don't know if it is accredited. The PA website is not clear on what is and is not acceptable. My question is.....what can you tell me about CEU's and have you found a reliable site online to get them? thanks

Thanks for the replies. Honestly at some point I was planning to go back to school. I do feel right now I would be going to relieve the "pressure". I don't want my hospital holding it over my head that I don't have my BSN and feeling like my job is threatened because of it. This has not happened but I hear a lot of chatter going on lately and kinda just want to start looking and get some ideas before its forced upon me.

Thanks so much for your reply. Yes I did turn it to continous first but the contents were kinda thick so it wasn't sucking it up there.....

Hi All.... So I have an Associates, and I am starting to feel a little pressure to get my BSN. Seems like more and more hospitals are now only hiring nurses with their BSN's. Not looking forward to going back to school but I also want to be the best I can be and stay competitive. Does anyone know off hand what the pre-reqs are for the BSN?? Also about how long does it take to complete and how many credits??? I am thinking about doing it online...but the few I have looked into are soooo expensive. Online would be great b/c I am a working mom. Does anyone have any insight on this or reccomendations? Thanks!

Hello. So I have been a nurse for 1 1/2 years. I have had some pt's with NG tubes. Recentely however I had one that was a salem sump NG tube. It was set up to suction and orders were to flush with 30 ml q 4 hours. Is this the correct nursing procedure steps? Disconnect NG from suction canister,,,,(does the contents from the canister end of the tubing leak out or are we supposed to clamp it somehow?) Insert 30cc of air into ng tube and listen for placement Insert 30cc of nss or water Insert air again???? Hook back up to suction. Big question- what is the blue tube for?? I know it has to do with air pressure and preventing suction to stomach wall,,, but do we ever mess with that?? Is it supposed to be open or do we clamp it??? Any guidance would be great. First time with the salem sump. Of course I went home and read up all about it, but I would like to hear RN's view on the process and any little secrets that help out. thanks!

Hello, I am about to accept a weekend position job. I want it b/c I have a 18mth old and would love to stay home as much as possible consistently with him. I currently work 3 12 hour night shifts on a Tele floor. I am tired all the time, and I hate how we are always driving or picking up the baby from somewhere cause I am sleeping half the day away. The downsides to the job is no weekends for family stuff. If I did 3/4 weekends a month I will be taking a 10 grand pay cut a year from what I make now. If I do 4/4 weekends a month I will be making more money :) but will have no weekends off ever. I can pick up shifts I guess if I took the 3/4 but I can't 100% count on that. I need to b/c my husband is planning on going back to school, so I will be the main supporter for a bit. Another negative is that I don't acrue any time, like vacation, sick, maternity etc. There is known of that. I get benefits though. Basically looking for anyone who has worked this postion and what it is like. I have only been a nurse for a year now and I am nervous about starting "new" at another hospital with such a different shift than I am used to. But I can't wait to spend m-f with my son. Working one less shift a week will be a blessing too I know. That 3rd 12hour shift kills ya. I work night shift by the way and this job is night shift as well. Any comments greatly appreciated...

Thank you so much for all the advice! On my floor we all carry beepers of which our patients are assigned to. Every time they go above limits, irregular rhythm, etc the beeper goes off. I never seem to know what I am looking at. A pocket book would be great, does anyone know of a pocket ekg book?? I had ACLS (ironically before having my dysrhythmia class- scheduling glitch!) I am trying to be patient with myself. Its hard enough being a new nurse just getting used to the hustle and bustle and the patient demands, to throw on top the Tele beeper that goes off non stop is a little mind blowing! Again thanks for the comments, it is nice to hear advice from those who have been in my shoes. I can't wait to start feeling comfortable at work like I know what I am doing!!!! I will be off orientation Jan 23rd. I will be doing night shift too.

Hello, I am a new nurse on a Telemetry floor. Just trying to get used to the beeping, and wires, etc. I am shaky with the rhytmns and obviously this is a huge part of the job. Does anyone have any book suggestions, or studyguides to help me better understand ekg monitoring and the different rhythms? Thanks!

thanks for responding to those that have..I know it is a bit personal but it helps me to know what to expect. there is a huge diff depending on where you live. bottom line = nurses should make more money

Hi All,, I don't want to get to personal, but for those of you that are ok with sharing some info, would you mind telling me what the range of hourly pay is around your neck of the woods? I hear many different amounts and I am just curious if the pay can differ as much as it seems. I am just looking for an average range. Thanks

how long did it take to hear back? when did you send resumes out? and lastly are you a GN? Congrats by the way! I hope you get the NICU job too,,that would be such an amazing place to start.

totally agree with you- you would think that the 2 years experience you have as LVN would qualify for something. I know..we were told all thru school we would be in such demand..even getting sign on bonuses!!!! yeah right. And the other thing to keep in mind is that the majority of hiring hospitals do is from within. All positions are offered to current employess first before everyone outside.

crazystudent- yes i know what u mean...we have to just start working and getting experience one way or the other. today i went on an interview for home health care and tomorrow i am going on an interview for mentally challenged residents. both jobs are not where i thought i would be... at all. but right now the hospitals don't want new grads. so maybe this is how its supposed to happen for me. it does upset me a little to hear that one of my friends just got accepted at a great hospital as a gn...(no prev experience) who has not taken boards. why would a hospital choose to higher a gn over an rn????? i dont get it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i am in the same boat....this is getting to be crazy. i really don't think i can do anymore... i did all hospitals in my areas online applications mailed my resume to attn of each nurse recruiter personally dropped off resume and i have been calling often here is what they tell me: they either want experienced nurses or they tell me they have filled their new grad quota. the most important thing was to be a gn or already work at a hospital to get your foot in the door. i thought by passing the boards fast i would beat everyone,,,not the case i should have been a gn. its so frustrating. so now i am going on interviews that are not the jobs that i want..but i am gonna have to settle i guess......

I guess I could try that,,but my schools clinicals were never really long..,.we would spend the most time in med/surg but I can't say I got to know the nurses/staff really well b/c just when we would kinda start to, we would have to move on. Unfortunetly we also did not have a practicum,,wish I really wish we had.

RN28MD- Ok so today I tried called and asked for the nurse recruitor- got her voicemail several times. I left a message but found myself not really knowing what I wanted to say. I basically said I was trying to follow up with my applications and would love to personally do so ...please call me....bla bla. I am pretty sure I won't be hearing back from her. Tomorrow I am going to 2 hospitals and I am going to the floors I know there are openings looking for the nurse manager. What do you think I should say to her- just that I really would like to work here and wanted to personally drop off my resume? I am also pretty sure that they won't take it,,but yeah it is worth a try.... still looking for a job...how frustrating...

Thank you to everyone who is respondng and giving their advice. :wink2:

Yup still NOTHING! What happen to the days of "sign on bonus" when they were begging for nurses!!?!?? I know the economy is bad and job hunting in general is on the slumps but you would think healthcare is an exception. It also seems like the hospitals don't want new grads b/c we don't have experience..How the heck are we supposed to get experience if we can't get a job. Maybe I am just being impatient. To those of you who recentely got a job as RN- How long did it take to hear back from them after applying??? What did you do to ensure they got your resume/follow up?? (when I call HR they tell me to go online,they don't do things personally anymore) ANY WORDS OF WISDOM GREATLY APPRECIATED

Hello all, Well I recently passed the boards(wow never want to do that again) and now I am need of a job. All thru school was told nurses are in demand bla bla..now it kinda seems like that is still the case but landing a job is a lot harder than I thought. Maybe hospitals don't want to hire new grads??? I have applied to many hospitals,,and heard nothing yet. Its been about 2 weeks. What else can I do? All resumes are done online..so you can't personally drop it off or make it stand out. When you call to confirm they got it,,HR tells you to check your application status online....so yeah I feel like I am getting nowhere. Any advice?????

I passed and I don't believe it,,,really I keep refreshing my computer screen to see if the words are still there....are these unoffical results really accurate???? I know I should just relax and just be happy,,I just can't believe it. I had myself absolutely positively convinced 100% I failed. I have never in my life been so anxietal over something..I couldn't sleep and felt like a failure. This test is something else,,it totally messes with your head. I still don't know how they pass and fail people. I send my thoughts out to all that are waiting I know how hard it is. Just have faith b/c miracles do actually happen and it did for me..thank you god. :)

Sorry I know it is freightening....I just need to stop thinking about it. It is what it is. GOOD LUCK!