janis9799

I graduated May 2008, work nights in the ICU. The day shift has this one horrible nurse who is completely burned out and makes everything difficult for newbies. She gave me crap one day because I did not know why a pt. was transferred into the ICU other than they kept desating badly. She said it was something I should know. We just got a new computer charting system, so sometimes finding things is hard and I couldn't find any info other than what I had got. It was a busy night, pt was stable blah blah. I asked her to suggest where I look in the chart to find the information other than in the place it was supposed to be but wasn't. She didn't have an answer. What she was really annoyed at was her assignment was heavy so she just felt like picking on someone. I had a long tiring night at 35 years old, I didn't really feel like being lectured ad nausea, so I looked up and said in a firm but not nasty voice,"I understand that you are frustrated with your assignment this morning, but there is no need to speak to me this way." She backed off, later appologized and when I FINALLY tracked down the info she wanted, she said that she was glad I found it because she couldn't either. She hasn't bothered me since. So I suggest just using my line,"There is no need to talk to me like this or treat me like this." Keep it as emotionless as possible and you can't get into trouble saying it. Stand up for yourself, bullies usually back down without being snotty.

I did think the first semester was the roughest...but you are right it is all rough. I was working on prereqs when my husband left me. I took a year off for the divorce, then went back three weeks after the divorce was finalized, finished my prereqs over two semesters then embarked on the two years of nursing school to get my bachelors. It was so hard. I felt guilty all the time because I missed alot with my kids. My ex lives 500 miles away so I don't have the every other weekend thing. The first two years they went for all holidays and most of the summer...but now he doesn't even call them. I live with my mom, who works alot so it wasn't like I had lots of help. At least once a semester (usually towards finals) I would break down and have a good cry...pity party...table for one. LOL! I graduated in May and my boys were so proud of me and happy. I didn't really have a choice to put it off because I desperately needed the ability to support them, and now I can pretty well. So in the end it was worth it, but there were days during it I felt like it might not be. Keep your chin up, you can do it. And if you really feel you can't then maybe take a sabbatical. At least do something nice for you...and make the most out of time off that you do have...winter breaks and summer breaks...I found Thanksgiving weekends and Spring Break I always had work to do. Good luck.

My ex husband (not a nurse) has bipolar. He did not stay on his meds thinking he was fine.The disease tricks the person who has it to think they are ok and everyone else has the problem. He became sicker and sicker every year and I could never get him to take his meds. He always blamed me for his troubles. He decided to leave me four years ago in search of something better and less of a hassle. For me this was the best thing he could have ever done since he was pretty emotionally and mentally abusive. He has gotten even worse after the divorce and because of his behavior which then was directed towards the kids, I got custody and was allowed to move out of state to finish my degree. Then he lost his job twice in the last three years. His family is seeing how off he is and they have pulled away. He has gotten so bad he doesn't even call our children, even when they leave him messages. He has nothing and no one anymore...and I often wonder if regrets not trying to get help before he lost everything. He was an immense jerk to me...but I still feel slightly bad for him. I would not want to see you mess up your life in the way that I have witnessed bipolar mess up my ex's. Try to get help, if you have bipolar you really aren't aware what your behavior seems like to the outside world. Please don't let what happened in my family happen to yours. Get help!

This one is specifically looking for answers which is pretty easy to find in the ways I described, and that is why I have a problem with it.

What is going on with students on this site lately??? This is the third question from a student looking for us to answer a question that can be easily answered by reading notes or your book, or googled. I don't mind people asking a tricky nclex style question that have two answers that could be right, but this is just a straightforward question that just requires good old fashioned studying.

You did the right thing.Sure it wasn't her priority if she had to give the pt. meds...but doesn't mean it couldn't be your priority. Not like you told her she needed to set up the lamp. I don't think you said anything out of line as long as it wasn't in front of pts or family. Unfortunately, as a new grad nurse (former CNA) in the ICU I see two kinds of nurses...those who complain and are miserable and try to spread that around to everyone else and those who really care. I ignore the ones who are miserable and kill 'em with kindness. Good luck with your supervisor meeting, I hope they are on your side. Let us know what happens.

I graduated May 16th, on May 19th I was in my two week Kaplan NCLEX class. I took the boards on June 25th and passed. I recommend getting it over with as soon as you can. I was kicking myself that first day in the Kaplan's class for not taking off a little time because I was tired of studying etc. But I am a procrastinator and figured if I knew I only had a few weeks to study rather than a couple of months that I would probably wind up studying the same amount of time, but worrying longer over whether I would pass or not. So I just wanted to get it all over with. I was one of the first in my class to take the test, and subsequently watched people stress well into July/August about passing. My stress was over and I could enjoy the few weeks I had off before I started my job. Good Luck!

I was going to say something very similiar...because truly that is who we are doing it for most of the time. I also agree with the other poster who suggested that this might be a control issue, which I would consider if your husband usually tends to have problems with things or picks on things just to pick fights. If not I would really stress that usually the people you do this for are like a baby, have Alz or are not in their right mind anyway, and usually have poop or vomit on them, and smell like old people. It really is like bathing a baby. Janis

1. How long (years) have you been a nurse? 2. What is your annual gross income? $53,000 3. Do you have an Associate or Bachelors degree? Bachelors. At hire I was told that there was no difference in pay for ADN or Bachelors but I found out I am indeed making $0.75 more then the new grad ADNs who started with me. 4. How long have you worked for your present employer (seniority)? New grad 5. On average how many hours do you work weekly? 36 hours, I am still following a preceptor, so I am not picking up any overtime yet. 6. Do you work during the week, over the weekend, both? We have to do two weekends a month and I am working nights, differential included in my gross salary. 7. What is your gender? Female

Plus four...on the floor. :chuckle

Just for background, I did really well in nursing school and in my clinicals. Was always described as organized, good assessment skills etc. I was also a cna for over two years. I just started at a hospital that told me orientation for ICU was 12 weeks. The first two weeks was hospital orientation, then we started a critical care course that is five weeks long, twice a week, eight hour days. This class used to be twice as long and this is the first time they have condensed it. We are also working a 12 hr and 8 hr day with a preceptor to make up our 36hrs. Most of us are not doing well in the class. Some people have failed one or both of the tests.There seems to be too much information at one time to be able to memorize by the time test time rolls around usually a week after they have taught the material. They are really disappointed in us and think we aren't studying or that they are not teaching well. They asked what the problem seemed to be and when we all said it wasn't enough time to absorb all the information we were told we needed to be organized as critical care nurses and basically told us when we said that the class used to be longer that the hospital cut the class time because of $$. Basically they didn't listen to our input and said too bad. And threatened that if we didn't do better that our managers who get our scores may not keep us for the unit. Also if you failed any test you either did a remedial packet for the dysrhythmias test (most failed due to the test having 160 questions and 90 minutes to take the test...measuring strips was the bulk of the test) or if you failed the second test you had to retake the very same test over to pass. Wondering how people really learned anything by doing that. Then I was pulled aside (on the floor I am one of the stronger new grads) and the educator said they wanted me to be on my own by the first week of Oct. Three weeks earlier than I am supposed to be. I failed the first test because I ran out of time and didn't answer all the questions, and barely passed the second test. I am scared this is too soon, and worried my lack of readiness could hurt someone. I am partially hoping in a month I will feel better...but with our preceptors having three patients most everyday it is hard to really go over things. Am I whining or are my feelings valid?

I just graduated with a Bachelor's in Nursing from University of Maryland. They have a Master's program for people with Bachelors in another field, called Clinical Nurse Leader. Basically, they give you the same nursing classes as the Bachelor's program and add a few classes related to being a clinical nurse leader, and they award you a Masters. You would wind up being a floor nurse for awhile just like someone who had a Bachelors in Nursing but with some experience if there were a promotion you would have a better chance of getting it over someone who only had the Bachelors. Here is a link to the page: http://nursing.umaryland.edu/programs/ms/accel.htm Good Luck!

I started nursing school when I was almost thirty-three, and a single mom, living with my mom so I could go back. I remember feeling about a month before starting school that I should have felt estatic about getting in and finally starting...pretty much I felt scared and some dread facing the prospect of working so hard. I worried about how my kids would do with me in such an intense program. I felt that way the whole first month in school. It was hard and I felt somewhat overwhelmed at the amount of new material...but then it started clicking after the first round of tests. I enjoyed nursing school. It was hard but not so much for me in a hard to grasp way but that it was just like a marathon. The guilt was always hard for me, you know when you are spending time with the family, having fun one day once in awhile...I would always think that there was something I needed to do for school that I should be doing. But you have to have a break, so don't feel to guilty when you take a break. It was all worth it last week when I got my very first check as a ICU nurse :) My son's birthday is this week and I am able to afford to do more for his birthday than ever before. We are going to a major league baseball game the day before his birthday ( he doesn't know, it's a surprise) and I was able to buy him some really nice gifts. Next week when I shop for my boys school clothes, I won't worry how to pay for it. For me this stuff is important because we have been poor as church mice since my divorce. And I do love what I am doing...though I feel a little like I did the first month of nursing school...overwhelmed and tired trying to learn as much as I can on the floor and taking a month long intense critical care course. But this will pass and I will eventually get into the groove of it. You will too and nursing school while you go through it seems at times long, goes by so so fast. I made some of my dearest friends in nursing school too. You have alot to look forward to. You have no idea how cool it is going to be.

I would have had a giggle at that as a former waitress, retorts that come to mind are,"Well, at least I am highly paid waitress." Or if I was feeling particularly smart,"and you are a glorified carpenter." What a dumb comment that surgeon made.

I took out student loans and worked part time to live. I am a single mom of two boys, lived with my mom, and a little bit of child support, but still had some expenses. I am coming out with $28,000 debt through stafford subsidized and unsubsidized loans that I took out over the course of three years. The expense is and was worth getting my degree. My payment will be about $350 a month, which I can afford. I know that sounds like alot but really it isn't. Not that I say do loans without trying other avenues but it helped me.