DaughteroftheKing

Yea maybe I just need to find my niche. And @ArtClass, I love my life very much even at my job, I just would highly rather not be THERE, thats the problem.

I guess I am burnt out.. I worked in a SNF as a CNA & LPN through nursing school, and the last, almost 4 years I have worked in a Neuro ICU. I applied for and interviewed for a float RN position at a hospital near home, and didn't get it because I didn't know enough about cardiac care in emergent situations (big ding in the interview- I didnt know the bolus and infusion dose of Cardizem.) Anyways, I do love Neuro and I couldnt imagine being a med/surg or tele nurse, I think its just my catty, gossipy, unit I just feel "done" with. I also feel like in general it is time for me to move on. I dont know what the point of this post is, maybe just to rant, but I hear so many people just surviving their nursing jobs for the paycheck, and I want hope that as I continue searching and praying and studying, there is hope for me to get a job I actually dont dread going into the next day. (I have 19 hours til I have to be at work and Im already bummed about it.)

Sounds awesome!!! A new start to the rest of your life! I got a job as a new grad in the Neuro ICU a year and a half ago & its all been great :) Have fun on this journey & get ready to learn tons!

13 months off orientation & 3 good weeks of studying & I PASSED TODAY!!! yay!!! :) Thanks yall for your replies! :)

Hey ya'll... I'm a neuro nurse with only one year off orientation in a neuro ICU. I really want to take my CCRN this year so that my unit will pay for me to take my CNRN next year- and I like to get things done sooner than later... and I'm a pretty good test taker. Anyways, I'm studying a lot of cardiac cause I've had ZERO CABG pts, ZERO IABPs, ZERO experience with PACs... so like I said, lots of studying over here... I'm listening to the Laura Gasparagis tapes & studying her "Pearls" book, and taking the practice tests off "Pass CCRN." On the practice tests I get 50-60% generally. For those of you that have taken the test, would you say this is pretty indicitive of how I will do on the exam? Thanks!

I just heard of this last week!! So gross & so stupid!

Dream job sounds like a good idea.. Rather have a dream job than one where I have to tough it out lol

I guess this is a reverse rant haha... I started at my job a few months ago, and got a sufficient orientation with preceptors who sought out learning experiences for me at all times. I was always able (and still am) to ask a million questions, and "talk through things" to make sure I have it right without them laughing at me. Anyways, the other night I feel like I had such a good shift. To begin with, I work in an ICU as a new grad RN with some experience as a CNA & LPN.. So the fact that I can actually manage most of these (except the highest of acuity, that havent given me those yet thank God), is so exciting to me to begin with. This night, I had pretty slow patients, so I was able to help the nurse next to me give a bath at an unexpected time when her patient projectile vomited everywhere, and then sit with her, as she had dementia and was trying to get out of bed with a C-something fracture. I used to work on a dementia unit as an aid and really miss these patients sometimes so it was really nice just sitting next to this woman chatting for a while. Then, I was able to help the other nurse next to me take her pt to a pre-op CT, and we talked too, I've helped this woman before, and she (the pt) told me "My daughter and I just love you. The other nurses give me good care, but you are so sweet, you are just a 'complete' nurse" Awww she just melted me then!! She ended up having some BP issues & I got down to one pt, so I helped out there for a couple hours. In the ICU, you either seem to get much worse and it's sad, or you get better, but you get transferred to a floor room or a rehab facility, so its rare for us to see someone just get "all better" lol. But one my patients I had 3 nights in a row, by the last night, had all his pressors off, his EVD taken out, his pain controlled, his bp controlled, his art-line out & his IV saline locked & he was getting to go HOME! It was just such a great last day for me, I thought I'd share :)

Oh so my answer would be neuro icu :) TONS of patho, tons of leanring and even more skills!

I agree with always acting like it's an interview... I also got hired on my dream floor, the neuro icu, right out of school after making a good impression there.

I did :) Got the two day class woohoo!

Oooh I just had my last day of orientation this weekend & got to see a organ harvesting surgery- it was so awesome!! Anyways, this topic was brought up by some of the docs- we had the heart team fly in via private jet, and the other teams say they usually go via ambulance with lights, and sometimes the donor services company drives (fast).

Wow 6 months at some places, thats crazy! Im in a neuro ICU on week 9 of 12 & they say I'm doing well & they think I'm ready to come off orientation, but the general consensus from the more experienced nurses is to take all 12 even if I'm "safe" at this point, just to have more time to learn the disease processes, treatments, etc. :) Plus I had about 120 of online critical care learning to do.

I HOPE they send me packing from the renewal course, I WANT every bit of info I can get!! I found the book but the 2011 edition is over $40 Oh well, I'll get it soon & start studying! Thanks everyone...

I need to take an ACLS course for my position in the ICU & the facility offers two- one is a two day comprehensive course and the other is a refresher course for those who have been ACLS certified- well, obviously I registered for the first, and my supervisor says I cant go to the two day one, I have to take the one day class, even after I described to her that I was not certified already... So I'm kinda bummed because this is some really valuable information- I'm not familiar at all with rhythms, just the pretty textbook kind, which they rarely actually look just like- and I want to be useful & help save someone's life! So, I guess I'm partially on my own- do any of you have any good books on the subject you would recommend or any other study tips so I can be prepared in the event of my first code? Thanks!