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!

22k working part time as an LPN while finishing school.. Ready for that number to start changing now that I got a nice full time RN hospital job :)

You all make me feel much better!! I'm going to try to get my mind off of myself & put 100% to learning!

Ah, very nice :) Thank you!

I was talking to a non-nurse friend today about how my training is going & she teased me saying every converstation we have I say something about how nervous I always am! I'm on week 6/12 for my training in an ICU, and half the time I either feel like "Woah I cant believe I work here & I'm actually doing a good job!!" & the other half of the time I feel "Oh man, oh man dont mess up!!!" I have two preceptors- one... one I think this may be their first time in a leadership role & its getting to their head & they backhand compliment me all the time- even so far as blame me for missing something during the shift- when they are supposed to be training me & I've never even heard of doing what it is that we missed! So I think its stressful being with this one... I just try to go along with her friendly mind games, knowing in a few weeks I wont be trained by them & I DO value their knowledge and support.. just not the drama.. & with this one I am most nervous.. The other nurse preceptor I have is AMAZING- SO laid back, tells me I'm doing amazing, gives me confident boosts ALL the time- But occasionally I have this thing about teasing myself if I'm unsure of something or nervous about something, and she thinks thats really weird... & oh my, though I work at the most team-oriented amazing floor that exists (in my opinion ) I do have continual butterflies in the tummy thinking about the day that I'm on my own- THAT is nervewracking!! The thing is, I have a pretty awesome orientation process in general- and I dont want the nerves of trying to be perfect, or thinking about when I'm on my own, to ruin my days off! How do I get over this?? How do I get some confidence, which is the one thing my preceptors say I'm lacking?? Thanks everyone :)

love it!!!

Yea I'm nervous!! But it's at a teaching hospital with a great reputation, so I'm confident in them, kinda nervous for me though! & 12 weeks :)

AZ my sister got $26, I got $30

I called the background company to make sure all was well cause they needed additional info re a past job, so that's how I know it's done.. But cool about my guess! I'm a HR genius! Haha jk, but thanks you two!

I know I'm super anxious about everything, & I always want stuff to be "done", but I just wanted to vent about this one I got hired (thank you Jesus!!) at my dream hospital on my dream floor over 2 weeks ago. I put in all the info to do my background check the day after I was hired, and it was finished last Monday (a week and a half ago). I was told that as soon as my background check is done, I'll get called in to do my physical & sign all my papers. I STILL havent heard back from the lady in charge of that! I called the other HR lady I was talking to prior on Thursday & she said the other will be in touch with me soon. I wonder what the deal is! I mean, I know I still have a week and a half til orientation, but I just want to have that paperwork in my hands, physical done, I want it to be OFFICIAL ya know? I guess my only thought is they like to surprise people about the time of going in for the physical in case they are on drugs they can catch it?!?! lol.. silly, maybe theyre just busy... Ok vent over :)

My favorite are little old ladies with dementia who say the funniest things! I wish I could remember half the things I've heard, but they're my favorite patients. That, and the sweet, kind, polite old men, the type that are just about extinct now...