KckStrt

I had to laugh... "3 weeks" They better offer much more time then that. I am going round and round right now with my directors because as a new grad I was given a department orientation of 12 weeks. No class room, no scenario based studies, just bam.. on the floor and see what we can get done.. Sure we had some handouts my preceptor and I were suppose to go over, cardiac protocols, and stuff like that, but there was never time and most days we couldn't just "choose" our patients, or she was wanting to chat with her friends about what went on over the weekend.. I feel like the hospital I am at has "failed me" during my training. I was given the same "orientation" to the dept a 10 year ICU nurse was given. I am in the process right now of either keeping my job with educational resources, that they have put together for the NEWEST GRADS starting in June, or moving on to another floor or even hospital... Not really sure why I wasn't given the same educational information and opportunities they are offering the new grads next month. Ok.. Sorry I am mad right now.. .so I will stop. You can do it, don't let anyone tell you other wise if that is where your heart is. You may have to get other exp, but who knows, you might already have some of what you need! Good Luck!

Both of these I read as well....

We, the hospital I work in, do have policies against taking pictures in our ED or the hospital in general. If you take my picture without my permission, watch out. I wont be pushed around by anyone. It's time nurses stand up for themselves and stop all this subservient crap.:bowingpur People have no right to push us around and treat us like their personal handmaiden. In GA if someone throws stool at you, or urine, did you know that it is assault. So take my picture at 3am and see how well that goes over. Our secruity is the greatest, besides, I am the pretty nurse and don't want my face splattered all over the internet!!!

We do give it prior to MD visit. Especially if they are waiting longer after triage, we don't need them vomiting all over the lobby and spreading whatever nasty they have, plus it helps with our over all scores when they get their survey .

We must have BLS, ACLS, PALS, ENPC and TNCC. Someone at work the other night used the term "Level 1 trauma center", funny thing is we have no surgeons on duty, just on call. We aren't labeled Lvl 1 but we take anything and everything.

43 here... just started in the ed jan 08, i love it, i just hate the drive there and back.

So... How did it go? I am sure they will want you, there aren't alot of ED pediatric RN's who leave and go to other ED's. I want to do peds as well in after a couple years where I am. We see a ton of kids anyway, so I have the best of both worlds. Good Luck!

Do you work with me? LOL... I love this.

I am a brand new RN, graduated in May 07, and new ED RN. I have been working in the ED about 9 weeks now and the other day I noticed things are starting to click. I pretty much hit the floor running at 7am. My preceptor checks my charting, if something she feels it out of my reach so to speak she lets me walk through it before finding myself in trouble. We have become an ED overwhelmed with Hold pts waiting for rooms, mostly ICU, so added to our ED duties we are also ICU RN's for most of each day. Things are falling together well. I am still unsure of myself at times, and I know there is so much more ahead of me to learn.

Congratulations!!! :dncgbby::dncgbby: I was told by a close friend "It's not enough to be a good dad, PLEASE be a good example!"

I am in my first year and on my second job. Reason was my wife relocated for her career. Both of my orientations have been 12 weeks. Now that being said, my first was a med/surg unit at a very large teaching hospital. It was fantastic, work was very hard but the resources where outstanding (didn't know I had it so good good until now). The teaching hospital also had a 16 week program for new ED nurses. The second job is in the ED and is 12 weeks, very informal, no advance practice nurse educators, preceptors are not paid for precepting, and my days and schedule are completely unorganized. This is a much smaller hospital. I think the larger teaching hospitals have much more money and are exactly that TEACHING. I have had the luxury of coming from that and this transition has been hard for me, but I will make it. The staff in the ED I am in are very knowledge able, all my certifications (BLS, ACLS, PALS, TNCC....etc.) are paid for and I am paid while I am there, there are resources available I just have to know where to look. Hope this helps and you find where you want to go. For me there is nothing worse then going to a job that I am unhappy at.

mine asks for 12 months. See, they put a ton of money into training you. Basically they paid 2 RN's, you and your preceptor to do the job of one RN, and any educational classes you had to attend, ACLS, PALS, TNCC and so on. We figured my costs of being trained at about $15,000. in just 12 weeks, this is not including what the preceptors pay was (another $10k or so.) You might have told them during orientation it wasn't a good fit so you could be placed someplace you would enjoy better. I hope you find where you want to be. I know it's frustrating to work in an environment you don't enjoy, I did it too.

The whole skit makes fun of everyone, SNL doesn't leave anyone out, including the sub-culture of people I belong too. When I actually saw this on SNL I thought I was gonna bust a gut. I have to laugh at myself once in a while, I know someone some whee is laughing at me.

Congratulations..... I just wish you could be more enthusiastic, especially when you hit the floor!!!:w00t: I just started in the ED about 3 weeks ago, and things are feeling a little better today.... Good luck!

my bad... no need to reply, I sure she has a new license here now

I did do a med/surg job for about 6 months prior to entering the ED last month and I can't say it really helped me. I am happy I had the time there and learned what I did, but I am not a believer of that's the only way in to the ED or any specialty field, neither is the hospital I work at. There are benefits to everything... so who knows really. I think I am learning to transfer my time management skills: *Like staying focused on the task at hand and knowing that I need to finish up and move on. *Limiting my time in each room, med/surg we could spend a little longer with them. *Keeping the pt focused on the "chief complaint" when taking history. *I am trying to be a little less focused on being so organized, I used to give my meds by 9, assess and chart by 11, feed by 1230, and so on... not so in the ED. It's OK for me to know where I am going and where I have been, but I need to be aware that I may have to move onto something else very quickly. *Charting as soon as I give a med or finish any task, med/surg no one else was gonna give my meds or start that line. I hope this is some help, I am brand new in the ED too, and I guess I am writing this more to get it out in front of me so I can see it. Good luck....

Thanks everyone for the great help. All of your assessments and hx taking is what we do and of course every ones hx questions are pretty much the same. I guess so much of it repetition and becoming used to how things flow and move in the ED. My med/surg exp is an asset as far as time management and being equipped to deal with certain situations, but sometime I feel like I am too organized and need to let go a bit and "change priorities" quicker. This has helped me feel more confident as well as discussing it with my Director, in which she said "I wouldn't have hired you if I didn't think you had what it takes to be a great ED RN." Tomorrow is a new day and I am still scared poop less. I will be alright, I just know it.

Loganville area, working in Athens.

Thanks to everyone who replied to my post "Sobering first day at work..." Now I have finished my second week in the ED and I am having a tough time transitioning for the little experience I had doing Med/Surg. Plus I am less then impressed with my preceptors. I have 2 preceptors I follow and both are very disorganized and they tell me that is the norm in the ED. The whole department is very informal, but I do like the people who are there and see they perform great as a team. I feel so chaotic while taking pt history. I feel like I should make some cards with specific questions to ask; chest pain, abdominal pain, fever, SOB. I just can't seem to keep it all straight in my head and the charting program we use just confuses me more. I feel like I am stumbling over my own two feet. Will I ever get the hang of it? My wife says I was this unsure of myself my first several weeks on a med/surg floor too and then it starting clicking.... Any advise or am I where I am suppose to be? I know I sholdn't know everything, but I sometimes feel like I know NOTHING... I am told I am doing great but everything seems so foriegn to me.... Thanks for reading and for any direction.:icon_roll

WOW.. thank you for posting that, makes me WANT to go to work on Monday... I am still scared and can't think sometimes!

WOW.. thank you for posting that, makes me WANT to go to work on Monday... I am still scared and can't think sometimes!

May 18th 2007 became an RN Friday July 13th, 2007.

2 things.... 1. Dress like you mean business, wear very nice close and look professional, not casual. Scrubs are not professional for interviews. 2. Bring hard copies of your resume and any letters of recommendation in nice folders, one for the recruiter and one for the manger/director. Never go to an interview empty handed. oh... just be yourself, you know your weakness and strengths, you know some great stories from nursing school, and you know what you have been taught in school. They don't expect you to know how to handle a ventilated pt when the vent goes down... buy the way... BAG THEM! Good luck!

Thank you ALL for validating my feelings and thoughts. I feel like I am moving through this and coming to terms with what happened to that little man. I still feel sad, and hug my son tighter then ever, but I had a great day at work and almost felt closer to the other staff that where there. Thanks again for all your support and for helping me feel what I feel.

this is a sad story about my first day as an ed rn. little history.. i have been an rn since july 07. yes i am sure i look like a deer in headlights most of the time. but i did a short stint on a med/surg floor at large hospital in st. louis, and then my family and i relocated to atlanta. i landed the job i wanted at an ed. wow... i was so excited to head to work and get the ball rolling. start taking my acls, pals, tncc.... i just couldn't wait. well, the first day in the ed on the floor was wed, dec 26th. all the usual suspects coming through the door. my preceptor showing me around and trying to keep me involved. i tend to just jump in when i can, taking vs, asking some hx questions, hooking up ekg... just trying to be part of. 8hrs into my 12hr shift, call goes out over head "team a (my team) pediatric code to rm......" what arrives is absolutely heart breaking. a 2y old, cold water drowning......... we, i should say they, worked on this little guy for 50 minutes and finally stopped and let him go. i was absolutely blown away. i had to excuse myself to the rest room and get a grip on my emotions. i have never felt so sad for someone else in my life. i know it's not about me, but i just couldn't ignore what i was feeling fear and sadness, because i have a 2 year old at home. i was just devastated.... and on my first day! some of us eventually talked about it and what we were feeling and thinking. the rn educator found me and wanted to discuss what i was thinking and feeling. i left that night and did cry on the way home, thinking of that poor baby and his family, what they must be feeling, what next christmas would be like, about them going home and seeing that babies toys from santa.... my god, i still become so upset when i think about them. i know this will pass, i guess what i need is to know i am normal, that if i didn't feel this way something may be wrong with me. i also wanted to share this in hopes that another person may get something out of this story. i am still excited about heading to work in the morning, but i am very apprehensive i guess. i want to do a good job, i want to be of service to someone else for a change, but i also have to be able to experience my feelings and not just bury them.