Nurse Beth MSN

Tele, ICU, Staff Development

Hi! Nice to meet you! I especially love helping new nurses. I am currently a nurse writer with a background in Staff Development, Telemetry and ICU.

Career Columnist / Author

All Content by Nurse Beth

  1. Dear Nurse Beth, I graduated in 2017 and took a job on a med surg floor that began Feb. 2018. I took that job because it was the only interview that I got. I am only interested in OB nursing and...
  2. Dear Nurse Beth, My Nursing Manager is calling in nurses and aides to her office to ask" how are you doing? Is there anything you want me to know? What is going on in general?" These are some of...
  3. In an interview, instead of framing something as negative "I don't like multi-tasking" frame it as something positive "I enjoy working 1:1 with patients and meeting their
  4. Nurse Beth

    Resume boosters

    Using keywords from the job description can be helpful, especially when employers use applicant tracking software (ATS). Your resume should be pristine. So many applicants make grammatical errors that...
  5. Nurse Beth

    Trying to Cool My Jets

    Dear Nurse Beth, Trying to cool my jets so will bounce this off some of you fellow Nurses. I am a RN working in primary care clinic as part of a larger hospital system. I have 20+ years of experience...
  6. Nurse Beth

    Question for Hiring Managers/Directors

    After an interview it's good to ask "When can I expect to hear back from
  7. Nurse Beth

    Wants to Be a Manager

    Dear Nurse Beth, Besides education, what is the best way to progress into that first management job? I have been in nursing for 8 years and am ready for a change. Dear Ready for a Change, The...
  8. Learning how to negotiate is an important but often overlooked skill for nurses. I just talked to Kim, a nurse and friend who is leaving her facility to work in Corrections. They made her an...
  9. Hi Nurse Beth, I've been a nurse for a little over five years now. I am bummed out because I can not seem to find my "niche" in nursing. I have worked in SNF/subacute rehab, OR, and now I am...
  10. Dear Nurse Beth, I graduated high school in June of 2016. I started college at a local community college right after starting in August. Ever since August of 2016, I've been working on prerequisites...
  11. Dear Nurse Beth, I started my first RN job almost exactly 3 months ago. It's at a SNF and isn't a bad place to work but, I had to face it... my true passion and interest is in acute care nursing; I...
  12. Nurse Beth

    In a Pickle

    Dear Nurse Beth, Hello, all! I am stuck in a pickle and I would love any and all input. I have two potential jobs: Nebraska Medical Center on a Heart and Vascular Unit, or Johns Hopkins on a General...
  13. Dear Nurse Beth, I am so discouraged. . . I have a 2nd PRN job I truly love - and the company has moved to a new policy for the PRN staff - - salary is entirely dependent on how many shifts you will...
  14. Nurse Beth

    Considering Starting Small ALF

    Since you are a new grad with a job offer, I'd take the job as you are exploring opening a business. If something goes wrong in your plans, you don't want to be unhireable- an RN without experience...
  15. Nurse Beth

    Unexpected Side Effects from the Side Gig

    I couldn't agree
  16. Nurse Beth

    New NP at Wits' End

    Dear Nurse Beth, I have a NP license since the last 4 years and certification since 1 year. Due to personal reasons I did not actively look for a NP job upon graduation and gave the ANCC exam last...
  17. Dear Nurse Beth, I have been a nurse for 3 years and have worked in acute care, assisted living and as a school nurse. However, I am finding that I am wanting to flex my writing and creative muscles...
  18. Nurse Beth

    Feel Like a Failure in ED

    Dear Nurse Beth, For the past 2 years I worked at a very slow post-op unit. I recently was hired in a busy pediatric ER in May 2018. I am nearing the end of my 3 month ER orientation. I just feel...
  19. Nurse Beth

    Unit is Total Chaos

    Dear Nurse Beth, I currently work for a privately owned community hospital at a combined ICU of 26 beds. JCO came by on December 2017 and we were told that we failed their audit due to charting. JCO...
  20. Dear Nurse Beth, I graduated with an ADN in 2013, I had a hard time passing NCLEX. I finally passed my NCLEX with 75 questions in 2017, that means a 4-year gap from graduation to NCLEX. It did...
  21. Here's some examples of how to answer "What's Your Greatest Weakness?'. "I'm very direct and focused in my work but I'm working on practicing reflective listening with my patients. I'm starting to see...
  22. Dear Nurse Beth, I was asked to resign before my orientation was over, I was told I could do a Performance Improvement Plan but that I would definitely not be able to perform to the standards that...
  23. Dear Nurse Beth, I am an RN with 21 years in home care and I have discovered a wound healing secret. Should I find a way to market this secret as a product/trademark (will cost a lot of money that I...
  24. Dear Nurse Beth, I am an LPN that has been on disability d/t blowing out 5 discs while transferring a patient. Have had 5 surgeries to help fix issues. I am 56 yrs old and am thinking of going for...
  25. It varies by facility and you have to closely track their job boards. For example, Cedars-Sinai had an open posting window of only 48 hours. Some have year round windows. My facility in central Cal...