NoviceRN10

I hang antibiotics often not "piggyback." If the pt has no fluids running, we direct line the antibiotics and administer them that way. To me piggyback means via IV, not necessarily with another fluid. The same with other meds, they are either IV push or piggyback. I guess I don't get what you mean by your comment.

I worked fulltime for a year after starting my first job, and then went to contingent status. I hated being at the hospital's mercy for time off. I hated having every other weekend away from my family and watching my husband go off and do fun things with the kids while I worked or slept. I don't think you can ever go wrong by putting your child first. I am lucky that my husband is the main breadwinner in our house so cutting back my hours didn't hurt us. Being able to pick my days around my kids' and husband' schedule is priceless to me. I figure I can always work fulltime after the kids leave the nest or are more self sufficient.

You have got to be kidding me? Why on earth would someone be marked as inelgible for rehire because they quit? That would only happen if sufficient notice were not given, not because someone decided to or had to move and leave the position. To the OP, do not stress over this one bit. There are so many people who quit on my unit before even a half year was up, it is very commonplace. You don't owe the hospital anything but a thank you for the experience and the job. The more notice you can give the better. You only need to let them know you have to move out of state for your wife's job, nobody needs to know this plan was in the works before you were hired in. That is your business. Please don't worry, it really is not a big deal. Hospitals claim that they spend tons of money training new nurses, but honestly I don't believe it. There would be a whole lot more contracts being signed that hold you to a committment. I am just glad that you are having a good time earning your stripes ;o)!

I would not try and write your coworkers up, that will not help you win them over. In regards to ambulating the pt from the other unit, I would have assessed the situation and refused. Especially if nobody offered to asssist you. A well written progress note should have been enough to cover your butt. Good luck with that crew, they sound delightful.

Do you chart on the computer? If so, try to get your assessments in right after each pt assessment instead of leaving it for catch up later. The first few weeks of being on your own can be rough, hang in there :)!

I am very sorry for your family's loss. I do not think that getting to leave 45 minutes after the supervisor got notice if your situation is excessive, I actually think that is pretty swift considering that your pts had to have coverage and accomodations for your absence needed to be made.

Save your back and use proper body mechanics when assisting patients or bending over them to draw blood, etc. It only took me two months to wreck my back .

I am not one to tell someone to stick out a new job if it is miserable. I personally had a good experience with my orientation, so I can't relate to that. I can relate to the bad back thing. It only took me 2 months to ruin my back (I think I have a bulging disk or something). I have been suffering in pain for two years because of that. I am glad they are going to let you try days! It is good to know you can show up 45 minutes late if you feel like it . That I would not put up with, I am the first person to punch out right at 7:30 each morning when I work. I have kids at home to get on the bus. Good luck! I hope days are better or you find a job you actually like and want to keep.

I think that med-surge is a high burnout area. Whenever I float to that unit there are always new faces. Nobody stays long. I am glad that I dodged that bullet when I got my first job, I know I applied for that unit and every other one in the hospital!

I went from working fulltime for a year to being contingent instead. I am supposed to be the first one cancelled, but have not been cancelled since I changed my status (over a year ago). The hospital is always short somewhere so it is rare you get cancelled unless the census is low all over, usually when it's a holiday. I have been fortunate to get the hrs I need (2-3 shifts a week) and also be able to set my own schedule. I would encourage you to work whatever status won't make you crazy, stressed, and missing your baby. Those fulltime paychecks were nice for a few weeks, till I was too darn tired/evil to enjoy the money anyway!

They hire new grads on dayshift at my hospital. I don't think it is that rare? Not everyone wants dayshift because of the pace and the lower wage.

I wish people would tattle on each other where I work. Would be less staff sleeping on the job and pt complaints if that were the case.

I work night shift and there are only 2-3 nurses working at the same time, usually, with 2 nurse aides. If there was a clique to try and fit into I'd be in trouble. There are no cliques where I work, everyone is generally courteous and professional with everyone else. The people who have worked there for years together don't even prefer each other .

I have never seen the time to infuse mentioned in any doctor's orders for the transfusions where I work. I usually run it between 125-175 an hr (depending on how many units I am trying to get in the pt) and our units are usually 350 ml.

At least one 10cc NS flush, no heparin where I work.

I don't know why the previous responders are thinking public health nursing = home care, I didn't take it to be that. I am assuming it's more of a health department or maybe clinic type job. I would stay a year in your acute care setting. I didn't realize when I began my first RN position that the one I was leaving as a nurse tech (student) after only 11 months would cause a snag for all the positions I apply for now that ask for minimum one year experience. Didn't think anything of it and now I am bummed I didn't stay at least another month (was working contingent and could have). I hope that you find a new position that suits you better than med-surge, it isn't an easy floor to work, especially days.

I agree. What on earth is a written verbal warning? Why don't you just tell this person that her communications with the patients and family are inappropriate. If your supervisor won't do it, you need to at least try to address the problem.

Your manager is wrong about the nights being worse for you. If you have a decent handle on your job but the tasks during the dayshift are making you drown, then I am pretty sure nights would give you at least a little bit of a break. Tele isn't an easy floor to start out on anyway, I commend you for sticking with it and not giving up :).

are you kidding? i have been a nurse for 2 yrs now and i could complain about all the stuff the op did. do you work on a perfect unit with none of those issues?

The unit clerk I work with is useless. She is either yapping on her phone all night (or the unit phone), or she is sleeping (which means she often doesn't pass on call light requests or gets the room number wrong). If not those two options she is going off on a foul-mouthed rant about whatever has ****** her off that day. Apparently she is a valued employee and is allowed to do those things and get paid for it. That being said, I have no desire to answer call lights or the phone or try and figure out how to add patients to our unit when they show up, I have enough on my plate with my other duties. The hospital has tried phasing out clerks on a couple of units recently and I have not heard positive things about it.

All the single mom nurses I know usually have the grandparents watch their kids overnight (even the married ones with both parents working nights do that). Home health care jobs would allow you to set your own daytime schedule if you went that route. Not sure what you mean by a job that allows you to pick up the child and drop her off at grandmas, do you mean punch out and leave and then return? Couldn't you find a neighbor or friend to do that for you? Do the grandparents not drive?

I have been working nights for almost two years and I find it difficult with kids (4 school-aged). But I think it depends on how well you manage your time. I feel like crap all the time, even after a long string of nights off. I need to exercise, which I am sure would help the way I feel, but I am too tired to make myself do it. Something needs to change. I don't care so much about the differential for the night shift, but I do like the pace of it and I like my kids not being home alone or having to pay a sitter. I work with a lot of other mothers and I think the ones who do it successfully (work nights) have a lot of support at home or with extended family (grandparents) who are willing to help you get your sleep during the day. I have support from my spouse, I just can't get myself into a good routine that works. If you are really organized I think it would be okay. If you are 10 yrs younger than me it might help too .

When I read posts like this it blows my mind. Where I work this sort of thing might get you a write-up, but more likely the managers are perfectly aware of how busy the staff is and would support them and just pacify the person complaining. It takes a lot to get in trouble, I see staff members upset the patients and family members all the time and nothing ever comes of it (discipline). If you are a good employee I wouldn't stress out so much about this one incident.

I work with mostly wonderful nurse aides, thankfully. I am getting better at asking them to get up and get vitals or a cbg for a pt when I need it. I get tired of apparently being the only person who asks pts if they need anything and I'm the one fetching ice, towels, fresh gowns and linens, or anything else they think up. It's either that or the pts like to see the nurses run around, maybe? I work with one aide who doesn't seem to like it when I ask him to do things out of his time frame (he likes to be efficient and do vitals way too early for my purposes (meds) so he can relax the last 3 hrs of his shift). Sorry, but I can't use the 3:30 bp for my 5:30 hypertension med administration. Sometimes I feel bad for asking them to do stuff I can do (which is of course all of it!), but darned if they aren't getting paid to be there and do something too! We have a new aide who I absolutely love, and I know as a newer nurse I can learn a lot from her. Really, I can't complain too much because I think if I were more comfortable in my role of delegating I would have less to worry about :).

You don't have to be licensed yet to be hired as a graduate nurse, hence the title "Graduate Nurse." You can assess and care for patients, but another RN needs to cosign your charting and pass meds for you.