mom2sam

ohhhhh where are those tissues! I love this post! It's a reminder of what nurses and health care workers do on a daily basis to treat our patients physical and psy. My very first tear jerking moment came about when I was a Psych ER tech and a female patient that was considered by other staff as a "regular" and often times ignored said to me one night as I entered the unit to work the 11-7 shift "The pitter patter of your shoes makes my heart so happy, I know I will be cared for and I thank you" all I could do was hug her and i later took a few minutes to let my tears roll. I love Nursing and I cannot see myself doing anything else.

Thank you Tok!

Hi Murse, how are you? My professor is Mrs Hathcock so we're not in the same class Goodluck to you I'm done with day one too! :)

Thank you everyone for your replies, Murse I will get my class info on the 28 th and I will keep you posted.

Murse r u going the online route? I ask because I just saw you're loc in az

Hey Murse, maybe we can connect! Where r u located? I'm in NY

Thank you Flame! I'm glad to hear you like it thus far!

Hi, i graduated from qcc nursing program in 2009, I know the feeling you describe all too well. In terms of the Pre reqs you have to score a B or better. It is a highly competitive program, and you must be prepared to dedicate time into it. Pre req courses take 4 semesters, due to the fact that you cannot combine classes since they have corequisites eg Anatomy 1 is co req to anatomy 2 and A2 is co req to microbiology. My rec take micro ALONE do no combine with any other classes. The nursing classes are also 4 semesters. NU 101, 102, 201, 202, and 203 which is writing intensive. 202 and 203 can be done together but the others are co reqs to each other. In nursing you have a get a minimum to C or better to move up. Good luck in your quest.

Thank you for your reply! Glad you're liking it thus far!

Hello everyone, i'm scheduled to start gcu rn-BSN on April 28th and I would like any info about your overall experience and also want to know if there are any study buddies that I can connect with that will be starting then or soon. Thank you for your imput.

Hello all, I am happy to say that I was promoted t RN on Nov 1st. Monday I start my orientation on a Med/Surg Floor. Thank you lord. Please don't give up. If you can afford it take some certification courses like ACLS etc. Be ready for your interview. Keep on reviewing your materials from school from time to time. I have been at this hospital for 3 1/2 years as a CNA and I was originally promoted to a Psych Nurse but I sopke up and some of my previous ADNs and educators did as well and I was transfered to Medicine which is where I want to be. Even tho I was interviewed for the Psych position I was interviewed again by med/surg's ADN and she asked me alot of clinical stuff eg nursing intervention of pts with CHF, HTN, DM meds side effects assessments etc. which I would not have been able to answer accurately if I was not studying. Later I found out that she worked in the ER for many years and was really up on clinicals. She said to me that she is not hiring me for the years I have spent in that facility but because I am clinically component and proceeded to show me a folder of ten or so other applicants that she also interviewed for the same position that could not answer her clinical questions. Please don't give up I know it's hard. Keep reading and take anything you can get for now that is health related. I worked as a Psych Tech in psych ER for 7 months whilst waiting for my upgrade. Best of luck, Nurse Nunes

Hello, I am a new Nurse and start my orientation in Med-Surg on Monday 11/15/10. I am nervous but I love nursing. I have worked at this very hospital for 3 1/2 years as a Nurses Aide then Psych Tech. Thank you all for the wonderful posts. Our fellow colleagues are our support and it's nice to know that they are willing to share their experiences with us. Thank you. Any additional suggestions for a newbie? :) And are there any med surg books that anyone could recommend for a handy reference? Also I have a PDA and wanted to know if anyone knows of free programs for nurses. Thank you Nurse Nunes

Hi, I am a new RN with my ADN. I currently work in a Hospital here in NYC and has been for 3 years! I was interviewed with them on the 2nd of April 2010 and still have not been upgraded from Tech to RN. I was told on my interview that the upgrade will take 3-6 months i am closing in on my 6th month of waiting. Is anyone else in similar situation?

I feel the same way Hey Congrats!! I currently work at Health and Hospitals Corporation for 3 years now and no luck with my upgrade as yet. I am now in my 7th month of waiting!

I became an RN in March 2010 and am still waiting for my upgrade in my hospital which I have been employed in for 3 years!!

1) Be patient. Whether you start out in ICU, Med-Surg or Psych, understanding your unit and the complexities of nursing only comes with time. Don't feel like a dummy if you don't imediately know everything. More than likely you won't and that's ok. 2) Give yourself a good year before bailing. It takes a lot of time to get into the swing of things and to really feel like a nurse. Our instructors always told us to give ourselves a year. I didn't believe them. They were right. 3)Ask questions. Don't ever assume anything. Assumption can only lead to mistakes and you can't make mistakes with people's lives. Ask. Ask. Ask and ask again. 4)Learn your unit. This is so simple, but I cannot tell you how many times I have had to ask where certain paperwork or supplies are. Take mental inventory of your environment. Not only will this save you time, but it gives you a lot more independance. 5) Get organized. Oy.....organization. I cannot tell you how many times I have gone into a patients room to remove and IV and forgotten the gauze and tape. This leads to trampsing all the way back to the supply cart which is usually in the farthest location from where you are. The majority of my night is spent running up and down the halls for things I need. This is something you learn with time as well. 6)Buy comfortable shoes! I cannot stress this enough. If you are going to be doing bedside nursing you will be running your orifice off and doing that with aching feet is excrutiating. I wear Nursmates and I can honestly tell you that my feet have never hurt......EVER! This doesn't mean that they aren't tired and that my legs don't sometimes just ache down to the marrow, but my feet never hurt. I wear this pair and as a testament to these shoes I will tell you that I bought them my last semester of nursing school and they still feel great. That's a lot of mileage for a pair of shoes. 7)Buy a good stethescope! Oh, the stethescope debate. I have bought 4 steths since starting nursing school. The first one I bought because it was cheaper. The other two because I upgraded and wanted two diff colors (girly, I know) and the third because I realized the the last two reasons were completely shallow and ridiculous. Yes, I have 4 all together, if you did the math. My last, and most favorite steth is my Littman Cardiology III stethescope. The Littman brand is the cadillac of stethescopes and you WILL get your money's worth out of this. The acoustics are amazing. I can actually hear the blood filling and pumping through the chambers and if you aren't great with breath sounds, such as myself, then you'll become a breath sound expert with this. I have doctors request my steth when I'm on the floor because they can hear the best with it. Invest! Oh, and get a good name tag or have it engraved because people will STEAL! Shameless, I know. I ordered mind in plum and I love it. 8)Don't beat yourself up. You are going to make mistakes, you're new at this and nursing school only gives you a small perspective on what to expect. I can't tell you how many times I went home crying because I felt like a failure. You will feel this way too, prepare yourself. And if there ever comes a time when you feel like you know everything...stay away from me and my family. No one knows everything and it's scary if you think you do. 9)Always work as a team. Nursing is about teamwork, not about who can run the quickest code, who can chart the fastest or who has the most knowledge. There is no "I" in team folks. :) 10)Spend your first paycheck on yourself and no one else. You freaking earned that much, at least. You will work your ass off to become a nurse, endulge a little and enjoy your new earnings. 11)Leave work at work. Once you hand over your assignment, do your best to let it go. You can't control everything and just like you shouldn't bring your personal life to work, it can be just as damaging to bring your work life home. Move on and let the day go. 12)Be proud! Nursing is a highly trained & skilled profession. You are a professional and carry a license, just like a physician. You are trained in anatomy, physiology, disease processes, pharmacology, assessment, critical thinking and judgement and much more. You are programmed to be a nurse and even if you don't feel like one sometimes, you are one. I am very proud that I am a nurse. I know I complain a lot, but at the end of the day, I feel good that I was able to change someone's life, if only in a small way and sometimes in a large way. It's very gratifying. Not only that, but you will learn that doctors often times respect your professional opinion, so don't be scared to offer up some of your knowledge and advice. I have done this many times and it, surprisingly works to my patients benefit. 13)Trust your Instincts! You are trained to think critically and to trust your judgement. Nursing is a very independant career and sometimes you have to make decisions based on your knowledge alone. If you feel something isn't right, don't ignore it, do something! More than not you are right. It's better to be safe than sorry. 14)Have Integrity. Please, please don't ever do anything shady. If you give a wrong med....say so. If your patient falls...report it. If you see someone do something unethical...tell someone. Your license is on the line and your patients life is much more important than you getting disciplined. I gave a pt the wrong dose of medication once. My conscience ate away at me and I reported it. Do the right thing. PLEASE! 15)Don't take it personal. You will start working with seasoned and possibly older nurses who learned things differently than you. They will grill you at report sometimes and make you feel small. Try not to take it too personally. Your both there for the same reason...the patient's best interests. Also, don't let them inimidate you. They will try....beleive me. There are many ways to do things and their way isn't always the best or "right" way, but be open to their suggestions too and remember....they know more than you. Be respectful, even if you drive home cursing their name. LOL 16)Never lift or move someone without help! If you break your back you are out of a job and your family will suffer and guess what...the hospital could care less. Welcome to the real world. Unless someone is in major distress, there is always time to grab someone to help you lift and pull. Many times orderlies are assigned and on call in the hospital just for that reason alone. Use them. It's their job. 17)Chart everything. If a patient has an emesis...chart it. If they walk the halls...chart it. If they pull out the IV...chart it. If they refuse medications....chart it. Cover your ass...always. 18)Always rmember to prioritize. This can be very tricky at times. If you have a pt calling for pain meds and you have one calling because they can't brethe...who will you see first? The answer is obvious. Pain never killed anyone, but not being able to breathe can. Yes, the pt who's addicted to the dilaudid you've been pushing may complain about you, but the one who was possibly dying will remember your efforts forever...hopefully. 19)Double check everything. Remember your 5 rights. Right Medication, Right patient, Right time, Right dose and the right route. Check their arm band. Have them state their name and DOB. Make sure it's the right med, correct dose and right time. And please, please make certain that you aren't sticking something in their IV that the doc wants IM. I've done this...arg. The patient loved it....lol.....but I felt like a dumbass. (Rule of thumb....IM meds last longer because it's in the muscle, IV is a quick fix with a shorter duration...straight to the bloodstream, PO meds take longer to absorb, but last longer too). 20)Believe in yourself. You know this stuff. Believe in yourself and don't doubt your abilities. It's all there, give it time to sink in and never become complacent. There is always something to learn, so take advantage of it. If a new skill comes up...ask the nurse if you can watch or if you cn perform it under his/her supervision. The best way to learn is to do it. Yes, it can be daunting and overwhelming, but unless you jump in and get your hands dirty you won't learn and don't you want to be the best nurse you can be? I remember blood administration was such a difficult skill for me because there is so much involved, but after a few times doing it, I don't need help anymore and that feels good. Being a nurse is so rewarding. I love seeing new grads come into the field and having them ask me questions always takes me aback. What startles me more, is that I can answer a lot of their questions and it feels good. I'm still learning. Everyday I learn something new and I love it. I love seeing all the male nurses enter the field too. They are just as competent and caring as us women are and they always come in handy when moving a large patient too. Ha ha. I hope you can get something from these tips, they are from my experiences alone and what I have learned most, is that I still have so much yet to learn.

hi there, my name is diane and i am an rn as of 3/15/10...yippeee however i am still waiting for my upgrade @ my job which i have been employed at since 7/7/07. how about you?

Please don't lose hope sweetheart. I failed on my 1st try too and resat for it on 3/15/10 and passed but I took a whole year break before attempting it again. I know how devastating failing is but your title wouldn't say how many attempts you did it will say RN and that's all that matters. Keep trying and keep your head held high. Dry your tears you got in the nursing program and got through it successfully and that says a whole lot. At the end of it all you will look back on this day and realize just how difficult it was to get through and you will have a much better appreciation for your title. I'm not saying that failing feels good but god doesn't give us more than we can handle. An RN in the near future is coming your way slowly but surely!!

hello all, i took my nclex-rn exam on 3/15/10. this is my 2nd attempt. the fist time i failed with 265 questions this time i passed with 168 questions. it was tough but i stayed focused and gave it my best shot. it took me 11 months to pick up the pieces from failing and to rethink my study stragedy and study. it was all worth it. thank you lord for your mercy and grace, without you nothing is possible and with you all things are possible.

hello all, i just got home from taking the nclex-rn. the computer stopped @ 168 questions. i had a lot of meds, satas, infection control and endocrine disorders. anxiously awaiting the results. thank you so very much for all your prayers and good luck to all of you taking your nclex. god bless, di

thank you soooo nvery much for all the prayers

hello all, i am writing my nclex-rn tomorrow 3/15/10 for the 2nd time after 1 yr of failing my 1st attempt. please keep me up in your prayers and good luck to all writing their exam tomorrow too and in the future. god bless us all!!

I am in NY...ahhh

I am taking mines on march 15th too...where r u located? would you like to study together? Di

Hi all I am taking the nclex rn in march 2010 here in ny and I was wondering if there are any study buddies out there. This will be my 2nd attempt with one year apart. I feel that I have lost alot in all this time. I studied alone the first time I took the nclex and figured I can try studying with someone this time as part of a different stragedy. Please reply if there are anyone else in this situation or would like a study buddy for march nclex rn takers. Two heads or three or four are always better than one. Thank you and happy valentine day to you and yours.