AggieD04

In all reality, where I work there are both foreign nurses and doctors. Some of the doctors are just impossible to understand because of their accents. They get along just fine. Go for it! Good luck!

I work in Texas, we are also out of morphine 2 and 4, all we have is 10, we are also out of propofol. It seems each week drugs come and go. For a while we were out of phenergan, it seems to be ok now, and multiple other drugs are running low

I agree, your medical stuff is confidential. I think they would only have to report if you had actually committed a crime or something. I had this same problem and I ended up getting a job closer to home. The shorter drive makes all the difference. Right about the time I am ready to fall asleep I am pulling into my driveway. Good luck

Just FYI, I know that University is hiring right now, and they do hire new RNs to their medical floors. They say they prefer a BSN, but they offered me a job with just an ADN. Also, the Methodist system in San Antonio is hiring some new nurses. The jobs are not listed under the nursing section, they are listed under nursing support as Nurse Externs. They have i think 3 listed right now, I just checked. It is for students or new grads. Good luck!

I'm in Texas, and started out a little over 18/hr as an RN

OP, I am also about 3 years into nursing, I've done it all in the ER though. I am constantly running my patients through my head, thinking what's next, always looking in their rooms as I pass, and I make a point about every hour to give them an update, even if I just say we are still waiting on results, how are you feeling, etc. I don't know how it is where you are, but the ERs I have been in have one major assessment when the patient gets there, and then just charting response to treatment, nurses notes, etc after that. I see my patient every hour, even if I don't talk to them, and I chart it. Are they on the phone, conversing with family? Up to the bathroom, how is their gait. pain meds given, etc. Assessments are more focused and quick. Often you can ask your co worker or CN to check on a patient for you while you are in the sick patient's room. Usually they don't mind and can get the patient simple things or communicate back to you if they need something more complicated. Hopefully your doctors will move patients through fast enough that you don't have too many hours of patients holding in the ER. Good luck!

I think doing your best to manage difficult symptoms is a good thing. To evaluate yourself and decide that you need a little help and to go out and find it is a good thing. Take the best care of yourself that you can, don't stop trying! Good luck!

I recently had someone who came in because their sunburn itched.

We are doing peer interviews right now at my work and the number one thing we have been looking for is attitude. Neither experience or grades matters as much as a positive, can-do attitude. We have talked about it and decided that if someone comes in with a good attitude and makes a good impression, why not give them a chance. They have the 90 day probation period to see if the job is a good fit or not. People with a good attitude and realistic expectations of the job are usually trainable.

Hey guys, I just took the job as full time charge for my ER, we actually have a couple and we rotate out. I was just wanting to see if anybody had any advice, tips, tricks, etc. Thanks

Honestly, when I started, I didn't ever get breaks, but then I realized that 30 minutes really isn't anything, unless something critical comes in. (Work in the ER) I often get a break late, but usually am too busy to realize I'm hungry until late so it works out. If I find myself really hungry/easily frustrated/or just generally lagging behind and know that taking a break will help I do. I usually go up to triage, or back to the back nurse station, somewhere my patient's aren't but I am still easily accesible to others. If I'm caught up at the time, getting 30 minutes behind is easy to fix. If I'm not, I'll prevail on one of my coworkers to page me overhead if orders come up that I need. I also let the charge nurse know where I'll be. My day is much better if I make the time for myself, and honestly I've never had a patient truly suffer because they had to wait on me for 30 minutes. I'm so much quicker/happier/more energized when I take care of myself. I think its worth it. I actually had a doctor come find me for a pelvic exam in the middle of lunch once when I was having a bad day, I told him I would be available in another 15 minutes, he was frustrated, but he dealt with it. Not like we haven't had to wait on doctor's before for 15 minutes. Luckily I work with an amazing group of people though. They have got my back and would help in an emergency.

One little positive addition, on my last shift, I had a patient OD who we had to lavage, I had assisted a few times but hadn't done it all by myself yet and was nervous, but I did it. I was pretty excited! Then later, we had a patient who we couldn't get blood on, multiple nurses tried, I tried, lab tried, the doctor tried, no one could get it. Finally I gave it a go again and got it! So there have been triumphs to go along with the trudge up the learning curve. :pumpiron:

I too am a little past the sixth month mark and have many times especially recently been rethinking my career choice. I know that I have come a very long way since I started but lately I feel as though I'm just getting worse. I also need to do something a few times on my own before I'm comfortable with it. I started work directly in an ER, and on days when I know I have support of coworkers who want me there and who I will always have my back then I love what I do. On other days when I work with doctors who belittle those around them to make themselves feel good and other nurses who don't feel that new grads belong in the ER I hate it. Now I make a copy of the doctor schedule and the nurse schedule just so I can know going into my shift what I'm facing. The motto where I work is "see one, do one, teach one" and "trial by fire". Lately they keep putting me in the trauma rooms and so on my way to work I too sometimes wish for a car wreck. I hope it gets better =(. I used to get so excited about going to clinicals and learning new stuff, now I'm just afraid I'm going to make mistakes. I come home and study, but I still feel like I am constantly asking stupid questions. And even on my days off I dream that I am at work.....

We don't get any holiday pay at all, I was led to believe that this was the standard....and we are required to work 3/5 major holidays including thanksgiving, Christmas eve, Christmas day, new years eve, new years day

So I'm about to start my 9th shift on my own. New grad in the ER, I had a 3 month orientation, and now I'm working nights. I'm still slower than everyone and feel like people have to pick up my slack at times, but the thing that slows me down the most is having to transfer admitted patients up to the floors. If we have a monitored patient they have to go with a nurse. The process of getting a room assigned (never know if and when you'll get one), finishing the paperwork, giving report to the floor, and then getting the patient up to the floor and getting back down takes me forever and then I feel like I'm behind forever. Any suggestions or tips. I feel like the more experienced nurses around me get this done much faster, I've tried watching what they do, but am so busy its hard to take a minute to observe anyone else. Thanks =)

I'm in Texas also, same story, Angry Trooper wanted blood drawn, said he would arrest us if we didn't do it. We called the nurse manager at home, she said that that was the case and we did have to draw the blood against the patient's refusal. The patient injured himself, and no one else, and was not at that time charged with anything, but we (the RNs) could still be arrested for not drawing the blood.

Congrats on starting nursing school! I just graduated in May from mine. Reading this post has brought back a lot of memories. In my school we did not practice anything invasive on real people. My friends and I practiced IVs on each other on our own time, not in lab. You will really get to know the people you are in school with. It really is weird when you start to do things like bed baths, or abdominal assessments, etc. But everyone there is with you, thinking/feeling probably the same things as you are. You are kind of on a roller coaster through hell right now. Sorry, its true. Nursing school is hard, paperwork, clinicals, no sleep, tests, check-offs, STRESS!!! etc. But you guys are in it together. You will get comfortable with your fellow classmates, and definitely start to get comfortable in what is normally considered someone's "personal" space. That is what its like in the hospital though. You will be right there in your patient's personal space. I guess its a good thing to remember what it feels like when you get to that point. Best advice, get organized. Don't get behind, there is just too much to do to let anything pile up. Get to know the people you are in class with. You will be seeing them more than your best friends or family for the next couple of years. (Its really true!) Don't be afraid to ask, practice makes perfect! I just found this website today, I wish I would have found it two years ago! Good luck to everyone starting out!

I'm with you. I took the test today as well. Mine also shut off at 75, and gave me lots of multiple response (which I don't think I got right) and lots of drugs, which mostly i felt i was guessing on. I'm waiting for the nervous energy to wear off so I can get a nap. Do you know if the quick results are available on weekends?