Lainee

I think those answers are good for a new grad. Always make the patient the priority.

If you don't hear from anyone by Wednesday, call HR

Change staff nurse to clinical nurse.

Hospitals get tons of online applications. Make yourself stand out by calling the nurse recruiter a day or two after you apply online to ensure that she received it. Even better, go to the hospital's HR office in person. It shows initiative and motivation. There are jobs to be had.

Platelets of 5 K? as long as the fever was worked up, yes I'd transfuse the platelets. PRBC depends on the hgb.

There is usually SOME downtime on night shift. My biggest complaint is that since we got rid of chart checks (when we went to a computer systerm), is that the charts are rarely read at all on night shift. If I have time to read the last day of notes on days, they can do the same. Too many times, I've had patients set up for a 9am ambulance/test etc that i knew nothing about but was right there in the notes... Also, IV 72 hour changes are purely dayshift's responsibility (unofficially). I get report that oh, so and so must not have changed it, it was old yesterday. WELL you should have noticed and changed it! There is more but that's enough for now...

ONLY if you explain that you are coming straight from work. I wouldn't do it though.

You wouldn't be human if it didn't have an effect on you. Seek counseling if you need it.

Exactly how I feel.

Use any contacts you have to get in. I think the interview is the key. Show you are competent, motivated and eager to learn. At my hospital, they give you 3 months of orientation regardless of you experience. We want to make sure that you are comfortable working independently as well as that we are comfortable with your skills.

On the flip side, I have lost 3 nurses in the past 5 years from medsurg to NICU and they are all still there and love it!

I am glad we don't have a union where I work. They treat us well. I think I would have ethical difficulties striking unless the mistreatment was glaringly obvious.

Look up area hospital websites. Most have job listing posted. you can send your resume and then follow it up with a call a few days later. It is all sooo much easier nowadays!

I think EVERY nurse should do a year of med/surg. It is a shame that with the shortage people go straight into specialties.

yup. They are social work, they are teachers, they are doctors, they are nursing assistants, they are clergy, they are housekeeping, they are carpenters, they are engineers, they are heating and airconditioning....

I passed out watching an epidural in nursing school. poor women. my bg was 42 AFTER orange juice. I ran out of a room once about 5 years ago. The bile smell really got to me that day. Thank goodness I waved a tech in to help the patient in time.

Born and raised in Philly. Moved to jersey when I got married but still work in Philly.

HUP does require a BSN but you definitely don't need your BSN to work at pennsy. For now... I think they treat their nurses very well. We are currently going for Magnet status so we are getting better staffing as well!

agreed. I would only wear a suit.

I bought my house 4 years ago for 164,000 3 br 1 1/2 bath, garage, basement .5 acre - now its worth aroud 250,000 i'd guess. the beaches and warm weather is why i want to move there. :) I'm married so travel would be difficult plus i like going to the same place everyday.

move on. that last sentence alone would make me not want to work there. threats do not help a new nurse.

This sucks. I hope to move to Florida some day. I work the weekend program in Philadelphia and make 40-43 dollars an hour. How can I go down there to 50% of that???

It is more stressful but I don't mind it. I had our cardiologist as a patient when I only had less than one year's experience. I had to put an IV in him too. I got it first stick! haha Through the years since, i have taken care of a lot of fellow nurses and some doctor's family members. I have developed enough confidence that I just deal with it.

We use dilaudid as well. I assume you were giving an IV dose but 4 hours is a long time to go in between. We start at q3 and may even put them on a PCA if necessary. There are a bunch of demerol-free hospitals popping up all over. We RARELY use the drug in my facility for the reasons you posted above.

same with my place.