ltmja

My mother and I are both RN's. I have no children but I remember my mother going through nursing school. She started when she was 45 yrs old with me at age 8, my younger sister age 6 and younger brother age 4. She also worked but I really don't remember how many days a week. As long as your family is supportive you'll be fine. She went to school and work so she would be gone all day then be home for dinner, put us to bed and then I would hear her type away on her papers. Sometimes I would wake up in the middle of the night and she would still be typing away till 1-2 in the am. I couldn't imagine doing nursing school with children but my mother says it is amazing what you can do when you have to do it. One of the ladies that posted a comment is right though. You'll miss some things that will deal with your children as my mother did. The older ones understand more but it will be worth in in the end. 2.5 years goes but fast. Good luck and congrats with nursing school. take care:)

I HATE the cell phones. Most of the calls are peddy things that the CNA can handle. I would be in a pt room giving lasix and a call comes in.....so and so needs help to the BR. That's nice, where the heck is the CNA at, I am a little busy. I had a student nurse who told me that at the university hospital the call goes to the CNA first and then if the CNA can't do it than the call is transfered to the Nurse. It is required at my work that all the nurses have a phone but not for the CNA's and some of them refuse to carry a phone. There are times when I am trying to get an order for a pt for high BP maybe and a call comes in that a pt needs up to the bs commode, and the CNA does not have a phone... What am I to do! I think that phones can be good but maybe we need a different system for what kind of calls come in. I like the system the student nurse told me about. That sounds like that would work nicely.

My friend from nursing school started at this hospital on orientation and knew it was not right for her so two weeks into it she quit. Now she works at a different hospital and likes it. Please don't stay there if it is not going to make you happy. Nursing is hard anyways and staying at a place that you know is not going to make you happy maybe will make it so you don't like nursing even. I've been a nurse for 7 months now and I like it.... but the floor I am on is not for me. I will stick out the year because it is good experience but if you are not getting a good experience and just walking around with cna's what is that going to do for your career, nothing! Go with your gut instincts and RUN and don't look back. Go for the place that you want to work at. Take care and good luck in your career :)

Thank you for your suggestions, that is what i needed. It does seem to get better with time. I can't imagine how some of the people who commented me have anywhere from 8-10 pt per night. If I get 6 people when I first come in I usually get all the meds out by 10pm and then all the chart checks and documentation.... how is anyone getting any of these things done with TEN PT!!!!!!! Wow, good time management I suppose.:) Thanks to everyone who has commented so far.:)

HI, I know how you feel. I have been an RN for 7 months now and I failed the nclex the first time. I hated especially having friends from my program pass and I needed to feel happy for them. It seemed that everyone was passing but me and maybe a few others. In the end we will be RN's no matter how many times we take that darn test. One of my friends in the nursing program took the Nclex 4 times before he passed but he is an RN. Hang in there, it get's better every day. And don't take it again until you know you are ready. I graduated May 2007 and took it at the end of June. I didn't take it again until the beginning of October. I also had a few friends who took them again and they took theirs in aug. and had encouraged me to take mine sooner as well. I wanted to know I was ready. Big hugs to you, it will be okay! :)

I have been an RN now for 7 months and I did kaplan. To pass; because I took the test twice, do all of the practice test. The first time I did the nclex i had just done practice made up quiz which are good to practice on area's you are not as strong in. I did not do the 6-7 practice test. The second time I did those averaging 65 percent. You should be fine. Good luck and take some deep breaths, it will be over before you know it. :)

I've cried a few times. Once when i first started and then a couple after the shift was over. I think I just dread going into work more than anything. It's not knowing how the night is going to go what really get's me. Other jobs I've had before school I at least knew somewhat of how the day was going to be!

it's just a really hard floor. I work graveyard and start off with 5 pt. Then between 8pm and 2am i get my 6th pt. Our floor is the only floor in which the charge nurse has 4-5 pt. The majority of my pt are bipolar, have dementia, depression, and/or are narc seakers. The MRSA and C-diff really are not a problem for me. I just feel like i am doing a whole lot of pysch nursing...not even the pt's that i had at the state mental hospital for clinical rotations were as bad as some of the pt i get on this floor. Is it this way for all med-surg floors? I know that i am not the only one with a problem on this floor. The new grads won't even stay around and even a couple older nurses are leaving as well. altogether we have 5 nurses who are leaving, and two that already have in the course of 4 months. I know it is good experience for me but I am not happy. I talked to some nurses on the tele floor in which their charge nurse dosen't take any pt and they start off with four pt; the nurses stated that they did not like working for the med/surg floor. What should i do; stick it out for the rest of the year? Is anyone else's med/surg floor this way? Some say it might be the location as well as to why the pt are more acute then other area's of the state. Most come in through the ER because they have no insurance so they come in when they're at their worst. Anyone have simular problems on their floor?

someone told me to keep a journal and look back at it every now and then. i might just start myself. is there really a new grad out there under a year experience that feels like they r not completly overwhelmed at times and like they are not doing enough. i think a good portion of us feel the same:)

wow, sounds like my typical day at work. i just got off orientation myself and since i work night there is always an admit. i won't be halfway through my night meds before er wants to call report. we are new, that's all there is to it. we did not learn EVERYTHING in nursing school so this is going to be expected. the hospital is also very hard. i know a lot of my friends who were to nursing homes. hang in there, you're not alone

hahahahahaha yeah, those IV bags, gotta love them! :)

I don't know if this is too late if you got a new preceptor or not but I had the exact same thing happen to me. She treated me the same way as you explained. Our personalities just clashed that's all. I need someone to be patient and show me, not tell me what to do and expect it to be done right. three weeks into my 1st job she told me that i should be up to four people and i couldn't even do 3 comfortable (because she threw too much at me and expected me to know where everything was and how to do everything). So I got a new preceptor. He is amazing and my confidence is back up. you have to get with someone who fits you! hope you are doing okay now! :)

to lorabel: i am a very nice person myself. i made mistakes so far but had one lady say i was the best nurse she's ever had and the other one give me a rose at the end of the day. my problem is that i want to spend more time in my patients room but my old preceptor said that i am not a nursing student anymore. it seems that if the patient isn't dieing that the nurse's are not very giving to that patient. i would tell the manager about how she makes you feel. i know, it was hard for me because i hate confrontation and don't wan't to make ememies but this is your career. don't hate it because you had a nasty nurse breath down your neck. and if it still doesn't change i really incourage you going to a different unit. we are new nurses but that doesn't mean we have to put up with abuse!!!!! hang in there :)

I'm a new grad and my preceptor didn't work out. Can you be my preceptor!!! :) Wow, sounds to me she thinks she has more experience than you with her having 20 years experience and you having a little less than her. She has these bad habits and it is only going to be you that feels that she is inappropriate because your her preceptor. I had the same thing happen at my job before nursing. This lady came off days to help out with nights and she thought what she was doing was right. I tried to show her easier ways but no cigar. I think i am very patient but she tested my patients all the time. Tell that nurse manager that you're guy's personalities clash, nothing wrong with that, and she needs a different preceptor that will fit her learning needs better. Good luck

thank you to those who have responded so far. i can always count on the nurse's from this website to make me feel better about a situation. thank you again!!!