intuition

I have found that in the E.R. I started out in right after graduation, the nurses really do want me to succeed. They are willing to help out in any way they can and will answer questions that are appropriate.

There are no positions available in the E.R. I would have to go to a different company due to there are no openings in the areas I am interested in transferring to and also the hospital I work at is a very small rural hospital that doesn't have a lot of variety or positions.

Hi, I have a question. I graduated in August, and began working in an E.R. at the end of August. The only position they had open was a weekend program, which I took. I have found that the weekend program is too hard when I have young kids at home. I am wondering how long I should stay before trying to switch to a different area, so that I won't have a hard time trying to get a job since I have limited experience time? I have 3 months into nursing thus far.

I did my preceptorship in the E.R. I loved it! If you have never stepped foot into an E.R. it can be very overwhelming at first. If you like adrenaline and not knowing what is going to happen next, you will love it. As for advice- Take in everything the doctors and nurses are talking about. Even if you are just standing there, you have the ability to learn so much from just listening. -Show an interest in what is going on. If you stand there like a bump on the log, the staff will pretty much write you off as just another student who will be there for a short time. Ask questions and don't make the nurse have to repeat his/herself twice. -If you have nothing to do, help clean rooms or change the trash. It sounds so simple, but it goes a very long way. -Enjoy it! Some people find the E.R. sense of humor very morbid or pessimistic, but that is the way the staff has learned to cope with the bad things they have to see on a daily basis. -There may be things that you will see that are heartbreaking. There is death, abuse cases, suicide attempts, and so forth. If you need to step away for a moment afterwards, it is understandable. Just let someone know you will be back in a minute. Even staff members have to step away once in awhile. I hope this helps.

I graduated mid August, worked as a G.N., and passed boards on Sept. 9th. I figured I would sign up right away, if I didn't know the stuff by the time I graduated than I wouldn't know it. That my own opinion though. I think it is very individualized, you are the only one that knows for sure what is good for you. Good luck, I hope you do well in your future endeavors.