katOR

Pens, Black handle trauma/bandage scissors, small notebook (always a lifesaver to be able to turn to my little notes on surgeon's preferences), a Y Connector for wound vac machines bc these always seem to be super hard to find and CMS takes a lifetime to get supplies to us, gum, jolly ranchers, cell phone, lotion. I also sometimes carry around Surgicel, 0, 2-0, and 3-0 silk ties (I work at a level one trauma center on the night shift and you wouldn't believe how nice it is to have those easily accessible), and my trauma pager.

Congratulations!! You must be so proud. That is quite an accomplishment!!:grad::ancong!:

Louisiana. I had my position lined up before i graduated but i took a mini vacation btwn graduating & starting work. I graduated December 15, 2009 and started working January 11, 2010

I started as a new grad in the OR in January and the best advice I can give to you is to keep a small notebook with you and write down surgeon preferences for certain procedures, glove sizes, drugs, etc. The preference cards aren't always that up to date where I work so my "go to book" has been beyond valuable. Also, take time to learn your instruments and where they are stored! You'll need to know what you are looking for when your tech or scrub RN asks you for a certain instrument and if your facility is anything like mine, there isn't always someone to get it or help you find it. Good luck in the OR. I'm sure you'll love it! It's a GREAT place to work.

I'm the daughter of a general/vascular surgeon and my mother is an OR nurse with over 20 yrs. experience... 'nuff said? haha. But really, I work the night shift at a Level 1 Trauma Center and as crazy as it sounds, the high intensity trauma surgeries are my thing. I also really love that I take care of/advocate for one patient at a time and I can give 100% to that patient's care. Surgery can be such a frightening experience for so many of our patients, it makes me feel good to be a reassuring, calming force in that environment. I enjoy the technical aspects of the OR like working with the laser, drills, etc. Since I work at a teaching hospital, I get to learn the steps to the procedures as the surgeon mentors his residents and med students. Also, the comradery in the OR is like no other nursing IMHO. I enjoy the close relationships that the circulator, scrub, surgeons, and residents (we're a teaching facility) share. There are some difficult personalities to contend with at times but all in all.... I can honestly say, I LOVE :redpinkhe my job and I feel thankful for that. Seems to be hard to find these days

It depends on the resident. The ones I work with regularly and have developed a close work relationship with, I will either call them by their first name or just their last name when addressing them during surgery or chatting in the halls. However, when addressing them in front of a patient, I always use their proper title. And I address all attendings as Dr. so and so.

1. what is your age? 26 2. how long have you been a nurse? passed my nclex and started my first job in january of this yr. so about 3 mos. 3. did you work as a cna before becoming a nurse? nope 4. if yes to #3, how long did you work as a cna before becoming a nurse? n/a 5. if no to #3, do you wish that you had? i don't necessarily wish i had been a cna but i definitely think it would have helped to make me more at ease with my patients. 6. regardless of whether you worked as a cna prior to becoming a nurse, do you believe working as a cna prior to nursing better prepares you to be a nurse? feel free to elaborate on your response. i believe that any prior health care experience before becoming a nurse is helpful. i don't think said experience would necessarily make someone a better nurse but would give them an appreciation for both sides of the spectrum. i also think that it could help some people to become more acclimated to the types of things we see daily as nurses.

what field of nursing do you work in? i work in the or at a level 1 trauma center and teaching hospital what best prepared you for your transition to new grad? clinical experiences through school and having family members who work in the healthcare field to mentor me and support me through the transition. did you participate in a preceptor program designed for new grads? nope. just went straight to work. i have been in a kind of "orientation to the or" program but it is not specific to new grads, just new or employees. what did you feel most prepared for? i had a good idea of what my job duties would be because my mother has been an or nurse for the past 20+ years. i also prepare for my job by researching the cases and staff surgeons i will be working with (suture preference, instrumentation preference, and things of that nature). i also asked for a full shadow day prior to my start date in order to familiarize myself better with where everything is in the department so that helped me to not look like a crazy person running around looking for stuff all day. what did you struggle most with during your transition from student to nurse? i had to learn how to assert myself! it's hard to go from student to real life rn! what is the most important thing you think i should know before entering the field? don't be afraid to ask questions! have a good sense of humor, be able to laugh at yourself!

pearson vue trick worked for me!! i did it as soon as i got home from the test and got the "good" pop up. i got my quick results today and checked my state board's website: passed and my license is up and active with the board. yay!! :clpty:

I just took it yesterday and found out today that my license went active on my state board's website. I won't be able to get my quick results until tomorrow or Monday but I feel pretty confident that I passed since my board posted my license! I also used Saunders to study. I just did questions every few nights for the few weeks following my graduation (December 10) and then as the test got closer, I bumped my questions up to every night and did a lot more. My suggestion would be to read ALL the rationales for ALL the questions, even the ones you get right.

Me too!! I really really hope it works. I haven't come across anyone who got that message and didn't pass though so it sounds like it might just be true. It's better than nothing at this point. SO NERVEWRACKING!

The best way I know how to answer your question is: What's the worst that could happen? If you pass it then AWESOME. If you don't, then you'll know that you tried! I've run into a few teachers like the one you mentioned at UNO (thankfully none were at Charity) and I know exactly how you feel... discouraged, disappointed, angry even. I can only offer my opinion and that is that you have nothing to lose by trying again. If it were me, I'd beat myself up more knowing that there was a chance I could have done it and was too afraid to try than if I tried my best and didn't pass again. The "not knowing" would be so much worse for me. My suggestion to you would be to go ahead and try the test again (study study study. concentrate on the areas you were weak on the first time around). In the meantime, gather information on the LPN program (and any other programs that peak your interest) if you think that would be something you'd be interested in. Charity has great programs all around, whether it be RN, LPN, Surgical Tech, etc. And there's always the option of starting in an LPN program now and doing an LPN-RN bridge later if you decide you still want to pursue your RN. I'm all about taking risks and life is short! You gotta go for what it is you want in life, even if it is scary and pressure like you've never experienced before. Nursing school is nothing but pressure! But, you can trust me when I tell you: coming out of it on the other side makes you feel amazing and you realize that all the pressure has only served to make you a more confident person all around.

I just took the NCLEX today in Louisiana and got the good "error" pop up. I'm so thankful that my state participates in the Quick Results bc I'm freaking out already. The trick is the only thing keeping me from losing it right now. I didn't find the test too hard but not exactly a walk in the park. I've already started working so having to retake the boards would be awful. I'm keeping a positive attitude and a pair of crossed fingers! :)

Just got home from the NLCEX-RN about a half hour ago and I'm feeling pretty good about it! I can't wait for quick results to come up. I did try the Pearson Vue trick and got the error pop up message so that's keeping me from being a nervous wreck for now!! Thanks for the support RN hopefull and in regards to your situation, don't be so discouraged because you didn't do well on the TEAS the first time. Take it again!! You'll be better prepared for the test the second time since you know what kind of material you're tested on. I think it's smart to look at other programs in the meantime but your screen name says RN hopefull!! Keep the faith. I'm not really sure about the LPN hiring issue... I surely hope it's not true. In my orientation program, we had 2 new hire LPNs in the class so I know that the hospital I work at is hiring both LPNs and RNs.

I didn't take it for LSU but I had to take it at Charity/Delgado. The test that I got had a lot of priority questions on it... stuff like which patient would you assess first, a lot of delegation questions (both to LPN and CNA), but the majority was just basic knowledge information. Always remember to choose the intervention that is the least invasive first, know your lab values, and I'd brush up on your Maternal/Peds stuff bc there were more questions on those subjects than I had thought there would be. It really wasn't bad at all. I blew through it the first time I took it because they scheduled it the week before our final and still got an 847 but when I took the second time and actually concentrated on it, I got a 1027 no problem. You'll do fine! Good luck!!