Dad-2-3

I sometimes bring work home. I have about an hour on the road after work, so that helps to decompress. I have also recently begun journaling my day when I get home. I think it has helped by just giving "voice" to my thoughts about the shift. things I did right along with things I need to improve upon.

I'm an RN on orientation. I don't care to give away too many details but it was nerve wracking since this nurse works on my unit and I see her every shift that I work. She has been a nurse for more than a few years and I'm still the incompetent newbie on orientation. At the end of the shift she told me I did a great job handling the resident and she hardly felt the IV I started on the first try. It all started about 3pm. long story short, she required many interventions (2nd IV start, multiple EKG's, SL Nitro, NS IV bolus, Natrecore slowed and then DC'd. Morphine IVP, etc, etc, etc.) and multiple communications with a reluctant cross cover resident. With some prodding by me and more than a few interventions she is stable at shift's end and I gave report with a good feeling. I finally have begun connecting the dots for at least this one patient!! I'm sure that on my next shift I will feel like a complete dumb orifice like usual, but I feel I was a patient advocate today and got the resident to act when he probably was willing to just wait it out. I sorta feel like a real nurse!!

I do the same as racing-mom. I feel no shame in not knowing something, and I don't feel embarrassed (sp?) in asking. A short answer reply to my question along with a roll of the eyes is sometimes what I get in response, but I'm going to keep on asking.

I don't care who you are, that's just plain funny!!!

Thanks. I passed with no problems. I will feel much more confident in my next code situation!!

Congrats on passing! I have my mega code Friday afternoon. During the mock codes I was calm when I wasn't the one under the gun. When it was my turn I fumbled through each of the stations with a bit of prompting from the instructors. I was not the only one that required some prompting. One CRNA and a NP also required help which made me feel a bit better. Congrats again on passing ACLS!

Passed in 75 questions. 12 SATA, 3 med calc, and tons of prioritization. The poll results are showing exactly what Pearson says about the NCLEX. That is 85% of people pass whether it be at 75 questions or 265.

I want to eche Steve on this one. I would never buy shoes I hadn't tried on first. A comfortable pair of shoes help out when you have a rough 12-13 hour (or more) shift. BTW~~It's Danskos for me. My wife pokes fun at me for the way they look. They are not the "manliest" looking shoes, but I really don't care. My feet are happy.

I can't really say much because I'm in orientation myself, but my advice is that while you are standing around waiting, take the oppurtunity to study the admit paperwork/discharge paperwork for your unit, or after report is given let everyone know you would be happy to come watch/assist c any bedside procedures, start IV's, ngtubes etc. I'm never standing around waiting while I'm on the unit. I'm always looking for ways to learn something. Good luck with your orientation. I'm sure you will be fine. :)

I'm not looking for any congrats or pats on the back here. Instead I just want to pass along some good thougths/vibes in here. I took the NCLEX RN yesterday. I had 75 questions with 12 of them being SATA. I really thought I had failed. I was pretty nervous until about 4:00pm today when I found out I passed. If I can do it so can you!! My advice is to not pick up any study materials in the final two days before your exam. If you don't know it by that time, then two more days of cramming is not going to help you pass the exam. My advice is to try to relax and do something you enjoy. I took my kids to the circus and just hung out. It was hard to resist the urge to pick up the books, but I forced myself not to. I went into the test relaxed and remained calm until it was over and then the waiting began. I swear, the waiting was worse than the exam. Good luck to you all!

Ditto to Tazzi. If an aide came to me to ask if it was OK to call a code I would have a sit down with them after the code was over. Better to look like a bunch of morons than to have a patient arrest and waste valuable time looking for a nurse!

Take a deep breath. If you have taken a med calc test each semester and passed then you will be OK. Reflect on your past success! I had to take a critical care med calc test in my orientation, along with completing several compentencies such as Patient Controlled Analgesia, EKG, etc, etc. If I can do it, anyone can.

Just want to say thanks for this thread from a new grad who is about to begin working. It is scary as hell to read some of the stories in these threads. I want to go into my first job with eyes wide open and certainly I know from life experience that every job/career has its down side. I was in the military, so I know what working in a stressful, pressure filled environment without proper resources/people feels like. However, constantly reading negative posts is getting me down and I feel like I might be going into my job looking for the worst in the situation instead of looking at things from an optimistic point of view like I usually do. Maybe I just need to take a break from reading here until I can come back with my own war stories.:chair:

I think she said "It's about time!!!!" :trout: Just kidding. LOL My wife was very supportive. I was making decent money at my previous job as a foreman of a construction company, but she knew I was not happy. When I broached the subject of a career in nursing she said go for it.

COngrats. It's a great feeling isn' it? I was pinned last night! 12/14/08 @ 1830. I even gave a short comical speech that had people laughing their butt off. One more big test..............NCLEX BABY!!!!!!! Congrats to all the new grads out there. :)