Doubledee

Let me add congrats and good wishes on your job hunt. Hopefully, since the last post was in June, you already have a job by now. If all things are equal, it is probably best to get your first job in an acute care hospital. However, that doesn't mean there aren't other good places to start. The most important thing is you have to have a FIRST job to get started. All experience is valuable. Take care.

Unless your facility has a policy specifying scrubs, there really shouldn't be any issue with alternative uniforms whether they are khakis and polos or even the retro tunic with bowtie. Go for it!

I came to nursing in my late 30s. Nursing was never even a thought when I was a young man. Although, I think my earlier experiences have made me a better nurse, wish I could have started sooner! I love this job with all the options and flexibility it offers. RachPapp, bring your enthusiasm and come work with me!

I have to admit I was confused/put off by the suggestion of "dressing up" as a nurse at night. I accept it is a joke. Let me just add my support for the "children of the night". I spent my first TEN years on nights, seven as a CNA, three as an RN. Nights gave me the opportunity to study and learn. Later, I had plenty of opportunity to experience a wide range of situations in a slower pace. Leaving nights was traumatic. I wasn't sure I'd be able to function with the lights on and the bosses around. But then again, we are nurses. We can do just about anything, can't we?

"Night nurses go to work in their pajamas... er... scrubs " Don't forget our slippers...er, clogs too!

I have to amend an earlier posting in a similar posting a few years ago. I've always been pretty much a suit guy for interviews. A blazer with khakis was a little more casual but still acceptable. During a recent job search, I had to take a few interviews right after work. I let them know I'd be wearing scrubs. The interviewer was more interested in meeting me than in what I wore. Of course, when I had the day off, I wore the suit.

I guess it must be human nature for people to think what you do can't be as good or important as what I do. After ten years on night shift, I get cranky when I hear bosses or other nurses suggest night shifters have plenty of time to take care of what ever project/job no one else wants to do. We have different specialties and shifts for a reason. Our patients need them!

I am currently an RN in LTC interviewing for a hospice job. I feel I have been doing end of life care for most of my career. I have come to feel the post mortem care is our way of giving a last respect. This past summer, I took care of my father in his last ten days of life. At the end, he was surrounded by family, listening to his favorite music. He had a good passing. Afterward, I cleaned him up and even zipped him in the bodybag when the mortician came for him. It was my way, as a nurse, to say good bye.

Before entering the healthcare field, I used to run about every day. I was fit. However after a few years of night shift, irregular meals and no consistent exercise, I gained quite a bit of weight. Recently, with the help of a Wellness Coach at work (being on day shift helped too!)I got back into exercising; walking at first until my dog wimped out, then back into running. I've lost more than 40 pounds, weigh what I did back in my 20s when I was a young paratrooper. Feeling fit is great just because. What is really bad is that if I hadn't lost weight, I'd still be one of the smaller people here at work.

Sounds like fun! It is no crazier than carrying all my gear in a Home Depot carpenter's apron.

As a nurse in LTC for quite a few years, I've dealt with many hospice nurses as we did end of life care for my residents. This experience was very helpful as I took care of my father in his last ten days of life this past summer. My sisters all had the same reaction when I talked about Roxanol. The were afraid Dad would get addicted or something. Many people just aren't as ready to let go as the patient on hospice. It can be hard to deal with family at times. My sister's head spun like the Exorcist when I told my dad it was ok for him to leave.

Your comment really caught my eye. It echoes how I feel about nursing in general. I am currently working LTC but am looking to jump to hospice. I took care of my father in his last ten days of life this past summer. I realized I've been doing end of life care throughout my nursing career. I was concerned I might have to take a pay cut but am encouraged by the add ons for mileage and on call. I am looking forward to the next stage in my career.

Yuk! Murse is not a term I would use for myself. At 55, I am way beyond "cute" As it is, I tell them I don't work for the Post Office when I am called a "Male Nurse". I am not in favor of changing our title. Nurse already is a respected title. Other suggestions I've heard don't come close.

Sure, it happens all the time. I deal with some pretty ignorant female nurses who think nothing of making sweeping generalizations about men nurses. However, I am fortunate enough to have bosses who appreciate my difference and what I bring to the job from my totally non female perspective.

I worked several different careers, Army Officer, Teacher and sales before working as a nursing assistant. I earned my RN at age 45. Ten years later, I enjoy what I do. Nursing allows me to combine the best part of every job. Nursing may not be the right career for everyone but I'm really glad I made the switch.

I've been a nurse for more than 10 years now. I can say without hesitation, I am glad I went back to school for my RN. I enjoy the job. Assuming you didn't make a complete mistake in career choice, you will find plenty of challenge when you get to your first job. You may very well wonder if you actually learned anything in school when you find yourself in a totally new learning environment. Give yourself credit for having the potential to succeed. Get out there and make a difference!

It is so ironic to me that I stopped running and exercising regularly and gained lots of weight AFTER I entered Nursing/health care. My facility offers Welness Coaches who referred me to a web site, sparkpeople.com to help me track what I ate. Since finding the site, I use it to log my exercise on fitness maps, track my weight loss, read fitness related articles and get advice. It is free and certainly well worth checking out. sparkpeople.com

I like my Crocs-specialist or whatever they call them. They have the solid tops. I have come to hate shoe laces.

When I first started wearing scrubs, I didn't wear t-shirts. The arms were so short it almost seemed sleeveless; the t-shirt would stick out. After a while I used to get terrible underarm stains from deodorant residue. Now I just wear t-shirts of different colors.

In most cases on the job, it is just the RN that really matters. After a while, the BSN is just as good as "better clinically prepared" Diploma or ADN graduates. More education does bring more opportunity. I sure wish our profession wouldn't ignore education earned outside nursing.

I don't know if there is anything in mursing that annoys me more than the ADN vs BSN rant. I can appreciate the justification of broader education for the four year degree. So then, why doesn't my Bachelor's and even a Master's degree count? Fortunately, there really isn't so much of a distinction on the job. My ADN in addition to my previous education and experience is valued by my employer.

Years ago when I started out as a CNA, we switched from all white to white pants and pastel tops. Only the nurses could wear all white. For several years as a new RN, I wore my whites proudly. As we began to wear colored scrubs, my whites took longer getting back from the wash. (Turns out my wife didn't care for me looking like the ice cream man.) Now, we have many more options. I can always wear white IF I choose. The fact of the matter is I am happy wearing my colored scrubs. Identification of the staff isn't such a big deal in Long Term Care. Our residents know who we are..

Someone at work mentioned something about a segment on 60 Minutes in which chiropractors report a massive surge in their business due to health care workers wearing crocs. Has anyone seen this? I can't believe that there wouldn't have been some mention if there actually had been a report about crocs on 60 minutes. I've been wearing Quarks for several years. Actually, I replaced my first two sets of Quarks last year after about three years. The new and improved Quarkies don't seem to measure up. Lately, my feet feel tired at the end of the day just as they did when my shoes got to be more than six months old. Has anyone else experienced this?

I once had a weekend when four residents in my LTC facility passed away. I think I had to pronounce three of them. I didn't cry BUT I have to admit it really affected me. I was really wiped out by the end of that weekend. In particular, I had been on the phone with the son, informing him, his father was declining. Later that evening I had to call that his father had passed away. I was able to tell him, we found his father sitting up. I am convinced he actually had a smile on his face. As rough as THAT phone call was, it was easier to tell the son about the smile on his Dad's face. Whether you cry or not isn't so important. We as nurses are privileged to be involved with our residents/patients at the end of their lives. I urge alll of you, don't hesitate to feel for the people you care for. It can be pretty rough at times but it is pretty special too. The really tough part comes afterward when you have to take care of the processing as well as what ever your other residents/patients need. After all, the job does go on. This is when we as nurses help each other when we can. If you can't let down at work, you CAN let down here.