SoHappyToBeRN

So I've been a pacu nurse the whole 5 years of my career, started in an outpatient surgery center and moved into a smaller community hospital and now I'm in a larger hospital pacu. I struggle wth working along side other nurses who have 20+ years of critical care experience. They are all amazing and I have never been in a position where I felt like I was totally in over my head. Pacu is awesome at having supportive staff right there when you need them. However I just have this occasional nagging feeling that I'm less than when compared to my coworkers. At his point in my career I love pacu though and moving to another unit, where I would have to work full time nights to start doesn't work with my family situation. (My husband works graves). Any thoughts would be appreciated.... maybe things people have done to get over such a hump? Is this just a normal feeling when you start to realize there is always so much to learn in nursing? Thanks so much for reading!

take 1301, do yourself a favor! I'm 2/3 of the way through, and have an A. I was going to fail out of 1302 and had to drop. I then found out this was an option and am so glad i did, because I feel like this class saved me! definitely go for the 1301!

Hello! I was in your same at, i fell behind in that algebra class so fast. I am now taking the 1301 and it is SO MUCH BETTER!!! I have an A in the class and the other class i know I would have failed!! The class is way more manageable and the material more real world relatable. I wish that they stressed that this class is available to us, because i wasted both time and energy trying to take the other class!

You are clearly smart enough to have made it through nursing school and all that entails, and have been smart enough to land yourself in a job! I would take your parents comments as a challenge. Maybe start yourself in an outpatient surgery center and learn there. I am currently a new grad working in pre op and pacu at an outpatient surgery center. We also have a new grad who started in the OR because they could see he was very passionate about it! Good luck, I hope you follow your dreams...and don't listen to the nay Sayers (even if it is your parents)

When I was applying to jobs, I spoke with a hiring mgr at a hospital that said they do t hire new grads but they didn't care where the experience was, it could be a year in LTC Or acute care it didn't matter. This was in California. Good luck to you!

Today has been an amazing day! I have worked for over 10 years in my pursuit to become an RN. In those 10 years I got married young, moved with my husband in the marines...moved again :) and made two beautiful baby girls! There were many days where the idea of going through all the hassle of applying, the program, arranging child care, or whatever was just too much to handle. However, I had the idea in my head of what a pinning ceremony would feel like. I thought about that moment, where someone gives you this small token that symbolizes all my hard work and dreams. I wanted that moment so badly so I kept on pushing. I applied to just one more school, sat on that wait list for just one more year.... then the program came! I worked late into the night so many nights studying for tests. I woke up early for clinical and i wiped more butts than any non nursing person could imagine. Then today after all that hard work and dedication my real life moment happened :) My instructor who saw something in me and knew my potential before I even did, pinned me as a nurse! That moment was as amazing as I dreamed it would be! I am so beyond thrilled to have made it to this point and am so excited for the future that nursing has to offer me, and for what I can offer to the world of nursing! Thanks for reading all this, and to all you nursing students or pre nursing students out there who are struggling just know that all that hard work is worth it! Hang in there and good luck on your journey

I wouldn't worry, most days I still feel like I fumble. As long as you are being safe than you are okay. I have a tendency to be very hard in my self and I hate that it is going to take me years before I feel comfortable with patients. You've gotta think, you're not going to learn to be a great nurse while at school, that comes later. Must reflect after each day and think of what you feel you fumbled and how you could be better the next clinical day. ((I need to also take all this advice!)). I'm starting to realize though, as long as I keep trying to be better and better and I'm being safe while in clinicals then I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing! Don't know if this helps, but it's nice to know I'm not the only one with this problem. :)

Well I say that we can agree to disagree, i see what you are saying and while i disagree with your sentiment you have the right to your own opinion. I do not think that saying women tend to be dramatic and catty (any one who has been around some women in large groups would agree with that, unless they have had better luck than i have) makes me a misogynistic woman, i see it as seeing women as flawed just like men. But feel free to judge all youd like, i dont mind. I also wont be messaging back and forth on here like this because id rather not fill the mens forum with drama...Have a good night!!

Misogynist: a person who hates women. (according to websters dictionary) Tell me how stating that women tend to be more dramatic makes me HATE my own gender?! A bit over the top don't you think?! Then again you are a woman right? I Should have known... I rest my case

My one hang up about nursing is the vast majority of women in the field (I'm a woman by the way!) as a general rule we tend to breed cattiness and gossip when we're in large numbers. I'm very excited about the idea of having men on the floor with me too just to break it up! It absolutely doesn't matter gay or straight... A guy is a guy!! :)

I found this hilarious!! And I think you were spot on that we've got some "humor impaired" people. If he couldn't handle that, it's best he go find another profession now. I'd have died laughing and pointed to the exit so he didn't get lost on his way out.

That is awesome! You never know when the nursing thought process will creep in!!

I feel that way all the time! I'm set to graduate in May of 2013 as well and i find that even though i can answer all the questions thrown at me, when it comes to clinicals i get so nervous that a mis step on my part is going to lead to some type of patient harm. I think the weight of all that a nurse does is starting to become a very real thing to me. I sometimes feel like i am walking the edge of a cliff, and if i start to lean im just gonna fall off and fail. Like at any moment i will realize i actually don't know crap about nursing and someone will be hurt because i really should not be there or something. I know that i have to work on my confidence but how am i supposed to be confident when i know that i still have so much to learn!?

I almost guarantee that all of your classmates will be feeling the same way! Good luck and like the previous poster said, remember all the hard work that got you into that seat... and have fun!

We are also pulling our own p.o. or injection medications (SQ heparin for example), (not insulin of course) by ourself. We will discuss our meds and be prepared to say what they are and why they are given to that particular patient. But we give them under our name. any IV drugs are given with an RN present, either our instructor or the primary RN. We are only having two patients but expected to be up to 3 by the end of the med surg rotation.

I was wondering the same thing... Nursing schools tough and like others have said it will break you down and make you feel like there is no way you'll be able to do it, then out of nowhere you'll get to do something in clinical and the pieces start to come together!! Those are the best moments!

VERY TRUE!

All of this occurred at the orientation? All I can say is being in nursing school is not about being friends with all of your fellow nursing students, or being every instructors favorite student. It is about pursuing your passion of nursing. Being a nurse is a huge honor, and not one you should allow to go by the wayside because of a bad feeling you are getting from some people at one orientation. The fact that you are questioning your commitment already is a little bit concerning. I hope you stick with it and see all that nursing can offer. I'm 9 months from my pinning and can not wait to be an RN! Good luck!!

I've never heard of the drug test being done there, they will probably tell you about where you can go and how to go about paying for it.

Congrats to all you incoming students!! I'm one year in and nursing school is both difficult and rewarding all at once! Just remember to buckle down and work hard... It all goes by fast!

I'm so sorry you are having to do this without that support. To be honest I feel like my husband endless support is what makes my nursing school process do-able. I would sit him down and be honest with how you're feeling. Tell him that he an choose another day to practice that you old be able to watch the kids but there is no reason for him to have practice on those days other than to be difficult for you. Good luck, I hope he understands and sees your side

This has probably been said but... "it's not O2 sTat!!!!! It's SAT... As in SATURATION! I swear the same people get told this over and over again... It makes us look stupid I front of the nurses when you say it this way!!" Ok... I feel better

boy, that last sentence sounds a bit condescending. But to each there own I suppose.

I completely agree!! That is a day I have dreamed about since I knew I wanted to be a nurse. I don't care about attending the graduation but the pinning means a lot to me!! Makes me wonder why it holds more importance to some and not others? Interesting topic!

Hello! I'm almost done with the second semester of my RN program and I've got two kiddos. When I started they were 4 months and 4 years old. I was breast feeding the baby which only added to the craziness but we've all survived. Some tips I would give would be... study at night when you lay the kids down ( have them in bed by 8, even if that means working to adjust the schedule to that, you're going to need that time!!) If you can afford it, don't feel guilty about getting a housekeeper every few weeks to come in and clean your house. It's the best gift I gave my self second semester!! Allow your family to help you and don't feel guilty for needing the help you're doing something awesome and one day it will all be worth the sacrifice!! doing the program with kids is difficult, but possible and I really feel like if your hubby is supportive and can adjust then that is half the battle! Good luck