cjthegreat

I was endorsed 4 days after NY received my paperwork.

I think this is an area that strikes a cord with many people, from the new grad to the seasoned nurse. I have been a new grad in the ER for 10 months and the biggest problems I have seen in my ER are too many new grads in the department at once, too short of an orientation, and lack of support. I can understand the frustration of the seasoned nurses as far as the number of new grads. I have only been in the department for 10 months and I already have seniority over 6 other new grad nurses. Sometimes the only nurses in the department who have over 2 years of experience are the charge nurse and the triage nurse. This can be a frustrating situation for the seasoned nurses who are being pulled in every direction to help the newbies. However, just think of the frustration of the new grad who turns to someone to ask a question only to find a nurse less experienced than herself. What I am sick of hearing, and I hear this almost every time I come to work, is the seasoned nurses complaining that the department is no longer "safe" due to the number of new grads, and how everyone is sick of working with the new grads. Nobody has ever personally pulled me aside to tell me I am too slow, doing things wrong, etc. Everybody likes to complain about us, but nobody seems interested in helping us become better nurses. How can we improve if we are not getting any feedback (positive or negative)? My orientation was 12 weeks on the unit with no additional classroom time. This is too short!! Think about it. The ER nurse is the jack of all trades. We are cardiac nurses, peds nurses, psych nurses, OB nurses, you get the picture. And what are the chances that you will see everything you need to see on the unit in 12 weeks? There is a huge learning curve when you go to the ER as a new grad. The common theme I see at work with all the new grads is the constant anxiety we feel that we will not be ready when something serious walks through the door, due to the minimal training we have had. This anxiety is relieved only by education, experience, and support. New grad nurses need tons of support and they need their senior nurses to pull them aside and tell them when they are doing things wrong. If the new grad then refuses the advice, that sounds more like a personality problem than an inept new grad problem. This is a vicious cycle. Whether people agree with it or not, new grads will continue to be hired into ERs without experience. We are cheap nurses who fill the holes in the schedule. That is the big picture of corporate hospitals today.

My patient with a BAL of 560 a few weeks ago did buy himself a tube. He also had a core temp of 93 degrees. Hooray for the cold weather and alcohol!!

What is going on here????? Similar story in Illinois. I graduated with a BSN with honors from a reputable school. I've been a paramedic for 6 years, worked as an ER tech for 2 years, have ACLS, PALS, CPR and I still can't find a job. I wanted to start in an ER and figured it would be no problem. It has gotten to the point where I have started applying for med-surg jobs (which I really don't want) and even those job postings seem to want experienced RNs. What is even more annoying is when I tell people I am having trouble finding a job in nursing, they look at me like I am crazy.... So frustrating!!!!

Hello everybody. I need a little career advice. I would like to become a flight nurse some day. I have been a paramedic for six years. Four years spent on the ambulance and two years spent in the ER as a tech. Currently I am not working as I am finishing my bachelor's in nursing. Initially I wanted to start in the ER as a new grad and then later work in the ICU. However, I have been job searching since January and am starting to realize I might have a hard time getting my first choice. I still have a lot of time to find a job, I don't license until August, but I have been talking to a lot of nurse recruiters in several different states and many places aren't hiring or aren't hiring in the ER or aren't hiring new grads into the ER at this time. The closest I have come to a potential job offer is in a Burn ICU. Is that unit too specialized to get my ICU experience? Would I be better off by being patient and waiting for an ER or MICU position to open up? I don't necessarily want to jump at the first job I find, but the lack of options is quite frustrating. Any advice would be appreciated!! Thanks!

Does anyone know if February is too early for May graduates to begin applying for jobs?

When people come in with broken bones, who is responsible for casting and/or splinting? Is it the techs, nurses, residents, or doctors? Does your hospital require any special training or certification?