otterridge

Go Nightingale-you sound as if you work at my facility! I work in ICU and we haven't had a portable cardiac monitoring machine in over 1 year ($$$) so whenever I have to take my pt down for an x-ray, CT etc., I have to borrow a machine from the ED. I used to have to make a trip down, back up for my pt, back down for test, back up and then take the machine back! Talk about a hassle. When you ask for help and they say to get the other nurse (we only have 2 nurses in our 5 bed unit) to help you, that's really sad. Fortunately, I have utilized the technicians lately to bring the machine up & take the pt down for the test themselves. I am really appreciative for that. Our med-surg floor hasn't had a CNA in I don't know when. The CNAs were either overworked or put on call-we have no retention rate. I know this thread is about feeling overwhelmed, so let me tell you something. I have been an RN for 2 years 4 months but have worked in the healthcare field 27 years. Whenever a pt dies, I feel like I didn't catch something or I could have done something differently, even if they are a DNR. This has happened a couple of times. All the compliments, smiles and thank-yous from the patients & their families goes out the window, and I feel like "why did I become a nurse". I don't know anything! The doctor said he thought I was a great nurse and would let me take care of his own father if he was in our facility. But it still takes time to get over this feeling. Hopefully, I can learn from these situations and learn to cope better.

Nightcrawler, thanks for the info. Do you have any ideas on how to find out the regulations in my state for staffing? I don't know where to look for that except for maybe the Board of Nursing. Thanks.

I work in a small, 5 bed ICU unit in Virginia. I have only been an RN for 6 months, but I have 25 years of healthcare experience from being a MLT, Radiology Tech-limited and a CMA. There are only 2 nurses per shift, without a CNA or a unit secretary. It used to be that if we had only one pt, then both nurses were required to work. We also are responsible to watch telemetry from the adjoining Med-Surg floor, up to 8 patients. Recently, due to the financial crisis, we were told that if there is 1 pt, then only 1 nurse is needed. This has created quite a stir as you might imagine. Granted, we don't usually get severe trauma cases or MI patients, but we can be quite busy when we have overdoses, renal failure, resp. failure, r/o MI, ETOH withdrawals, pneumonis, sepsis etc. Has anyone else experienced this type of staffing issue? Since I am a new nurse, I don't feel quite comfortable sitting with one pt, having to admin. meds, run telemetry strips q 4 hours on everyone, answering the phone, putting in orders, giving baths, changing linens, feeding pts etc. Also, if the census was low, one nurse would be put on call. Now, if the Med-Surg floor needs us, we have to go to the floor and take patients. If the ICU gets busy, how are we supposed to give report on out patients and try & go back to the unit to help in there? Recently, I was in the unit with no patients. I was watching 6 pts on telemetry. The PM nurse came in and right after, a GI bleed was admitted. The #2 ICU nurse was on the floor with 8 pts! Mgmt sent up an OB nurse (no offense) to be in the ICU. She would not do anything "dirty" so she wouldn't take any germs back to OB. The ICU nurse was in the room with the pt the whole time, so who was watching the monitors? No one! Why be on telemetry if no one is going to monitor them? Thanks for letting me vent and any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

Hi, I just read your thread today and was glad you decided to go to the Dean and get enrolled in the class again. I just graduated in May from a BSN college, so your comments about instructors were right on target! Just because someone has a MSN doesn't mean that they can TEACH. I had a few instructors like that. Anyone can stand up in front of class and read a powerpoint! I don't know your history, but I will say again to "hang in there". Continue to do your absolute best and look forward to the end of the road.:):) When you graduate, everyone will know how hard you worked and what you sacrificed to get your degree. Your family will be so proud of you. Think of this as just another "hoop to jump through". My husband told me that many times and it worked. Best of luck to you!!!

To I love my job, How do you access quick results? Thanks. Renae Hicks

Congrats to both of you!!!I took my NCLEX yesterday (July 3rd) and I am not sure when my results will be avail. due to the holiday weekend. Mine cut off at 75 quest. too. I am trying not to worry too much and enjoy my long weekend. Again, congratulations to both of you RNs!!!!

I took my NCLEX today also. I finished with 75 questions and 21- TWENTY-ONE SATA questions. Can you believe that? I too am unsure how it went. I agree with a lot of replies. There were a lot of infection control questions. I had 2 math problems and 1 question where I had to put things in order. I hope that we all passed. I also don't want to have to face my family, friends and co-workers and tell them that I failed.

Hey brown-eyed girl, Sounds like we had almost the exact test but I got 21 SATA!!!!!! Ugh, I hate those things. Some of them I only wanted to pick 1-2 things out of 6 but the more you looked at the answers, the more I wanted to add as a choice. When I answered a question and was pretty sure I got it right, I knew when I hit the next button that it would be another SATA!!. Good news is that 85% of test takers pass the first time. The odds are definitely in our favor.

I am taking my NCLEX on July 3rd also, in Virginia. I took the online Kaplan review course-listened to the lectures and followed along in the study book at the same time. I have done good enough on the QT tests. I need to do QT 7 and the readiness test tomorrow. I hope I have enough time!!! Best of luck to you. Everyone keeps telling me "You'll be fine." I hope I don't let them down!:loveya:

I would read it from cover to cover, if you have time. Kaplan teaches you how to interpret what the question is actually looking for in the answer. You use a process of elimination to narrow down the choices. Many of the questions in the book showed up in my online Kaplan course.

I would read it from cover to cover, if you have time. Kaplan teaches you how to read the question and figure out what exactly they are looking for in the answer. You use a process of elimination to narrow down the choices. Many of the questions in the book have shown up on my online Kaplan Review course.

I just graduated May 10th so I know how you feel. Congrats on passing the NCLEX!:nuke: I have worked in the healthcare field for 24 years but not as a nurse. I interviewed in hospitals, doctor's offices and long term care. I almost took a job in LTC because of the pay but waited it out and got a job in a hospital in ICU. Be patient and look at all of your options. There is a job out there that is perfect for you. Don't jump at the first offer and check out all of the benefits and perks-not just the pay. Good Luck!!