mlisk589

So far I really like working with Ortho patients. Our floor is a mix of med-surg and ortho because there aren't enough ortho patients to keep our census high enough. I am hoping that all I need is a vacation to refresh me and give me a break. I think what has been making it worse is trying to get off for vacation! I've had one planned for months, requested my days off, but the problem is we need to find our own weekend coverage (i work every other). I have been literally begging people and have only been able to get Saturday covered (the day I leave). Since I can't get sunday covered, I now have to push my vacation off until Sunday night. Little things like this get to me because they don't seem to care about life outside of the hospital. Sigh. Oh well. I guess for now I just do what I need to do. Thanks for the reply

Hey everyone, just looking for some other nurses' insight here because I feel like I'm going crazy! I got my RN license in 2009, could not find work for about a year..I thought it was the most frustrating year of my life, having my license but not able to find work and do what I wanted to do. Eventually I got into a rehab/long term care center working part time. It wasn't what I really wanted to be doing (don't we all have the dream of starting out in acute care?) but it was a job and I was happy. It was hard at first, a lot of patients, learning how to delegate, learning how to deal with problems. After awhile I settled in and got into the swing of things. About a year ago I got hired at a local hospital working on the Ortho floor. I started out on 11-7 shift and that eventually drained me...I was fortunate to snag a full time 7-3 spot and I was so so thankful for it....my problem is that lately I have felt so burnt out and frustrated almost everytime I go to/leave work. Don't get me wrong, not every day is bad, but I find myself much more snappy and emotional than I've ever been (both at work and at home). What I'm asking myself is, why am I burnt out already?? I've only been a nurse for a few years and when I got the day shift spot I felt as though I landed my "dream job". But somedays I wonder why I ever became a nurse. Is this something everyone goes through? I am wondering if I just need some time off to reboot (unfortunately time off is not so easy to get)? Am I in the wrong area of nursing (maybe I'm just not cut out for acute care?)? Or should I be looking for a whole new career? I have started looking at RNAC and office jobs, even if it means a pay cut, sometimes I am desperate for a more flexible, Mon-Fri job. Just wondering if anyone could offer me any advice. There are times when I absolutely LOVE being a nurse, always learning something new, teaching patients/families, etc. But more often than not lately I wonder what I'm doing in this field

Thanks for your input! What are some of the differences you've seen between palliative care and hospice? The whole palliative care program sounds great on paper, but I'd like to know more about it. And becoming an NP is kind of scary to me, sometimes it seems like a great idea and sometimes I think I'd be much happier just finding my niche and specializing later (without a masters). Just trying to find out more for now

I'm an RN currently finishing up my BSN. I've worked for the last year in a sub-acute setting where I've dealt with mostly med-surg type or LTC patients, and once in awhile we get hospice patients, or patients who transition to hospice while there. I have realized that for the most part, I LOVE working with these patients, especially when there is nice collaboration with the physician and I know that we are making a difference for the patient and the family. I have been looking into getting into hospice but am not sure which way to go. Vanderbilt University has an NP program with specialization in palliative care. I think that sounds awesome but I'm not sure if it's the best move since I am a relatively new RN without real concrete hospice experience. To get certified as a hospice/palliative care nurse it seems like you need to already have hospice experience. So from the perspective of those of you who work in hospice, what's the best way to go? Start out trying to get a regular staff nurse job doing hospice first? Or just go for the MSN while I'm still kind of in "school mode"? Any advice would be greatly appreciated :)

Funny, I came onto allnurses today to vent about my new LTC job and I just happened to see this on the home page. I feel pretty much exactly the same way as everyone described. I just started this past week on a rehab unit mixed with some LTC patients and it has been absolutely insane. What makes it worse is that the nurses there have said it hasn't been "that bad" compared to what they've already dealt with. As a new grad with so much less knowledge and experience than them, how am I supposed to do my med pass, deal with pt complaints/needs/extra stuff, do the treatments, document everything, check/fax orders, etc etc....It all seems like way too much for me to handle. I am giving it a little more time since I am still orienting but this just does not seem like the job for me. I feel like completely different person. When I am not at work, I'm thinking about work, crying every night when I come home and being unable to sleep. When I am at work, I feel like a chicken with its head cut off. Someone please tell me, will this get better with time? Or am I better off looking for something else?

Thanks for the advice. I worked in LTC as an aide for 2 years, was responsible for med-pass because I worked in assisted living. I know this experience will be a lot different because the patients have a lot more going on, g tubes and all kinds of things i'm not very familiar with, but I'm very excited to learn. Just have to stay positive I guess.

So happy I found this thread! I am in a similar position, start my job on Monday on a Short-stay/rehab unit. 50 beds on the unit, and they divide it between 2 or 3 nurses. I'm not sure about number of nursing assistants. From what they have told me, it sounds like getting all the charting done is going to be the most difficult part until I get used to it. I'm nervous but very grateful to have a job! Good luck to you!

Thanks everyone. I was able to find a class at a local community college but unfortunately I don't think the next one is until March. And about why they won't train me....It isn't a hospital or LTC job. It's working in occupational health. I would be working along side the one nurse they have at this huge company. She does employee physicals, vaccinations, etc. She just needed someone to do the labs, vitals, go over health history, etc. I guess she just wanted someone who already kind of knew what they were doing. I am looking into the class but it is frustrating knowing that in MA school you can get phlebotomy training but for some reason in nursing school they tend to just skip over it and expect everyone to land jobs in hospitals where you will definitely get the training.

Okay so everyone knows that the job market is rough these days. I graduated in May and passed NCLEX in the summer. I FINALLY had an interview today, and all was well except for one thing....we didn't learn how to draw blood in nursing school. Unfortunately, this was enough for the nurse interviewing me to say she did not know if it would work out. I told her I would look for a phlebotomy class online and let her know what I find. I live outside of Philadelphia and have been researching, looking at tech schools and community college but it seems like every phlebotomy class is part of a semester-long program (MA, lab tech, etc). Does anyone know what I could do to get some phlebotomy experience...and quick? Thanks

Hey all, I passed boards this past July and have been job-searching for almost a year. I've worked at the same LTC facility for four years, starting in dietary, then working as a nurses's aide (in Personal Care) through school. That's what I'm still doing. I talked to human resources about a month ago and asked about hiring me as an RN in their skilled nursing, but the director of nursing said she "didn't have the time" to train me because I'm a new RN. So anyway...after lots of anger and wanting to get out of this place...I just got a voicemail from human resources because she wants to talk to me about a job. So my point...Is a skilled nursing facility a tough place for a new RN to start? I do med-pass as an aide in personal care because I got certified to do so, but there is a lot that I don't do because I'm not working there as an RN. I don't really know the RNs and aides who work in that unit, but they always seemed kind of intimidating and off-putting. So any advice? I really wanted to get out of this place and start fresh somewhere but I have been searching for so long, it seems like I shouldn't pass it up. Soo, any help? I have a stomach ache thinking about it

Ok so I am taking my NCLEX on the 29th and I am freaking out. I took 2 review classes (ERI and Kaplan) and have been doing questions everyday, mostly QBank but also using a book from Pearson Vue. So far, all the people in my class I've talked to have passed, so I'm hoping that means my school prepared us well...But I am just nervous I will be the only one to fail! From what they have told me, they felt like they knew NOTHING that was on it, yet somehow they passed? I have been doing pretty well on Kaplan's QBank questions and tests, usually around 60%, sometimes lower but sometimes much higher. Basically at this point, I just need to vent to some people who understand the pressure and anxiety, because my family members, boyfriend and friends just don't get it, even though their intentions are good. SO...any tips on how to not be freaking out on D-Day? I don't want my anxiety to mess me up. I just want to take this test and get it over with already!! :uhoh21:

Just need some input... I'm in my 4th (and final!) semester of nursing school in my school's ASN program. For the past 3 semesters, it has been all Med/Surg and Telemetry, adult health, which I was comfortable with. I've worked as an NA at a nursing home for the past 18 months, it's what I'm used to. I start my OB rotation next week, which I'm not too worried about, but I'm dreading my pediatric rotation. I'm so afraid that I won't be able to handle the huge transition. I'm afraid that taking vitals and doing things that became sort of second nature will be totally different with infants/children. A lot of RNs working in med/surg have told me that they hated peds because it was so depressing and the parents are too much to deal with...Is this true? Or am I panicking over nothing? Thanks..

I apologize if I seem like I am being dramatic and paranoid about this...I guess it is just a totally different experience for me that I am not used to. I am used to having multiple patients/residents to go to and from. At clinical if I have a patient who wants privacy, I respect that. I give them space and obviously perform my duties while checking on them appropriately. But with this job I guess I just feel as though I'm not doing it if I just sit there not doing anything. Maybe with some clients that is just part of being a home health aide...but it is totally new to me, so I can't help feeling as though I'm doing something wrong. I also understand that constant talking doesn't necessarily mean excellent communication. It is just an awkward situation that, once again, I am not used to being in.

I work for a small company that sends caregivers out to clients. I believe it is this lady's son who decided to hire us. I have been told by the staff of the nursing home that she is a very private woman and has always been very independant. They told me not to take it personally & that she can be hard to get along with. I am trying to convince myself that just by being there and making an effort with her I am doing my job, but I can't help feeling that I am failing. As far as her mental status, she is alert and from what the staff has told me, she only has some minor memory issues...which is to be expected for someone her age. The first night I was there, once I saw that the conversation was not going anywhere, I suggested we watch Wheel of Fortune & Jeopardy and she said that she liked watching them. But while they were on, I just felt very awkward because she did not talk to me the entire time. I have heard sometimes there just needs to be comfortable silence...but for 7 hours? Maybe it is just because I am new to this and am not used to being with one person for so long..

Thanks for reading, replies are greatly appreciated! I have just finished my first year of nursing school. I work on the weekends at a nursing home (in personal care) as a nurse's aide. I have had this job for almost a year and prior to this I was a waitress at this place. At this job, I am very comfortable with the residents I work with. I know who likes to talk and could talk for hours and who would rather just be left alone after I am through assisting them with whatever they need. Since it is the summer I decided I needed to pick up more hours so I just got a job as a Home Health Aide. I started a few days ago, and my only client right now is a woman in a nursing home who really only needs us there for companionship...the problem? She doesn't seem to want the companionship. The first night I was with her I called my boss afterwards in tears because I didn't think I could handle it. For some of the time I was there she slept, so I sat in her room and read a book, but during the time she was awake I could not get her to talk to me. If I asked her a question she would respond, but then that was it. A simple answer, then silent again. She did not seem happy to have me there and I felt very uncomfortable and out of place. The next morning I was scheduled to go to her again, so reluctantly I did. Once again, she slept a majority of the time I was there. While she was awake I was able to convince her to play a game of scrabble with me, but she did not speak to me the entire time we played. After that, we sat and I decided to tell her stories and talk to see if it would help. I talked about my nephews and niece, stories about my previous waitressing job, jobs in general...I tried to ask about her family, grandkids etc but she wouldn't say much. I figured maybe she just doesn't want to talk about her own family...but she doesn't want to talk to me about ANYTHING. I have had patients like this during my clinical experience, but it has not made me uncomfortable because I was able to give them space and would go help another student or nurse. But with this lady, I am assigned to spend time with her for 7 hours a day. Any suggestions of how to break this barrier? I really do not want to quit this job because of the flexible hours, and I do not want to come off as a complainer or quitter to my boss if I ask for a different assignment So please...any suggestions? I'm desperate. I want to be a good companion & not have any more days coming home crying because I cant get through to her... Thank you so much for reading..