Snoglobe

I have worked in ER,OR,Corrections and a cardiac step-down unit and I must have really lucked out because I have been supported and cared for by my fellow nurses. We work in such a stressful environment and usually under less than great conditions. We also get jumped on by patients, docs and management and yet most of keep going with the goal of giving our patients the very best care we are able to deliver. I had an instructor in nursing school that told me she felt nursing was a calling and I feel that is the case for most of the really good nurses you meet. I also think that many nurses are perfectionists and very demanding of themselves ( and others). You are responsible for someone's life and that is quite a load to carry while trying to be perfect at a job that can be described as juggling dozens of fragile eggs simultaneously. I have been a practicing for 20 years now and can say I am so glad I had the chance to become a nurse- everyday. I have heard the stories of nurses eating their young and worked with a new grad once who had an awful experience before coming to work on my unit so I realize your concerns are valid. All I can say is that I do believe that what goes around comes around. If you make an effort to treat others with dignity and compassion you will likely be treated the same. I congratulate you on your acceptance into nursing school and wish you well with your studies. It sounds as though the nursing profession will be lucky when you graduate because we will be gaining a thoughtful and considerate colleague.

I, too, would suggest a VA facility or corrections as both are usually the last place nurses apply. I have worked in both and truly benefitted from the time I worked at each place. The VA hospital in Portland,OR was my first job after graduation. I was exposed to a great variety of patients ( worked on cardiac step down unit). The patient load was heavy, but the patients were so appreciative I worked my tail off for them. The fact that they are teaching hospitals is another plus.Corrections is demanding and many require two years experience, but I feel you can improve your assessment skills more in a corrections setting than almost anywhere. In a county jail the nursing staff is on their own most of the time. Would an agency job be easier to secure or one in LTC? The job market will loosen up soon- I can only imagine how frustrated you must be- to work so hard,do so well and then have no where to practice! As a graduated nurse I am sure you know the job is well worth the effort. I congratulate you on your achievement and wish you great success with the hunt.

I have to say that I echo Deyo321. If you work in a county jail the nurses are the medical team. We only have a doctor on site about 5 hours per week. You are expected to handle such a wide variety of situations and usually with less than perfect resources. Your assessments skills must be top notch and wide to handle the job. I have dealt with everything from suicide attempts to placenta praevia- it can be similar to working in an ER with no docs. I live in Oregon and the state nursing board won't let LVN's work in a jail setting because of the level of assessment needed. I love corrections, but it can be overwhelming for those who are just starting nursing. You should be secure in your abiltities. Just the intake portion of the jail can be a challenge because they bring you people straight from the street and you must assess the status of person for suitability to be housed- it can be more than tricky. You would need to make sure you were adequately trained and many jails are "nurse needy" and might hire you even if you were not right for the job. I wish you luck with your decision.

I think taking care of little ones was the hardest and scariest part of the ER for me. I always felt they hurt more than the adults- I know that is not reasonable, but they just seem so helpless. The way I handled the problem was to focus on the task and what needed to be done. Just distance yourself a bit when you feel yourself freezing and run through the steps of the task at hand and that may help.

One thing you will find in nursing school is an older group of students. There are many who start nursing later in life for some reason. I started school in my 30's and I was pleasantly surprised to find many my age and several older. Nursing school is hard and takes a level of commitment, but I have never been sorry that I became a nurse. I have worked in a variety of environments and enjoyed each of them. Floor nursing does involve being subjected to the whims of people who are not at their best because of pain and illness. I loved Corrections Nursing because we are on our own and able to fully use our assessment skills and brains, but you have a pretty negative patient base. Nurses are sorely needed and you will be able to find work easily and the salary is decent. It is also pretty great to be able to say to yourself that you saved a couple of lives in your career. Good luck with your decision.

You might try Alteration in Health Maintenance r/t inadequate health practices such as unhealthy life style (her major lack of proper sleep habits). Sounds as if she may have set up an abnormal sleep pattern for herself. You would assess the contributing factors to sleep pattern and initiate health promoting behaviors such as reducing caffeine intake and sleep promoting techniques. Also, one question that I had was if the MVA was caused by her falling asleep? Good luck.

This sounds exactly like my first job- they do have a hard time staffing many rural hospitals. I would check with your board of nursing to make sure you are not practicing outside your scope of practice. I would also speak with the DON and make sure they were aware of your concerns. If you feel so uncomfortable in this job you should look for another position. It must be so stressful for you. Hang in there- you will find a job that is right for you. Perhaps you could do agency work until the right job presents itself? I would not worry about your resume. If you tell future employers the job conditions I am sure they will understand. Good luck!

I taught a CNA class at a facility and once you get your license you can go anywhere and agencies are always looking for new people. That said, I agree with Stanley RN2B in regards to working PT or PRN for a particular facility. You could even work for more than one if you need more hours ( and if you can find the time). Most places are chronically understaffed and I am sure you would be able to work as much- or as little- as you need. Plus, there are some facilities that offer benefits for their PT as a draw.

I know this may not be the best defining criteria for choosing schools, but you might want to find out what the passing rate (for the licensing exam) is for the two schools- just one way to gauge how well you will be prepared for the "real world". I wish you the best whichever one you choose. I am thrilled to hear that so many are attempting to enter nursing-Oregon is facing such a dramatic shortage that will be worse in the coming years.