Maggie09

And that, ladies and gentleman, is why so many nurses are dealing with depression, anger, regret, sadness, and absolutely hating their jobs. I can say without a doubt tele is one of the absolute toughest places to work. I started there for my first f...

If you have a tubed ESI 1 patient circling the drain, there is no way that you should have three other patients that aren't stable. That is completely ridiculous, and I would have probably raised heck and refused the unsafe assignment...then I would'...

I love, love LOVE working in the ER. Transferred there in May after 2 years cardiac/tele and have never looked back. I think it took awhile to get used to the completely different prioritization that occurs in the ER. No AM meds, no checking off a ba...

Hi Beeker, Granted, some nursing units are just inherently tougher than others when it comes to coworkers. I work in the ED, and our ED and ICUs have notorious reps for being "tough crowds" to break into. When I transferred from tele to the ED they w...

Good grief, where were you all when I was a staff nurse on the floor??? Kudos for chipping in and being USEFUL instead of a nice, well-manicured "ornament." Hence why I now work in the ED...a lot more teamwork there than on the majority of the floors...

The ICU and ER are two totally separate worlds. If you feel like you would rather work in an ICU over the long haul, then stay in the ICU. In the ER where I work and most ERs around the area, new grads are not very welcome at all...and it's pretty mu...

I had a peer interview at the first job I interviewed for a few years ago. I was not at all impressed, and glad I didn't end up working on that unit. It IS like a sorority "rush," kind of BS in my opinion. I want a manager who has a good enough feel ...

Hi Issey, The ED would definitely be a tough switch from the OR, but I'm sure you could do it. I don't know if they would go for someone with no ED experience, but they very well might--you never know until you try. When I graduated I did cardiac ste...

I have the utmost respect for nurses in LTC. You guys and gals are absolutely amazing! I work in a busy, city ER which can be tough in its own right...but I know full well I couldn't handle LTC. The nurse/patient ratios and lack of support would have...

You're not delusional at all, and please don't sell yourself short! I worked a couple years of cardiac/tele and am now in the ER, which I love...but there is no way I could handle mother-baby. It would scare the living daylights out of me. I'm afraid...

AJPV, I'm in an MSN program right now, as are many of my friends/coworkers. From what I (and they) have experienced, there is a lot more nursing research and theory in grad programs than anything else. Even in the practitioner program (which I and my...

I am so stinking SICK of childish behavior! Whatever happened to accountability and getting your butt called on something when you screw up? Augh, this makes me want to scream! Ok now I feel better. I had a bit of a rough day myself, so I needed to g...

I've had some wise people in the health care field tell me that anyone who has a problem with someone who is "over-efficient" or "on-the-ball" is jealous. Like you, I pride myself in busting my butt too. On a lot of days, I have my 9 am meds passed o...

Yeah, it definitely sounds like the typical nursing school...but here's a thought--how about approaching the instructor in a polite, "un-defensive" manner and asking her for some tips in studying for her exams? I had quite a few classes where I appro...

I'm a relatively new nurse, and my unit has been doing walking rounds for over a year. I much, much prefer walking rounds to taped report because I like being able to pause the conversation and ask questions instead of having to hunt down the nurse o...

Ok, first I'm going to apologize for having no idea how to name this topic...but what I'm wondering is this--on the charts, when ARNPs and MDs make their progress notes, I sometimes see lab values written in a kind of graph that looks something like ...

I did an externship at a local teaching hospital and absolutely LOVED the experience. It was a ten-week deal, very akin to the Mayo Clinic program. I think it honed my skills and time management much more than clinicals ever did...because I was the o...

That was so very inspiring to read for this soon-to-be new grad! Thanks for taking the time to put your raw emotions into words. You sound like a wonderful nurse. If I had a sick baby, you'd be the first one I'd want to call.

I wonder sometimes if one of the pre-reqs to becoming a doc is "How to Think You Are God 101." I'm still in nursing school, and it amazes me sometimes how much of a God complex some doctors have. Thankfully I've had the privilege of externing and wor...

(Not a nurse yet...give me 'til next May ) I think I can answer your question pretty well PopeJane. I'm in my last year of a baccalaureate nursing program, and I struggled with the whole nursing vs. pre-med thing for a long time. I think what started...

Hi, I'm a senior nursing student and just started my critical care rotation. It promises to be a very difficult quarter, and I want to get ahead of the game. I've had much success in all of my previous classes (thanks to God and a lot of time studyin...

The unit I'm working on now has a fabulous crew of unit secretaries. They're young (around my age), but they do their job well and are (99% of the time) extremely pleasant to be around...very helpful to students, nurses, and family members. I did a c...

I know hindsight is 20/20, but I would have informed him that I was calling the police to file an assault charge, and that if he ever layed a hand on me again, he would need to call one of his buddies in plastic surgery to repair his "male parts." I...

A few thoughts... 1. I think staying away from the Grey's Anatomy style would be in the show's best interest--aka, not having every cast member sleep with every other cast member, constant break-ups, etc...it's too much about relationships and not en...

In my experience (I'm still waiting on George Clooney to wake up to his senses, LOL), I like dating someone interested in the medical field. He doesn't have to be a nurse or doctor, but a guy who at least likes learning about it and can listen to my ...