QueenCityNurse

Hi Jennifer. I am sooo sorry that you are feeling this way but I just want to tell you that you are not alone and to stay encouraged. A lot of nurses feel exactly the same way that you are feeling. In fact, I was feeling it a couple of years ago. I was completely miserable (feel free to read one of my posts...lol). Try to hang in there with your current job until you find something else. Keep searching for other jobs everyday. Are you in a position to look for jobs outside of your immediate area and possibly commute? The nursing home is a tough place.......I have been there. As far as that individual who isn't being nice to you, you are going to find them just about everywhere you go. For some reason, many experienced nurses forget what it was like to be a new nurse. I'm not sure what advice to give you about that situation other than to talk to him about the way he is making you feel. Please continue your education. Once you find and get settled into the right job, your love for nursing will come back. My first job out of nursing school was with adults in a hospital setting......I absolutely hated it and was strongly considering changing careers. I was even looking for warehouse jobs at one point because I hated nursing sooo much. I now work in NICU.....love it and can honestly see myself retiring from NICU. I love nursing again.....wouldn't know what else I would want to do. In time, I hope that you feel this way too. Good luck and keep us updated!

When I first started working in Peds Home Care, I had recently graduated from an LPN program and I only had 2.5 months of nursing experience. My first case was for a 2 year old with a trach. Now, I have a little over 5 years experience in Peds Home Care and I can't think of any job that I love more. With that being said, it can be done "but" I would suggest that you start out with a basic case. Maybe a child that only has a GT and work your way up to more complex cases after you have a certain comfort level. My suggestion to you is to never take a case without meeting the patient first. A lot of nurses are called last minute and fill-in without meeting the patient but I always like to know what I am getting myself into. Also, until you get comfortable, you can always try starting out on nights (if you can) because it isn't as busy as days. Try to get as much orientation as you can and once you get comfortable, ask your agency if you can do orientation on another case. Good luck with whatever you decide!!!

That was so sweet and too cute! I think I would have cried a river of tears right then and there(LOL). I absolutely LOVE home care!

I have been in home care(private duty) for a little over 5 years now and I have been with Bayada for almost 3 years. Of all of the home care companies that I have worked for, Bayada is really the best. Although the pay isn't that great(Charlotte area.....$21/hr during week and $23./hr weekends), I can honestly say that for the most part, "I love" working for them. Just recently I quit my hospital job and switched from prn to full-time with Bayada and so far, I have no regrets.

Thanks Dollphyn. I called out yesterday so I only have two more shifts to complete. In the meantime, I have until Friday to decide if I am going to go back to finish my last two shifts. For now, I am going to call my current home care agency to see if they have full-time hours available and if they do, I definitely will not be going back. I have an interview on Friday with the home care division of the first hospital that I worked for. I am praying that it goes well. I will keep you posted. Again, thanks!

I apologize in advance for the long post...... I have been an RN for a year now. During my first 6 months as an RN, I "loved" working in the hospital. In hindsight, maybe I just loved the "thought" of being one of those nurses who could deal with working in the hospital. Now, I just I "hate" every aspect of working in the hospital and sometimes I just want to pursue something completely different. I have even thought of stocking in a warehouse just for the sake of my sanity. I worked 9 months full-time on an extremely hectic Progressive Care Unit at a Level I trauma hospital and then I transferred to a smaller hospital to a Med-Tele/Progressive Care Unit so that I only had to deal with the stress for two days. Needless to say, two days ago, I put in my two weeks notice of resignation but after a night like last night(which is really not that different from any other night), I don't think that I have it any me to finish my last three shifts. At the top of the shift, I was passed on a new admission that had just arrived to the floor and about 5 minutes after I finished getting report for all 6 of my patients, my supervisor was coming to me telling me that I had another admission coming in from the ED. During report I get a call from the blood bank telling me to pick up blood for a patient that the day nurse conveniently didn't see in the chart and forgot to mention although the order was written at 1500. Immediately after that, I get another call from the blood bank telling me that the blood was also ready to be picked up for my new admit. Since there was only 2 NAs, we were reminded to get our own I/Os and accuchecks which four of my patients needed. With that being said, I already knew what kind of shift I would be having. I finished passing my 2100 meds around 2330 and I finally sat down around 0330 to chart my first note. I finished charting around 0650 and I finished my chart checks around 0730. Last night was sooooo bad that I almost broke down into tears which is usually something that I do in the shower before and after work. When I am at work, I am so miserable and lately, I have been letting it show. I am sick of always working short, sick of the patients, sick of their families, sick of all of these orders that are unrealistic for a 12 hour shift and sick of having to call the Dr. to get an order for something like "pain medicine" when it should have been ordered on admission just because most patients in the hospital have some kind of pain that Tylenol will do absolutely "NOTHING" for. If patient abandonment laws were not around, I would have left in the middle of the shift. I really don't know if I can take another second of that place. I am back in school working on my BSN so the weekend hours work great. The rate is $38/hr and for two days I make around what I would make in home care on a 40 hour work week. Before I became an RN, I worked in home care as an LPN for a little over 4 years and I have continued to work in home care PRN as an RN. Although home care can have its "unfriendly" moments, for the most part, I absolutely "love" it and I think that's where I want to stay, at least until I get my BSN. I have been wanting to leave the hospital for a while now but I keep talking myself out of it because I feel like such a failure for not being able to do "keep up" with the fast pace of the hospital. My question is, is it worth it to just hang in there all for the sake of having "hospital experience"?

Hi janaas I tried to send a private message but I think that you have to respond to so many threads before you are able to send private messages. I really can't tell you a whole lot about Charlotte because I moved here a couple of years ago from Philly and I don't get out much. If you are buying a home, depending on the area, you will definitely find that it is a lot cheaper than Delaware. As far as CMC, its a pretty good place to work. I don't know much about University but if you are able to get into CMC-Main or any other facility under Carolinas Healthcare System, after 6 months you will be able to put in a transfer and it may be a little bit easier to get into University if something is open. The starting rate really isn't all that great down here compared to Delaware but if you have some experience, you may be able to negotiate a little. If you are open to working weekends, the rate is $34./hr but it is considered a part time position. However, the benefits are pretty much the same, just a little bit more and as far as accumulating PTO, I think its like 4 hrs per pay period instead of 7.5 if you were full-time. Do you know what area you are interested in? CMC also has a float pool and I think that the pay is like $26/$27 but I am not really sure. Also, (3) 12 hour shifts are considered full-time and if I am not mistaken, almost every single floor does self scheduling which is pretty cool. With that, you can be off for 8 days without taking any PTO. For example, if you schedule yourself for Sun, Mon & Tuesday you have completed your requirements for that week and then on the next week, you can schedule yourself for Thurs, Fri & Saturday which gives you 8 nice days to be off(LOL). Let me know if I can be of any additional assistance........good luck!

Hi Destiny 1. I am sorry that things didn't go that well for you. Will you have the opportunity to go through the class again? I just graduated in May from an RN program but I can remember my first test as if it was yesterday. It was horrible. What I found most helpful was reading the chapters. A lot of my classmates were just able to read the lecture notes and do well but that didn't work for me. Sometimes, I would have to find ways to "dumb the material down" because some of it just went over my head but it worked and before you knew it, I was making A's and B's. What I also found helpful was sticking with my first thoughts on the test. I found that when I changed my answers, I usually got them wrong. I can't recommend any books or websites because I didn't use any but as far as the care maps.....I kept them all. I kept my care maps from the beginning to the end and I pretty much used the same diagnosis, interventions and etc over and over again because although the patients will be different, you will see that the same thing for one patient can apply to the next, especially when it comes down to your interventions. I hope this helps.....good luck!

Hi David. I just graduated from an RN program in May but previously, I had worked as an LPN for 4 years. One of those years I spent in an LTC facility and the rest in pediatric home care. While I was in nursing school, I tried to maintain full time hours but a month into the program, I had to cut those hours down to 16 hours a week. I worked Friday and Saturday night and when I was on a school break, I would pick up additional hours. Fortunately, in home care (especially on the night shift), you usually have a lot of "down time" so I was able to study a lot during those hours. I think that you will be fine working the two days. Good luck!

I'm sorry that you are having a tough time. I am also a new grad RN so I can imagine the type of stress and pressure that you are under. I work on a Progressive Care Unit and the atmosphere is very stressful almost every single minute. The only advice that I can give to you is to just to continue to do the best you can. Please don't be too hard on yourself. If you are transferred to another fllor, just try to soak up as much as you can and try the MICU again later; I am sure you will be great! When you have a free moment "at home" try to study over the things that you see pop up over and over again. Good Luck!

Hi everyone! I graduated in May '08, took my boards June 11th, passed with 75 questions and started orientation June 23rd. I work on a Progressive Care Unit at a Level I trauma hospital in Charlotte, NC and for the most part, I love it. However, everyday is truly a learning experience. I come home everyday wondering if I am going to get a call from someone telling me to come back and fix something. Previously, I worked as an LPN for 4 years in home care but the hospital environment is completely different. I am hoping that after a year or two, I will feel comfortable enough to transfer to the MICU but for now, I am going to just continue to do the best that I can and learn as much as I can. Congratulations to everyone and good luck!

Hi Bedside Dee. I just graduated from CCHS (May '08) and I don't think that you have to wait a year. I wasn't in pre-nursing but I know a few girls who finished the required classes for pre-nursing and were able to start the nursing program the next semester.

Yes, it does increase; well, at least it does at CMC. After 90 days, it goes up like $.50 or something like that but even before the 90 days are up, if you work nights, you will get the shift diff.

It's 90 days from the time you start and to be honest, it may not be quite 90 days. For example, when I was officially out of orientation(on my floor), there was like another week and half left before I hit my 90 day mark but because I was on my own and out of orientation, I started receiving nurse pay instead of new grad pay. I think that Presby do pay more but I heard that its like $1. However, the same way that most hospitals or other facilities don't advertise their incentives, you probably won't know how much more unless you can talk to someone who works there and don't mind giving you the scoop (LOL). I'm glad that I can be of assistance.

Well, actually CMC is trying this new thing out with the float team/pool. I just graduated in May and a girl from my class as well as someone from the class before me chose the float pool. I do believe that it is also considered a full-time position so you would get your benefits. The way it works is that you choose two areas that interest you, for example Med-surg & cardiac or ICU & progressive care (which is like step-down ICU). I am not sure about all of the areas that you can choose from. You get cross-trained in those areas (I think that its over a total of 6 months but I am not sure) and then after your training is finished, you float between the two areas that you chose. Since you want to try different areas, you might want to consider that. Also, I do think that you can pick up extra shifts on other floors. There are different nurses that pick up time on my floor from other floors.

LOL....the incentive is too good to deny but boy do you work for it. Just make sure that you try to choose a floor where the atmosphere is good and the coworkers are helfpul; this way, when there is opportunity for OT, you won't mind picking it up. Most of the time, I know that my shifts are probably gonna be busy/crazy ones (only b/c that's just the nature of my floor) but I work with a wonderful team of people and I absolutely love going to work.

Have you tried contacting the school? I know that they have a general education program. Our past grades don't always reflect our current abilities so maybe you can try to get enrolled in that, take a few classes just to show them that you can do the work and then transfer into the pre-nursing/nursing program. Please call the school and ask them about your options. I am sure that there is a solution. I recently graduated from Carolinas College of Health Sciences and I absolutely loved this school. Good Luck!

The new grad rate at CMC is 19.65 and then 20.11 after 90 days. There is a shift diff of $4 if you work nights and an additional $3 if you work on the weekends. There is also a weekender program which is like $34/hr but its only considered part time and you have to have at least a year of experience. Good luck with school!

I am not sure about 4 year schools in NC but I attended Carolinas College of Health Sciences (Charlotte, NC) which is a two year school and from my understanding, you can be admitted right into the nursing program. I came in as a transfer student but there were a couple of girls in my class that were right out of high school. If she chooses to go this route, there are a lot of RN-BSN programs out there which usually takes and additional year to a year and a half to complete. Check out there website at carolinascollege.edu and you should be able to find the admissions requirements for high school students. If you need any additional info, you can also contact the school. The staff is really friendly and helpful.

CMC (Charlotte, NC)....19.65 initially and then 20.11 after your 90 day evaluation period. There is also a shift diff of $4 if you are working nights and an additional $3 if you work on the weekends. Also, "I think" that there is a weekender program which is like $34 (it may be a little more for weekender nights) but you have to have at least a year experience for that and it is considered part time because its only Sat & Sun. Hope this helps a little. Good Luck!

Hi. I am not sure about all facilities in Charlotte but I work as an RN at CMC-Main. The new grad rate is 19.65 and once you finish your 90 day evaluation period, it goes up to 20.11. If you work nights, there is a $4. shift differential so it would be 24.11 and its also an additional $3 when you work on the weekends. Now, I know that it doesn't sound like much because I was feeling the same way but I am sure that what I have to say next will make you smile(LOL). On my unit, once you are out of your 90 day evaluation period, we do self-scheduling and you are only required to work (3) 12-hour shifts. There is usually a lot of opportunities to pick up OT and an incentive is usually offered to those who pick up extra shifts but again, you have to wait until you are out of your 90 day evaluation period. If you sign up for an extra shift, once you have reached 40 hours (which is just four more hours beyond your regular schedule), you do get time and a half for those hours worked over 40. I am not sure about all units, but my unit offers incentive pay for picking up extra shifts which ranges from $12-15/hr so not only are you getting time and a half after you have worked 40 hours but you also get the incentive for the entire extra shift that you picked up. For example, during the first 4 hours of the extra shift, your rate will be 32.11- 35.11 and then 42.16 - 45.16 for the last 8 hours of the shift (these are the rates if you are on the days....you can plug in the shift diff for the nights and weekends to figure that out). I know that this may sound really confusing but I hope that it gives you a better picture. Good Luck!

I think that you should go ahead and plan to take it. I truly believe that we never think that we are as ready as we should be. When I took the PN-Nclex some years ago, I didn't think that I was ready at all but I had prepared myself as much as I could and I passed with the minimum questions my 1st time. I took the RN-Nclex for the 1st time on Wednesday, had the minimum questions and I found out this morning that I had passed. Again, I really didn't think that I was ready. My advice to you is to take as many questions as you can until the day before your test. If you don't feel like sitting at your computer for extended periods of time, you can always take some in the morning and then again in the evening (this is what I did a lot of days). I didn't have Kaplan q trainer. I used this website called NClex Masters and there test bank had over 3700 questions. My scores were horrible....C's, D's and F's. There were times when I would get so frustrated and discouraged with my scores but they gave the rationales for my wrong answers and I never forgot them so even with horrible scores, I was still learning and so are you. As far as you being horrible with SATAs....it's okay. I don't think that anyone could have been more horrible with them than myself. I had approx. 20-25 of those on this test and at one point 4-5 of them came back to back. Again, just take as many questions as you can each day (at least 100) and those SATAs will be a lot easier. One more thing......if you feel yourself in panic mode when the big day comes, just close your eyes for a few seconds and deep breathe. If you can, try to listen to something inspiring or relaxing on the way to the test and stay confident. You can do it! Good luck!