medicrn16

Sweetie, you can absolutely do this and you did NOT go to school for nothing. I spent as much time telling myself I was smart, capable, and worthy of being a nurse as I did studying. Do not beat yourself up. We are often our own worst enemies! Take a break from the studying and do something nice for yourself. Get a mani/pedi, buy a pair of jeans, or a shirt that you've been wanting, get your hair done. When you review Kaplan (I did not use this, so I don't know what it's like), do you understand the rationales behind the answers? I think you probably know more than you give yourself credit for. Do you have areas that you are particularly weak in? For me, it was delegating to LPNs or CMAs. Killed me! But I passed with 75. Do not talk down to yourself. Do not think negatively. Breathe, pray, speak kindly to yourself. Please, please let us know how you're doing. :loveya:

LLG...you made my heart sing :loveya: 'Becoming a great nurse....' have waited years to hear that. Thanks for the boost. You hit it exactly right! While I've been reading and writing this post...it didn't even occur to me that this was the 'problem'. Not really a problem, just the type of floor I am on. Funny how your feelings can totally cloud what's going on because as a new nurse, you're already dealing with so much! Thank you thank you for your objective view and finally drawing out what's in my heart that I couldn't adequately verbalize (write!). I have been told that critical care is right up my alley, and I believe this is where I want to go. We have a trauma step-down ICU at our Level I and these pts teeter between ICU and where I work now on the floor. Treatment is VERY aggressive, and there is complete immersion in the pts care. Ratio is 1 to 3 optimally, or if you have a relatively 'light' pt (one that might move down to lower level of care within 12 hours) then you might have 4. But that's the max. I guess I considered it a problem because I just don't like it (the type of floor). I mean, people are great, etc. Not the floor, but the level of care. Other RNs don't seem to have a problem...so I figured it was me. But,the reality is they probably don't want that higher level. I was surprised in school how many people did NOT want CC. I guess it's the medic in me that wants to be there in crisis situations all the time (okay, not ALL the time...but at least have the potential for a crisis). It should be noted that I have depended on allnurses throughout school and into NCLEX (passed first time at 75!), and now in my career. It is like second family and I always get good advice. Thanks so much to all of you! You RNs ROCK!

JMO, but I think it's reaching a little to say 'if you don't like it, you should not be a nurse'. Who in the world likes it? Never saw anyone going into a room to change a diaper with the attitude they were going to a party. My professor in school, an RN for 25 years and now on her PhD, hated suctioning trachs. She would gag and absolutely hated it. She overcame it, but still to this day, hates to do it. Just think it's more beneficial to give encouragement to fears like this (didn't we all have one or another?) instead of saying someone should not be a nurse. Nursingstudent424...it's okay to have these fears. I used to have an EMT on my truck (I'm a medic, too) who had responsive vomiting! Every time a pt would vomit, he would vomit, too! We analyzed it, and realized that he was just too into what the pt was feeling and we worked with just 'task orientation'...he was NOT sick, we had a 'task' to manage, and he realized that if he chewed gum, he didn't vomit. Weird, but we worked through it. You will get through this, too. I believe you will get used to it and as another poster said, it's way more uncomfortable for the pt than for you. Good luck!

Thanks for your responses trixie and joy. You both hit on good points...but Joy, it's much closer to what you say. Making the transition from medic to RN has been TOUGH! Like the other day I had a guy in for SBO. Then I see on the order sheet an angio of the neck and cancer blood work. Huh? Turns out the guy has been in remission for CA for 5 years and his doc heard he was in the hospital so wanted to run some tests. Didn't get the lowdown on that until after work...but it's kinda stuff like that. In school, as a medic and an RN, I was not satisfied with just learning definitions, descriptions, etc. I had to know the why and the how. My mind is so detail oriented. As an RN, I just really don't get the opportunity to really delve deep due to lack of time, etc. It's just strange to be part of someone's care for such a short period of time, you know? I had to d/c a pt the other day who had been there (not on my floor for all, but hopping between several) for 280 days! Seriously? She was in my care for three hours! So, in that 3 hours, between passing morning meds, labs, etc. I'm supposed to be able to adequately assist this lady in transitioning from 280 days in the hospital to home health? Ugh. Stuff like this drives me bat #&%^ crazy This is a different life. I am part of a huge team that assists patients to successfully reach their goal of discharge, rather than being a part of their initial crisis in an ambulance. Guess I just feel like I don't help much. Not quite as rewarding as I thought it would be. Like the other day I had an admit, MCC hit and run. Guy was wearing a helmet. Had broken ribs, road rash, and a possible vert fx. During my assessment I noticed his breaths were very shallow. He was oxygenating well, but still, LS were diminished on the lower R. After scd's and teds, I talked to him about incentive sprirometry. His pain was at a 7/10 which he said was acceptable to him. I explained to him that pain management was important in order for him to breathe and walk, etc. If pain was keeping him from doing these things, he would not recover very quickly and would set himself up for more trouble. I demonstrated the spirometer and asked him to show me that he understood. He didn't think it was any big deal, but when he tried, he could not even reach 500. Started coughing, etc. I taught him how to splint his chest with pillow and he said to me he could not believe that in just 24 hours, his lungs had become weak. Then he asked for pain meds. Right before I left, I peeked into his room discretely to see what he was doing...and he was using the spirometer by himself, splinting his chest, and doing exactly what I taught him to do. To me, that was the best feeling in the whole world. I was convinced that I helped him on his road to getting better. I guess I just want that for ALL my pts and I don't get to feel that way very often. Thanks you guys for reading and 'listening' to me :redpinkhe

Hope this won't be too long and that I can get some help. First week was great as far as experience goes. No one has yelled at me, snubbed me, or whatever. But, I have recognized a big weakness on my part that I need to fix and I'm not sure how. Let me start by saying I've been a medic for 5 years. I am darn good at assessment. This is probably my strongest suit. However, with that being said...it is so hard for me to get the overall picture of what needs to be done with a pt that I am taking over from someone else, which unfortunately is most of the pts I have! What I mean is, I LOVE doing admits. Most people don't...it's long, tedious, room set up, education, assess, place orders, etc. But I feel I get the WHOLE picture when I do those admits. It's like as I'm assessing them and reading their history, I know what the doc will order, what he'll want, how I can help in recovery, etc. When I take a pt that has already been there for awhile...it feels like I'm getting on a merry-go-round while it's still moving! I feel like instead of helping the pt accomplish day to day things, I'm just reading the computer pages following instructions and at the end of the day...I feel I have not done anything, and what I have done I don't quite understand why I did it! Does this make sense at all? So hard to put into words. As a medic, I was always the first to assess, make decisions (stay and play or load and go), fix immediate needs, etc. Now as a nurse, I can still do some of that, but I feel like the information on the pt is in bits and pieces I cannot wrap my mind around their labs, meds, etc. to make a big clinical picture because I wasn't involved from the beginning. Anyone else out there feel the same? Any suggestions on how to fix this? I feel stupid.

Best advice I could give you....get RID of the hanging lanyard. More trouble than it's worth and a bacteria-spreading nightmare just waiting to happen

Wow! How in the world could enthusiasm be interpreted as being a smart aleck??? God bless you for making it through. Could it have been more that they were intimidated by you because of your energy? Anyway...thanks for the advice. So, so appreciate it!

OMG...that is a great idea. My work had a going away party for me last night and I was given a $100 gift card to a uniform store. Thanks for your input!

Well, after 3 months of trying finally got a job on a trauma/general surgery floor. I did my practicum there, I know most everyone and am very excited. I have been a practicing paramedic for 5 years. When I went to work I had my routine and things that I always had with me: stethoscope, pens, trauma shears, pen light, protocol book, phone numbers of the fire stations we ran with, pocket notebook, belt clip for ambulance keys, etc. I would even take a roll of tape, and wrap it around the 'Jesus bar' (bar on the ceiling of ambulance to keep you upright when the laws of gravity want to put you on your butt!) for a quick grab in case I needed to secure something in a hurry (IV, dressing, etc.). Those were the good ole' days Now, I have to change gears and think about ways I can organize myself to have what I need on the floor to help me get through the day successfully (tongue in cheek, lol) and be prepared. Besides the obvious stethoscope and pen light, is there anything you experienced nurses have found to help you? Ways to organize your day? One suggestion I was given already by a friend was to always keep 'thank-you' cards in my locker to give to especially helpful co-workers during a rough day. My preceptor used a three-ring small binder and used two sheets of paper per patient...one was for 'things to get done' the other page for tracking/trending vitals, messages from docs, patient requests, etc. I'm curious to see what kinds of methods you all use, or things you have discovered to make your day easier, well-prepared, and organized. I am sure there are some very creative things being done out there and I want to learn them. Teach me please!:loveya:

Good girl. Proud of you :) Now, knock them out and shine like a star!

This is just an interesting opposing view about qualifications...I am a medic for several years. Did an advanced one-year RN program, had an interview Monday and got a call yesterday that I was over-qualified for this floor! They want me in critical care, but that job does not open until December. I need a job yesterday. Have another interview today on a more critical floor at another hospital. Funny right? Underqualified, overqualified...ugh. Without any experience in pt care at all, I think the certs will do you good, for sure. Good luck to you and me! :)

Took ATI predictor with 98% chance of passing NCLEX. Took NCLEX on September 11 and passed with 75 first time. Yes, it does absolutely focus on areas of greatest weakness. I thought it was a great program and studied it everyday until the exam. Good results. No, it isn't CAT...but you can't hide what you don't know. It will highlight them and give you special study content to master what you are weak in. Don't waste time studying what you already know (overstudying). Focus on your weakest areas. Good luck.

Hey there, IMHO I would keep calling. I do not believe it's considered 'pushy' to do so. It shows that you are highly interested and are not willing to give up. I finally got an interview for today after calling every single day for almost a week and leaving messages...'Hi, this is so-and-so just following up...am excited about this opportunity...feel free to call me at any time....' Do you have an email address? I would try any way I could to get ahold of someone! Squeaky wheel gets the grease! Good luck :)

After you take your exam (next day) try going back onto the PV site and log in. Attempt to schedule an exam. You will go through the first page of name, school, grad date, etc. When you try to go on throughout the process, a pop-up will come up (if you passed) and tell you that you recently scheduled an exam and you must contact the BON with any questions, blah, blah, blah. If you did NOT pass, it will let you go all the way to the credit card information page to pay for your next exam. Good luck! It worked for me.

If anyone lives in Florida you do NOT have to pay to get your exam results. Here is a link to get your exam results for FREE. As soon as PV says your exam results are ready, then you can go to this site and select your exam type (RN) and enter your DOB and last four of your SS#. I REFUSED to pay to find out if I passed or failed. I thought, why in the world am I going to pay money to find out I failed, lol. Oh well. Passed anywho. So, pass this along to your Florida friends. http://ww2.doh.state.fl.us/onlinetestnet/default.aspx BTW, congrats to all of you! Excellent!