Brittany, RN

On my peds unit, if there are labs ordered, we will almost always draw from the PIV. The only cases we don't if we are doing blood cx from multiple sites or on some of the older "peds", 17-19yo that have easier veins/better tolerance. We always just flush the line with 3-5cc the pull back 3-5cc of waste. Never had a problem with any tainted labs. And makes for much happier kids. Brittany

Wow, it's nice to read that others are feeling the same as I am! I feel like I could have written that post! I had my first day on the floor today and I was just shadowing and assisting with some stuff and I was just thinking, "wow I'm never going to be able to do this!" I think the hardest thing for me is going to be the transition from nursing student/nurse tech to RN. In the past if there was something I wasn't sure of I would just say, "I'm not sure, let me go get your nurse!" and now I AM the nurse, and I will need to know these things. Everyone tells me I do a good job and I am going to be a great nurse but for some reason I can't get it into my head! But I am working on it and just have to keep telling myself: "You GRADUATED from nursing school, you PASSED your boards, and you WILL be a good nurse" Also to the OP: don't worry at all about the scrubs, you will be just fine! I have a set of royal blue scrubs from Cherokee and they are actually one of my favorite pairs! I have seen so many different styles/brands/colors on my unit, everyone has their own look. As long as you are comfortable, that is what is important! Brittany

Psych - after I did my clinical rotation, I was convinced I had a mental disorder for a few weeks after. Also, it just freaks me out the measures some patients will go to commit suicide. OR - started out thinking it was pretty cool, but slowly started getting freaked out, mostly because of anesthesia. I've always been squeamish of being "put under" but now I'm REALLY afraid. I'm even scared of C-sections because I feel I'm going to be that person where the surgery goes all wrong. Others that I don't prefer include Geriatrics/LTC and home care. But I love my kids! Brittany

I currently drive 70 miles ( about 65-70min) one way to my job. It isn't so bad, sometimes I can even find it relaxing. It can be a little rough if you are tired though. There are many closer hospitals but none have pediatrics which is what I really wanted. However I am not married/with kids so I suppose that makes it easier for me. I am planning on moving closer to the area within the next few months though because I work very random shifts and it wont really work come winter! I think the commute will be worth it for you if this is something you are really interested in, and it's also a big plus that you have someone to stay with to help cut gas costs! Like the previous poster said, if it turns out to be too much, could you possibly relocate? Good luck with the new job! Brittany

Not such a long list for me but here is goes.. Babysitting Cashier/Photo Tech/Beauty Advisor at CVS for 5 years Student office assistant at various college departments Unit Coordinator in an ER Student Nurse in an ER Registered Nurse on a Peds surgical floor

During my preceptorship in April-May, I worked on what was called an Infant Medical floor. It was a medical floor with 90% of the clients being Brittany

Just under 60 miles one way, 90% highway driving. Will be moving closer in a few months, probably will be 10-20min round trip. Brittany

Mine took 14 days to show up. I don't think that this is a common occurrence but I just wanted to point it out in case anyone is getting nervous as to why it is taking so long, I know I was! Brittany

I don't think having 1 med calc means you failed at all, many of the posts I have read have only had 1. I had 2, the first one I KNOW I got wrong (put in a random number cause I had no clue) and then towards the end it asked me the same type of question just with different numbers. Brittany

Also, they told me at the Children's Hospital I precepted in that if a baby is discharged from the NICU and for whatever reason becomes critically ill and need to be admitted, they will be admitted to the PICU because the NICU does not take admits from the communtiy, only from their surrounding units (L&D, OR, Mother/Baby) or surrounding hospitals. I was told this is to decrease the risk of infections present in the NICU since the baby could have been exposed to harmful organisms. I am sure there have been exceptions to this rule though. Brittany

Yay! Congrats RN!

My review course recommended no more than 150/day split up into 50 question tests. I started off following that but it got to be too much on some days and I felt I wasn't retaining the information fully. So generally I did 100/day and occasionally added the extra 50 depending on how I felt. It worked well for me, passed with 75 questions. But really it depends on what works for you and not doing so many questions that you aren't retaining the rationales anymore. Brittany

Hey, you should be fine! Your exam sounds a lot like mine was and I passed in 75! I had no delegation questions and a bunch of meds I never heard of. Good luck and keep us posted on the results! :) Brittany

That is REALLY not enough time. With my job, we are getting 2 weeks in the classroom followed by 3-4 months on the floor, depending on how you progress. Like some above posters stated, we will start with 1 low-acuity pt and work up to a full patient load.

Hey everyone.. i'm Brittany, i'm a long-time reader of the boards but a brand new poster! I just passed the NCLEX on July 17th with 75 questions! Hardest part of jnursing to date! I will be starting my job on August 18th in a large teaching hospital on a Pediatric (mostly surgical) floor. I am really excited because peds is my first choice. I am happy to be a part of a teaching hospital because they have a great orientation program. My previous experience is minimal. Other than clinicals I have worked as a Unit Coordinator in a small ER for two years and also did a summer nursing internship there. Looking forward to chatting with everyone and sharing our experiences! :) -Brittany