angelstrings

Thank you for the warm words of encouragement. It really helped me start my day.

Is 5 years long enough to know I'm in the wrong field? I keep asking myself. I kind of knew I had chosen the wrong field while I was still in school. However, I always did so well in class and had a 3.9 GPA. My clinical instructors liked me and I could literally get along with everyone. I kept my nose in the books, and really enjoyed learning new stuff and taking exams. First medsurg job I think I was in a honeymoon period. No matter how hard things were I still kept pressing onward and enjoyed the camaraderie of my companions, doctors, nurses and so on. Second medsurg job was much the same. I just wanted to relocate to a totally new and exciting place and experience nursing there. So I did. Medsurg became a quickly fatiguing job, and I saw no end of it. I could literally see myself doing this when I'm 70. No thanks. Then I tried my hand at PACU, which was SO out of my comfort zone. I am naturally "tightly wound" so even though I was doing well in the books side of training, I was freezing up and having panic attacks on the floor. I cut my losses. Then I obtained work at a juvenile facility. I love my coworkers, and love my interactions with the population I serve. Here's the but...The workflow is not congruent to a good outcome for me, I fear. There is no computerized charting. I have made errors based on faulty interpretation of what the doctor wrote (hand writing). No harm done. But in all my time in hospitals nothing like this ever happened to me. I am stuck between wondering if I should move on to find another nursing job, or simply go back to school. If I do go back, I am ashamed to say that there is nothing that I have any interest in. I will be choosing something based on how much I can earn-just as I did when I chose nursing. I keeping going back and forth because, while it's not my dream job, I actually DO LOVE the work I do while I'm doing it. On the other hand, too many more of these mistakes and I WILL be dismissed. Maybe better now to quit and move on to something else? I know that most of the time, it isn't even about the work, but the support from coworkers, and the training you receive during orientation. My training left way too much to be desired. The job itself has let go way too many other nurses. I wasn't there so I don't know all of the reasons. Even my manager tells me, I'm a good nurse. She wants me to stay. I really love them all. I just know what I see, and each of my mistakes go right back to poor workflow, and refusing to change workflow so that the same errors don't happen again. I'm late 30's. I don't want to keep searching and fiddling around. Does any of this sound familiar? What did you do?

Hello-- I just sent my application paperwork off to the AK board to get my license. I am so excited about the possibility of moving! I have 1.5 years of nursing experience, and have some questions for anyone who may know...How difficult is it to get work in AK being out of state? It seems like everywhere I look online, there are opportunities for travel nursing. But, I don't necessarily want to travel, but would like to settle down and sink in some roots. What is the advantage of hiring a traveler as opposed to someone wanting to settle down in AK? What's it like for someone out of state trying to get on in an Anchorage or Fairbanks hospital? I had a professional resume drawn up, complete with cover letter, and will start submitting these and calling HR offices as soon as I get my AK license. Any advice on how to better my chances? Thanks in advance!

I just wanted to stop in and offer a HUGE thankyou to all who've posted back to me. I have been checking out the webside HH, and find it very informative. I was actually about to go the same route as many new travel nurses, meaning I had a company picked out and was only focusing on it. However now, I am applying with other agencies, based on what I research about them. I am starting to see in life that it-life/what I want-isn't going to just fall in my lap. I know it should be no big surprise, but I think a combination of fatigue and fear have stood in my way for too long. It's time to make time, sit down, and do the work to get what I want. Thanks again.

Thank you so much for your response. I learned a lot from it! Take care--

Hey guys, any takers?

Hi everyone, I am going to start travel nursing sometime around the first of the year. How do you go about researching the potential hospital you're going to? Second, does anyone have a link to a post, or any direct advice, regarding what ducks I need to have lined up before taking an assignment? I've read/heard various things about housing and pay, and just want to make sure I'm not biting off more than I can currently chew. Thanks!

thanks, but I already did it. No infection, no complaints. Just beautiful!

Hello--I'm considering the Peace Corps, and am afraid of letting my RN license lapse and having to take the NCLEX all over again when I get back. How can I find out how long it takes of being unemployed before that happens? Thanks!

Hi g3rly! I just now saw your response to my earlier post. Thanks so much for your vote of confidence!!! I need it now, just when I'm beginning to get my resume together, and look online to find potential employers to start 'hounding.' It's kindof discouraging to consider what I'm up against, like being an out-of-state applicant, and having only a year of experience. But who knows, right? I mean, the answer is most definitely NO if I never try, so might as well get up and at it. Thanks again.

Hi everyone! I've been an RN for one year now, and absolutely LOVE it. I like where I work, but not where I live, and would like to move to WA. I'm not picky about where in WA, because adventure is half the game. Besides, if I can just get my foot in the door as an out of state nurse, I could transfer to another location in WA if I didn't like the first one I came to. What are the chances of a new nurse getting hired in WA right now? I am not picky about the area of nursing to start, and prefer a med/surg position. Thanks in advance so much for your insight.

Hi llg, Thanks for responding back to me. Actually visiting would be the best thing to do. Heck, it may even give me a good excuse to take a mini vacation this year and go back home to visit my family. I asked my mother to put her feelers out for me. She works in a deli, and runs into all kinds of people. I guess it all comes down to having faith that, no matter if I get "there" and don't like it, I can always look around for something else, and with a good heart and right intentions, the right job will present itself. Maybe that's a bit too optimistic given our economy, but then again, I think things are starting to look up. Thank you for the kind words.

Hi everyone, I've been working as a nurse for the past 9 months since graduation. Things get so hard, and I say in my head, "I hate this stuff," but at the end of the day, I still love it. I love the adrenaline, the team work, the business of it all. I am surprised that everyone has been so supportive and helpful. I thought nurses ate their young. I am sure they do most places, but I guess I got lucky. Funny thing is, I have my job due to a scholarship I received, now I owe the hospital 2 years. I work on a floor at night with between 5-7 patients. Most are diabetic, on dialysis, CAPD, tele, or detoxing (or a combo of all). I guess I get out late a 1/3 of the time. Just the other night with 7 patients, I had a detoxer who needed meds every hour, a diabetic whose volitile sugars were all over the map, a new CA pt with IV meds q 4 hr, another pt in pain with IVP meds q4, a pt with 15 beats of Vtach (lots of phone time with really nice docs), and the rest just don't stand out to me right now. But point is, a co-worker agreed to do some of my charting (part of which is allowed at my facility). It's always an ego blow when this happens, and thankfully it's not frequent, but I'm just glad she was loving enough to do it. I really am happy to work where I work. Thing is, I hate where I live and fully intend to leave. I am scared to death to leave my happy work place. Don't get me wrong, I know there are back biters, I know who they are, I know most are tired, burnt out, etc. It's just how they treat me on the spot, and it's a lot to do with humility, willingness to learn, and willingness to forgive one another. Principals that don't always pan out, but good ones to have on hand in all situations given the other options... So, how do you find out what it's like to work at a specific hospital before applying? I would work for LESS MONEY in order to have greater workplace satisfaction. I would quit a place that placed my license in jeopardy. Guys, what do you say? strings

There's no way anyone could grab onto something flat, the size of a fruit fly.

Hi Laura, Just wanted to drop back in and say thank you for responding to my question. I have so badly always wanted a nose ring, and maybe now I'll get one. We'll see...I've always adored women of Persian and Indian culture for their beauty, and a nose ring just accentuates the beauty. it's just that the MRSA concept was always in the back of my mind. We'll see. I'll let you know how it goes! Thanks again for your post.

This thread is so scary! I'm a new grad. When I first started, we were getting 6-7 patients per RN. Now we get 5-6, which is so much better. But any night we're dealing with patient's who are confused and fall and hurt themselves; patients with blood sugars in the 50's; patients with blood pressures in the 70's-80's; patients with heart rates in the 150's; patients getting blood; and tons and tons of telemetry calls. All of these things are happening simultaneously. It never fails to amaze me. This is a renal/dialysis floor that handles tele and detox patients. I feel so overwhelmed all the time, literally. I am saddened to see that patients are treated the same as any other commodity. My mother works at a deli, and she's always telling me about how management won't hire new help no matter how busy the store is. But it's one thing if you don't get the right flavor fried chicken, and quite another if you as a patient don't get the right care that could literally save your life or kill you. In nursing school we spoke of patient advocacy, nurse advocacy, the 5 rights of medication administration, and compassion. In the real world, with people being treated by the business institution the same as coffee makers or any other marketable object, how can any of these sacred (and they ARE sacred) principles be fully realized and consistently practiced? I'm not happy. I've only been a nurse for a few months, and already I'm burning out. What can I do to help change things?

That was awesome. Thank you!!!

Thank you for going into detail, actually. I come into contact with patients who have MRSA all the time, so before I get a nose ring, I just wanted to understand my chances of getting sick. Let me ask another question. Lets say my nose is colonized. Lets also say I keep the piercing clean, never touch my face, and as usual, always wash my hands. That still doesn't gaurentee MRSA infection right, because the difference between colonization and infection is number of bacteria present? Am I right?

Hello, Avoiding conversation as to the professionalism of nose rings, I have a health question about MRSA. Say you'd been in the hospital as a CNA for a long time, and assumed you were already colonized (betcha I am). Would getting a nose ring gaurentee infection with MRSA? The bugs are already there inside the nose, then the skin is broken, in go the bugs, then... Am I thinking of this correctly? So there is really no way a healthcare worker can get a nose ring without getting MRSA infection, right? What is the difference between colonization and infection? angelstrings

Will do. Thanks Squire!!!

Hello, Avoiding conversation as to the professionalism of nose rings, I have a health question about MRSA. Say you'd been in the hospital as a CNA for a long time, and assumed you were already colonized (betcha I am). Would getting a nose ring gaurentee infection with MRSA? The bugs are already there inside the nose, then the skin is broken, in go the bugs, then... Am I thinking of this correctly? So there is really no way a healthcare worker can get a nose ring without getting MRSA infection, right? angelstrings

Hi everyone, I said I'd come back and report my results with the "trick." It works. I'm a nurse now. I just found out through PV unofficial results. Just for future people checking the trick, I actually tried it about 2 hours after I took the NCLEX. It said the Delivery Status was "Successful." I am sincerely thankful for the "trick" because it really kept me sane these past 48 hours. I was able to eat and sleep. I HOPE they don't find a way to take it away from future nurse hopefuls. Thad'd be aweful, since it's all we got. Good luck! dny

Hi everyone-- I just took my NCLEX-RN on the 15th of this month-yesterday. So, I've been checking the "trick" ever since I got home. It has always given me the message that everyone hopes to see! Since I have read 3/4 of this thread, and it has MORE than helped to ease my mental anguish, I figured I'd chip in and add my own experience. At this point, I really don't think that I'll be "THE ONE" who the "trick" works against! I mean to say, I don't think I'll be the first to have this trick let me down. Really, I have read this thread from the beginning, and like another poster said, the "trick" has like a 99.99% accuracy rate! I did the Kaplan review to prepare, in addition to reading the Saunder's book 2 times. I had all high 60's, 70's, and some 80's on qbanks- qtrainers were all 70's except for the first one which was 68... What else can I tell you...I felt like I had passed when I left that test center. This worried me, since no one else says they feel this way. I had 12 SATA, 9 meds (knew half of them), and tons of infection control. One thing about infection control...I went to the CDC website, and printed off information from them regarding transmission based precautions. I never second guessed myself on the NCLEX about this kind of question, since I had studied CDC so hard! What else...I studied from 10-12 hours/day...Reading Saunder's and taking Kaplan online questions. Oh, and I felt that Kaplan was really right on with how the NCLEX questions were presented, and well as with the content the questions consisted of. Who know's? Maybe I'll be on here tomorrow morning, crying, telling you all that I'm the FIRST to have the trick let me down! At any rate, I will come back and give a report. I live in Colorado, so we do the early results thing. I swear, I FEEL for all of yall in CA. What hell to go through with that wait! I bet something can be done about that though. Seems like there's power in numbers. At any rate, I'll be back tomorrow. This thread has given me such comfort! dny

That's good to know. I will put in for some more hospitals down there, then. I already put into St. Mary Corwin's and never heard back. OK. That's not totally true. I put in for the new grad program. Then the recruiter called back and said that program is being d/c'd. So then, I just sent in a resume, because there have been no new postings there since I last looked. I know there is another hospital in Pueblo. I'd even go further south, but I don't know what's down there. I have one more test on Thursday. Then I'm going to attack this project with vigour! I plan to apply to 5 places per day until I cover CO. Then, I'm going to start applying out of state for anywhere that has a contract with CO so I don't have to re-take a nurses liscense. I think it's like Utah and Nevada and NM...Maybe some other places that share this contract. We'll see. At this point, I'll take anything I can get, anywhere I can get it! God knows... I just want to LEARN and practice, learn and practice. That can be done in any number of places. Just gotta keep at it.

Thank you, thank you! I will most certainly check into those too! The more I consider these, the less afraid I am. I don't have any strong desire toward a particular kind of nursing, except for Hospice nursing. Now that really gets my soul on fire (so I go there for free on weekends :redbeathe). Otherwise, I just really want to help people in any way I can, with my new degree. Thanks again for pointing me toward psych. dny