RTQ3444

Wow! Your site is awesome!!! Wish I had known about it a few months ago! I just spent 6 months trying to be an ICU nurse and I guess they don't think I've got what it takes. The "RTQ" in my name stands for "Ready to Quit". If only every nurse could have a preceptor with your level of understanding and compassion for the newbie.

I just spent 6 months in ICU and loved it. I am 53yrs old with an ADN degree. The hospital had a fantastic clinical educator who gave me 6 weeks or orientation and classes. The best tip I can give you is to ask to be put with ONE preceptor and work her/his schedule. Because of summer vacations I had about a dozen different preceptors and so no one felt comfortable showing me what I didn't know yet because they didn't know me that well. I never felt "close" to anyone. Unforturnately, some nurses do still eat their young. It happened to me. It seems like "new grads" are accepted with open arms and are nurtured and coddled until they are on their own. But us old nurses don't get any breaks. It's sink or swim.