Minnie2006

Never too late if its what you really want. Having the benefit of maturity on your side is a great help in achieving what you set out to do. Good luck if you decide to do it.

Absolutely not. You will have the advantage of life experience to bring to your career. It's better to try than always wonder "what if". Good luck.

I'm thinking you would still be ok. When I was looking, I contacted the HR depts and was told that at 5 years out they would want a refresher. Unfortunately times are tough right now which may be why you are not hearing back. Good luck.

Good for you. I to work with a bunch of people who pitch in to help and offer constructive advice and I too accept it graciously. Even the most experienced nurse will learn something new along the way if she is open to it, so it can be a two way st...

It was discovered and addressed. You did your part correctly. No harm came. Unfortunately there is barely enough time to keep up with what changes with one shift let alone many. Do your best that's all you can do. Nursing is a team effort 24/7.

Your post made me laugh. That is the story of most of my shifts! Always something that throws me off of my stride too!

Best of luck with your new assignment. I applaud you for trying something different. Having options is one of perks of nursing. It's tough being the "new" person but hopefully they will be welcoming.

I would be concerned if you didn't feel a measure of sadness. It is difficult to lose a pt. no matter what. You always feel like you could have done more. That's what makes you a good nurse, you are not content to do the minimum. As a previous pos...

I completely understand how you feel. Sort of stage fright and lack of confidence in your presentation and fear of being judged badly. From what I can tell, most nurses don't want a rehash of what is written in plain view or can easily be read off ...

The advice in the first post is excellent. Telemetry was not my first choice but I was transferred there when my med/surg unit closed and it has been a great learning experience. Most pt.'s have a multitude of other problems in addition to cardiac ...

I checked with our hospital pharmacy regarding similar situation, and they said can give additional amount up to what order covers, then time from the additional dose.

We can mark preferred shifts or a day we need to not be scheduled and if possible the charge nurse tries to meet your request. If you leave the request schedule unmarked, she will schedule you where there is the greatest need. May be 2 days in a ro...

There are a group of nurses on my unit who truly work together to accomplish what needs to be done regardless of whether it is their patient. I try to repay the favor whenever I am able. It makes for a much better work environment. Everyone benefi...

Having the flow rates reversed on IV pumps when you have 2 or more running at a time. Like NSS at 100mls and Heparin at 12.0mls! Pt. falls. We have become obsessed with fall prevention.

I find that getting a thorough report and plotting a course of action based on pt.'s acuity prior to even starting seems to help. Don't let anyone rush you through report, checking lab results, and seeing what orders there are for the pts. Knowing ...

Yes, yes, yes. This is normal. There will be times a year from now when you will have that "stupid" feeling. Nursing is such a complex profession. You will learn something new every day. Make the most of the orientation period. Ask questions an...

Sometimes it's a no win situation. Not enough time/staff to do the job right. Management doesn't like to pay overtime and oncoming staff sometimes want everythiing to be done so their job is easier. You have to be satisfied with the care you give....

I cope by accepting that while I can't change their circumstances, I can make a difference for the short while that I am with them, by caring and helping them the best way that I can. We will never know the reasons for the heartache we witness. I r...

Good for you. I was able to secure a job on a general med/surg unit when I finished my refresher course 2 years ago. I had never done bedside nursing prior to that. I listed it under education on my resume and included clinical site and number of ...

Take a refresher course. It will boost your confidence and bring you up to date with new info. Find one with a clinical component. It may open you up to some opportunities. Don't be discouraged, these are bad times. Good luck.

Try to be familiar with the commonly used cardiac meds, know the norms for labs especially K, Na, Ca, Mg, PT/INR, PTT. I imagine you will have critical care training along with general orientation. Know the common interventions for different rhythm...

I usually don't but because I ask questions and use certain terms, they usually ask if I'm in the medical field. I don't like to come off as if I am a know it all so I keep it under wraps. After all, it's different being on the other side of the fe...

If you are interviewing for a position that you are really interested in just explain that with the tight job market you were limited at the time for options, and that you wanted to stay current with your skills and knowledge. Try not to bash your c...

As you go on you will see that there are a lot of meds that are common to many pts. Look those up as you go and make note of the important facts about them. As you pass the med if you briefly state a fact about them it will reinforce the info in yo...

I could have written this post myself, almost word for word. I am at the end of my rope trying to figure out how to get it all wrapped up the exact minute mgmt. wants. The only thing that I can figure is paperwork first, pt. needs last. If you hav...