AJ BSN 2008

Yes, I worked as a tele tech while attending nursing school and saw more than one pt spontaneously flip between SR and A-fib...among other rhythms, lol

Yes! Totally feel that the neuro unit is a better fit for me...at least for right now. I just finished my orientation and started on my own this week and so far things have gone pretty good. Thank you for asking :cheers:

Thanks for the replies. After shadowing on the neuroscience unit I realized that it is a much better fit for me as a new grad. I started orienting this week and and so happy I made the switch

I recently resigned from my first nursing job on a neuroscience ICU. I was in way over my head with that job and realized that it was not a good fit and that I need to get my feet wet on a med-surg unit. Anyway, my boss pulled some strings and I interviewed with the manager from the neuroscience (med-surg) unit at the same hospital the other day. I got a very good vibe from this unit and will be shadowing there next week. I'm really hoping that this unit will be a good fit for me as a new grad. Anyone start out on a general neuro unit as a new grad? Would you recommend it? Thanks

Ok, so I just resigned yesterday from my first nursing job after the 10th week of orientation on a neuro ICU. I realized that this was the complete wrong fit for me and that going to a less acute floor would be a great benefit to me so I can develop prioritization, critical thinking, and other nursing skills. Anyway, now I am looking at my options and ortho happens to be one of them. I can't say that I have a lot of ortho experience from school and don't want to get myself into something I am going to hate. I guess I want to know if ortho will give me a well-rounded start to my career so, that if I decided to move onto something else, the skills I will have acquired will be of use to me. Also, for those of you who work in this area (whether you started as a new grad or with experience), overall, do you like it? My previous job left me so drained both physically and emotionally (I cried practically every day!). The pt outcomes on my previous unit were usually very poor and I felt like all my hard work really never paid off b/c most of my pts were in comas or the family would want to withdraw care...I became very depressed. I have been told that ortho pts are very hard and heavy with lots of lifting, etc, which kinda scares me a little. I know that no job is going to be perfect or stress-free but, I'd like to atleast have a job that I can kind of enjoy. Any thoughts are appreciated...thanks!

OK, so I am currently in orientation (just finished my 9th week) on a Neuro ICU as a new grad RN. The last couple of weeks have been extremely rough for me. I have been feeling extremely overwhelmed every day I work for the entire 12+ hr shift and do not feeling happy or enjoying my job whatsoever. My skills are still not up to speed and I still struggle with time management because of this as well as prioritization. Most days I feel like all my instincts are all wrong and am very frustrated with myself and question if I am competent enough to do this job. I am afraid that I am going to develop an ulcer from the immense stress I am feeling or that something worse will happen. Most days I go 7-8 hrs into my shift before I can use the bathroon or take a break and eat something. I have been feeling very depressed lately and even broke down crying when talking with my preceptor about how I think I am doing after the last shift we worked together. I am starting to wonder if I am feeling this way simply because I am new and the first year of being a nurse completely sucks or because this unit is not the right fit for me. I have wanted to work in criticalk care ever since I worked as a tech in a general ICU while I was in nursing school, I absolutely loved the environment. I have been working day shift so far in my orientation and am going to be transitioning to night shift next week. My preceptor thinks that I will do well on night shift as there are less interruptions, traveling with the pt, etc. I am hoping that this is the case but, overall I am still on the fence about this unit and if I should stay. I have even spoken with my boss the other day about what I am experiencing and she (like everyone else) tells me that it is apparently normal to be a depressed nervous wreck as a new nurse. She also thinks nights will help me become more comfortable. My boss is extremely supportive and said that she would help me find another unit to work in, if it comes down to that. I am just very upset about this whole situation and am feeling like a complete failure because I am not coping well with any of this. I don't want to be a quitter but, I don't want to be at a job that makes me miserable and I hate. I have decided to not give up just yet and work the next week on the night shift and see how it goes. I guess I am just afraid of still feeling the way I do even on nights...then what do I do? I am not sure where to go from this unit if I decide this isn't for me. Anyone out there feel like me and then switch to the night shift and it got better?? I am not too thrilled about working nights but, if it helps me deal with this job and adjust then I would be more than willing to work these hours. Any thoughts on this are much appreciated and thanks for letting me vent.

I graduated in December '08 and I got a job in the Neuro ICU at Rush University Medical Center. The majority of the other people I graduated nursing school with have found jobs as well...

Cranberry24- I too was very nervous before my interview with Rush. Luckily, I had an interview with another hospital earlier that same week and used it as practice since I was not as interested in working there. When I came in for my interview at Rush, I first interviewed an HR consultant and then went to the unit to be interviewed by the unit manager. Basically, the questions asked were r/t critical thinking, how I dealt with a difficult pt/family member/co-worker, why I chose to pursue nursing. Basically, answer the questions honestly and if you don't know how to answer a question or didn't have any experience with what is being asked be up front about that with the interviewer. What unit are you applying to? Be aware that if you are called in for an interview, you will need to present a copy of you grades from NS and two letters of recommendation from clinical instructors. Hope this helps. Good luck to you! medpsychRN- Thanks so much for your reply. I am really looking forward to starting at Rush. It sounds like the perfect environment for me to begin my career as an RN. I will be working nights also so it's good to hear so many positive things about this hospital. Thanks again!

Hey samcnl, thats great to hear that you will be starting out as a new grad on a neuro icu. You are so fortunate to have had the opportunity to have actually precepted on that unit while you were still in nursing school. I will also be starting in the neuro icu as a new grad but, I don't start until the beginning of April. Anyway, please let me know how things go for you.

Thanx for your reply. Which ICU did you interview for, if you don't mind me asking. I have given a lot of thought to this matter and decided that I will totally regret it if I do not take this opportunity to work at Rush. Anyway, hope things work out for you at Rush. Talk to you later....

Hello there. I am a recent BSN graduate and interviewed at Rush downtown last week for a ICU position. I absolutely LOVED Rush when I was there to interview and got such a good vibe from this hospital all around. Anyway, long story short...they called me back the day after the interview and offered me the position. I told the person from HR that called me that I needed some time to think this over so, I have until Friday to tell her whether or not I will accept. Anyone out there a current RN working at Rush? Is it really as great as it seems? I needed to bring letters of recommendation with me to the interview and when I contacted one of my clinical professors from NS her recommendation was to go with Rush, since they are a teaching facility and that I would learn the most as a new grad there. I really like this hospital and I think I am going to accept. I guess I am still in shock that they actually want me. I honestly figured that I would not get the job since Rush is so prestigious. Anyway, if anyone who works there can tell me more about what being a nurse there is really like, I'd really love to know. Thank you !

Hi again. Just wanted to give you an update. I had my interview for the Neuro ICU on Wed and the very next day the hospital contacted me and offered me the position . I told the HR person that I need some time to think this over but, I think I am going to go ahead and take the job. Overall, I got a very good vibe from this hospital...it is a very prestigious, magnet teaching facility and is new grad and nurse friendly. I know if I don't take this job I will regret it and always wonder what could have been. Anyway, thanks for all the advice. Imgettingthere, let me know how things are going for you....

Hello everyone. I am a new grad and have an interview tomorrow morning at a very prestigious hospital for an RN position in the neurosurgery ICU. I am so excited and terrified at the same time. ICU is definitely where I want to be but, I have very limited neuro experience since I am a new grad. To all the experienced neuro nurses out there--do you think it is ok for a new grad to begin in such a specialized area of nursing? I currently work on a tele unit as a nurses aid and could stay and work there as a new grad RN once I pass my NCLEX. Right now I am debating where I should start out. I'm afraid that starting out in a neuro ICU is biting off more than I can chew. Any thoughts or insight on this is much appreciated!!!

Hello all. I just graduated from nursing school in December 2008 and am waiting to take my NCLEX so I can finally begin working as an RN. I am currently employed at a nearby community hospital on a tele unit as a patient care tech while I pass the time and plan on applying for a RN position for the same unit I work on. I also have an interview coming up next week at another prestigious hospital for the neuro ICU. I'm super excited and nervous for this interview since working in an ICU is my ultimate goal. I'm just wondering if starting out in neuro ICU is the best area to start in for a new grad like myself. I know that getting tele experience is a good stepping stone for moving on to ICU later down the road. I just want to know if I would get a broader base in a tele unit as opposed to the neuro ICU right out of school. Thanx :)

Wow, thanks so much for your words of wisdom! I don't have my interview until the middle of January so, who knows what will happen. I still cannot believe that I am even being considered for this specialty. When I applied, I was interested in the position but, thought I probably will never even be considered because of my lack of experience. Can I ask if you have had any prior work experience r/t critical care and if that has helped you at all? While I attended school I worked at a small community hospital near my university in the ICU as a patient care tech, unit clerk, and tele tech. I credit this experience for why I want to work in the ICU (prior to that I had no idea what type of nursing I wanted to do). I now currently work at a different hospital on a tele unit as a patient care tech and have been offered a job there. Despite the fact that I have pretty much gauranteed employment I decided to not limit myself and apply at other hospitals, just to see what else is out there. The way I look at it is if all else fails, I can take the job on the tele unit where I currently am employed since I know that would be helpful for transitioning into ICU later down the road. I just wish I had a sign to tell me where I should start out. I hate not knowing where I will be beginning my career. Thanks again for your thoughts. I will definitely be keeping in touch with you :typing