BNE103

Our health system reimburses for the exam fee once you pass, sponsors nurses to attend a review course, and there's an annual celebration dinner for all certified nurses. On our unit, our manager offers a one-month "no float pass" for all RNs newly certified and who renew their certifications - you pick a month where you are not allowed to be floated to work on another unit. :)

When we were accepted to nursing school, a friend of mine and I excitedly (and jokingly) decided that we were going to be such good students that not only would we get a BSN and RN after our names, but a BNE as well....Best Nurse Ever! No, I don't think I'm actually the BNE...but in nursing school, it was an easy username to come up with!

Every transport program is potentially different. As Medic09 mentioned, look to the program(s) you're interested in for guidance. For instance, I know some that have NICU-only transport teams, so NICU experience only works for them and isn't very useful for their pediatric or adult team counterparts. In my program, we have Neonatal/Pediatric teams that transport neonates and all peds, so NICU AND PICU experience both count. ED experience is not necessary for us, but could be useful, however we don't hire those with only ED experience. ICU experience tends to be preferred as we are mainly critical care transport. Our teams are RN and RT, with the occasional EMT if we are going by ground.

A few months ago, I started a job at the top critical care transport program in my state. I'm still in orientation and (for now) only part time, but I wanted to share my limited, "new kid" experience. I tell people it's simultaneously the best and worst thing to happen to me. It's amazing to have a job where they focus so heavily on education, keeping up your skills, and learning something new every day. My coworkers have been through it all together, and as a result are overall some of the nicest and most supportive people I have met in my experience of being a newbie. It's great - and sometimes funny - to be with people who are also "Type A" and driven to go the extra mile in their careers. I get to see so many different conditions and situations in a relatively short period of time. I can feel myself becoming a better nurse. And, at the end of the day, flying back to base and looking out over the amazing view, I get to realize - I'm getting paid to fly in a helicopter, for Pete's sake. But it's scary as hell sometimes. I'm a NICU nurse doing neo-peds, so there's a whole PICU side of things that I have to learn about and how to handle it like I've been doing it for years...in a small metal box on wheels or under rotor. And I have to learn how to do it when it's just me, an RT, and a pilot or EMT on board. What was my MAR on the unit with all drugs ordered by a physician and verified by pharmacy, is now my protocol book, the calculator in my pocket, the bag of meds I carry with me, and my brain. What was my five person admitting team on the unit is now my partner and I (and med control on the phone) trying to figure out what happened, how to stabilize it, and how to manage it while traveling in an ambulance or aircraft. Every shift has at least one challenge in it somewhere. Outside studying is necessary. Some days you feel great and confident, and others you feel like you actually know nothing. It. Is. Awesome. Complete dream job. Every day I wonder how I got this lucky. To all of you future transport nurses out there, keep working! Study, take those difficult patients, get certified in everything, get involved on your unit, and study some more. You can do it!

We work with sick people. In my case (NICU as well as peds critical care transport), I work with many small, immunocompromised sick people. They tell us - heck, they even tell families and visitors - to stay far away if they are even sort of sick, because you really don't want to get an ICU patient even sicker. So why are nurses penalized if we are unlucky enough to be sick ourselves?? In my hospital system, full time employees are allowed 5 "call-ins" in a 12 month period. Most years, this is really no big deal. Maybe a couple here and there. But this 12 month period is shaping up a little different for me - after getting suddenly very sick at work last night, I had to leave early, thereby racking up another call-in and leaving me with 4 sick days in 8 months. If I have to call in one more time, I get a warning. One more time after that, and I won't be able to transfer into my dream job (something I have been waiting to come down the pipeline for months). This is practically enough to make me sick just worrying about it! I know they have this policy in place to prevent people from calling in excessively just because they "don't feel like coming to work" or something, but I am a hardworking person who would never leave my unit down a nurse unless it was absolutely necessary! Clearly I just needed to vent, but I also wanted to hear other nurses' take on this. I feel like it is so unfair and the weirdest double standard to make us choose between coming to work sick (and risk getting our patients sick, too) or getting penalized and having to worry about our jobs.

I'm looking at applying to a couple of different NP programs. I have worked at one Level III NICU for three years, and moved to another, highly respected hospital about 7 months ago. I also have a new PRN job for an excellent critical care transport program. I have a good GPA from nursing school, and am an officer in my local NANN chapter. In short, my resume isn't the problem...it's finding APRN/MD references. These programs want APRNs or MDs that I currently work with who know my skill level, etc. One school even said that non-APRN references will be rejected. The problem is that my nurse manager and supervisor in both the NICU and transport jobs are non-APRN. So just by their "letters" alone, they are disqualified from providing their assessments on me, even though they know me well and are my managers. I work on units where, while I get great performance reviews and feel I am a good fit there, I am still relatively new to them and so don't have as much exposure to the APRNs or MDs. (Plus, the NICU is a large unit and I work mostly nights...and the transport team does not have as much direct daily interaction with APRNs.) It's frustrating because, while I understand the point of references, this is potentially holding me back from applying to a program I know I'd do well in based on everything else in my repertoire. So what do I do? Wait to apply and try to get to know more "higher ups" so I can have some references? How does one even go about doing that??

Each hospital can be a little different in what their externs/PCIs are allowed to do, but in general it's a lot like what student_stephanie described. Since you can't do a lot of the RN duties, it's so important to seek out those learning experiences and just observe everything you can...go on deliveries, watch procedures, find out about what's going on with a patient's diagnosis or why the docs ordered certain things, and DEFINITELY ask questions!! Some nurses are crabby about having students, but they are usually unpleasant people to work with in general, so don't take it personally if you find a few jerkfaces. I LOVE having students around! It's fun to work with someone who is truly interested in and curious about NICU, and it helps us experienced RNs learn and reinforce what we do as we teach, too. Asking questions: DO IT. Do it a lot. Honestly, it's the students/new nurses who DON'T ask questions that we get worried about. The best students are curious, excited, friendly, and helpful...and it sounds like you're already going to be all of those things! Good luck!

I'm a certified (RNC-NIC) NICU nurse who has worked in the same urban Level III NICU since I graduated nursing school about 3 years ago. I'm strongly considering taking a part-time job in our hospital's PICU to get a broader peds critical care experience but I feel really foreign to PICU in a lot of ways. Any tips or advice on similarities, differences, and general things that might be good to know would be really helpful before I start this journey!

Haha, love it!!

I took the NICU Solutions class and though I haven't taken the RNC yet (taking it ONE WEEK from today, so I'm all like ), but I still would highly recommend the class as it's a great way to solidify and organize your knowledge, especially if you are "new-ish". I work at a busy Level III where we go on deliveries and get sickies all the time, but we don't get cardiac and don't do ECMO, so this is a great review!! ...Also, check with your hospital; they may pay for you to attend the class! And, @elkpark, your comment makes me feel better about going into this scary land of the RNC exam!

Thanks! I'm shadowing with the neo-peds team in ground and helicopter transport for a 12 hour shift next week! SUPER excited and hoping the weather holds out!

Yep, the certification is the RNC-NIC that I'm taking in March. My EMT-B expired a couple of years ago, but I can look into renewing it. After all of that, I'll work on being brave enough to get the CFRN. :) The transport program at my hospital does require it within 2 years. I will definitely look into the online courses, too!Thanks for the tips!!

Critical care transport has been a huge interest of mine for several years, and I am working on making it a reality in my career. The hospital system I currently work for has an excellent transport team (ground and air), and I am looking to get on the neonatal-pediatric team someday (ideally sometime in 2014). I would love some tips from all of you experienced transport nurses out there as to what I can best spend my time doing as I try to become the best candidate possible. So far: BS in Neurobiology & Physiology BSN Former EMT-B (certification has expired, only did volunteer work while I had it) Have worked 2.5 years in an urban Level III NICU BLS, NRP, and S.T.A.B.L.E. certified Active member of our children's hospital's nursing research & evidence-based practice committee, my unit's developmental care committee, and our local NANN chapter Upcoming: RNC-NIC certification exam in March ACLS and PALS certification classes also in March Hoping to shadow in critical care transport ASAP, hopefully more than once if they don't think I'm a huge nerd! Our system's program requires a minimum 3-5 years of RN experience in either ICU, ER, or transport, so I know I still have to work on the time requirement (not complaining, I enjoy my job and I know I have much to still learn!). Unfortunately, our state doesn't have an RN to EMTP bridge program, though our hospital system is hoping to have one by 2014. Any tips/suggestions/advice on what would make me the best candidate for neo-peds critical care transport would be appreciated! I want to be sure I'm spending my time doing something useful until I can apply. :)

Hi everyone, This is a pretty personal post for me, but I felt like it might be a good idea to share what's going on with me here, since fellow nurses might be the best way I'm a brand new graduate nurse...just graduated nursing school 3 weeks ago, and started at my new job the day after graduating! Week 1: NCLEX review course...hundreds of review questions plus constant reminder of how important and scary the NCLEX is... Week 2: Hospital-wide nursing orientation...competency check-offs, learning about how insurance and other benefits work, and receiving a giant orientation binder from my unit educator to top it all off... Week 3: Starting on the unit (NICU)...got my new preceptor, orienting to everything going on, realizing that it's much more "real" now that I'm not "just a student" anymore, trying to figure out what everyone expects of me, trying to find where I fit in... On top of all of that, I'm recently engaged and planning a wedding, and this is my very first real-world job. Though I'm 25, my BSN was my second college degree (which I started directly after graduating with my first degree), so I have been in school every year since kindergarten. When I say this is new territory for me, it's not just because I'm a new nurse. EVERYTHING is new, including what it's like to have an actual income. And, of course, the always present dread of the NCLEX! Which I'm taking in just 19 days!! (trying not to freak out by just typing that!!) And on top of all of THAT...my biggest worry...anxiety. During my first degree, I became an EMT. NOTHING made me pass out. Total adrenaline junkie. But during my third semester of nursing school, while pulling a central line on one of my patients, I passed out. I'm still not entirely sure how or why (I was unusually hungry that morning so I think it might've been just low blood sugar + some nerves from doing a new procedure). Ever since then, I cannot get over the nagging feeling of "what if I pass out again"? I think the fear of passing out itself is making me feel like I'm going to pass out sometimes. But how do I get over it?? I never saw the first episode coming, so how do I know I won't get blindsided again? But being afraid, especially when I'm nervous (which is often because I'm new!), is starting to affect my work. Anxiety itself is nothing new to me, either. In January, I was diagnosed with PTSD as a result of a botched medical procedure I had when I was younger. Looking back, it explains a lot, such as why I would get anxious so easily and battled with OCD for several years. Plus, this year, I've been having a lot of what I think are panic/anxiety attacks (feeling hot, dizzy, sweating, nausea, abdominal cramps, etc.). Now I just don't know what to do, and I feel like it's getting worse with all of the expected stress of being a new grad. My fiance, family, and friends are all pretty supportive, but I don't think they really have the solutions to help me get over all of this and be more confident in what's going on. Sorry if this is information overload. Like I said, I just wanted to post on here in hopes someone could give me some wise words of encouragement or advice. I really need some and appreciate it if you've read this far!

Where I live, it is pretty much THE reason that a lot of new grads get jobs. Hiring, especially for new grads, has been WAY down in the past several months and most units prefer to take an experienced RN (and seem to have many to choose from). We were told in nursing school that any sort of experience as an extern would be helpful, and that has been more than proven when seeing who's been getting jobs lately, what units they're hired to, and who has had more trouble finding something (I just graduated early this month). In short, if you think you can fit it into your schedule, I think you should give it a shot! Good luck!!