brokenroads27

where i work, i was told it would be 6 months at least before i would float. and that was correct. i got floated for the first time no earlier than 6 months after i started orientation. someone else on a different unit however got floated after only 4 months, which was wrong....its even stated in our employee handbook that we cant get floated before 4 months. i know that my manager and charge nurse will NOT let anyone from our unit get floated early, though. it was the right thing to do to refuse, though. i mean, it wouldn't have been fair or SAFE to let you float anywhere when you havent been there long enough to feel comfortable.

theres one nurse in particular that i give report to, who ALWAYS treats me like im an idiot. she is very nasty to me and grills me every time im talking to her. shes nit-picky and it seems like she expects everything to be done before her shift, so that she doesnt have to do anything on hers. i cant be perfect but this really bothers me. she makes me feel like i DO have to be perfect. im still learning, so how do i deal with this? im afraid one day she'll report me even though shes the only one who seems to have a problem with me.

who should take it, the day shift or night shift nurse? im curious about all your opinions. i think it could go either way. where i work, nurses work 6:45 am to 6:45 pm, and then 6:45 pm to 6:45 am. if a pt comes at 6:30, who do you think should do the entire admission? because if day shift takes it, they end up staying WAY past their time. and if night shift takes it, they get piled with work before they even stepped in the door. what do you think is the right thing?

i've asked around and other people seem to generally feel the same way. but im praying it gets better as i become a better nurse. im so on edge all the time, worrying that i'll get in trouble or fired for accidentally forgetting something or whatever. i try to be the best nurse i can but i cant be perfect. *sigh*

i've been working as a new nurse for a few months now and at first i LOVED it. now i feel like i get up and go to work and just try to survive the day. its a TON of responsibility and i ALWAYS leave with a lump in my throat feeling like i forgot to do this or that. i like nursing and i cant see myself doing anything else but this is very stressful. i never feel like im good enough for the pts or their families. is it normal to feel this way? will things get better as i become more comfortable with the job?

i LOVE that! i woke up this morning worried i would have a voicemail from my job asking me to come in so they could speak with me or something. but it hasnt happened thank god! im glad its not just me. i hope i never make a grave mistake but all i can do is try my best, right?

i've been off orientation for a little while now and im constantly feeling anxious and worrying at work and after work. im always wondering if i remembered to do everything on my shift but i know there are always things i forgot to do. i hope things get better as i become a better nurse but im ALWAYS worried about getting in trouble or fired for one thing or another. i've never done anything to harm a pt and thats obviously my biggest concern. but is it normal to feel on edge all the time?

i get as much time as i need. the minimum where i work is 8 weeks with a preceptor who is there to help you with everything. they say most people take 8-12 weeks but there are nurses who say they took way more than that if they needed to

emotions during work hours is definitely what i think will be the hardest. i dont know how to handle myself when this person is now at my job, where i am expected to be professional. its not easy to have a sick family member at home but at least the problems can try to be left at home. but now my problems are brought to work.

how do you cope with a sick family member in the hospital for possibly long term? (this is my family member btw, and they are hospitalized in the same hospital and unit i work in, which makes it twice as hard)

or your place of work. im just wondering if any places decide to let their staff dress up or anything fun. what about christmas?

on my unit, they do rounds on all pts a few times a week. im new to this...what do they want to hear in report? it should be brief, so im assuming IV meds, but what else about the pts?

how responsible are you as a nurse during a few months long orientation? what i mean is, i understand that as a registered nurse with a license you would be fully responsible for the patients that you have. but if anything should go wrong, especially documentation-wise, would your preceptor be MORE responsible? im just curious because documenting everything is a huge deal, but it seems so easy to have something fall thru the cracks accidentally.

when is a jp drain usually removed? i had a pt that had it in for 1.5 weeks...isnt that too long?

The address is spelled wrong on my new nursing license...they only added one extra letter at the end of part of my street name. Is this worth pointing out? It was still delivered to my house and it looks correct until you look at it closely. If so, how do I go about it? Should I fill in the box at the bottom that says "address change"?