MsLoriRN

Hi, Jamie! Just to encourage you, what you are seeing is, indeed, job cycling related to the extreme recession. Nursing has been through this before...I was caught in it as a new grad back in the early/mid-80's! It is complicated by the retirement of baby-boomers, both from bedside nursing and especially from positions in academia (teachers). It's the latter that causes the difficulty getting into nursing schools at this time. It's partly the former that is causing hospitals to request experienced RN's, because it takes a year of working in REAL nursing (school clinical rotations will NOT give you this) for a new grad nurse to become self-sufficient as a bedside nurse. That coupled with an influx of experienced nurses coming out of "retirement" due to spouses out of work allows the hospitals to pick and choose. So it's a complicated time, but if you REALLY want to be a nurse, you'll get there! Just make good and sure it's what you want to do. You think you're miserable behind a desk? Go into nursing for any reason other than that you really want to be a nurse...you'll know misery there, too...maybe worse! Good luck! MsLoriRN:nurse:

Hi, I have many years of nursing under my belt, and have done so with a "tender back" for a number of them. My very worst years with back pain were when I was a student nurse, oddly enough! I believe it was because I didn't feel comfortable asking, as a student, the other nurses to help me, and so I would do too much on my own...things that the RN's would not have done on their own. I would often walk back to campus bent over like an old lady, and spend the next 12 hours on my heating pad! What I learned, over the years, are things that you likely had to learn post-op. So you may be way ahead of the game. But here you go: 1. Learn the body mechanics, learn them well, and take the lessons seriously. As a professional RN (as opposed to a student nurse), the first "orientation class" my hiring hospital sent me to was one on body mechanics, taught by the P.T. department. If you've been through PT, you probably know that those folks are able to "move mountains"...that is to say, they can lift/assist/walk with folks who are almost "dead weight"...because they know how to do it. If you could somehow connect with a physical therapist (how about you contact your orthopedic surgeon who did your back surgery?) for just 1/2 an hour of body mechanics training, you're good. 2. Do not hesitate to ask an RN (or a fellow SN) to help you with a lift, or a boost up in the bed (which you will do non-stop as a hospital nurse!). It's those little things that we "think" we can do on our own that injure the back over time. Done properly with the correct amount of people, you should be able to do everything safely. 3. This is for ALL future nurses, not just those with rods in their spines: did you know that weak stomach muscles are one of the most common causes of lower back pain and injury? Most all of our muscles have "opposing" muscles...like your biceps is "opposed" by your triceps. When one contracts, the other relaxes, and vice-versa. With the lower back, your abdominal muscles are the "opposers," so to speak. We have to work to keep our abdominals in shape. A muscle that is in shape, or "toned," looks the way it does because it is always in a slight state of contraction. That's why, with weightlifting, the muscles seem to "stand out," and contracting them on purpose enhances that. (Think the "6-pack abs" picture.) Do you use your abs in such a way that they're toned, every day? Most of us don't. But we DO use our backs in such a way that they're somewhat toned, in our everyday bending and lifting, and nurses use their backs alot. In the end, our back muscles are more toned...so they contract slightly, which shortens them...while our stomach muscles are NOT compensating for the shortened back muscle. If we did "crunches" (situps), our stomach muscles would also be toned...contracted...shortened...and that would "pull" the back muscle into balance. Without the balance, the lower back muscle contracts/shortens, the back "arches" slightly, and the vertebrae press harder on the intervertebral discs. Over the years, you can get herniated discs and other lower back problems. The solution? You got it...do those crunches! You do NOT need to join a gym...do them in your living room. Look online if you're new to crunches to be sure you're doing them correctly; if you do them wrong, you'll do more harm than good! I hope this helps some...and I wish you all the best as you consider the profession of nursing! Email me if you have other questions. MsLoriRN PS: There are plenty of options outside of bedside care for nurses...I write about them...but you DO have to get experience FIRST, so please do count on having to work in a hospital at the bedside for at LEAST one year. It is not likely that you can work in labor/delivery/nursery right out of sschool...too many nurses want in there!

Well, it's difficult for any of us to say what you should or should not do, but here goes... First, finish your bachelor's degree. You're probably planning to do that anyway, so that one was easy! Second, it sounds like you have young children at home. Anything you can do to be at home with those kids is the best thing you can do. If you absolutely must work, and you can get a job with the summers off and can afford to take that time off, then you have a couple of serious questions to ask yourself (this is my specialty...asking future nurses to ask themselves questions to see if they really want to be nurses!): 1. What is it that you think will be so much better about nursing than teaching? Nursing is a wonderful profession, yes, but you will have many challenges to the altruistic image of the "angel of mercy" just as you will find in the wonderful profession of teaching. In nursing, it'll be long hours on your feet, rotating shifts that will be exhausting, heavy patient loads, dealing with clients (patients and their families) who are "not at their best," etc. Don't get me wrong...there's a lot that's great about nursing. But you have to have a strong "why" in terms of why you really want to be a nurse if you're going to be able to figure out the "how" when the going gets tough and discouraging, and it will. 2. It sounds as though you've only worked one teaching-related job and have spoken to one friend in the public school system--is that correct?--so you may be making a "snap judgement" about your future in the profession. My friend, I do not know of any profession where you won't find things that are a disappointment, that are not "ideal," that are not filled with disillusioned people. Do a Google search on "I hate nursing," and you'll find over a million results! But try a search on "I love teaching," and you'll read fantastic things! Why not focus your career efforts on being a better teacher than the ones who are only concerned about their salaries? Be the one who makes a difference in the lives of her kids (in the classroom...and at home, too!)...read the stories and writings of those who've won the "Teacher of the Year" award, and aim high! If you went into nursing, I would tell you the same thing. The young nurse who "bails out" because work is hard, people are not nice, another nurse was mean to her...either bailed out too soon, and could have had an incredible professional life ahead of her if she'd taken that tough time and used it to make herself stronger and better and kinder to the next generation of nurses who came behind her--OR she perhaps was not ready for the realities of nursing to begin with, or wasn't compatible with the rigors of the profession. This isn't a "pass" to people in our profession who for no acceptable reason make life hard for other nurses...consider them losers with a capital "L." What it is is a call to those in the profession who care about the profession to be bold and be public about making it better from the inside, in any little or large way that they can. 3. Here's the last question, and in my personal opinion, it's probably the most important...will this be the best choice you can make for you children? When you had them, you obviously were concerned about that...and that was good! I would dwell on this question for a long time. You can go back to school later in life...but you only get one shot to raise your kids well. I don't think this made your day any easier...but I am all about people working within a framework of reality about the good and the bad about nursing. I receive a lot of inquiries about becoming a nurse from people who are looking at it only because they know there is a demand, and the news said it was a "stable career." That's a bad reason to go into nursing, if it's the driving force! For you, you sound like someone who really wants to make a difference for others...and that's awesome! But I don't know that you'll be any less disappointed in the harsh realities about nursing than you are right now with a couple of experiences with teachers. I would probably advise you to finish your degree, and go to work for a while...give it 3 to 5 years, and do your level best to be the awesome teacher that you desire others to be. If it's not a match for you, then look into a new career if you feel you must. I do wish you all the best, and encourage you to continue working hard to change the lives of those around you for the good! MsLori, RN

Hello, You may want to check around to see how the OT profession is looking in this economy. For the vast majority of potential nursing students that I talk to, I do NOT recommend that you choose nursing because of perceived salary or security benefits! (They are not quite what the media portrays!) But from your post, I have a sense that you've already begun to look at the things that I like to see a future nurse consider. I would advise you to consider if your short term goals require a BSN, or if an Asoociate's degree would work just as nicely for you. The BSN may end up costing you more than it would be worth, given what you seem to be indicating your interests and your "driving force" in all of this may be! I wish you all the best as you pursue your interest in nursing; email me if you had other Q's. MsLori RN, BSN

Hello, To answer your questions, most days I've loved being a nurse and some I wished I was doing anything else...doesn't that sound like every other career you could pick from? As for whether or not I recommend it, that depends entirely on you. I speak to a lot of prospective nurses. I've written books for them, I counsel them...some I know would make fantastic nurses, and will love their nursing careers. Others I know would likely end up joining the ranks of those who say, "I hate nursing" and walk away from their careers frustrated and hurt. To get you started, I would tell you that the best thing you can do is not necessarily to ask nurses if they like being nurses...but start asking yourself, why are you thinking about becoming a nurse? What is it that draws you to this profession? What is it about yourself that has lead you to think nursing would be a good "fit" for you? Are your expectations about the profession realistic? (Note: if you're looking at a weekly TV show and getting ideas, dump them.) What do you know about being a nurse? Nursing isn't easy...academically, emotionally, work-environment...yet it is rewarding for those who have the "why" of their being a nurse figured out in order to give them the "how" of getting through the parts of the job/profession that can be gut-wrenchingly difficult. If I've given you more questions than answers here, that's good...for it is where you need to begin! I wish you all the best as you consider our profession for your future! Ms.Lori, RN BSN

Hello, I have a few thoughts for you: Have you thought much beyond getting out of nursing school and getting a job in the hospital? Is there some specific reason that you are planning to get your BSN? If you do not have a specific goal in mind in the short term that requires the BSN, I wouldn't do it in your situation (working mom, unable to handle the debt-load that the BSN will lay on you). Get your Associates degree. You will take the same NCLEX exam, and, when you pass it, you will get the same RN license, and you will be paid pretty much the same salary as the RN who has a Bachelor's degree...but you will NOT have the crushing debt to repay. Does your life require you to remain in the LA area, or in California, for that matter? And I do mean require, like as in your husband has a good career there and you simply cannot go somewhere else...not, "I love it here, my friends are here, my kids' friends are here, they love their school," etc. You are looking at one of the most difficult places in the country to get a job as a new grad nurse. If you are required to stay there, then I'd suggest you do your research on some of the other ways you can achieve your goal of becoming an RN while working smartly to set yourself up for hopefully an easier time finding employment; where in health care are people being hired right now where you are? Where is the need? If you want more ideas, email me. Do not listen to the new grad nurses posting how hard it is to find jobs unless they have taken a mature, measured, smart approach to their nursing goals. (I have read so many posts from new grads and/or student nurses who went into nursing school thinking they could breeze through it, graduate, start work in the ICU or the ER, work for a year, then go on to become an N.P. or a C.N.A.; I've responded to these misguided and misinformed students more than once...and I do really mean misguided--someone along the way had to have told these poor folks that they could actually do it. Anyway, if these are the posts you are reading and they are causing you to despair, don't.) There are jobs out there, but you need to be realistic about a few things, including the purpose of your first job, and the location. If you expect to graduate from nursing school and get a job in Labor and Delivery in LA, you will probably be disappointed. Watch your debt. Watch your debt. Watch your debt. Yes, school costs...just do it smart and do it according to your personal needs and why you're going into nursing. If you load yourself with more debt than your family can handle, you do more harm than the degree will do you good. There are plenty of ways to smartly add the Bachelor's degree. Some nursing careers require the degree, most don't. I wish you the best as you pursue your nursing career! Lori R.N., B.S.N.

I don't always discourage people from the LPN course, especially if they really understand what their likely role in nursing will be, but from what you just wrote I would advise you to research it carefully. If you like technology, and enjoy physiology (my personal FAVORITE in school...I couln't get enough of that class, I find how our bodies work fascinating!), my gut feeling is that an LPN role will not be enough for you. I would advise you to get your RN, but don't bother with a BSN due to the cost, unless you're 100% sure you're bent on management or want to get into nursing research (PhD=bound). I'd go with an Associate's degree. You will be the SAME RN as someone who has a BSN, but without the debt load. You will be able to do everything the BSN can in terms of patient care and the work of the bedside/office nurse. You can be a "charge nurse" (the one who is in charge on her unit that particular day and shift...this is NOT a unit manager, who isn't delivering patient care). You'll be experiencing the "nitty gritty" of the job, as you put it, right up there with everyone else. The LPN job will NOT be the same as the RN...you will be quite restricted in what you can and cannot do, and, as I've worked with a lot of potential students, students, and nurses, I have a gut instinct that is telling me you wouldn't be happy as an LPN. It's not because LPN's aren't smart or aren't valuable--some of the best nurses I've known were LPN's! It has more to do with the role they typically have to assume and a serious lack of time due to the workload and nature of the job, plus the limitations that are put on their practice of nursing. You seem to be one of the ones who wants to "dig deeper" and get into what you are doing more, to understand not just what you have to do, and how to do it well, but also why. Your early years (like the first ones out of school) will probably be difficult/frustrating, because you won't know what you're doing...new grads never really do, as nursing is a profession that is learned largely on the job, NOT in school (that's a book in itself, I know...I written it!). But once that first year is under your belt, you have the potential to be an awesome nurse! Just be sure you do your research, keep soul-searching, and know your "why." Given your stated personality traits, nursing could take you to some really cool places that would be life-changing-fulfilling, beyond the hospitals and they typical jobs! Best wishes in your search, Lori RN, BSN

Hi, I'm going to advise you a little differently that some of the other posts have. I don't know how long everyone else who responded has been in nursing, or if they are even nurses yet...nor do I know what your goals are. But simply from what you shared in your question, I think the advice to jump into an "accelerated Masters' degree program" may be premature. Not to mention a very big step, both in time commitment and financially. I receive questions like yours often, and my advice always includes this: figure out why you want to become a nurse first. That will drive the "how" part of the equation. There are several paths you can take to becoming a nurse, and yes, LPN is one of them! If you want to become a nurse quickly, work primarily in long-term care or a doctor's office or perhaps an urban clinic, and are not interested in management (which can be its own nightmare, if you are not cut out for it) or high-tech settings, then an LPN may be a fine way to go. If you want to work as a nurse in any another setting, and aren't interested in management or advanced practice, then an ADN program will give you the same RN license as a BSN program will with far less time and expense. Again, figuring out why you want to go into nursing will go a long way towards helping your figure out how to go into nursing! I hope this helps some, let me know if you have other Q's. Best of luck to you, Lori RN, BSN:nurse:

Hello, First may I say that I know exactly what you are going through! It took me 7 years to finish college, after changing my major 3 times and attending 3 different schools! I finally ended up with my BSN, and it was well worth it...I knew nursing was the right place for me, but it took a lot of "false starts" followed by an insightful mentor who helped me to discover what it was that I was after. Nursing is NOT a perfect career. It has its glorious moments...and it has its bedpan moments. It is not for the faint-hearted. It is NOT for those who go into it for the money...I've seen countless nurses leave the profession burned-out and disillusioned. They should never have gone into nursing in the first place. You really do need to figure out why you want to be a nurse, and the "why" helps you get through the "how." In my book I always ask prospective nurses to go back to just that--why did you want to become a nurse?--whenever you come up against a rough spot, like a really difficult class that's stressing you out, or you know you're going to be giving your first shot and you're freaking out, or you just threw up after your patient vomited in front of you, or whatever the situation! Figuring out your "why" is the most important thing that I would tell you to do! My advice to you is this: since you still have so many questions, I wouldn't "jump ship" at this stage of your education. Finish your Bachelor's degree, and look more into the profession of nursing over the coming year or two to try and find out if nursing is right for you, and if you are right for it...that's a biggie! You can always become an RN later if you wish to, and there are several paths you can take to do that depending on your goals as a nurse...which are, again, based upon that "why" that you need to come to grips with! I hope this has been some help, let me know if you have more Q's that I can help with! Best of luck to you, Lori RN, BSN:nurse:

Hi, You received a lot of tremendous responses...what a great forum! I don't have anything particularly earth-shattering to add, but I did want to tell you that when I read your question, something stood out to me: you ended with, "I just really want to be a nurse!" :heartbeat First, may I say that it was that part which brought me encouragement, and made me think, "she'll do just fine...she'll do just fine!" I would encourage you, as you're making your final decision, to bear in mind why you want to be a nurse. What is it that is drawing you to the profession? Not everyone will know where they ultimately want to be in nursing 10 years into their careers...I do have my BSN, and I've had a long and fulfilling career as an RN. And every single step of it could have been done without the Bachelor's degree...I could have done it all with an Associate's degree. My sister, on the other hand, could never have done what she's doing without the Bachelor's. 99% of people would tell you that, to do what she's doing, you have to have your Master's degree. The 1% who would tell you otherwise are me and her! She's got a BSN. But she's one VERY gifted and unique lady. I liken it to that line in "Pirates of the Caribbean" where Elizabeth talks to the pirate captain about the "code" and he tells her, "they're more like guidelines"...where there is an incredible gift/talent, it will be utilized. But I've digressed...listen to what is in that beating heart that you posted, and look at what it is that draws you to nursing. Not all of us want to go into management...that can be its own nightmare. My heartbeat was direct patient care, and most of my career has been in all areas of critical care (ICU's of all sorts, ER, PAR, cath lab, etc.). I loved being charge nurse on my floors, and that came with experience, not the BSN after my RN. Plenty of ADN's were charge nurses. Yes, you'll be "taught" leadership basics/group dynamic theories in college, but excellent leadership is a matter of the heart and a spirit of servanthood as well as logic and a background in theory. Look at the highly educated "leaders" of the crippled corporations and banks of the world. Education isn't always everything! I've watched more than one unit leader (all MSN prepared) come and go...either quitting, or fired...over my years. The most wonderful unit leader (manager) that I ever had was NOT Master's prepared...Mary was a "temporary" leader plucked from among the nurses in the SHU (Surgical Heart Unit) to replace one who was fired because she couldn't lead, and about destroyed the staff with her inability. (fyi, the fired manager originally applied to the hospital for a staff nurse position...but because of her MSN, they put her in a management position. She had the education for it, yes...but not the heart, and it ate her alive...very sad). As the hospital searched for a new "credentialled" unit manager, the SHU and its staff thrived under Mary's leadership, and, with the help of petitions and meetings with the staff, Mary was officially given the position...no MSN required. Mary's biggest qualification was her heart for the unit, the patients, and the staff who functioned under her encouraging and helpful (read that hands-on, sleeves rolled-up) leadership. Because of her servant-leadership style, we all responded positively when she had to criticize or correct or discipline. Servant-leaders aren't wimps...! Back to you and your choices: Sometimes, because of financial constraints, we have to look in the short term and make our choices based on those things. If you are fortunate enough to have access to loans, available money, and the time to pay off those loans after all is said and done, you can look to the long-term...the "10 years from now I want to..." and make decisions accordingly. So, just a little "outside the student box" thinking (my specialty!) and insight for you to chew on. It sounds to me like you're making wise choices, and I wish you the best! Lori, RN:nurse:

hello, i can relate to what you're going through...i struggled with this also, but ultimately got through it with an "a." one person wrote that he/she tried to do chem during a condensed summer session and that it was a bad experience...i had no choice but to do it during a condensed summer session after failing it during the regular year, and it turned out to be the best thing i could have done! we did a year's worth of chem in 6 weeks...alot of advisors said it was "academic suicide," but i found that because we had to "eat, drink, and breathe" chemistry for 6 weeks, well, it was all i had to do. the concentrated focus really chiseled your brain for it, and i got an "a." so it's different for everyone, i guess. that was a long time ago...now, i homeschool my 2 highschool sons, and i have an idea for you. the best science curriculum, imo, is aplogia by dr. jay wile. here's a link for you to read about it: http://www.apologia.com/collegeprep.php . there is a less expensive place where you can purchase it, rainbow resources. here's a link to their site, the page where apologia chem is offered: http://www.rainbowresource.com/prodlist.php?sid=1244042392-594888&subject=11&category=2706 . this is a curriculum that is written for students who are self-directed learners, self-teachers. that's very different than your typical science textbook designed for classroom use. we purchase the student text, solutions manual, and the audio book mp3, which is simply the textbook read aloud to you, word for word. you can read it by yourself, silently, but i find that following along while someone reads it aloud to you is better. makes it "stick" more, and if something is confusing, you realize it right away, and can stop and go back. sometimes reading silently you're just tired, and you'll gloss over things. then we get the lab supplies...but in the book, dr. wile offers substitutions for some items that you may just have around the house, so that can bring the cost down. anyway, doing it on your own, at home, will save you a lot of time...you can work at your own pace. if you have q's during your study that you can't figure out, you can call apologia, and they will help you (only for their customers...don't try calling during nursing school pre-req's at your other colleges!) with your studies. also, you won't have the problems of showing dropped or incomplete classes on your transcript, low grade, re-takes, etc. if you drop a class, you may get away with sitting in on the lectures, but in chem lab you have to work with a partner...if you're not registered for the course anymore, the numbers won't work. you can't work on your own, and you cannot be partnered with someone. i found the lab to be more challenging to me than the coursework was. it is a huge part of your grade. if you do the home study course, you can get the lab concepts down. once you take it for a grade and for credit, then, you'll be doing the same things conceptually, just with more expensive equipment and supplies, but you'll have a good idea of the concepts behind the results...that's key! good luck to you! lori, rn bsn

OK, that helps. A couple of thoughts...first, every new nurse feels overwhelmed and underprepared. I think it's always a bit of a shock when you realize that nursing school doesn't make you an independent nurse when you get out. Nursing school teaches you the theory of nursing, the science of nursing...but beyond the basics of hands-on-nursing, this is a profession that is learned largely on the job. When you first get out of school, you know enough to go on your first job and hopefully not hurt anyone! That's why there are preceptors to work alongside you. The fact that you're passing meds is fine. You say you want to do "real nursing" like paperwork, transferring orders...oh, this isn't real nursing! This is the bane of a nurse's existence! Do not worry about the paperwork. If you're passing meds, do you know what each med is for? Why is the patient taking it? Are they making a difference for the patient? What do you need to watch out for with these meds? Use the opportunity to keep learning! Take the time to practice your skills that you learned in your clinicals/labs...are you giving injections? Get really good at painless injections! Are you giving baths? Take the time to assess your patient's skin integrity, and chart any changes or problems. Take whatever experience they are giving you at any given time, and try to go "over the top" with it, to do the very best that you can and get as much as you can out of it. Be respectful and ask for more and di9fferent experiences as you feel the need. Be respectful when you ask. Can I say it once more? Be respectful when you communicate your needs. Be helpful, be positive...and ask for what you would like to learn. An unfortunate reality of nursing, and I think it has largely to do with the fact that we are a female-dominated profession, is that "nurses eat their young." Not all nurses, but many. That's why the repeated admonition to "be respectful." It's not because I think you are in the wrong to want more experience...it's just a hint about how to go about getting those experiences! Be patient...it will take time to gain the skills you'll need before you can "fly" on your own. Months and months, maybe even a full year! This is normal. You do not yet even realize how much you have to learn, so pace yourself. Buy a pretty little notebook that you can, privately and on your own, make a list of the things you would like to learn how to do, and why you think they're important. Check them off as you go. You'll begin to see which ones are the most important, and which ones weren't so important afterall as you go along. It will help you to prioritize what you ask for. I hope this has helped some, best of luck to you, and hang in there!:hngon: Lori RN, BSN

Hi, and welcome! These were all interesting posts...lots of IT people! I've talked with a number of folks who were right where you all are! I'm going to give you some ideas to chew on (to save your tongues!)... 1. Why is it that you want to go into nursing? That's not just a quick, easy kind of question...I advise you to really think about it. Is it because you've heard from the media that it's "recession-proof?" Do you think you'll make lots of money? Do you believe you'll find real job-security in nursing? Are you motivated by these things because you fear the loss of your current job? These may be relevant considerations, but if they're the only reasons you're looking into nursing, at least so far, I would advise you to dig deeper. Figuring out why you want to be a nurse is the first step in figuring out how you're going to get through the difficult times on the road there. And it will be difficult! 2. Will nursing be a good "fit" for you? Yes, there is quite a bit of technology involved in nursing, especially as you get into critical care areas, so that part may not be as intimidating to you as it may be to a "non-techie." But the machines, even when your patient is on 6 of them to stay alive, are only a small part of what the nurse does. There's a human being attached to all the machines, and they don't always follow the manual! Again, it comes back to why you want to be a nurse. Someone mentioned they wanted to "help people," "make a difference," "feel good about what I do." That's getting better in terms of the "why." But you need to add to it now...what is it about nursing that you think will make you feel good about doing it? A lot of nurses absolutely HATE what they do. They are burned out, discouraged, disgusted, and they walk away in anger and heartbreak from a career that they spent thousands and thousands of dollars and many years getting into. (Sound familiar? Were you "interested" in the career field that you are about to walk away from when your first considered what to major in in college?) How much do you know about nursing? How do you know if nursing is really for you? Are your ideas about what the day-to-day reality of being a nurse coming from popular TV shows? (I hope not...) I wrote a piece called 7 Essential Questions Every Future Nurse Must Ask. It's free, just google it as I can't link it here. But it goes through a number of areas that you'll probably find thought-provoking. I can't fit all of them here, as it would be way to long. But at the very least, do spend some time thinking on the above 2 questions to get yourself started. Nursing can be an awesome profession...for those who are "called" to it. For those who are just not quite made to be nurses, it can be a nightmare. So do your research, consider what it will mean to you to be a nurse, and don't enter into nursing school lightly. It isn't easy, neither is the reality of the job, so you really have to want it! Best of luck to you, and let me know if you have more Q's I can help with! Lori RN, BSN

Oh my dear, hang in there and do not give up on your dream! I always tell students that if you can keep in mind why you want to become a nurse, you will figure out how. So ask yourself why it is important to you to become a nurse...what is it that drives you to go through all this work. Then keep that "picture" in your mind when you feel down or want to quit. I will tell you that LOTS of us nurses failed classes during school! I failed my organic chemistry class, and I wasn't juggling a job and children! I just had to take it over. I don't remember what I got in Anatomy, probably a low B or a C. But in the end, it didn't really matter. Anatomy is a class that's all about rote memorization. You can't push it into your brain in large doses. I think the best way to learn it is to make sure you spend time each and every single day, just building on what you started memorizing yesterday. Do not let yourself miss this time, unless you have a real emergency that has to take priority, like your kids are ill or truly in a crisis over something. You don't need hours and hours, just steady and consistent. I don't think that a study group is necessarily a good thing here. It might waste more time than you're getting actual benefit. Physiology is more of a "processing" class. You process the principles that you've learned, and often they just "make sense" and you can remember them. Other times it's so new, you have to do some memorizing, but it's not rote memorization like anatomy. When I did physiology, the way I learned it was to lecture to a pretend class from my notes. I'd find a room that I could close the door to so no one would make fun of me...then I'd just go part by part and explain it, out loud, to my "class." I hope this helps a little, and encourages you a lot! I wish you all the best! Lori RN, BSN

Hello, You say you are "being trained at a new job to go out on my own"...what exactly do you mean? Are you working in a hospital on a unit? Or are you with a temporary staffing agency? Just a tad more detail and then I'll try to offer some advice. Lori RN, BSN

Should I Be A Nurse? A Journey of Self-Exploration for Those Considering a Career in Nursing is one of mine that you may enjoy, too. It's gotten good reviews. Best of luck to you! Lori, RN BSN

Hello, I'm not sure of what all else is out there, but as far as clinical rotations go, they'll vary widely by what nursing school program you're in and how they handle it. My clinicals were rigorous in terms of the preparation req'd the evening before...we'd go to the hospital and find out our assigned patient(s) (our instructor would leave a list for us). Then we had to get the patient's chart (when the docs/nurses didn't need it) and read everything we could. Had to copy down all meds the patients was on, and any procedures/tests scheduled for the next morning. We'd then go back to our room, and break out the drug-reference books to write up "drug cards" on each and every med. We had to memorize what the drug was for...it's "indications", as well as any "contraindications" given. Also the common side-effects, standard dosages, etc. Same thing for procedures and tests our patient was to experience. The instructor would grill us on these! She was there all day, throughout the shift, watching us, working with us. The staff nurse didn't need to interact with us too much. Some of my clinical rotation experiences were very difficult, most were great learning adventures and went well, and some were absolutely comical! I actually wrote about it in my book, and it made for some fun reminiscing, especially about the very first clinical rotation I had...it was in OB, and I was absolutely terrified! I think my instructor that day took great delight in assigning the patient she gave to me... :chuckle Aah yes, you'll have great stories to tell, too! As an RN, however, over the years I experienced some very different scenarios with the student nurses who would come to the hospital. With one of the nursing schools, their instructors often showed up with them in the morning, gave them a patient assignment, brought them to the staff nurse assigned to the same patient to introduce us, and then LEFT for the entire shift, only to show up during the shift change to hear "report." Most staff nurses used these poor students as nurse's aids. I couldn't ever do it. There were times when I was so busy that I told the instructor that I would NOT take students that day. Not because I didn't enjoy the students...I did! But I refused to take a nursing student and assign her to vital signs, bedbaths, feedings, and bedpan duty for 8 hours. I loved to TEACH these students, and if I couldn't be of value to them, I just couldn't do it. It takes TIME to teach during your shift. Where these instructors went was always beyond me...and I was pretty disappointed by them. But the students I did work with seemed to appreciate what we did together. I hope your experience will be a good one! As for the other topics you mentioned, I've written about some of these also, but I'm not sure specifically what you're after...study habits? I'd say study HARD! Nursing school is rigorous. You already have a Bachelor's degree, your profile says, so you already have an idea of the college routine...you're not looking at another Bachelor's degree program for nursing, or are you? I hope some of this has been helpful, feel free to email me if you're looking for something more specific? Lori, RN BSN:nurse:

Hi, It's got to be disheartening, with all the great stuff you clearly have on your resume! You're caught in the middle of a really wierd situation right now. Trust me...there IS a nursing shortage! And it IS going to get worse. The problem seems to be that, like every other business around, hospitals are having to make the same gut-wrenching budget cuts as everyone else. because it's really hitting so many areas of nursing right now...students, faculty, schools, hospitals...everyone is affected by the current economic situation. Hospitals, whether they're short on nurses or not at the moment, are dealing with a cash-crisis. A brand new nurse, fresh out of school--no matter how many articles you've written above and beyond, no matter how many volunteer/student-work/extra-credit hours you've logged--a brand new nurse will take close to a full year to mentor and precept into an independent RN. They will spend tens of thousands of dollars on you, above and beyond the salary they pay you, just to get you to the place where you actually "earn" that salary. Don't be offended...the hospital typically knows that you are a great investment!!! These just aren't typical-times. I know you may not believe that right now, but most of the skills of nursing are learned after you get out of school! In school, you are learning the "science" of nursing, the "theory" of nursing. Upon graduation, you will learn how to apply that science and theory in the real world of nursing. Your clinical rotations were not the real world. Nursing requires judgement skills; judgement skills are the result of experience backed by the theory and science you learned in school. It just takes time. OK, so...what can you do? First, recognize that you DO have options: 1. Realize that your first job is just that...it's your first job. Few new grads, whether they're nurses, lawyers, engineers, or architects, land their dream job right out of school. When you say that there are "no jobs anywhere" in your area, is it really NO jobs? Or have you limited yourself in any way by not considering jobs in, shall we call them, "less than desirable specialties?" I really disliked my first year of nursing! But you know what? It was only my first year. Once it was over, I was the "experienced RN" that hospitals were crying out for! I named all my future positions, where and when I wanted them. But that first year, in what amounted to a "glorified nursing home" was not what I had EVER imagined for myself. So...have you really looked everywhere??? 2. Let's say you really have looked at every hospital, every nursing home, every assisted living center in your area, and there are NO jobs. You have a decision to make. I tell my kids this all the time: you can either choose where you want to live, and then work at whatever you like best that is available there, or you can choose what you want to do, and then go wherever you have to go where you can do what you love. It's just that simple. If you wait long enough and are willing to do what it takes at first (probably not too long, but be ready for a year or so), with a career in nursing, you'll probably be able to have BOTH. Jobs ARE out there. Go where they are, get your feet wet and become the experienced, independent RN everyone's looking for! Do what it takes! It's WORTH IT!!! Best of luck to you, Lori RN

Hi Melissa, I hear your confusion and frustration!!! I hope I can help out...you've got a TON of responsibility, and not much time to meet it. So here's a hug, :icon_hug: , take a deep breath, and let's talk! OK, so the RRT job looks enticing to you, and I can understand why. Will it all be in trauma? Nope. RT's do lots of work in the ICU, but it's not trauma. Many folks are on ventilators, and the RT does checks on those, but the nurse at the bedside does most of the hour-by-hour management. FYI, early in my RN career, the hospital laid of RT's to save $$$ and required the RN's to become certified in giving chest PT (it's a technique RT's traditionally did to loosen the gunk clinging to patients' airways, say if they had pneumonia--that's REALLY simplified, but it'll have to do here) so we could do it in the RT's absence. I don't know what's happening in the minds of the hospital bean-counters right now, but it's just something to think about. The situation with nursing, hospitals, and the national economy is very complicated right now. But it's not completely new. People in situations like yours are, honestly, the BEST and just about ONLY reason I ever recommend going for the LPN. Honestly, I don't often recommend that people go the BSN-route right off the bat, for a number of reasons. For you, I think you would be able to achieve your goals by starting off with the LPN, and then doing a "Bridge to RN" program while you are working and earning money as an LPN, so you can support yourself and your child(ren). Again, grab the mini-course to get more info about this, but in the meantime, be sure to check with your LPN school if they are "connected" with a Bridge to RN program where your course credits can transfer. All that said, if the Respiratory Therapy career sounds more like what you truly want to do, then go for it! But if nursing is what's in your heart, then do everything you can to get there, by whatever route you are able. It'll be worth it! I wish you all the very best, and I hope I've been able to help a little! Lori RN

Hi, and first off, congratulations on being as far down the road to "RN" as you are! The hiring of new grads being slow right now isn't a brand new phenomenon. Nursing has been going in cycles such as this one for decades...just so you know. It gets better. It gets worse. It gets better again. Take heart, you'll find a job! I always advise new grads to take the long view of things, and to realize that your first job is just that...it's your first job. It's not your last one! Kind of like buying your first house...you don't buy the dream home right out of college. You have to work your way up to it. Get your foot in the door, get that first year of experience that they're all clamoring for. Once it's done, wherever it's done, you'll be the experienced RN that gets hired on the spot! As for whom to send the resume to, typically your initial contact at the hospital is the nurse recruiter, so you would address all written communications to him/her. Be sure to include in your cover letter that in case you haven't heard back from them within one week (or two, your choice), you will, as a courtesy, call to follow up on your resume submission/interview. Again, this is with HR and/or the Nurse Recruiter at this stage. Once you've been invited to interview on a specific unit, you will then meet and interview with the Unit Manager/Head Nurse, and from that point on it will be up to him/her to hire you or not, so any follow-up from that point on would be with him/her. Same procedure, you send a follow-up letter, and state that in case you haven't heard back from them within a week or two, you'll place a courtesy follow-up call. This encourages them to get back to you with their decision, one way or the other. There is nothing worse than being kept hanging! So you have to keep the ball in your court here. I hope this helps, and I wish you all the best of luck! Stay with it...it'll happen! Lori, RN

Hi, and an early "welcome to nursing!" to you! I LOVE IT that you asked this question about math and nursing!:yeah:I've had several high-school students who love math tell me that they were surprised at how much math there is involved in the profession, and just recently, too, so your post wasn't surprising to me at all. "Nurses do a lot of math on the job. Your basic math skills--addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division--will be used multiple times each day. If you tend to make lots of "little mistakes" in math, you know, like absent- mindedly saying that 8X7=54 instead of 56...that's NOT acceptable in a nurse. So if you tend to be haphazard with your math, you'll need to change that trait! Medication dosing errors kill people. There's no room for error here. In addition to basic math skills, you'll also need to be proficient in basic algebra. Many medication dosages are written as "give this-many-milligrams per kilogram of body weight." This means that you have to weigh the patient, then plug that amount into the equation to figure out how much to give. Let's say the dose is written as 10 mg. per kg. body weight. You weigh the patient and find that he weighs 60 kg. So the dose is 10mg/kg X 60kg=600mg. Simple, basic algebraic equation. Things can get more complicated from there, as more variables get added. Perhaps the medication order is written for a particular concentration of medicine (obviously liquid formulations), and the pharmacy sends a different concentration. You will need to calculate the dose based on the patient's weight, then re-calculate it for the changed concentration. We can complicate this even further--let's make this a drug that needs to be "titrated" (change the amount) to achieve a particular blood pressure, urine output, laboratory value, etc. Math, math, math! If you don't love math, that doesn't mean you shouldn't go into nursing. It's not the core of what nursing is all about. But it is important that what math you are required to perform, you are good at and accurate." I hope this has been somewhat helpful...most of all, I'd stress to all of you that while, YES, you DO need to focus A LOT on academics during your student years, keep in mind that a huge part of being a nurse will come from your hearts. Anyone can learn math (well, okay, ALMOST anyone!)...I'm not downplaying its importance, obviously. But not everyone can be a nurse...even if they're a math genius. You have to want it, or it can eat you alive. This is a profession that'll grip your heart. If you are right for it, you are qualified for it, AND you really want it, you'll be able to make it happen. Is it easy? No. Is it worth it? Again, if you really want it, YOU BET!!! Go for it, give it all you've got...it's way worth it! Best of luck to you!

Hi again, Sure, I'd be happy to respond :) (Gives me another chance to play with these smilies...) It helps to have a little background in the history of ICU nursing, and why it was "created." Actually, it started with CCU's (coronary care units). I'll keep this VERY brief, you can search around and read more if you like; in a small nutshell, what was happening was cardiac patients were not surviving their heart attacks because doctors simply couldn't be with them 24 hours a day. So they got the idea to provide specialized and advanced training to select RN's, and teach them to basically be the doctors' "eyes, ears, and sixth sense" on a 24 hour a day basis. These nurses learned to read EKG's, auscultate (listen to) heart tones and distinguish the sounds they were hearing and what was normal, what was abnormal, and what it meant when related to the EKG and other clinical presentations, and so on. They trained the nurses how to respond to certain emergency situations and gave them "permission" (via standing orders from the physicians) to implement emergency treatments based on the clinical judgements that they made at the bedside. When they did all of this, heart attack victims began to survive the event, and CCU's were "born." Here's the KEY THING you should take away from this in response to your question about the new grad in the ICU environment: Much of what the ICU nurse does is based on judgement calls. It takes t-i-m-e and experience... and plenty of it...to develop that kind of judgement. I worked with a number of nursing students in the ICU. Most were in their final year of nursing school, and were selected to rotate in the ICU because they had demonstrated particular skill in their other clinical rotations. And even so, most of them were overwhelmed to terrified! These patients are very, very sick. The technology takes time to master, interpreting the data you get from the technology takes even longer to master, and you have to know what you are doing so you don't kill someone! I firmly believe that if a hospital hires a nurse fresh out of nursing school into their ICU, they are in a severe staffing crisis, and they are setting themselves and probably the new nurse up for a potential lawsuit, and will likely see that new nurse burned out, and possibly even leaving the profession before he or she ever should have. All that said, I love critical care nursing, and I recommend it highly to anyone who feels drawn to it! But not until you've had at least a year of med-surg experience. Even with that, you'll still be overwhelmed when you start! But that's what preceptors are for! :wink2: Finally, remember that there are a number of critical care "specialties" that you can go into. The critical care units at smaller hospitals will often have everyone in one or two units, but larger hospitals will have them divided up into neurological, surgical, surgical heart, medical, coronary, pediatric, and neonatal ICU's. Also, within the critical care specialties you have things like the ER, PAR (post-anesthesia recovery...you might be interested in that!), cardiac catheterization lab, and even more, depending on the facility and what they offer. So you see, there is a kind of "stair step" that you take into the specialties, AFTER you've gained experience and have refined your clinical judgement skills. As a new grad, you won't be anywhere close. (jmho...) Hope this has helped, and good luck to you!

Hi, Ryan... GREAT questions you're asking! You are wise to consider all these things before you commit the time, effort, and $$$$$ to nursing school. As for things like catheterizing patients, it goes right along with sticking needles into people, starting IV's, and the like. You will be terrified the first time you do it, but each time after that gets a little easier, and soon enough, you're not phased by it at all. Then, there will be weird things that will "get to you." Every nurse has his/her own particular "goo-phobia," as I call it. I can take a lot of gunk, but sweaty patients make my skin crawl. (weird, I know!) I've talked to lots of future nurses about the "blood and guts" factor in nursing, and how you handle it. As for getting a job in ICU right out of school, it's not likely. I worked most of my career in all areas of critical care, and I wouldn't have wanted that job right out of school. You would not be "safe," nor prepared for the amount of clinical judgement calls the ICU nurse needs to make. So it will take you some time to get where you believe, at this point, you want to end up. For CRNA school, you may want to visit this page: http://www.allnursingschools.com/faqs/crna.php Generally, you need one year of acute care experience, a BSN, and your RN license, but these may vary by school. My advice to you is to consider the profession carefully, from many angles (as you seem to be starting already), and, should you decide to become a nurse, to take your time getting ready to get the CRNA. Anesthesia is one of those areas where you are at a high risk of being sued...it's just the nature of the profession, I'm afraid, in our litigacious society. Don't be afraid of going into it, it's a great opportunity for a nurse...just make sure you're ready, you know what you're doing (that's where getting the needed experience comes in), and you really love it! Then you'll do great! :wink2: Good luck to you! Lori

I think that most of your difficulty lies in the fact that you're pursuing employment in the great state of California, I'm afraid. Let me offer a word of wisdom gained by many years of experience to all you pre-nursing students and new grads to be: always remember that your first job is just that...it's your first job. Nursing shortages are nothing new. Neither are nursing job shortages. When I went into nursing school, there was a shortage of nurses, they said. When I got out of nursing school, I wanted to work in peds...I couldn't find a job to save my life, and this was in Chicago! I took the job they offered me...in geriatrics. (A far cry from my dream job of pediatrics, don't you think??!) Did I like it? No. Did I give it everything I had and do my best? You bet I did. A year later I was able to transfer off that unit and onto a cardiac step-down unit...not because there was suddenly a shortage again, but because I was now able to claim a year of nursing experience. A year after that I was working in the ICU, and a year after that my dh and I moved to the 'burbs and I could pretty much have the job of my choice anywhere I wanted. But as a new grad in ANY profession, you need to be prepared to take an entry-level job. Be flexible, be willing to take what is available to get your foot in the door, and spend that first year learning. Believe me, when you graduate from nursing school, you are not ready to "fly" as a nurse! You are ready to go in and deliver basic, basic care without hurting anyone, hopefully! Nursing is something you learn largely on the job. So that first year of being an "RN" is still an extension of your schooling, if you will. Treat it as such, give it your all, get good peer reviews from your preceptor and your manager, and THEN you will have the resume that will allow you to get the job that you really want. Best to you all! Lori:nurse:

I didn't exactly change careers, but I spent 6.5 yrs in college changing my major 3 times until I finally ended up in nursing, and got the BSN. I think so many of us entered college right out of high school without adequate help in determining just what it was we wanted to do with the education. Those general career aptitude tests are not enough. I'm working with some high school students now to help them learn more about nursing and whether or not it will be a good "fit" for them. Hopefully they won't ever feel like they "wasted" their degree! For you, I would say what another post said...the degree isn't really "wasted." It's the money and time that didn't directly translate into a rewarding career for you that makes it feel that way. What I enjoyed about nursing is the phenominal variety and career options you have once you get R.N. behind your name...you can go so many places with it! I think nursing offers that more than most careers. It's pretty easy to move around within the profession once you are in it. So it's not as though you would be spending the time and money to become a nurse and then you're "locked into" a particular job that you might not like. You take your first job, the best one you can find (times are always changing, and the ease of getting that first job changes annually, as well!), and learn everything you can at it. Give it all you've got, and do the best you are capable of. If you find, after a year or two at it, that the particular unit/specialty is not your "cup of tea," you are now experienced, you have a good peer review record since you gave it your all, and you can transfer to a unit that does interest you. And the process begins again. I wish you the best of luck in your pursuits! Lori:nurse: