jane85

OK, agencyangel! Thanks for taking my mind off my problems!!!! You need to take care of yourself. You don't want to be messing around with DVTs and PEs, for heaven's sake! I am glad you are feeling better, but please see your doc and follow all advice. Thanks to all for the practical advice. There are some good suggestions and we have already found out how many things we thought were essential which actually are not. We are also worried about layoffs at my hospital, so I guess that is adding to my anxiety at the moment. Anyway, thanks to all who replied.

Hi there. I was just wondering if any of you out there are coping with the loss of a job in your family? My husband was laid off in December and so far I think we have been coping pretty well. This past week was a little harder because I had the welcome opportunity to put in a ton of OT. He is sooo not used to manning the ship at home, although he is really trying. Any thoughts, suggestions, fellow sufferers? Thanks:wink2:

Hi twoangels, just a couple of thoughts. If the ICU is wanting an immediate answer for sure, then I would probably go ahead and give it to them. Do you have some sense of how the person who interviewed you would react if you asked them to wait a week for a decision? If you think they wouldn't mind, I would go ahead and ask. You must have interviewed well and have good grades to be getting all these offers-- congrats. My only other thought, as a nurse of 25 years, is that from the ICU you can really go anywhere. Even if you are only there a year you are going to learn so much. Since L&D is so,so different than any other kind of nursing, it might be a little harder to make a transition away from that area in case you want to try something new.

Hang in there, you will be fine. I can tell from your post that you are a conscientious and hard working person. I really agree with the previous poster: act like you are confident and eventually you will be there. I've been working as a nurse for 25 years and I still really love what I do. Keep seeking out new experiences. The organizational skills will come. I would recommend seeking employment at a teaching hospital because I have found overall that the environment in those hospitals is much more open to those who are new and learning. I remember when I first started in critical care. I was terrified! Our orientation method was really trial by fire. They threw you in the room with the sickest patient and told you to call them if you needed any help. I'm still grateful for it. Start by assessing your patient first and work your way out to all the machines and all the lines and all the stuff. If your patient is stable, you can figure out the other stuff later. Flattery is a great ice breaker. If you work with someone who has great assessment skills, ask them to teach you, even if they are old and crusty. Don't give up-- we need you!!!