kitti419

I was pregnant when I got accepted into nursing school & knew I was very interested in L&D. Throughout the program, I was in line to be paired with a L&D preceptor prior to graduation. At the last possible moment, someone in her family passed away and she said she was unable to precept. The instructors scrambled and found me someone in the ED. My heart sank as I knew not having that foot in the door in L&D would be a huge hurdle. I graduated with an ASN, secured an interview in L&D but was shown the door. I tried about 2x/year for nearly 5 years, working in med/surg/ortho the whole time. I went back to school for my BSN. I started working more actively with recruiters and just this past year Nov 20, 2015, I was offered (and accepted!) my 1st L&D position, complete with sign on bonus. I was also offereded a position to transfer in house to postpartum the same week after that interview, but obviously I chose L&D at a new facility, so it was a huge jump for me. I just finished hospital orientation and had my 1st week on the unit. All I can say is that it was worth the wait! I'm so glad I never settled, as opportunities arose for other areas and even NICU. I just kept at it. I love going to work. If I didn't need the money, I would probably do this for free/fun! I know there will be some tough days, but seriously, I can go the rest of my life without seeing another bedsore. It's just a different world. I'm in love

I was just about to post a very similar thread! Congratulations on the new job! I start mine Dec 14. I have been on med/surg/ortho for the past 5 years and have been trying once a year to get into L&D. Just a couple of weeks ago, I had 2 job offers and was able to choose! Now, I'm nervous and want to be the best L&D nurse I can be. I hope you don't mind my tagging along on the thread :)

I've been on nights now almost 5 years total. I do my best to have "normal" hours when I am off. That said, I am often cranky, easily confused, and forgetful. I am a single parent. I sleep with one eye open during the day and my phone next to my ear incase my kids need to reach me. My mom keeps them when I go to work and gets them to school. I exercise almost daily when I wake up in the afternoon. I tend to skip workouts more easily on off days. I generally can't sleep during the day, even when I've worked the night before, without a sleep aid like benadryl or melatonin. I like nights, but it's a day shift world. When I'm off, I come home, take a small nap, then wake up and get things done so I'm pretty exhausted at normal bedtime. I usually get my second wind around 11pm. If I don't get in bed by 11PM then I'm generally stuck awake getting crap done at all hours of the night, which screws me up the next day but I am pretty used to my functional, sleep-deprived life!

Hi, I'm a RN with nearly 4.5 years of experience on an orthopedic unit. I enjoy orthopedics. Recently, a nurse recruiter reached out to speak to me about a position that was created at a large, nearby hospital: RN Navigator for Ortho patients. I'm just wondering how many of you have experience with this role. I've seen navigators for other specialties (in job postings) & am just not sure what to expect. I have to call the DoN back tomorrow and discuss the position. Naturally, I have tons of questions. Being on the unit at night, I don't get a ton of interaction with the docs, but I have no issues working closely with doctors, which I was told is a big part of the job. I also really enjoy educating patients and helping them understand the process and what to expect during their stay. I don't know a whole lot about what happens when they leave, aside from PT/OT/Home Health... Can anyone add to this? Is it a M-F position in your facility? It seems very autonomous, which isn't a bad thing, but perhaps I am just a little insecure about my ability to fill the role! Thanks in advance!

I got into nursing because of the diversity in nursing...When I was working on my Psych undergrad, I fell in love with research. Don't even really know what research nursing entails, but it does interest me. I feel like critical care experience is the next logical step, but the ICU seems like a scary place. I would not have been able to stomach NICU as a new grad, but there is a part of who thinks I can do it and might even be great at it (I have my own reasons for feeling this way). I was pregnant when I got into nursing school and always wanted L&D, midwifery, etc. I was first on the list for a preceptorship in L&D and just before my preceptorship started, my L&D preceptor backed out due to a death in her family, and the school scrambled to find someone who would take me last minute. I ended up in the ER, nights, where I had nightmares throughout the whole experience. My preceptor was the charge nurse, so I was frequently tagging along behind other nurses who were more hands on. I saw and learned a lot but I learned enough to know ED is NOT for me. Outpatient infusion seemed kind of neat, but I was honest about my 60% success rate in starting IVs and did not get the job I interviewed for. I do believe in full disclosure..never had a knack for IVs& lab draws, but I can get by & do believe I will get better...I'm really open! I don't know what I "see" myself doing. I am teachable, compassionate, smart, & loyal. I love to learn! I do value my home life so schedule is SO important to me...I have a phone interview on Fri with talent acquisition at a big hospital within 40 mins of my home.. We shall see. In a sense I want to lay it out on the table & let the chips fall where they may. I have a lot to offer in many ways. Have been told also I would be a great clinical liaison. I got to the 2nd interview there, but it didn't go so well as again they wanted someone with experience. The person they hired has since resigned, but I was offered a PRN position every Friday. I declined... simply because I am not looking for a 3rd PRN job. Too picky???

Thank you. Even though I have been a nurse for almost 5 years now, I still feel painfully new to the field.

I always have loved working from home. I was active in real estate prior to starting my second career as a nurse. I did not like in home care mgmt, however. I worked for a very shady company to start with and I was not a big fan of sitting in people's houses. I think home health would have been a little better, but I had a friend at the time who continually complained about her job in home health. Research nursing appeals to me!

How in the world do you know where to go when your current job has gotten stale?! I have been a floor night nurse since Dec 2010. Over the past couple of years, there have been some major changes to my unit, resulting in a completely different patient population. I started on a busy orthopedic unit with med/surg overflow, and the vast majority of our ortho docs up and left the hospital. Our census dropped significantly, and I found PRN employment at a surgical center. There is no FT opportunity there and has not been since I started in Jan 2014. I left my FT position at the hospital to try in home care mgmt with Senior Bridge, and the experience was a nightmare. I now have 2 PRN jobs, and while I enjoy the flexibility of my schedule, it's a roller coaster. The census is up and down at the hospital and since we became beggars for patients, we get a steady flow of altered mental status, cellulitis, pneumonia, & the rare orthopedic patients who now have to share their hallway with confused patients. I absolutely LOVE my co-workers. We are a team and I feel very loyal to the unit and the workers, and I also love my supervisor. I have looked at job openings in other facilities, other floors, and even considered coming back FT. I went back to school and graduated in Dec 2014 with my BSN. I have no other certifications beyond ACLS, PALS, & BLS, although I could probably easily certify in ortho. I have considered the NICU, L&D, Same day Stay, Interventional Radiology, Specials...those are openings that pique my curiosity. I do believe critical care experience will come in handy, but any of the specialty units above have consistently required experience. I'm willing to work nights but there is a big part of me that craves a day schedule and a twinge of normalcy after all these years on nights. I'm ok with weekends and holidays. I just really don't know what I want to do, and I'm not the kind of person who will up & quit without giving it a good year! So I want to make a good decision the first time.. Any suggestions??

yes I bought the pharm book ahead of time and started reading!

I took accelerated RN.. It was hell. It was short but very difficult. I've been a practicing RN now for almost 9 months on a busy med/surg/ortho/neuro unit. I have taken care of up to 7 patients now simultaneously, of various acuity. Sometimes I get overwhelmed, but it is rare. I learned good things at OLOL. I didn't learn EVERYTHING. How can anyone? It's so short. I feel like I missed some things, but I also feel like some really important concepts stuck. If you go, try to get a clinical instructor that is actually a practicing nurse - makes a huge difference to your feeling of readiness. Really fight to get with the best teachers for clinicals and maximize your experience. Some teachers are afraid to let you go out on a limb. I put down an NG tube on one of our 1st rotations. Be as hands on as you can where appropriate. The tests are hard but you just have to study, study, study, and when you get tired of studying, study some more. We all take the same NCLEX. PS - I worked the entire time, and I have small children at home. Time management in your personal life will flow to time mgmt in school and nursing, and time management the key to success in nursing, coupled with attention to detail (not one of my strengths) and plain old instinct. It's been pretty cool.

Ouch.. Kinda mean, but very true - and here's what else ; they don't cut you any slack in the workforce either! I work with several breastfeeding mothers and my heart goes out to them. You really do miss a lot. In this sense wanting to have a baby is very selfish. sorry

Just taking a little ride down memory lane here and wondering how everyone is doing now where they are... I'm 90 days+ into my RN job and it's a mixed bag. Surprisingly, I felt prepared for the patient care aspect of things, assessments, vital signs, lab values, etc. It's the hospital craziness that is freaking me out! What a subculture so unknown...The good news is that I am out of orientation and more than a few people felt I was competent to handle multiple patients "on my own." Yes OLOL was a nightmare. Yes many of the folks who taught my graduating class have hightailed as far and as fast away as they could get. I don't know how the program is now, but I would imagine that if real, practicing nurses are teaching, it will remain a legitimate program. I may be a new grad, but I feel that I am an asset to my unit and an advocate for my patients. Each day I get a little more confident. Some days are hell on earth; others I feel like I am the teacher. My good friend told me that nursing is going from student to teacher while staying a student. I think it's true. I'm glad to be practicing - always a little scared - but proud of what I do and my patients thank me every day. Remember Marlene Hurst "Stop the infusion and go find somebody who knows more than you do!" LOL

I have never wanted to be a teacher but am burned out after only 3 months of nursing! The idea of staying on my unit for 3 years makes me dizzy.

Glad to have found this thread. I start on an ortho floor Dec 13

I could ask all of the same. I start on an orthopedics unit next month as a new grad. I'm already sweating about the math test I have to take. Any advice for preparation would be greatly appreciated.