PatiencePlease

So, in general... the original post and some of the responses demonstrate the out dated mentality of nurses VS doctors... Everything circles around. They can't do it without us, we can't do it without them. I'm sure at one pount we have all been arrogant or cocky regarding something until we get knocked off our high horses. It's also interesting to see some of the comments posted... in response to the original post. Admittedly it is very difficult to convey emotion over texts, e-mails, posts... but some responses sound a little... charged. Why can't we support each other, respect opinions, rants etc?

I have been in the ER now 14 months. NOT long at all. I'm the type of person who really doesn't care nor want to know gossip. If I hear about it, and I question it, I go to the source... unless it's negative information, then admittedly, I avoid it. If I know about it then EVERYONE knows about it. Well the past two weeks, I have heard more information about me. I have found out, one charge thinks I can't be trusted, the same charge believes that I do not belong in the ED. I am mostly honestly a positive person. I smile at everybody, I'm polite, listen, I'm the "nice nurse." My clinical judgment has been questioned as if I should have a lot more knowledge then I do; I feel any way. When everyday, I go home if I missed something, I beat myself up. This something I've missed or done improperly gets called out, sometimes in front of people aka co-workers, sometimes not. I have taken the advice and direction from more senior nurses, who have then "thrown me under the bus" so to speak. I have performed some actions under their advisement, and when it was a judgement in error, no one has stood up for me. This is my dream job, always has been. However, lately I feel when I go into work, I'm going to disappoint someone or screw something up. I don't feel as if I can trust or speak to anyone without it coming to bite me in the butt. Any advice on how to go into work a little more confident without so much trepidation?

I think this young girls' situation was a horrible incident, I don't know if it was an accident, because who really knows what happened besides her doctors and her family. There is inherent risk in any procedure. The press is just begging for scraps of information. This is going to be a long drawn out legal battle, much like most life support cases. Im this case, I don't think faith is causing false hope, honestly, I think faith is a cover for denial. I also think personally faith and spirituality are two totally different arenas as well. Everyday as a nurse and people in general pray for miracles, finding a organ for transplant, winning the lottery, positive or negative test results, getting that job.... why some are answered and some are not, is anyone's guess. You can rationalize this anyway which helps you cope. Personally, I wish the little girl could live or die in peace, whatever the plan is for her.

Well, first off, good luck in school!!! And I'm really sorry about your other degree. Second, *sigh* I see you are in the Chicago area. Good Luck. I graduated in 2009 with an ADN from Kishwaukee College with the promise of "You can go ANYWHERE!" HA. I got a job relatively quickly, in four months at a plasma center. This unfortunately doesn't count as clinical experience for future hospital jobs. I was there for three long years, now I'm working for an insurance company, not where I want to be. I'm actually probably moving out of state to get a job. I do have my BSN now, from Loyola, but I'm not a new grad and I don't have the experience that hospitals want, so I'm between a rock and a hard place. The key to getting a job is networking. NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK. Join nursing societies, like the American Nurses Association, if you have a specific nursing interest look for their nursing association. Go to conferences, go to meetings, talk to people. Getting your job is all about who you know. I used to go to conferences by myself, you feel awkward at first but you can sponge a lot of information from the nurses. Get your BSN ASAP. Many hospitals are going for Magnet status if they don't already have it, and ADNs are getting pushed aside for BSNs. And most of all, DO NOT GIVE UP. First sememster nursing school courses are weeder courses, they call them that for a reason. Only the strong survive. Literally. You will make amazing friends, want to pull your hair out, cry and makes some great memories. Good Luck!!!!!

So, I've always dreamed of being an ED nurse. From the time I was doing pre-requisites, to clinicals, to shadowing nurses for interviews, etc. However as the title suggests... I'm kind of a hot mess. :-) The sciatica waxes and wanes in severity. Hot yoga helps, so I do that when I can, but I have to be careful not to overtax my body in the heat so I don't have a seizure. Last seizure was 04/17/2008 (Tonic clonic). But the only known trigger is lack of sleep. On top of all this physical stuff, I also have depression. It can make getting out of bed a REAL challenge. I'm maxed out on Depakote and Effexor. My theraputic levels are close to the toxic levels. Yay me!!! Then I walk with a limp sometimes because of my sciatica. I've tried epidurals (L5-S1) they don't last anymore. It's nerve pain, an example of what they tried was Amitriptyline it gave me a BAD drug hang over (pain was interrupting sleep). Anti-inflammatories don't do anything nor do NSAIDS. I won't take narcs, there's no evidence they work better than anything else (and they make me violently ill) and because of my epilepsy, messing with anti-convulsants is a tricky road. SO.... this all being said, is working in the hospital arena a plausible option? Any suggestions for my numerous issues? I love this site and I've been following it since before I was a nurse. Topics recycle, opinions change and it's great!!!

Hey everyone, This is a combination vent and a cry for advice. I graduated with my ADN 12/2009. I worked from May 2010 until May 2013. I just finished my BSN 08/2013. Now, my entire nursing career I worked in a plasma center, which was just a complete dead end job. I tried other places, but no one would even give me a chance. I interviewed at one hospital and everything looked great until I accidentally let it slip I had epilepsy. Needless to say I didn't get the job. I've been out of work since May, on top of the fact that I was fired. In my opinion I was thrown under the bus. All of a sudden management stopped letting things slide. I was on the receiving end. I don't have any hospital experience. When I fill out online apps, I get stonewalled when they ask, "Do you have one year hospital experience?" I can't say yes, so the next message is "Thank you for your interest in so and so health system, unfortuneately your experience does not match the canidate that we are looking for". So I try looking at new grad positions. They want letters from clinical instructors. I haven't seen or talked to my clinical instructors in four years! They told me I would fail! So no, I will not get a letter from them. I've looked into corrections, school nursing, office nursing anything and everything. I had to cash out my 401K, I had to move back in with my Dad, I did not get unemployment, I don't know what to do. I don't want to give up on nursing. I love nursing. I am starting to give up on my dream of being an ED nurse. I have over $30,000 invested in my education. I go to conferences by myself, I have joined associations to try and become active, network. I have people telling me, well you will have to move out of the Chicago area, I have my Dad telling me I will fail if I do. I'm not married, no kids, all I have is my dog to bring with me. I'm ready to cry. I've gotten two prospective job opportunities, but neither have benefits and with O'Bama Care being enacted 01/2014, a lot of places are switching their workers to less than 30 hours because if an employee works more than 30 hours, the employer must offer health benefits. My meds cost over $300 a month with COBRA. I can't go much longer without insurance, or a job. I'm going crazy, I just don't know where to go from here...

If you graduate in December, there is a Spring cohort I believe that it might be too late to apply for, and a Fall, the webpage for Masonic has more details. Google, Illinois Masonic RN Residency program. Word of warning... they are a magnet hospital, if you do not have you BSN, it's a waste of time. You have to submit a personal letter, one letter of recommendation, resume, cover letter and million other things. It takes time to put together. They told my group during the orientation to the application process they rarely take ADNs. Only if that ADN REALLY stands out. I didn't get in obviously. I didn't kiss any butt in nursing school, did well, but not 4.0 and I was only an ADN. Sorry to sound cynical, just telling my experience. But Good Luck, don't get discouraged and if you never try you'll never get a yes. Congrats on graduating!!

That program is EXTREMELY difficult to get into. They get 400 + apps for only a dozen or so spots per department needs. You have to be top in ur class with GLOWING recs. good luck

Gotta share this one from nursing school. So I was with the doc while he was doin his assessment. He was a great doc, explained everything, was so patient with questions; In short a students dream. The woman had horrible peripheral swelling, and I couldn't get pedal pulses. I asked him for advice. He was great said well let's lisen to them. I was so excited because I hadn't got to use the Doppler and I wanted to, so he asked me to get the Doppler. I went into the equipment room to get it. Now mind you I had never used it, knew what it was supposed to do but had never seen it. So I grabbed the first thing that I saw not really reading anything. It had a monitor and a handle looked kind of like an ultrasound type machine. I brought it into the patient's room and he looked at it looked and me and smiled at me with that gentle smile and said "well this woman already has a catheter, but that machine would be perfect if we needed to decide if she needed one." I grabbed the bladder scanner!! LoL. I just laughed and said, oh I knew that, duh. Backed out of the room I'm sure red faced and found the correct machine with the help of another floor nurse. As a student I was like gosh I'm an idiot! But I laugh now, I did get to hear her pulses though!

First of all: CONGRATS!!!!! Now reality, the job market stinks. It will be beneficial to have a previous health related bac. Degree. 3.0 is great! I'm not saying anything against that. However , a lot of residency programs won't accept less than a 3.5. Get your letters of reccommendation now. Work on those. Start applying now. Start volunteering at hospitals, call nurse recruiters ask if you can shadow nurses for a day. I wish you the best of luck, just be ready to take something you dont really want. Don't ever give up on what you want just keep a very open mind. I don't mean to be a buzz kill but you did it any no one can take that away from you. Congrats!!!!!!

I feel your pain. All the crap that was shoved down my throat as a nursing student is just that... Crap. For example: need nurses everywhere! Or how bout the whole: you can go anywhere with your degree! What they don't tell you: unless you know someone, kissed some serious butt or are very lucky; you won't get your dream job or even a hospital job right out of school. I work in a plasma center because that was the only place that would hire me. Do you know what a plasma center is or what my job as a physician substitute entails? Recruiters don't either. But it's what I had to take. Pay is okay but right now until I get get into a hospital to get where I really want to be it's the insurance that keeps me there. I have a health condition that requires expensive medications so I need a job with good insurance. I can suggest apply for part time, temp and all shifts. If you are able. I always told myself that my snot nose pretentious female dogs of instructors were wrong when they said: your going to hate your first job, so get your experience and get over it. But unfortunately they were right. As they say "pay your dues." This market stinks. Older nurses can't retire because it's not financially possible, new nurses can't get jobs because its too darn expensive to train and lose them. Then there's those like you in limbo. Keep your license. You worked your butt off for it, you paid for it and NEVER stop looking. There are a lot of sites you can get CEs for free they just require registration and you may get some added junk mail. Google free CEs. It's frustrating, miserable, disheartening, depressing and every other negative feeling. But the bad times pass like the good ones do. Keep positive. Call nursing recruiters and ask, what specific types of experience are you looking for? Ask if they have any advice. Sure some will say they won't talk to you but some will. It's just about as much work as school but you can do it. You've come this far already. Don't give up. Work what you have, think outside the box. Good luck and tell those naysayers to go suck eggs!

Hey everyone! Graduated last year STILL looking for a job like most RN's all over. I have a few things against me, I'm only an ADN (Chicago only wants BSN and can you blame them when they have the pick of whoever they want even though I think it's a bunch of BS but that's a WHOLE 'nother thread! :) )ANYWAY, I'm only an ADN, I only have a 3.0 (god forbid I work full time in addition to going to school and it doesn't matter of course that I pulled it from a 2.0) and I went to school about 80 miles outside of Chicago and I ideally would like to work in Chicago or the surrounding suburbs. What I've been told by a lot of nursing recruiters is that most hospitals hire students from schools in their region.....is that true? I HATE the area I'm in now with a passion. Extenuating circumstances R/T my health got me stuck out in that area. So anyway, I've come to the realization that I'm going to hate my first job, because it's not going to be what I want to do. All of my nursing instructors told me I wouldn't get what I want at first anyway (supportive aren't thay?). I know I shouldn't be picky, and I really can't afford to be but unless I'm living out of my car, I'm not taking a job in long term care, or in a mentally handicapped facility. I think the people that nurse there are angels, I have SO much respect, but I can't do it. I'm not even going to be able to get into a hospital at this point (grades, ADN). I have had one interview and have been flat out told by HR, nurse recruiters etc, "Please stop calling." It's been a joyous trip down "Let's get a nursing job Lane!" I have followed up on every application sent out (look at my phone bill for proof!) and still nadda. So it's not for lack of trying. I eventually want to nurse in an ED. That is my goal and I will attain it. Do any ED nurses have any advice how to get into the ED after some experience? I may have a job at a plasma donation center, so it's mainly assessment skills and phelbotomy and I plan on attaining my ACLS and PALS on my own (yes I know they are expensive). ED is where I want to be. I just need to know how to get there. Any ideas? Thanks!! Sorry for my slightly cynical/bias view towards some nursing specialities and I apologize if I offended. PP

Hey everyone! This is kind of a rant with a plea for help. I've graduated with only an ADN in December, and I've been applying for jobs since October. I have full plans to get my BSN, but my credit is in the toliet, so I can't afford to get my BSN right away. I'm in a dead end job with no more availability for hours and still on my nursing school schedule of availability. Thus, no work equals no money. I'm SO desperate for a job, and I have looked everywhere! I have NO problems moving, although I'd like to stay in the Northern Illinois area at least for now. I'm getting to the point where money is tighter than it has ever been and I don't know what to do. I need a job. I've applied at all the Advocate hospitals, Adventist, Loyola, UIC, Swedish American, Rockford Memorial, Sherman Hospital, in Washington State and New Mexico. I take my licensing exam the third possibly fourth week of January. Anyone, I need advice!!! What to do, where to apply.....anything!! I know I just graduated and it takes time and blah blah blah. I haven't been picky about departments, except that I don't want to do home health because I don't have a car I can put the extra miles on. I haven't been picky, I'm applying for everything. I've gotten more rejection letters than I can count. I know some of the residency programs don't begin until March...... Thanks for listening to my vent....I'm just on the verge of tears from frustration. LoL Looking back I'd almost take the frustration of clinicals over the job hunt, ALMOST. Thanks guys Jess

Hey everyone The graduation day is looming! AND I CAN'T WAIT!! December 17th is pinning. I'm only an ADN but have full intentions of continuing my education. However, I have been putting out applications since October, and it's rejection after rejection after rejection. If it's not a rejection it's "we're not currently hiring new grads" I'm terrified I'm not going to find a job and I can't be a bartender forever. I don't make that much money and I really was planning on having a job lined up for January or February. I'm not giving up, I'm too stubborn, but doesn anyone have any tips? I've applied in Illinois, Wisconsin and New Mexico. I'm not picky at this point! I swear I'm not stupid, I just feel like I need a chance. Do I just resort to groveling??? :) Thanks Everyone!!! Jess

Hey everyone! I'm finishing up nursing school in Decemver..... (Woo HOO!!!!!!!!) and I thought about nursing for the Navy. Anyone have any experience? What's it like? How's PT, deployment, pay? I'm going to go see a recruiter, but their job is of course to recruit so I'm expecting them to leave out some not so nice details. I want to know those not so nice details. Thanks for your help!!! :bowingpur Jess