knittingknurse

I love hands-on patient care: assessments and wound care. I don't even mind changing briefs because it brings me more contact with the patient and a chance for a thorough skin assessment. I love working with the doctors from our hospitalist service. I love patient education (when I know the answers!). I hate combativeness (patients) and grouchiness (fellow staff). I hate calling certain doctors in the middle of the night. I hate receiving new patients during the 2200 med pass.

Work with the evening nurses - about half of the bathing should be done at night to even out the work. That said, it still sounds like a tremendous load without nursing assistants.

Sorry you're having this issue. Be sure to be open with your new manager about the situation. Don't let them find out about it down the road. And congratulations on your dream job!

I have a regular schedule of 3 nights in a row. Sometimes there are patients my coworkers and I call "one-shifters." If we take turns having the patient, we are able to maintain good nursing care even if unable to provide continuity. It can actually be better for the patient not to have a nurse whose nerves are intact at the beginning of the shift. In addition, we often help each other deal with "difficult" patients by taking turns answering the call bell and responding to bed alarms. I am lucky to work on a shift with good teamwork.

What are your greatest strengths/weaknesses? Describe a professional situation in which you have been in conflict with another person. How did you handle yourself? What would you do if you walked in a room and found a patient... (unconscious/on the floor/choking/bleeding, etc.)? What attracted you to this facility/hospital/unit? Make sure to be genuinely interested in the specific unit. Go to the interview prepared with some tidbits about the facility. Example: I was impressed with your quality scores/ your new ___ program. I was so scared about finding a job when I graduated that I applied to some positions that were not my ideal and ended up flooding some hospitals with so many applications that I think the recruiters started to ignore me! I recommend calling the recruiters about your dream units even if there are not any openings posted online - there may be some soon, and then you'll have the advantage!

As a student, show interest and ask questions. This is a great way to supplement your clinical experience from school! If census is low, I appreciate when CNAs take extra time with patients, like giving "feeders" snacks and drinks. Interested, hard working CNAs really stand out. Best of luck with your new job!

You could wear neat-looking scrubs with newish tennis shoes. This is considered professional attire for us. Or you could wear what you would wear to any other "business casual" function. Good luck!

If I remember correctly, Saunders lumps all of Peds in one testable category and all of OB in another, unlike the systems approach for Med-Surg. I found the outlines very helpful, but I tried to keep up with our textbook also.

I recommend getting a patient care tech job now in one of your top choice hospitals! Work hard and create a good impression now, and you'll be seriously considered as you approach licensure.

I graduated last May and have had positive experiences working in a LTC/rehab facility, in a free clinic as a volunteer, and in a community hospital. I work hard and ask a lot of questions and seem to be getting along fine. The new LPN grad seems to be having a similarly positive experience. :) What does surprise me is how awful some of the experienced nurses at both LTC/rehab and the hospital are to each other. A few have worked in the same unit for many years, and others have only been there a few months. They backstab and gossip, decreasing morale and taking time away from patient care. It is a frustrating situation. Thank goodness most of the abrasive personalities are on the opposite shift to mine!

Makes sense... thanks!

Hello fellow nurses! I am a new RN and work in a small community hospital's stepdown unit. My husband and I are finally getting ready to start a family. I am reading up on preconception and am trying to figure out if there are any special precautions I should take now or once I become pregnant. Are standard precautions enough? Are there any diseases or treatments you would definitely avoid exposure to? Obviously I should avoid radiation. I'm immune to varicella and hep B. Anything else? Thanks for your help!

The first time I felt like a real nurse was when I assessed for rebound tenderness in one of my LTC patients and made the decision to send her to the hospital! I just started in a hospital, and working with PICCS without supervision is another major milestone for me. :rckn:

I went door to door to LTC, and it worked for me. I was lucky and got an offer on the first day! I was dressed to impress and had multiple copies of my resume and recommendation letters on hand. However, one of my friends who lives in Boston, where new grads seem to be choked out of the job market, was unsuccessful with this approach. I think it depends heavily on where you live.

I'm in the same boat, DekagirlsRN. I keep applying to the local hospitals and have even gotten some interviews, but no job there yet. I keep telling myself that it will get better, that the right position is waiting out there for me somewhere. What is most frustrating to me is that most of my friends in my graduating class have gotten awesome hospital jobs. In the meantime, I'm scrambling to keep up with my LTC job because my orientation was so poor. At least we've got something!

I lived in Greenville until I graduated from college and have lived in Charleston for 2 years. Growing small city Greenville is great for hiking, day trips to the mountains, a vibrant downtown, and several festivals. There is a new children's museum, and the public schools are quite good. Charleston is fabulous and has something to offer everyone from partiers to the artsy types. I love the historical sites and many activities. However, it is an expensive place to live. I have heard the public schools are less than desirable, but there are private schools of every kind.

I have an interview coming up for a position in an outpatient clinic that sees primarily patients with arthritis and autoimmune diseases. The office manager said my main roles would be to review protocol, supervise CNAs who insert IVs, mix and administer drugs, and perform nursing assessments. Does anyone out there have a similar position? How is it? I am a new grad from May and am currently working in a skilled nursing unit in a rehab facility PRN. This position is attractive because it's FT and because I am interested in working in an outpatient setting as an FNP in the future. Is this a good spot for me to gain experience, or is it too limited? Thanks for your ideas!

Hi friends, I am considering becoming an advanced practice nurse (FNP or CNM) several years from now. As a new grad NP, how is the job market? Does it follow the same course as the job market for new grad RNs? Is there stiff competition with new PAs? Thanks! :wink2:

JewlzRN, I graduated the same day you did, and I feel your pain. I have applied to numerous positions in hospitals. I finally decided to look outside the hospital and was lucky enough to find a skilled nursing position in a rehab facility - I'm just entering my second week. It's PRN, however, so I'm planning on working vaccine clinics this fall and also continuing the application process into hospitals. I know it's hard. Something will come up one of these days for you and the rest of us. :icon_roll

Some people in the general public have the idea that "smart" students should to med school and may discourage you from pursuing a career in nursing because they don't understand that nursing can take you as far as you want to go. Is this possibly the case for your teacher? The degree you would get to go directly into nursing from a 4-year college is a Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BSN). Other BS (Bachelors of Science) degrees include areas like Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Physics, etc. A Pre-Med program is designed for a student intending to go to medical school, but many of the pre-med classes may be the same ones required for a BSN, depending on your college. Good luck to you! :prdnrs:

I'm a new grad. It is a very competitive market down here with 3 nursing schools: Trident Tech, MUSC, and Charleston Southern, the latter 2 offering BSNs. There simply are not enough positions for the number of new grads generated by these 3 programs! MUSC lists specific positions for new grads. Trident Hospital and Roper St. Francis allow new grads to apply to any full time floor position. I am finally starting in a nursing home next week, but it took a long time for me to find a spot. My classmates who moved up to Columbia had much easier times finding new grad positions. I strongly recommend any current nursing student to find a tech position. I did not have this experience, and it negatively affected my application process, even though I was one of the top performers grade-wise. I hope this is helpful!