baylor06

I'm in Pittsburgh, my facility is hiring but it's definitely not warm lol.

Haha, didn't even realize there were abbreviations in the OP until I read the last post, guess I've been a nurse too long! ;-)

This an an awesome story. Glad you shared!

I started out just as you did, and after some med surg mixed in with some telemetry, I am now the happiest ED nurse ever! Good luck and congrats!

Nobody expects a new grad to walk onto the unit dully trained and functional- relax! I agree with the above post about finding oppurtunities to learn new skills. Many nurses would love to help and teach you- just ask! You will learn so much... Just enjoy it, and welcome to the field. :-)

Congrats!!! Best advice is just to ask a lot of questions! Most of your patients will probably be healthy individuals, but always be prepared for the unexpected! There are usually tale tell signs that something is changing- gradually increasing blood pressure, change in fetal heart strips, etc. Just pay attention to the little things and you will rarely be entirely caught off guard. Good luck and I wish you all the success in the world!

4 years, all types of units (agency), currently ft ER nurse. Plan on working as an RN until I retire in some form or another.

This is a great essay! I'm just a staff nurse, but I love how the essay is personal and it shows your desire for further education, which also exemplifies the fact that you are an ambitious person(which is a great quality to have in nursing!!) Good luck!! Keep us updated.

My hospital has a "shadow" program available to employees looking to change fields as well as the general public where you can spend a few hours with a nurse, etc. Contact HR at some of your local hospitals to see if they have a similar program. Good luck!

Exactly lol...

I've found that just simple communicating with patients can help with this quite a bit! Sometimes just a simple reason, ie I don't know what time your x-Ray will be done because the ED is really packed today with emergent cases, etc. Just let them know that you remember they are there and everyone is working very hard to help them. I think that a lot of dissatisfaction comes from being left out of the loop- just communicate! At the same time, no excuses! An acknowledgement from staff is often enough to help calm patient's anxiety and impatience.

A trick that I use is when I introduce myself or am introduced to someone, I immediately repeat their name back, for example: nice to meet you, (insert their name here). It works most of the time.

CRNA programs require a minimum of one year, sometimes two, of critical care experience. ICU, sometimes ER, will open that door for you. Good luck!

It never gets any easier... You just have to remember that for every patient that dies that are hundreds you help. Every nurse that's been at the bedside for any amount of time has been there. Maybe someone you can talk to that you trust and respect, maybe a charge nurse that has been around the block a time or two? My thoughts are with you...

Don't forget to attach a resume as well! Good luck!

Sounds like you have the job and are just waiting for HR to call... I am starting a new job next week, waited 6 weeks after my interview for HR to call, and I pretty much knew at the end of my interview that I had the job. Apparently, HR doesn't feel a need to rush lol... the manager is always the one who makes the decision to hire, not HR.

Typically you will interview for a specific position, for example, ED RN. In that case, you will work only in the ED unless asked to float. This would definitely be a question for your interviewer if you are not clear about where you will be working. If hired on as float pool, you will float to anywhere in the hospital that you are qualified to work.

Look up the national nurses union or the Registered nurses relief network. Also, partners in health was accepting as of Friday. Good luck, hope to see you there!

The nice thing about nursing is... come on guys! If you don't like what you're doing, there's a million other things you can do with the same degree! Use google to search for alternatives, you'll find many!

Trying to get there... I just moved and haven't started working in my new city yet, would absolutely love to be able to help, and right now I have the time. Gave my contact info to RNRN, we'll see what happens.

I think your charge nurse or your director would be best suited to ask about this situation. I am not sure how it works exactly, but as a healthcare professional you have a duty nnot only to your patient but to promote health overall. Maybe the CDC would get involved? I know in STD clinics partners are notified, but am not sure of the process...

I've done telemetry for 3 years now, did a year of nights first. I definitely feel like you learn so much time management actually working that you would be fine on days now. Yes, it is more chaotic, but it's a controlled chaos and I feel like I get more help during busy times. I definitely think you should let your manager know what's going on before they hear it from someone else, staff talks. Especially a close staff. I've also done travel nursing for about 6 months now, and I've yet to work at a hospital where I didn't love the staff. Of course you can always find bad apples, but for the most part, the staff you work with become your second family fairly quickly because you spend so much time together. My advice to you is to talk with your manager about your career goals, they will understand. Remember, before they were your manager they were once a staff nurse just like you.

Maybe someone will be able to help me here... I'm a med/tele/surg/little bit of everything RN, just relocated to Pittsburgh... having trouble finding a job!!! Any thoughts??? Would love to get into an ICU or ER but can't seem to get a foot in the door anywhere... in TX they love to take med/surg RNs into higher levels of care and teach them, but this doesn't seem to be the case here. I am a little lost, as I am SO bored in med/tele!

Hi. I am currently a med/surg and telemetry travel nurse, relocating to Pittsburgh for family reasons. Have 3 years acute care experience, but I really want to end up doing trauma. Any ideas on the best way to get there in Pittsburgh? Do their ERs hire nurses with little ER experience? I am a fast learner, and have picked up a few ER shifts but no significant experience to speak of.