j_tay1981

I always get very anxious prior to the start of a shift, especially if my group of patients is new to me. I'm always nervous about possibly having to float, or maybe needing to give blood, etc. While at work, I'm nervous to walk into patients' rooms,...

Hey all! I am an RN, BSN that has been working just shy of two years in med-surg at a level-one trauma center/teaching hospital. First I was in Neurological Sciences, and currently I am in Orthopedics (different floors). I had a rough time getting st...

I ask this because I seem to have some sort of intolerance to professional nursing. It's my second degree, and I was one of those odd people that actually enjoyed nursing school (not the piddly projects or reflection papers, but rather the exploratio...

Another issue I deal with in regards to my job is nervousness. As I mentioned, I have a history of anxiety and depression, and I get very nervous before going to work. Like hours before it starts. If I leave my apartment at 6pm to go to the hospital,...

Thanks to all who replied to my post! I find that the part of my job that I really do like is talking to the patients (I don't always get to do this since I work nights and I have so many other things to do). I had a patient who had a terrible time w...

Is it possible for night shift to catch up with you? I've done it for a year so far as a new BSN. I thought I was handling it well. I liked the differential, the covered shift parking lot, the pace. But I'm back to work after four nights off. They w...

Ekramona: I'm 32, and nursing is my second career. I've held up to nights better than anticipated and enjoy all the pluses you state. But that feeling of isolation and constant sleepiness is wearing on me. I can't see myself rocking a night shift for...

Oddly, I'm usually very awake for night shifts. I hit a wall around 4am, but it won't last long. But, WeepingAngel, you pretty much described my nights off perfectly! Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

I can switch to days pretty easily. My floor is very busy, and most DON'T want to work days on it! However, I am considering it. If I have too many days off in a row, my body flips to a day schedule automatically, making returning to work (like I jus...

I've been a BSN, RN for a little less than a year. First, congrats on getting here! If you're like me, you focus a lot on your deficiencies instead of your successes and strengths. So for starters, try and get into a habit of complimenting yourself. ...

I've had terrible anxiety most of my life (I'm 32 now). I've also battled depression and am currently diagnosed with type two bipolar disorder. I take a few meds including lithium, Celexa and Wellbutrin ER, but nothing specifically for anxiety. I was...

I've had marginal success with starting IV's, but lately it has been quite a dry spell. I think I may be overshooting the veins on some. Do you guys and gals have techniques for starting them? At what angle do you insert the needle? How far? And ho...

Thanks! I'm impressed you spend so little time vein hunting. I've had some patients who don't look like they even posses veins in their extremities :) Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

I'll check that out. Thanks! Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

Thanks for sharing that - point taken! A nurse told me once that nurses in their second to third year of practice are even more prone to making mistakes then when they started because they begin to develop that false sense of security that they lacke...

Good advice. I've gotten back into running, and it is a huge stress reliever for me. If I had a particularly nasty shift, I tend to run further since I can channel the pent up emotions. So, it does have its plus sides

Ktliz, I am actually on multiple meds for anxiety and depression. I have a lengthy history of it. I've had a couple more shifts under my belt since I started this thread. I feel like I'm just not getting this stuff yet. I'm better organized than...

I'm a new nurse at my first RN job. I work in a large urban hospital in the Midwest. We are a level 1 trauma center so we can be quite busy. I work on a neurology floor that also acts like a med surg unit as well. I have been off orientation approxim...

I can't fault your insight here. You're pretty spot on :) Improvement in my job performance is definitely noticeable. My manager stated that he had heard good things about me and that I was improving when we had a sit down for my semi annual review. ...

I'm a bit embarrassed when it comes to posting my ratio since, compared to many other hospitals, it's quite low. On nights, I can take a max of five patients. There's talk of us getting a sixth, but nothing concrete has come of it. Personally, a sixt...

That's great advice. I have tried to focus on the positives of my job (and honestly, there are a lot): My coworkers are a ton of fun and very helpful/patient with me. I've gotten lots of positive letters and feedback from patients and their families,...