Wabi Sabi BSN, RN

It's a very fast-paced environment. Patients come and go (often time within 3-4 hours). It's admission and discharge all day long. Things can and do get crazy really quickly. For instance, you may start your shift with 3 patients, then while you are ...

If you have time, capability, and determination, I would say go to medical school and become a psychiatrist. Having a MD or DO behind your name opens many many doors and you will get to really be in charge of patient care. As a nurse, regardless of l...

Wow, really? I have honestly never heard such a story. In my area (So Cal), RNs make a LOT more than LVNs, including LTC (I have a RN friend who has worked there since he was a CNA). That must be terrible for RNs in your area to get paid the same as ...

I think $21 per hour is too low for a psych nurse in that environment (considering all the risks and such). I make more than double of that working at a private psych facility and I have a LVN who passes all medications and processes all orders conce...

Are you kidding me? RNs (whether BSN or ADN) get paid substantially more than LVNs/LPNs, not to mention more opportunities in terms of specialization and administration. If you can afford it, go for the BSN. Don't waste your time with LVNs (as many p...

Definitely not safe! It's dangerous that you are the only RN on the unit. There should be at least one more RN and one more MHW.

If you are young, I'd say go to med school. If that is what you really want, don't settle for anything else. You will be happier in the end. You have just completed your first semester of nursing school, correct? You still got a long way to go. First...

I float to a Geriatric Psych ICU unit (high acuity) frequently and what you described is pretty common. Having RT on call or even not having RT after hours at all is not really a big deal. Also, at the hospitals that I have been to security personnel...

Take whatever is BEST for you and your family.

It can be frustrating sometimes how little time we have to spend interacting with patients. Since you work 8-hour shifts, I imagine it would be hard to spend time with your patients. I work 12-hour shifts and usually we have some downtime in the afte...

Becoming a nurse is not hard but being a nurse (working) is really hard. The educational requirements, intensity, and difficulty are far less than medicine. There are plenty of public schools in CA for BSN and ADN. Besides UCs, there are also Cal Sta...

That is probably the best thing you could have done. Once you have your foot in the door, it would be much easier to get a job once you have your RN license.

I don't know but at my work (psych hospital), certain RNs can do face-to-face for S&R. They have to be certified/qualified of some sort (most of the time it's the nurse managers or house supervisors). Physicians are always notified but from what ...

I would say any opportunity right now is a good opportunity (considering the state of job market at the moment). Maybe, you could work at this job while looking for a hospital job? Any experience is valuable for new grads. PS: My current pay at a ps...

If I were you, I would continue on to get a Master's degree or a Ph.D. in your field. Nursing is very different from Biology and "hard" science (and this coming from someone who has a BS in Biology as well). I don't personally find it more intellectu...

I would also strongly encourage you to work during nursing school as well. CNA, Unit Clerk, ER Tech, Secretary are all good options. Working will help you network and eventually get a job once you graduate. All of my friends who had some type of hosp...

That is REALLY low for California.

It's not "normal" but since you mentioned it's a county facility, I'm not that surprised either. Well, at least you maintained professionalism and did your best. Good luck.

I think you should take it. December is just around the corner (like month away). At least you get your foot in the door. Once you have the license, they could just promote you to a RN position. $32.50/hour is a good starting rate for a new grad.

I wouldn't do it. You are there as a regular volunteer, not a nurse volunteer. I rarely sign my name with a R.N. unless it is at work or there is an absolute reason to do so.

At my facility, we do combine Haldol and Ativan together and give Benadryl by itself.

That's odd that they would require you to have it before getting a job. I got mine after I accepted a job and it was paid for by the employer.

Nursing is a job and like any other job, I do the best I can. I give it 100% when I'm at work. When I leave, I don't think about it. It's almost like I have 2 personalities. When I'm off, I am totally off. I am not a nurse outside of hospital.

For nights, at least there should be 1 RN, 1 Med Nurse (LVN or LPT), and perhaps 1-2 techs. In an ICU where I work, day shifts have 2 RNs, 1 Med Nurse, 3 MHWs. At night, in the same unit, they have 1 Charge RN, 1 Med Nurse, and 2 MHWs.

If you can't get a job somewhere else, then of course, keep this psych job (for now). Continue to look for Med-Surg job meanwhile and once you get that, then you can quit this job. I think any nursing experience is better than none.