jackierocks

I applied to the fall 2017 cohort at Georgetown and it has now been 4 weeks since my interview. I am very worried that this isn't a good sign. thoughts?

thanks people, I really needed some support. I cannot stop my emotions from flowing. a bump in the road in my 8 months of nursing, I know someday I will look back and chuckle but for now it seems like it will never go away and may ruin my career. In the end it is about the patients. They are my priority.

I need advice. about a month ago I messaged a former employee of my work on fb stating..."how is your new job?! I'm itching to get the hell out," referencing an ongoing discussion that nurse and I had regarding CA nursing job market and my financial strain. The D.O.N at my work saw the post and took it to mean I was itching to get the hell out of my job. She then took the mis-conceived information and used my name and the post as an example to explain that she can see what is on fb to my nursing peers, CNA staff, business personnel, and anyone else who would listen. She de-famed my character according to one of the nurses listening to her rant. I came in to work early to confront her and explain myself. She laughed when she acknowledged using my name and told me that she would cry and she was me. She also posted "be careful what you wish for" on the original fb thread. I now work in a threatening environment where my nursing peers and CNA staff believe I hate my job etc etc. I spoke with our administrator about the whole thing and she didn't have much to say. Does anybody have any words of encouragement, advice, etc on the situation other than don't ever post anything that even might be misinterpreted on fb about work?? I cried all day, all night, and am licking the salt my face this morning .

thank you!

I work in LTC and always use alcohol to clean the skin before all injections whether it be to check glucose levels or inject insulin. I believe there is EBP to confirm infection control issues. I do also realize there is question as to whether any alcohol residue may alter BS values. I dry the alcohol with a few swift hand waves before puncturing the skin and if the pt. has enough blood I wipe the first drop away and use the second. Also, I always wipe the top the insulin bottle before puncturing it as well. At home, my husband does this all without alcohol but as mentioned before the only 'bugs' at home are our own and the environment is more controlled as far as infection is concerned. I say wipe everything at work, it may take a bit longer but in the end it is about pt. safety and quality care.

omg the gossip!! My facility is filled with it. I try and stay out of it, but its hard. At the end of the day its about the patients. Were they taken care of properly? Don't compromise your character by trying to become 'friends' with everyone. It will back fire.

where do you work? I currently have 35 patients on my shift and am completely overwhelmed.

I am a new grad and recently experienced something similar. Here are my thoughts: 1. document everything until I am experienced enough to omit something I am 100% is non-threatening to pt. well being 2. it's your (my) license and anything were to come up documentation would show you recognized an issue and took action. 3. don't let a don bully you. you have a brain in your head and heart in your chest, follow your instincts. 'hope that helps.

if it's an option for you at all I might think about staying where you are for 5 more months to ensure a job in CA. I don't have kids so I don't know how hard it would be to split your family up. Just something to think about. It's brutal out here right now (I'm in the Bay area). I hear LA is a bit better. I wish you luck, your going to LOVE california!!!!!

wow, I have been feeling so alone but this thread has confirmed I am not. I recently wrote a journal about my feelings. Here it is. I am a new graduate BSN RN in California and am counting my blessings as I was recently hired at a long term/rehab facility amidst a dreadful economy that has left thousands of my colleagues unemployed. My work thus far in long term care has confirmed my hesitancy to apply to this position though I am careful not to discount the tremendous amount of valuable learning experiences I have sustained consequently. For example I have expanded my knowledge of medications and their administrations at a personal goal of ten per week. I have also learned to manage my eight hours of work so that patient care can be performed as efficient as humanly possible with room to improve. I have learned that evidence based practice is more than a dry lecture but an essential component of thorough professional nursing of which I regretfully do not witness from many nursing staff. There is more that I have learned but what is most pressing for me is ethical care and support for it from government, nursing associations, and management at my facility. I stop myself here because I am so new and so inexperienced and wonder if my idealistic notions are unfounded or possibly exaggerated. I am afraid however that if I do not highlight my concern early in my career that I may become too worn out, overworked, and complacent to ever feel the energy that is needed to make important changes in nursing. I currently am responsible for thirty three, yes thirty three patients who have varying diagnoses ranging from alzheimers to COPD to diabetes to epilepsy to HTN to dementia to CVA to parkinsons to pneumonia and more. Each patient may have up to ten medications each all to be administered in an ethical time frame of one hour from MD's orders. Many of these medications require pause between dosing (i.e. eye drops, inhalers, breathing treatments) as well as blood pressure, heart rate, and apical pulse assessment. Evidence may show that a full minute of apical pulse assessment is required before administration of digoxin, it may also show that manual blood pressure cuffs are more if not most accurate when compared to battery powered wrist cuffs that can be purchased from your local pharmacy. Other more basic practice based in evidence may show gloves need to me worn when administering eye drops, checking blood sugars, and cleaning wounds. What about the evidence that shows hand washing is the number one way to prevent the spread of infection during patient care though 20-30 seconds of hand washing between clients cuts approximately 20 minutes out of the shift. My cynical self believes that g-tube placement would also be shown in EBP as a first step in medication administration or feeding. My director or nursing (who has worked all shifts) insists that the work is hard but possible. Again I can't help but pause and ask myself whether or not my inexperience is the cause of my disbelief in her claim. How could it be possible for one human to deliver quality care based in evidence to thirty three patients without acknowledging the tremendous amount of paperwork that goes along in one eight hour shift? I have many questions and a few statements, here are some. 1. Why aren't there ratios for long term care facilities? 2. I believe that if there were ratios in long term care facilities patient outcomes would be improved. 3. Many of the clients are DNR, could that be a contributing factor to the lack of regard to EBP and ethics? 4. Should we not treat these clients as aggressively, ethically, accurately as we would in a hospital or alternative time in their life per family desire? and most importantly for me now is 5. How does one reconcile EBP, ethics, and time allotment/management?

just got a rejection!!!!!!

p.s. you will want to find an accelerated bachelors of science in nursing ABSN. Some are as little as 12 months. start taking pre-reqs now (i.e. anatomy, physiology, chemistry,etc.)

well lets start with where you are located. if you live in california (or other desirable states to live in ) and are under the assumption you will be able to get a job out of the gate you have been mislead. there are thousands of us (new graduate RN's) not to mention many of us have two degrees (I have BA in anthro and BSN in nursing) who are desperately searching for a job. I don't write to discourage you but to tell you the truth. I imagine you could do something fabulous with the combined education and everyone says the field will open up (WHEN! we all ask). What about some type of art therapy, have you looked into becoming a LMFT? I am jadded, sorry. I hope this helps somehow.

has anyone else heard anything from Washington Hospital recently? good or bad?

tclu, thanks for letting us know. I'm crossing my fingers I get a positive email or call from someone. I am sick and tired of rejections.