NajRNBSN

my hospital is phasing out LPN/LVNs and encouraging the current ones to go for the RN. I dont even think they hire LVNs anymore here. I dont see any current open positions thru my work site. I am not sure how it is around you but I have noticed here that home health places and nursing homes still use LVNs often. Not sure what area you are looking for but at least it will start you with experience and then you can try your job search again with experience.

i think it goes away. it is stressful now and their are issues with being stressed, unsure, feeling incompetent, etc. in the first year or years. so many and myself after a short time were like why did i do this or even before school ends thinking do i even want to be a nurse anymore. now after 4 years i feel less stress, sure of myself, and feel competent so you go to work not dreading it. you may find out your speciality isnt for you, or maybe the hours are too much but dont leave nursing. there are so many specialities, different areas, hospitals, clinics, there are 8 or 10 or 12 hr shift options. just give it time and the worst that will come is that you can seek a new specialty/job with at least 1 year, hoepfully more, of critical care experience.

i think most new nurses have this and it takes time. once you get used to the diseases you see, the patients, and the meds you will be able to say "well usually..." for right now dont say "i dont know." at least say "let me look into this and ill be back." if your nurse or doctor said "i dont know" it might be scary to hear if its about something serious. go out of the room and check your info available on the floor-medication books, bring a med-surg or whatever speciality you are in get a book so you can look things up, ask your fellow staff!!! they know you are new. it will all become easier in time to say "oh we do this" or "usually..." trust me i was an "i dont know" and then id go ask someone but then i stopped the "i dont know" and said let me get back to you, or let me go find you some info. my hospital has med sheets for patients or even booklets about some diseases. and overtime you will realize some patients care and some do not. you cannot make the obese patient with new onset diabetes simply understand to diet and exercise. you can give information, evaluate their understanding, and provide them with resources. i dont think it is bad about the blue pill, green pill. some take so many meds and that is how they do it and some of these med names people (even nurses) cant properly say themselves.

you should have already done this but ask your instructors for letters of recommendation! clinical and theory instructors to attach to application/resume packet. dont wait to the end, the may forget you from semesters ago or receive too many request at the end. its common for those graduating in may to be applying/interviewing in at least januaray (even earlier) and those graduating in december to be appling/interviewing in at least august. so get on it. first decide what you want to do in nursing. adults? peds? speciality? hospital? clinic? etc. then look into what is available to you. try to find a hospital/clinic/whichever with a program that has a new grad program or at least a good orientation program. Any connections? Have you had a great clinical experience and can ask a nurse there about info? Have you been to a hospital that you want to learn more about? Most hospitals have orientations around nursing graduation times so look up some hospital sites for the info. write or update your resume. put your seeking position, certificates, school experience, honors, volunteer experience, previous work experience, for references put people's names and your instructors names who had provided you letters and put letter/letters attached.

you should never be there more than 2hrs after a shift, you should only be there 30 minutes to an hour later on RARE occassions when you had a code or something major that shift occur. you need to write out a "brain" very detailed with each hour and all tasks due at the time. look online their are examples of brains (example: http://nurseteeny.wordpress.com/tag/nursing-brain-sheet/ ). some hospitals have them so if you dont like yours or you dont have one there then make your own on the computer, print them and make copies. in time slots you have blanks then schedule in little tasks you need to get done such as dressing changes. you also need to learn to ask for help and delegate tasks to aides, ua assistants, and even a charge nurse needs to help you get out on time. you cannot finish everything every shift but it should not be common to leave so much left over. you will receive bad peer evals, poor patient outcomes, and staff will get sick of it. charting by exceptions is the easiest charting. It means you only chart instances where a patient's response to care/med deviates from that expected you dont need to restate things like the age, diagnosis, etc. focus on what they are their for. Charting by exception should be a few sentences, at most. How can you be writing so much? Your patients must be deviating from the plans of care or expected outcomes. Again look up charting types online or go buy a book that gives you examples of charting by exception. Of course a code or some major problem will take a long note. But every 2 hours your patients shouldnt have so much deviation from care/med that you need to write that much.

i think the manager will also know that phone interviews are hard. i think its even more awkward than being in person. if you make it to a personal interview then 100% be early, not on time or late. you dont need a suit but you need nice/dress slacks, nice/dress shoes, nice top and at least a nice cardigan if not a blazer. try to call HR and ask for her email, if they are unwilling to give it then ask about sending a card to her thru their office "attn:" to her. if you make it to the in person interview you know the questions like "why nursing" "why our hospital" "where do you see yourself in # years" know their mission statement, vision, etc. Know their hospital related to nursing-are they Magnet, etc. Have your resume and bring some questions of your own! If you get nervous in person bring a little notebook with some questions you have or maybe even little notes to the usual interview questions to keep you on track.

Well hospitals have rules. My shift starts at 0700 so you must call in sick by 0400. A personal or family emergency may be excused if you call after that because you cannot predict emergency. This weather isnt really an emergency. You live in a place that gets snow, obviously, so you need to be keeping up-to-date on the weather. Its about professionalism and responsibility. You should have looked up weather the night before or woken up early enough before shift to see how the snow fall was. If you called before YOUR works sick call time then I doubt you will be fired. Maybe a written notice or verbal? Not sure what your work follows. Mine is most often verbal then written then probation/termination.