Tarabara

I just graduated and got my RN license yesterday (yay!) and I was a VALOR student. I'm trying to apply for VA nursing positions but am lost! It says to use a federal resume which I looked up but I'm confused about the format of it. Also, how do I kno...

I just googled "federal resume" and looked at templates then chose one that i liked. The biggest difference between federal resumes and regular resumes is that federal resumes are very detailed. You dont have to try to keep it to one page, include al...

Did you send your resume directly to the recruiter or did you submit it through usajobs? Make sure you submit all job applications through usajobs. All applications go through an automatic filtering process where they see if you have the basic qualif...

I work on a tele unit and we mostly have patients who come in through the ED for chest pain and require work up- trending trops, stress tests, or angiograms and we prep and recover post angiogram (post op vitals, checking groin/radial sites). Or for ...

Unlike the NCLEX, I felt the PCCN test was actually pretty straightforward and had logical questions. I don't remember which book exactly I used for practice tests but I know I rented it from Amazon which was nice because it was much cheaper and they...

Whenever drawing labs I always grab enough stuff to stick twice because if I grab just one butterfly Im sure to need the second! And never remove the IV until discharged papers are signed, the ride is there, and they are ready to walk out the door!!!

I cant seem to find the answer on google. Any info would be appreciated! Thanks :)

Thanks for your responses, sorry I should have included more info. The patient does not have kidney disease, his low hgb and hct are suspected result of GI bleed. Therefore if he has a GI bleed I would think he'd be volume down?

I dont understand when fully oriented non confused patients pull out their IV and then when I ask why they respond, "I dont know". grrr

Not to worry you but organization and time management are definitely skills you need as a nurse. You'll of course get better and faster at tasks with experience which will help, but I would work on being able to group things together and trying to pl...

I have worked at VAs in two different cities and it can definitely depend on the specific one. One I didnt like much and the other I love now! They all have their ups and downs though, there are definite draw backs to working for the government but t...

I work med-surg and I love being a nurse! My floor is a bit different though, I work for a VA hospital and we dont have a "step down" type unit so our acuity ranges widely. Plus we have rehab patients, chemo patients, and hospice patients. It makes f...

I officially have 1 year of nursing under my belt :) I know I'm not seasoned yet but its exciting to look back at all that I learned this past year and think about all there is still to learn. I've met so many amazing patients this year too who have ...

Thanks everyone! Jarhead, I'm sorry you're work situation isnt supportive. I'm lucky to work with a great group of people who I can always turn to when I have questions. What about the nurse who trained you during orientation? Do you feel they can be...

I had a pt today in for DKA with an Hga1c of 32!!! I didnt even know that was possible! According to a chart I read online his average BG over the last 3 months was 870! Thats just insane to me! How high have you guys seen?

Group as many things together as you can. For example, its now a habit for me to check if my patient needs more water or another blanket or anything if I'm leaving the room for something else so that I can grab all things at once. Also, our policy is...

Sorry forgot to add, dont wait until you graduate to search the job market as you said. I graduated last December but started applying for jobs in august, most will post new grad residencies months in advance.

I'm from Arizona but now work in salt lake city. I had no ties to az either and applied all over the country. I'm so glad I did! I love it here and there's so many new areas to explore/learn about that its a ton of fun. Go for it! The VA system is gr...

Just a few tips: In school I was taught to anchor below the vein and go at an angle, I always failed that way. I find it much better to anchor above the vein and go at a very shallow angle. Make sure once you get a flash do not let go of your anchor!...

NP- nurse practitioner PA- physicians assistant APRN- advance practice RN RT- respiratory therapist PT- physical therapist OT- occupational therapist HT- health tech (aka CNA)

As a new grad, the biggest frustration for me is that nursing school really doesnt prepare us at all for how much behind the scenes things we do. Patients have no idea how many fires we put out all day long and issues we fix. For example, pt going fo...

I enjoy having students unless they are more concerned about getting info for their care plans than actually just absorbing and learning as much from the day as possible.

That was probably one of the worst parts about nursing school was the constant overwhelming feeling in the back of my mind that I should be doing something. I too could never truly enjoy any free time and always felt guilty. I'm sorry I cant really s...

Well to start there is no "regular" day for a nurse. They are all different. But as a guideline I start the day with getting report from 730-8am. We have an hour window before and after med times to give them so I start my 9am meds at 8. I go into pt...

I thought it was the cheesiest thing when I learned it but it really works. Repeat back to them what they've said. Pt says "I feels so frustrated because something something." You say something along the lines of "it sounds like you're frustrated". M...