RN-Ella

i started as a new grad in the er, and it is not boring at all. Med/surg is the same type of pt, telemetry is the same type of pt, icu is the same type of pt, in the er we get ALL those pts, so i take offense when someone says "i dont just stabilize the pt, but i get them better" actually we get the pt stabilized in the er and get them better, we do everything, the pt is all ready for you when it goes to the floor, all blood work, tests, iv access, critical meds, etc have already been done or started. On the other hand, i do admire the nurses on the floor bc they do have 5-6pts and they are usually the pts that although not critically ill are the ones who take the most time cause they are walkie talkies, and demand a lot of attention. ICU nursing is completely different, there is a reason why those pts are going to icu, they need to be monitored all the time, yes not all of them are on vents, but the majority are, or they are on all these cardiac drips that well...usually were started down in the er....lol...just had to add that in. Bu

Thank you all for the replies, the job offer was made and I accepted! Orientation period will be 6 months... :) I am very excited and cannot wait to start! All advice in prepartion for the beginning is accepted! :):D

Hello fellow nurses! So with the way the economy is and how difficult it is to get a job, I feel very fortunate to have found a full time job so soon after getting my license. I started my new job this week and it is in a rehab unit in a LTC facility, the majority of pts are all post ortho surgeries (knees, hips, ankles, etc). I get 17 to 20 pts. I feel overwhelmed, i finished my first day and i could only remember maybe 8 pts! I could tell that they were all stable and not in great danger as I would get their meds and treatments ready with the nurse I was working with, but as we were giving report I had a really difficult time rememebering what they pts looked like... I guess what I am looking for are some tips and advice on what to do, should I give it more time or what? I came home last night freaked out, because well, I felt that I could handle a hospital job much better (I could remember my pts)...what should I do?????

I will tell you what I would tell any of my friends, study and do questions. You might be really smart, and know "everything", but the way the questions are worded and the way the answers are is very specific to the nclex. The nclex does not compare to any other test you have taken before, at least for me, and i have a bachelors in another science field, from one of the top schools in my state, so I am telling you, those people who took it and passed without studying are VERY lucky. Another thing you might want to think about, since you are in nursing, you do want to know what you are doing when you start working, and reviewing the things you learned in school is not going to hurt you, that includes medications and signs and symptoms of diseases that you WILL come across once you start working. Personally, I want to know what I am doing, and what I am talking about when i am talking with my patients and when I studied for it, it refreshed my memory, and I understood things even better than before. Also, I feel that, you can never know enough, so why not study for it? If not only because you will be better at understanding patho when you start working, but because your chances of passing the FIRST time wil be better. The thought to me of having to go to take it a second time was devastating enough to really make me want to study and understand the material. I know that when it comes to the day before, we are all like "i just want to get it over with!" but when you are sitting down taking it, and you realize how difficult it is, you might start to wish you had prepared better. that's just what I think, and what I would tell my friends, because we have all gone through all the work that was involved in nursing school so why not push yourself a little more, you will get the benefits soon. Instead of "hoping" to pass, and then not passing, and then having to go through the whole preparation process, and having to go a second time, not only will it take you more time, but it will be (at least for me) mentally/emotionally difficult, dont you think? Another thing, some people who say that they didn't really study, or didnt prepare and passed it, do you really know if they are telling you the truth? Some people use this as an excuse 'well I didn't pass, but I didn't really study" when they really should say "I didn't pass because I didnt study enough, I didn't prepare enough, etc" I always tell my friends, dont worry too much about what other people are doing, do what you know is what YOU need to do, what do you need to do to make sure you have prepared enough for this test? I can tell you, you can never feel completely prepared for it cause it's difficult and it is just too much info, but I have seen that people who do over 3000 questions, and review their weak areas have passed. So, I don't mean to be mean, or rude to anyone, I am just trying to tell you what I would tell any of my friends, do you want to pass? if the answer is yes, then prepare for it.

I dont know how to delete messages! so see the one I edited below!

Thanks for all the comments, I will let you know how it goes... :)

Just want some thoughts on this, is 8 weeks of orientation in the ER enough for a new grad w/o prior ER experience?? would you take the job? All thoughts /comments are appreciated!

Network, network, network...

I always wipe the pt's IV line before I connect the any tubing, and if the tubing has been hanging wipe that as well.

It is! I really like the place, but I dont want to get my hopes up...she said I needed to have my fingerprints processed before they can do my drug test...

She talked to me in future tense, like example "I will have you train with so and so for this long" and then you'll do this...I don't want to get all excited until I go in to work...but it sounds pretty good right???

Alright, so I had my first job interview today, (ever! since out of nursing school), I was so nervous, and I know she could probably tell, but I think overall it went pretty well. I really like the DON, she was very friendly and it was a really good experience. So I wanted to ask, I got a tour of the facility, met the people who work there, and I am to get my fingerprints done soon, does this mean I am hired? I am really excited about this place, it is super nice, and the people there seemed really friendly...anyways, any input is appreciated :)

can you message me the info on the nurse recruiter please?

no ideas yet??

Hello everyone! I love to come to this website and read about things that I have questions on... Like a lot of other people on here, I am a new grad, recently took the NCLEX and passed it on my first try! Graduated top of my class, and I already had a bachelors from another school. My question is, I am in the process now of applying to different places and I am not sure of what to do or say about one thing: my most recent employer. I used to work in a LTC facility for almost 3 years, I loved my job and even tough it was hard, and long hours (sometimes I would work from 7am to 11pm sats and sundays) I still loved taking care of the people that lived that, also I got along really well with my co-workers, it was almost like a little family. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end I guess, well, to make the story short, the company I worked got bought out by another company (this happened many times), but this time, a new manager (Director) came in and little by little started to fire a lot of people, the working conditions got unsafe (not enough staff available, supplies, etc), and you could tell everyone was on the fence about who was going to be fired next. Well, after a lot of other people got fired, I guess it was my turn, I got called into the directors office, and over the weekend they had written me up for 3 different things, all of which were ridiculous, but because the new LPNs had written me up I guess it was true. The director stated "unfortunately" because there are 3 write ups we have to let you go!!! I was like "are you kidding me?" it was like they set me up! Of course I didnt let them do what they wanted with me and my file, and I filled out the reports with my own version of the stories, but I was still fired. Now here is my dilemma, when I am applying for jobs now as a RN I put them down as a place of work, because I had that job for almost 3 years, but when the little box asks "may we contact this employer" I have been putting "no". I have been giving my references, which include the manager that worked there when I was there, who was also fired before me, and the name of one of the RNs that still works there (who knew how good of a worker I was). How bad is it that I am saying no to contacting that employer? And if I go on an interview and they ask me what happened there? what should I say??? my manager who is awesome told me to just say that there was a change in management, but does that sound like enough? I almost wish I would have quit, then i could have said I felt that the conditions were unsafe, or I had too much going on with school, anything before they felt the need to come up with excuses to get rid of me...so what should I do? what would you do?? All input is appreciated, thanks!