SwimNurseRun

I started off with the Littman lightweight an had trouble hearing heart murmurs or diminished lungs. I shopped around online to find a good deal on the Littman Master Classic II and I LOVE IT!! I never have a problem or question with what type of lung/heart/bowel sounds I hear and it's not as expensive as a cardiology stethoscope. And of course, picking your favorite color is key. :) I also engraved my initials on it with my own engraver. Be sure to have your name on it!!

Being educated and knowing what to expect is the best way to have a great experience with natural childbirths. Staying mentally in control is key. You go girl!!!

Even coming to postpartum or l&d as an experienced nurse can be challenging and stressful. All nursing is HARD in the beginning but stick with it and it will get better and better!!

Best: A unit of triage, emergency, OR, and one on one intimate patient care experiencing miracles every day with the BEST patient population in nursing! Worst: Stillbirths/fetal demise, stress, liability and q15m+ charting. Okay, that was a few things. :)

I used to cry every time I would see a birth, tv or not, c-section or lady partsl, and I was the only one in the room crying like a baby in nursing school the first time I saw a birth in person. I almost think this is an indication you know this is an area of nursing that you would excel in- your heart is truly in it. You definitely will get over it in time, probably only after a few days, but when you have a special connection with a patient, or when you or a family member delivers, you already have so much love for that baby and seeing the reactions of your loved ones makes thise tears come back. It is a miracle every time, and we are blessed to make a living out of being a part of that experience in so many people's lives.

I think that it is relative to ACLS training in med/surg... It is important to have the training and understand what to expect when running a code. Maybe in emergencies you would be the one to get things started before the doctor gets there, but doctors usually are the ones to shout out orders. RNs should be definitely be trained in intubating newborns, but in an optimal situation you would have an NNP to take over for you, but you would still be assisting them and should understand the process of what they are doing.

10+ years to get a day shift schedule???? Wow that seems extreme! Most of the nurses on my l&d unit rotate 12 weeks on days, 6 weeks nights with the exception of the people that prefer straight night shift. That might be true at your facility, but certainly not everywhere requires ten years of night shift. And certainly don't stress about memorizing anything. Nothing will replace experience alone when it comes to getting better at your job. You're not expected to know everything on day one.

The L&D unit I just started on is still hiring and I've noticed some things my unit director has mentioned about the people she has interviewed since. She said anyone can learn the skills required for the job, but the main thing is a personality that fits well with the rest of the staff. Just be yourself, be friendly, and smile. I don't think there would be anything wrong with sharing why you love l&d and your own personal experience. She didnt like a girl who shadowed that came on TOO strong, wanting it so badly she tried too hard and it was a turnoff to the staff. There's obvious reasons it's a fun and exciting job, but mention that you're ready to take in all the chaos and hard work with the good. Good luck!

This is ironic for me because i am a 2 year tele nurse who just applied to an L&D position, and had the same fears! Even though i was very nervous to talk to my boss about it, my family assured me it was the ethical thing to do when applying for jobs. I couldn't have been happier that I did because my boss was more than supportive! Of course they will be sad to see you go, but a good boss understands this is part of the job and should be happy that they are helping their staff develop their careers! He offered to call their unit director directly and that will definitely give me a big edge i did not have before.

Dont feel like you are the first person to ever feel this way about report! It will definitely get better with time. If you have a set line to "break the ice" with every report you start, it gets your nerves settled. "mr. _____ is a ____ year old patient that came in on ____ with complaints of ______." then go on to history, diagnosis, labs, test results, etc. Head to toe assessment. (each floor is usually specific in how detailed you get with this.) And finish off with the plan for the patient. Tests tomorrow? Going home? What is next?

Whenever i need to put lotion on a patients dry feet or itchy back, i work in a little massage time. Less awkward feeling than, "would you like me to massage your shoulders now?" ya know?

Optimism. If I tell myself I'm going to have an easygoing day, great patients, steady but not chaotic, I'm going to have a great day and remember why I wanted to become a nurse in the first place. This can tend to backfire when we're short-staffed, but it at least will get me TO work. :)

I can definitely empathize with you, charlie8025. I work on a telelmetry floor with 5-6 patients and find myself stressed out many of my shifts. It is especially hard worrying about coming back the next day after a long hard shift. Something that I do to help myself relax is take a minute to seperate myself from the floor, go to the locker room or bathroom and take some deep breaths. When I come back I make a list on a post-it of all of my rooms and what needs to be done for each of them at that time. After comparing all of them I prioritize the most important needs and start checking items off the list. If I need help I call the charge nurse. Sometimes it seems hard to take 5 minutes away to do that, but it will make the time following much more productive and less stressful.

I have a coworker that only had "RN" on her badge and an old senile patient made some sort of comment like, "You're just an associate degree nurse!" That comment even got ME heated, I can't imagine how she felt. (Even though she's one of the best nurses I know, it still is a hurtful thing to hear.) She just explained to him that we all take the same test for certification. Just an example of showing credentials on name badges can cause problems. But I hate saying this being on the side that you shouldn't be embarrassed to wear any type of jewelry like that to work.

Any thread that involves politics or faith is bound to get a little heated... But even though I am Catholic and work in a Catholic hospital, I know that not all of our patients are Catholic. I incorporate my faith in my decisions every day and how I act at my job, but I do not bring up religion unless the patient opens the door first. If a patient asks me about my faith or expresses that they are religious, I would then be okay to make comments like, "You have to put your trust in God," or offer to pray with the patient. If they don't mention it first, I incorporate my faith through my thoughts and prayers.