pink_zebra

that is a great post. and it's one of the reasons i would absolutely give hospital nursing a true shot. but this unit is just too high acuity for me. i think i need to recognize my limitations and be safe.

thank you, everyone. last night was my first night off orientation, and it was a disaster for all the nurses there, simply because the acuity is high - but i was not allowed a chance to pump at all in my entire 14 hour time frame that i was there. the nurses i worked with were all young and childless and simply didn't realize that it was necessary or take the time to try to help me so i could get away to do it. i was very overwhelmed with the very heavy assignment i had - definitely not appropriate for fresh off of orientation. i definitely am going to take the public health job if it is offered to me, but in the meantime, i think i will discuss with them about transferring to a lower acuity unit because it honestly can't hurt at this point.

i have thought about asking this, but im afraid they're just going to let me go altogether. i am definitely not interested in inpatient hospice. we are a very well-rounded teaching hospital, so i know there are units that are a better fit for me out there (or so i think?), but im afraid to bring it up for fear of them just saying, we don't do that sort of thing, so it's either here or nowhere.

thank you, everyone. @amolucia, my son is 9 months old, and we have a 9 year old daughter. we had our daughter really young, and i actually went through college with her. my BSN is my second degree, first degree is in Biotechnology. i actually had my son in the middle of my last semester, finishing when he was about 8 weeks old. between that, studying for the NCLEX, being trapped at home in this hellacious winter, and now the stress of this job - i just want to be happy. this is a fantastic job on paper, and the unit really is a great place, but it's just not for me. 50% of me wants to stick it out and is strongly considering it, regardless of how the interview goes. 50% of me says, happiness is a priority. im exhausted at work from not sleeping enough and dealing with a teething baby or rushing our 9 year old around to all her playdates and activities…and then im exhausted at home from work. i thought nursing shift work would be the best of both worlds, but part of me just thinks this unit is too high acuity for me at this point in my career/home life.

we get paid from 7AM-730P a flat hourly rate. if we clock in early (say, 645AM), it counts as 7AM. If we clock out anytime between 730-8PM, it still counts as 730PM. We still get paid for being there, but OT is only if we hit 80 hours in 2 weeks, so technically it's not really OT even if we are staying late. i just read about so many people leaving bc of the horrible coworkers/management, and i can't say that is my case, bc ours is really good and supportive. i just don't think i fully knew what i was getting myself into. and i think that at this point in my personal life and nursing career, it's just too much for me to handle. i just am not very good at confrontation and feel SO guilty and almost like a failure.

let me also clarify - i have an interview for a public health nursing position that sounds really great to me. right when i was speaking to my husband about how i was feeling, they reached out to me to interview bc they remembered my initial interest when i graduated. unfortunately, staying that long past your shift is what people do on my floor. most people are there until at least 8, many until 830/9, and we are talking very experienced nurses. we are a trauma step-down unit, so we get a lot of SICU/ED admits. it's not uncommon for me to have 4-5 patients, all with trachs, chest tubes, etc. that need a LOT of meds and a LOT of management. point being - it's definitely a tough environment. the nurses are great, and i am lucky that i have such great management and co-workers. i'm afraid that if i say something, all they're going to do is extend my orientation, and i don't feel like that's going to solve anything. i don't think there's anything else a preceptor could do for me at this point. i actually have really great time management skills since ive gone through school with children, but this is a whole new type of time management. i don't really have time to DO anything. i just feel like in the hospital nursing environment, at least on this unit, i'm not safe - and i can't keep up.

hi everyone, so i graduated from a second degree program at one of the top schools and was fortunate enough to get a job at a top 10 hospital in trauma. on paper, this sounds great, but in reality, i am really, really struggling. i don't think it's just "new grad" anxiety - i literally come home everyday exhausted and in tears. the acuity is just so high, and the things that are expected of me just seem absolutely impossible for me at this point in my nursing career, or really, ever. i feel like a giant ball of anxiety for my entire shift, and that i'm literally drowning. trauma isn't my passion, but i figured general med surg would be a good first start. i struggle every day with whether or not i want to stick it out, but it's starting to affect everything in my life. i also have two children and live 30 min away from the hospital without traffic, but 99% of the time when there is traffic, it takes over an hour to drive. i'm still breastfeeding bc my youngest is 9 months old, and the unit has not been very supportive of this at all. i only pump once in my entire 13-14 hour shift, and i have to really fight to do just that. i don't know if it's the combination of my family life being stressful and my job being stressful, but i'm honestly just SO unhappy and am thinking about resigning. i just don't think hospital nursing is for me, and that perhaps i'm more suited to public health (my first passion). when i'm at work, im tired - when i'm at home, i have young kids, and i'm tired - i just can't win, it seems. i thought i would like shift work because the schedule would allow me more time at home, but in reality, after such long, exhausting shifts, i really just want to come home and sleep, and i can't do that. i don't get out most nights until 830/9PM because there's just no time before that to do everything i need to get done. i'm lucky if i can sit down for 5 minutes the entire day. it's also a teaching hospital, so there is just a lot going on. i just don't think it's my scene, but the nurse manager/CNM are SO awesome and so supportive. my preceptors have been great. i really can't complain about the job in that respect, so i just feel terrible because i don't want to disappoint anyone. i guess i'm just looking for some advice and to see if anyone has been there. thank you :)

hey mapsu08, feel free to shoot me a message at [email protected]. anyone else please feel free as well!

hi everyone :) im a current student in Penn's BSN/MSN Program, Anesthesia track. please let me know if you have any questions!

Well i wasnt so stressed before lol but now i am freaking out a little bc of the $

Or im sorry, it is $5k for each course?

I thought $5k was for the entire summer, too. If that is really per credit hour, that would be insanely expensive wouldn't it?

ps, is anyone else accepted to Penn with the Anesthesia concentration??

oh, and i was notified via email!

i think it depends who you interview with, too! i interviewed with a panel of 4 faculty members. they asked why nursing, why nurse anesthesia, what i do to relieve stress, how i feel about the philadelphia area, my biggest strengths and weaknesses. they also asked me about my research and some of the volunteer work that i do.