KatieJ91

12 hour nights. 28 beds. 5:1 RN ration and 2 CNAs split the floor. Sometimes we get an extra to help at the beginning of shift. I realize I am blessed!

You said if I walked I wouldn't need heparin!

Hi! I have had the privilege of being a Nurse Extern during my entire nursing school. It will be a tremendous confidence booster for you! Here are just a few ideas for methods: - Be open to constructive criticism. If your skill doesn't go as smoothly as you would like be open to asking the RN when you get out of the room ask the nurse for some constructive methods to fix the problem! - Make yourself available and approachable. (RNs won't ask you to help me if you don't!) - Be open to any skill or task that may be asked of you. For example, if your asked to patient sit do it with a smile. The nurses will appreciate you doing the "not so fun" work. The more bed baths you do the more IV starts you will get to do! - Just answering call lights and doing VS will help you build confidence. Anytime you walk in a patient's room you will become a little more comfortable. I'm trying to think of a specific method for that to list under the confidence area... Anyways, these are just some things that came to my mind. If you reply and want more help we can bounce some more ideas around!

I graduate in June! I am 21, will be 22 when I graduate. I thought I would have problems with patients making comments about my age, but so far so good. I think if you show confidence in your skills and don't allow them to question your judgement skills they won't question your age! LOL

2013 WA state RN base pay $28.00. $3.50 differential for nights and weekends. Plus $1 more an hour for having your bachelors and another dollar more if you have a specialty certification.

Simulations STINK! We had to do one where we had to pretend to be the family of a patient that just died. Literally I had to act like my mother died right before my eyes. I literally froze. I had NO idea what to say. We are not graded on SIMs. Our teachers say it is just a way to expose us to situations. I see how it helped many people in my class because there were people who were sobbing or unable to complete the SIM due to emotions or past experiences. However, SIM is and always will be my least favorite part of nursing school.

I am taking it in a few weeks. Hopefully someone will have some good advice for us!

Thanks everyone for the replies. My husband's intention is not to give me a "homework assignment". We both are very much "list makers". This allows me to put all my arguments and facts down into one place. Sometimes it can feel overwhelming for him because he doesn't have the general knowledge of the nursing workforce. I would actually suggest it to anyone that wants to have an important conversation. It can help you clear your mind, organize your thoughts, and make pros and cons. Thank you for the articles. That is exactly what I was looking for.

I currently am a nurse extern with a promised job after graduation at the local hospital. It is a fairly advanced hospital. We usually only send out pediatric patients. My nursing program although an ASN is very reputable in my specific area. I feel these reasons may also lead to the feeling of not needing my BSN. He would like to stay in this area. I have seen the BSN preferred on job listings at my hospital but currently it is a preferred and not required. Can anyone who has done an online program tell me how much time they dedicated during the week and if they were able to work full time as well?

@krcs A BSN is my goal right now, hence why I want to find as many reasons as possible to convince my hubby we should spend the time and money :) I would much rather get it done now with no children. @MrChicagoRn My husband's argument for this is that he believes if I have 2, 5, 10+ whatever years of experience down the road not having a BSN won't hold me back from any position. I have heard many people state that hospitals are moving towards only hiring BSNs or encouraging employees to gain that degree. Do you know or have you heard of any reputable sources that state the facts about the being the case?

Hello all! To give you some background info: I am a sophomore nursing student with an ASN graduation date of June 2013. I am a young married student with no children and am in no rush to start a family. I'm currently trying to convince my husband why it is important I continue on after my ASN completion and get my BSN (online). Reasons I have given are so I can eventually move off the floor if I want to into a manger position and also so I can take advantageof completing as much education as I can without children. My husband and I have always valued a college education differently. He sees it as money and time spent unnecessarily for me to continue past my ASN. He has asked me to write my arguments out as to why I should continue, how much it will cost, and how much time it should take me (overall and weekly). If anyone would be willing to give me some reasons why they continued or plan to continue on I would appreciate it. I would really like to make this decision together and help him understand the importance of getting it done sooner than later. Hopefully writing it down and getting unbias input will help. Thanks!

I am just about to finish my externship on the ICU unit. This summer I did night shift so that I could see how I adjusted. I have always been very rigid about my sleep schedule so I was shocked at how well I adjusted. That being said it was not easy for me to work night shift. However, I am grateful for the experience so that I know what is coming when I graduate. I am currently back on days in the ICU because I am back in school. There is a difference between days and nights. Just like days there are going to be nights where you don't slow down. (i.e. - admit after admit, short staffed, multiple intubations, etc.) Overall though I felt that more often than not there was more "down time" on the night shift. ICU nurses work hard to let their patients rest so they do not get delirium. If someone is being bothered all night it is usually because they are sedated or have q1h BS checks. I asked multiple nurses how they got their schedule back on track during the week and there were mixed reviews. I am able to set my schedule so I was able to do all 3 nights in a row which made it easier. I would work at night then come home and hit my pillow right away. Say 745-8? Then I would sleep until 4-5:30 depending on how long I can sleep. Saturday night was my last night so I try to set something up on Sunday that I HAVE to wake up for. For me usually around 12 or 1. You pretty much have to deprive yourself of sleep at some point in the week in order to get to bed at a decent time. For some 6 hours is not deprivation, but for me it is! :) Other nurses I knew would just go home, stay up and then take a nap in the afternoon (2-3 hrs) and then go to bed at a good time. There is no way I could stay up that long. I think it would be easier for me to get up on that last shift if I had children to get up and take care of. Also, the day before a night shift I found 2 options worked for me. 1.) Stay up late (1-2am) and sleep until (10-11). I don't have to take a nap and can get through my night shift fine. 2.) Go to bed and get up early so that I can take a nap a few hours before I have to go in to work. A few nurses I knew had children would stay up for 24 hours straight. NO NAP! Craziness to me....

Can you be more specific? Do you mean acute resp. failure or acute renal failure?

A moderator on the site will probably get to this soon, but I would move this to the state of washington forum so that more nurses from the specific area will be able to read it :)

I didn't become a CNA before nursing school and I am doing great in the program. Actually, the majority of my class was not a CNA prior to nursing school. My step mom was a nurse so I had some exposure to the demands of the job. If you do not have to work full time, etc. I would go straight for the BSN programs. Contant the school because most schools allow you to get your CNA licensure after your first quarter of nursing school. I can't remember if you have to take the test or not though because you are passed off on skills in school. That way you could work as a CNA while in school. Either way if time and money are not an issue I'd go for the BSN. I am in a ASN program right now.