sabrn2006

I recently completed a travel assignment with Nightingale. I was concerned at the beginning because my recruiter seemed very disorganized. Then I had heard that nurses had difficulty with getting paid, so I was leery. Their policy is to pay nurses 2 ...

Congratulations! My advice is to get as organized as possible ahead of time. Save up some reserve money if possible. Find some healthy ways to relieve stress. Prepare to study hard for the next 2 years. Best of luck to you...

Complete assessment Q4H with focused assessments Q1 to Q2. i.e. Neuro checks Q1 on acute neuro pts. Pts with resp problems/vented lung sounds Q2.

That is interesting to see. Thanks for posting the link.

My orientation last year was less than perfect but much more organized than what you are going through. Even so, I know that I suffered through a great deal of insecurity and doubt. I am sorry you have to endure what basically amounts to torture...

rn1989, you gave excellent advice to the op. Good tips for planning out the beginning of shift too.

Good luck in your new job. I think getting some experience first is a great idea.

I agree that hospital experience of one year or more will open up many doors for you. What clinical experiences and settings have you liked? What topics have you enjoyed learning about? The answers to these questions are a good starting point. T...

First of all, let me say that I am sorry to hear you are having such a rough start to your nursing career. I would suggest you evaluate your goals and consider why you wanted to become a nurse. You say you want to work in the ICU setting. What co...

I started last June. I won't be leaving nursing altogether, but I am unhappy on my current med-surg unit. It is extremely stressful. I get behind frequently. My immediate supervisor is notoriously hard to deal with and very critical. I am trying...

Thanks for the information. I was not aware of this. I will be calling for a photo ID.

I've been doing this since June. I am still working on my organization as well, but it's evolving. I do aat least a quick head to toe assessment of the patients that my assigned LPN has. I don't like at it as second guessing them but more as anoth...

I work on a very busy med-surg floor days with a usual ratio of 4:1 or 5:1 - sometimes 6:1. This is primary care nursing and we are responsible for every aspect of patient care with some adl and vs help from aides (who are frequently floated off the...

I am a new nurse (graduated in May 06) and have been asked to talk to a group of nursing students in their last semester. My question for current students: What sort of advice would you want to hear from a new nurse?

I found out that all nurses doubt themselves - not just the brand new ones. I also learned that I will never know it all. I will have to ask questions everyday. And I will sometimes answer others' questions. What was harder: Adopting a rhythm all...

I developed a rhythm that worked for me...a little bit each day, then studying more when time allowed. Studying for tests the day & night before. Sometimes I got up an hour or 2 earlier to study and other times, I stayed up into the night. The...

Toward the end of my orientation, I started to feel like a nurse. But........the first few times on my own were very surreal. I couldn't believe that I had to make all these decisions, that I was being entrusted to do so! And I am quite an indepen...

I gained about 10 lbs total then lost almost 20 in my first 6 months on the job.

Good feedback so far. I am planning to incorporate many of your suggestions. I am going to talk about the NCLEX, how to make the most of the last semester, the difference between school and the "real world", what I have observed in other new nurses...

I had a tough day today---14 hours long. I was very busy with patient problems, calling MDs, discharges, admission at change of shift, students on floor..... I had to stand up for myself a couple of times too - once with an IV therapist who thought...

I have weeks where I hate my job, weeks that are just tolerable and weeks that I actually enjoy it. Such is the learning curve of the new RN. :uhoh21: My plan is to stay on my current unit for one full year then look into transferring to another ...

I have had a hard time adapting as well. I worked Sat and Sun nights...slept on and off all day Sun before work. Then today got home around 8 am and couldn't go to sleep for my nap until after 12. I could barely pull myself out of bed at 4:30. So...

I wanted to start on a med-surg floor to get that all around general experience it provides. Of course, this was the advice of every instructor and experienced nurse that I know.... I am 6 weeks into my orientation on a med-surg floor now. Major le...

1. How many questions did you take on NCLEX? 75 questions 2. What study materials did you use? Did you take a test review course? Saunders Comprehensive Review, NCSBN online class. My school offered the ERI review course - 9I only attended the first...

I took the NCLEX-RN on 7/19 and passed with 75 questions. I felt pretty confident when I walked out of there, but it was reassuring to see "pass" on the Pearson Vue site. (even though I had to pay 7.95 grr) I used Saunders to review and did the NCSB...