RN6157

Thank you, I just want this feeling to go away, and jump start my first year. I keep thinking to myself..is this worth it, and did I make the right career choice?

Am I in the right forum...It seems like noone ever resonds back to my posts????

I am a new Rn on a tele med/surg floor, and just finished my second week off of orientation. Right now I could really use some words of encouragement. My first week by myself went pretty well. I dont think I made any mistakes, and I know if I did, they were not critical. I worked two nights ago, and my night went well untill I recieved my 5 am vitals, and 2 of my patients blood pressures were low in the low 100s, in which one patient had lasix and vasotec ordered, and the othere one in which the bp was 85/68, and when I checked it manually it was 92/70 and I rechecked it again and it was 106/70. She had bumex and lisinopril ordered, and with those pressures I held them both because I was not comfortable giving those two meds. The guy that had the lasix ordered, I gave the lasix IV and held the vasotec. He has had CHF and BLL edema, and I felt that was the most important of the two meds to give. I didnt want to give them both with his pressure being that low. Well when I gave report that morning, the nurse was one of those that "eat their young" and she was very cocky acting and made me feel like that wasnt a good decision, and when I asked her what she would have done, she said well its your judgement and as time goes by youll get more comfortable, instead of telling what was right and what was wrong. Im a new RN, and I would like to know other experience nurses opinions and what they would do in situations like mine instead of me doing something thats not right, and harming the patients. She just made me feel very uncomfortable, and then when I was giving report on another patient with diverticulitis who was npo and now on clear liquids, she starting going off about the doctor, but yet making me feel like I should have done something about her diet, and that this patient is a mess. And then after she got done giving her speel, she said this is not your fault, this is the docs fault. She made me feel so nervous to the point where yup..I did forget to tell her a couple of things in report. I wanted to cry the whole way home, and I keep thinking about what I did wrong and what I couldve done better. The patient with diveritulitis didnt complain all night about pain until 0430 she wanted tylenol, and that was ordered so I gave tylenol to her, and told that in report and she freaked out that thats all she was getting for pain, and I completely forgot she had vicodin ordered, but it threw me off I guess cause she requested tylenol. Her bp was 185/78, in which she has a hx of htn and tends to spike in the am, so I gave her lopessor 50mg early, and was not aware she had .125mg vasotec IV ordered. So all weekend I have not stopped thinking about work, and I just feel like im not cut out for this. I realize Im new and Im gonna make mistakes, hoping nothing that are life threatning. Im constantly asking questions, and asking for other nurses opinions and judgements, constantly worrying that im gonna make a mistake or forget to do something. I could use any advice right now and words of encourgement. I know this post is really long. Thank you for your time! Megan:confused::confused:

Im also feeling very overwhelmed and scared to death about being on my own. I actually have three weeks left of orientation and only had nine weeks of orientation, when I found out last week that everyone has 12 weeks or more. THey all told me that I should ask for more orientation, not that Im doin bad, but that its always good to have 12. Although, right now Im feeling like Ill never be ready to be on my own. Im so scared of screwing something up, missing something about my patients, or not knowing what to do if my patient codes. Im so scared and I feel like is this really what a job is suppose to be about...Terriefied everyday to go to work? My preceptor is great and tells me Im doing fine, and Im trying to do everything on my own at this point with help from her when I need it, but I feel like Im constantly asking questions. Another thing is writing a telephone order from the doc, I feel like I always mess it up. It seems like I always forget something on that order. After reading these posts, it definitely makes me realize Im not alone, but it still makes me scared. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Im definitly going to talk to my manager to get more time. Thanks Megaan

No, I went around 3:30, urine was clear, never seen it that clear either, but yah I dont check the color of my urine, LOL and I always drink a lot of water, I'm athletic so I'm always drinking water.

ALso, did you take yours at quest diagnostics?

Thank you, I know thats what I'm worried about too..Ive heard they might consider it positive if it was too clear, and then not let me start. I already have a start date and everything so that would be horrible. I tested Thursday, and havent heard anything yet. Hope its good. Seems like the girl what of just made me retest in an hour or something if she knew it wasnt going to work.

Hello, This is crazy, cause I'm goin through the exact same thing. I tested on Thursday, and drank a lot of water that day because the last time I had to test It took an hour to urinate because I couldnt urinate on the spot, therefore I made sure to come on a full bladder, and my urine was clear. It was also 90 degrees that day, and I was really thirsty. The lab tech said that they might make me retest because it was so clear but then she picked it up and the temp was normal, and she said it should be fine. I'm driving myself crazy, even though I'm completely fine because I dont do drugs, but I dont want anyone else thinkin that I do or tried to cover something up. Since its been a long time for you, have they called you, were u able to retest. Let me know..thanks megan

Well, I actually passed with Kaplans. That was my last resort because I did everything. I did Hurst review, a review online that I found called caring4you review, which wasnt very good, and I also used the nclex 4000 cd by lippincott, I failed each time after studying those reviews. Kaplans, in my opinion was the best review because it taught you critical thinking skill and content. I did everything on that website. What kaplan did he do, the live or onine live? I studied that for about 3 months doing everything twice on that website. I also reviewed meds every night watching tv, the classifications and pertinent side effects. I also studied mneumonics for infection control and for electrolyte imbalances. You can search for them at this website, or I will email all of them to him if he wants me too. THey really came in handy to me during the exam, I actually would right them on my board that they give you during the exam with certain questions. I would like to know what his study plan was for kaplans or what hes been doing to study in general to see if hes doing something wrong. Tell him to hang in there, stay positive and focused, he will pass. Trust me, everyone would tell me that, and I would try to agree with them, but in the back of my mind there was always a question mark. Its awful what some people have to go through, but it only with make him a stronger person and a stronger nurse. He will appreciate his job all that much more. God has a reason for everything. Another good book I used was Linda La charity, priority, delagation, and assignment. I purchased that for more questions after I ran out of kaplans questions. Hope this helps, Let me know if he needs help with anything. I know how hard it feels and what hes going through! Good luck!!

How would I find open positions for those types of places, a lot of places like that dont have websites to apply online, like the hospitals do?

:yawn:Hello, My life as a Nurse has been quite a journey so far, and what Im about to explain might be a lot, but Im in need of some advice so any comments would be greatly appreciated. I graduated with ADN in December of 2009, and worked as a Graduate Nurse in the ER for 4 and half months. I had worked there for 3 years as an aid, and 6 months as a nurse extern. I failed my boards, and worked for 45 days after that feeling extremely depressed and felt very incompetant at that point. My employers said to take a couple wks off to prepare for the boards again, and if I failed then I obviously wouldnt be able to come back as a Gn. Well unfortuntly for me I failed AGAIN!! At that point it was May, and I took a review class online that wasnt very helpful at all but I was told to take the summer off to study and study to make sure I was ready to take the boards again. And, well apparently in September it still was not my time to be an RN. I wanted to give up my dream at this point, I literally felt like I had died and so embarrased to even walk out my door. I worked with my mom for her business to keep myself occupied and was pushed by my family and friends, and my heart not to give up because bein a nurse was what I was meant to be. I took kaplans nursing review in January and studied that for another 3 months, and well...I PASSED!!! The best feeling of my life, and I can look back at it and say, it was worth this feeling and that is going to make all that more stronger and appreciate my career all that much more because I worked so hard for it. Now..my problem is is that I have applied for 22 positions all around my area, and also an hour away from where I live, and Im not getting any call backs. I m scared that I may never find a job!! I went through all of that and now Icant find a job!!! I havent even been called for an interview. I would like med surg..I think that would be great experience for me instead of starting out in ER. I can get my time management, critical thinking skills down, and develop patient rapport better that what you get in an ER. Im just worried that employers are looking at the fact that I havent worked in a year because my recent employer is Er as a graduate nurse. I know I m gonna have to explain the fact that I didnt pass the first time, which is embarrassing, but it does happen, but I just hope I get to even have an interview, and when I do, Im gonna need some interview advice. If anyone has advice or encouragement on what to do or if you guys think this is a problem, plz let me know. THank you so much for your time!!!:):):):)

Ahh, Im having kind of the same trouble you were. I actually graduated in December 2009, worked in a ER as a graduate nurse where I had 3 years of experience as a nursing assistant and nurse extern. I worked there for about 4 months and unfortunatley was not successful on my boards. I failed, and had to resign from my job, I left on good terms, but I obviosly couldnt work as a GN for long with out passing my boards. Life took a turn for the worst, and I couldnt pass a couple times after that either. I just recently passed in March, which was the best feeling of my life. I studied and worked so hard for it, and was determined to never give up my dream. I applied a bunch of places around my area, but I am not able to land a job. Ive been recieving emails saying there hiring internal applicants, or there holdin positions. Meanwhile I have a longer gap than you do from working, so thats freaking me out, my knowledge is there because I literally had my head in the books for a year, each time I failed, I studied harder and harder, but I havent practiced in awhile. I do have 3 years total of clinical work along with nursing clinicals, so lets hope that is ok. I know theres people out there that have quit nursing for years and go back and land a job, so I doubt thats it. We'll just have to keep are fingers crossed and keep trying. Good luck you! MWRN

For those of you who are wondering what I used, it was Kaplans online review course...that is a must!!! Also linda lacharity priority and delegation. I also used med cards everynight and studied classifications and side effects. Also study infection contol...theres mneumonics you can from this website that are a great tool, and I did used them on the exam, they help. Good luck to all!!!

Wow..really, they passed a year ago and are just now finding jobs!!! Oh God that freaks me out!!!! Where do you live?

Have you failed before?? Just go in with confidence, thats one thing I didnt go in with my first time, which made even harder to go in second and third because my confidence was gone at that point, but it is the best feeling in my entire life, and I will appreciate nursing all that much more because Ive worked so hard for it. You will pass, just study and have CONFIDENCE!!!! NOw I just need faith that I will get a job!!! Im probably just inpatient because its been so long!