JulieL

That is great! Good luck and learn alot!!!

Hey nursedanny614! Congratulations on your job! Was it your mom who knew a connection that finally landed it for you? How did it go?

But even elderly people have sex. Is there a law against having sex in LTC?

that is a good point, iluvivt. what does it take to get policies and procedures updated anyways? Evidence-based practice is always coming up with proven best ways to do things. In real life, how does EBP affect hospital policies... anyone? (New nurse, starting a new job next week so I'm not sure how it goes....).

I recently went on an interview for a new graduate internship program and was invited back to job shadow on the floor. i brought a nice big fat bottle of GoldBond Ultimate hand lotion! It was so satisfying for me to see everyone on the floor enjoying it!

Hi! I'm also a new grad and I have been fortunate to go on 4 interviews so far since graduating. They included a new graduate internship program, a memory care center, a med-surg position and an assisted living center. All the interviewers knew I was a new grad and asked about my nursing school and clinical rotations. Q: Tell me about your nursing school and your clinical rotations. They also knew I graduated in the spring and asked where I have been working since then. (June through October!) So, I think you should definitely include your clinical rotations and your SNF experience. Any experience is good experience, I think. Make it positive! Don't make the mistake that I made and mention anything negative. They asked if I had ever felt overwhelmed and I told them I felt overwhelmed when working as an aide in a nursing home w/ a patient load of 8 and I noticed they looked at each other and raised their eyebrows. Not good. I tried to cover my tracks and say that I had high standards of care and I just wasn't able to provide the care that the residents deserved... but the damage had been done. Ooops. Good luck job-searching. I'm job-searching too.

Hi everyone. I am recently graduated RN about to start my first job on a Med-surg floor on the night shift. I have worked evenings before (waitress) and I feel that I am at my most productive in the evening hours. And I am totally fine with working evening and night-time hours, but I am not sure how to adjust my schedule so that I won't be exhausted and have that horrible feeling of not getting enough sleep (like in nursing school!). I want to be sharp during my orientation and not spend the first part of it adjusting to the time change. A little about my situation: 7pm to 7am shift, 2 nights a week and a third shift from 3pm to 11pm, and some of these hours will undoubtably be weekends. I will start the job in 2 weeks. The commute is less than 30 minutes. I have 2 teen-agers at home. I'm concerned about sleep! And how do you handle the other 3 or 4 days of the week that you aren't on the schedule? Do you revert back to "regular" hours like the rest of the world? Do you drink alot of coffee in the early morning hours? What time of day do you do your usual activities, like grocery shop, laundry, house-cleaning, parenting? Thanks for any suggestions and advice you may have for me!

Hi! I would advise you to find a part time job in the medical field. I just graduated from nursing school w/no recent healthcare experience and it is a handicap, for sure! A tech job or nurses' aide job will allow you to network and hobnob w/ other healthcare personnel, and absorb types of learning that is not available in the classroom. Look at it like a paid clinical. After graduation you will have professional references as well. It is hard to juggle working and going to school. But I think that if you can handle it, it will be smart in the long run. Maybe try "per diem" and you can choose your schedule. I wish I had done that. good luck!

OP- You made it through nursing school and you are on your way towards a new career! You are brave to ask for help (it's so scary to open yourself up to criticism, especially about something so important and personal as a resume and cover letter) so don't be discouraged by the blunt and honest criticism. You have already accomplished so much, and you are just starting out! Thank you for the post, I learned a lot from it. And thank you for the people that responded. This post has been very helpful to me, I am looking for my first nursing job too. good luck!

Thanks for the great discussion, you three! I learned a lot by your conversation.

I totally agree with you that nursing and healthcare should not trend towards being "customer service oriented." I have been a waitress for many years, and just graduated this spring from nursing school, (and just took my NCLEX-RN today' yay!). One thing I noticed right away about being "service-oriented" like I am (waitressing background, being financially motivated to serve others to their satisfaction so I was rewarded with a good tip, "the customer-is-always-right" mentality..... etc!) was that it was difficult for me to assert myself as the nurse in charge and who had a plan and a goal for the patient. For example, getting a surgical patient out of bed to ambulate when they were sleepy and "up-to-it." Yes, it's necessary to provide compassionate care, but healthcare is evidence-based.

I've been a waitress most of my adult life, like many of you. I expected it to be very similar to nursing, with multi-tasking and being quick on your feet, etc. I was surprised at how demanding a nurse needs to be. It's not like "Can I get you something?" It's more like "GET OUT OF BED! AMBULATE!!!" Plus I was a dish-washer, and a go-go dancer when I was 18 to 20. That was my favorite.

I like TeacherSue's attitude. She was able to see the humor in the situation! I'll bet she would be a cool person to work with and for!

Aviationurse, I am a student nurse, and my class just finished a section on "Crisis." Crisis is not an event, it is an emotional response, according to our textbook by Vacarolis. A crisis is supposed to be self-limiting, lasting from 4 to 6 weeks, and then the person will emerge from the crisis a) functioning at a higher level than pre-crisis; b) functioning at the same level as pre-crisis; or c) functioning at a lower level than pre-crisis. Alot depends on the assessment they get from their nurse or care-giver and the interventions they receive. I hope you find/take part in some positive interventions and emerge even better than before. Happy birthday, JulieL

Esme & others, Really informative! Thank you for taking the time to be so thorough. I am going to check out the link you provided. We had 6 hours of lecture this week about emergency room care, and this was not even mentioned.

Yes, I agree. I bought this book online and have read the first 50 pages (of 300 or so.) It's very concise & easy to read and has good illustrations. Looking forward to reading more this quarter when we study AV block. My classmate who was a diver recommended it to me. Divers need to monitor cardiac function.

Wow, Abbyann, you sound like me! I am a Vermonter too, and I have been living in Washington state waiting to get back home. Did you ever make it?

I LUVermont, too! I hope to move there when I graduate from nursing school this spring. I hope there will be some jobs there for new grads. I've been on the west coast for quite a few years and I can't wait to move back.

Hi Sali22, Alot of what GrnTea says makes sense, and I think an accelerated BSN might be what I would choose for myself if I had that opportunity.... but I had the opportunity to attend an ADN program and I am very grateful to be here! (Almost done!) I have noticed that my classmates who have worked as CNAs (or even unit secretaries for that matter), and now in the second year of my program a few LPNs have joined us, ...... they seem to be doing really well, as in "struggling less." They have experience in dealing with patients and with time management. The LPNs have a thorough understanding of the medications. They are calm in the clinical setting. They can multi-task. I wish I would have been braver and gotten an CNA job before getting into nursing school, rather than sticking with waitressing which was more comfortable for me. I would have a broader view on the field of nursing than I do as a 2nd year ADN student with no medical experience. And also by working your way up through the ranks, you will understand about delegating tasks, something an RN needs to be able to do, and you will have the attitude of "I know how it is, I have done it myself." And that should gain you alot of respect from your peers. Explore the options and keep an open mind. Good luck, JulieL

Hi FutureNurse! I am graduating from an ADN program this spring, and I am worried about the same thing. I have been a waitress/mom all my adult life, but I am thinking about applying for a nurses' aide position during my last quarter just to get my foot in the door, anywhere! I plan to eventually get my BSN, like in the next 5 years, but I would really like to work and get some experience now. Plus I am a single parent! If I don't manage to find a nurses' aide job before I graduate, I am going to be super flexible about any job offer, and remember that any job is a good job as long as I can keep on learning. Good luck, Julie

Canchaser, Thanks for the reply. It sounds like a great place to see alot, but a very busy place for a new grad to work. Organization must be a big skill. Also teamwork and good communication skills.

Hi KateRN, I like "No, but thanks for thinking of me." It's always good to be polite.

Hi JulieSandlin, I sympathize, it would be impossible to be know what is going on w/ only 1 delivery a month! Crazy. But what is an "LTAC"?

Hi, I'm taking my NCLEX-RN this spring. I just ordered La Charity on Amazon, thanks for the recommendation. What does "SATA" refer to? Thanks for the info, and congratulations on passing!!! Julie

I agree, get an NCLEX book that has the rationales for ALL the answers, so you will know why the "right" answer is considered to be the best one, and also why the "other right" answers are not the best choice. You will learn alot that way. Read it in your spare time, like leave it on the kitchen table and read a page when you are having coffee in the morning. Answering those questions is the way to become a licensed RN!!!!!! My main goal, at the moment. An NCLEX book is a good investment. Quiz your classmates, too.