DysrhythmiaRN11

Firstly, Congrats to you! I have been an OR nurse for 5 years now and the experience has been questionable at times. Its not for everyone, but my advice would be to be patient, you will learn with time. It takes about 3-4 years to become expert and even then you will never know everything but you will be able to function at ease with any case as long as you have your basic skills. Keeping you own Preference notes are useful at the beginning of your career but you will eventually venture away from that once comfortable. Now, I have a question for you.... As a sales rep did you travel? If you did was there any restrictions as to who you could bring along with you on travel assignments? For example, if a partner wanted to come and paid for their own place ticket and stayed with you in hotel was that a problem for the company, would you be in trouble for bringing someone along on the business trip? Just a general question. Thanks in advance.

I currently work at RWJ New Brunswick and there is a huge difference in the salary... New Brunswick will pay alot more... I guess different union negotiations...

So to clarify, the Family Nurse Practitioner will allow you to care for patients of all ages and will benefit you when trying to apply for a job.

I think this is part of what's wrong with the nursing society.... People who forget that they too had to learn everything they know. I'm still waiting for half of my colleagues to retire so I can really start to enjoy nursing in the new era.....

That's the thing. You are a new nurse and this Doctor is trying to make himself look good at your expense. I find that many Doctors, not all have some type of self-esteem issues and they prey on the weak. I've been a nurse for 5 years now and let me tell you'initually I was bullied by both Doctors and colleagues: Pathetic. With time and with increasing knowledge you learn how to deal with it and you certainly learn how to engage and put a bully in its place. Through these years I've learned how to speak up and due to my knowledge and experience no one can bully me anymore and also I do not allow everything to get to me as long as my patients are safe, my license isn't at stake andI've done my best job I could do. It was a hard and long rode. Hang in there, it will get better.

How is the program? I am looking to start 2014 Fall semester for Adult NP. It seems like a good school.

yes it is hard to apply with a license let alone without one. lol. Its really not an easy journey. But if you haven't even taken the NCLEX yet, they definitely aren't interested. Don't give up your hopes so soon. Just focus on passing your NCLEX. Good luck.

I've been looking to apply to jobs in other areas of nursing like med-surg so yes it is hard for me to find a job right now. With me having OR experience means that I don't have the med-surg experience that most people require. OR nursing is a different type of nursing and most don't look at that as having experience because we don't deliver direct care to the patient. We have the anesthesiologist who starts IV's, delivers meds, and provides care and the physician who is there also in control and providing the surgical care. I learn a lot as an OR nurse especially since I ask questions but its still not considered experience to some. When I apply to other positions, they call me back for the OR and I turn it down because I don't want two OR jobs.. its too stressful. Nursing residency definitely adds to experience. Its a wonderful idea and that is how I obtained a job in the OR. It was called an OR fellowship for 3 months and afterwards I received a job in the OR and I've been there ever since.

Sorry, didnt realize I mixed up the abbreviations.... Yes I meant the ANP track, adult nurse practitioner. Just trying to figure out which track is better as far as obtaining jobs.

Yes I can agree with you on your insight. On the other hand, BSN is better than an Associates, some experience is better than no experience. IN this nursing world, with or without your BSN as a new grad you are going to struggle with finding a job. I've seen BSN nurses unable to get jobs as well. I just think if you are aggressive then you can def get any job no matter what. But in those geographical areas you are speaking of, I certainly understand what you are saying. I can imagine that every area has its unique struggle for nurses finding jobs. I am a 2011 graduate with an Associates degree and an OR nurse, I just received a BSN from PEnn State and I've been job hunting for a second job and no luck due to lack of experience.... all just the same. At the same time, I am feeling lazy, not really in the mood for job hunting so guess what....... I am not being aggressive and no-one is calling me.

Nursing homes are a good foot in the door. Most of the time people just want to see that you are a practicing nurse for x amount of time. The nursing home will get you to your goals...

I have read many threads regarding the advanced nurse practitioner track and the family nurse practitioner track. I am a newly graduated nurse with a BSN and I have been an operating room nurse for 2 years. I look forward to starting a MSN program soon. I really want to become a nurse practitioner but I am becoming increasingly confused about which track to take. I have researched and I am coming to learn that it depends what area you live in. Many states thrive with the use of FNP's and encourage that track for the experience of being able to work with children of all ages. With this in mind, a FNP doesn't practice in hospitals, only clinics. With the APN, you can work in hospitals, you just cannot work with children. I want to be able to work in hospitals so I would go for the APN track. I am not sure if this is the best choice. Also when I job search in NJ, I only see jobs for APN's. I am confused. Any insight? Does one track lead to better opportunities than the other, does one pay more. Can I do APN and then take a post-master's degree in children to make myself more marketable and eligible for jobs on both ends of the spectrum? HELP>

I am also trying to find information about these two schools. I am a nurse and graduated from Penn State. I am looking to start an APN or FNP program and would like to know how the schools are.

The nursing world is a throw u under the bus type of world. It sucks.... I hate nursing for that reason. Put it like this.... I am a graduate of 2011, 5 jobs in.... I finally found happiness in the operating room, but only because I don't talk to anyone, 7months on the job and I still have a lot of trouble with names.....lol. I don't include them in my business and I keep everything strictly work related. I don't even hang out in the staff lounge.... People are evil......

GREAT POINT.... I love it!!!!!!

I am an OR nurse and pretty much have all my nursing experience as a OR nurse. Once you leave the OR, it may be hard to get back in period, but on the other hand you are and have been an OR tech. I know that the OR doesn't allow anyone in as it takes a lot of training. Being an OR nurse is a much different job than being a tech. You have one up due to your knowledge of surgical procedures and instrumentation but the nursing world is one stressful one. I often function as a scrub tech at times as you know nurses can scrub as well. I find it to be much more relaxing than when I function as the circulating nurse. As a new grad, I think its hard however you look at it. You have some pretty good offers and with that said and with your OR experience, go for the cardiac unit. I think you would be able to get into any OR as a nurse at any time.

Hello everyone, Its 2013 nearly 2014 and I have not been active on this forum due to my busy life as a nurse. I hope everyone has had luck in finding jobs by now. From my desperate job search adventure as a new grad to my new life as an experienced nurse, I have finally landed a job I love through hard work. I have landed most of my jobs with just a ADN degree and my most recent destination has been in the OR. Its a cool job. I find that finding jobs was a challenge but my hard work has paid off. Starting in a nursing home and ending in the OR has been a big step for me. Never give up and don't allow people to tell you what you can or cannot do.

In the nursing world, I have to agree that as a new nurse, they do not care what you know. You are expected to listen and if you think you know something they will chop your head off and eat you alive. I have learned that the hard way. I have learned to be humble, if you want to tell me how to do something, as a new nurse, I say ok, and move it along. If I don't want to utilize what you told me, I keep it to myself because evrything doesn't need a comment. Let me give you an example, I am an OR nurse and I am still fairly new, I had a 100 year veteran tell me that she did not need me to tell her what I need on the surgical field because she knows. All I was doing was asking her to give it to me since I could not get it myself as I was in sterile attire. She was so defensive because I had a little bit of knowledge and I am still new.... I had a migraine by the end of my shift with this lady. I was expected to shut up and respect her and she did not have to respect me. Did I put her in her place a little, yes but I also had a headache at the end of the case and wondered if she was going to go rat me out for doing a good job. Nursing is a rough career, people are mean, and sometimes you do have to dummy down or they will tear you APART. Ive witnessed it so many times, so sad....

This world of nursing is a dog eat world, you have to watch your back constantly to survive. I am a 2011 graduate and I have come to realize that there are some evil people in this world and a lot of nurses are miserable. The books that I learned from in nursing school has a total different twist once in the real world. The reality of nursing will hit. To be perfectly honest, did you mess up? Absolutely, in nursing, there cannot be an reason or excuses for shortcuts, and we have to do our best to practice to our upmost. With that said, is that always possible.... NO! We are human and sometimes cutting corners seems to help us gain time, not that this is good practice. So you being disciplined for such practice seemed to be acceptable. The problem with that is that it should have been done after you were spoken to unless something more was happening to where you did need a performance eval, but I don't see that small situation being that serious unless you continued to do it, or unless there is more to the story. Next, sounds like that nurse is like a lot of nurses I work with. I have to constantly make sure I am doing checks and balances to ensure I am not missing anything and doing everything right because they are watching me and trying to pull me down. I do my job, and I do it right, no shortcuts. With that said, keep your head up. Use your experience to your advantage and start filling out many applications. You may have been in a good hospital but there are many many more. You might not get into them immediately but believe me your career is not over. As long as this doesn't go on your nursing license as neglect or some sort you are ok. If you have a nursing license, you can get a job. Now you have to start from scratch as if you are a new grad. It will be hard but don't give up. I am a 2011 graduate and if it makes you feel better I am already onto my 5th job because I wanted to find happiness and refused to be miserable in any job. Its not impossible just hard work. I am an operating room nurse due to my commitment to do what I want to do and not what people tell me I can or can't do. I am happy and love my job.

I am currently an operating room nurse and have been a nurse since 2011 with no medical surgical experience. I am exposed to many different disease processes in the operating room but I don't directly care for these patients as of course they are there for surgery and the physicians and anesthesiologist give the direct care. I am looking to advance my career as I am finding that working as just a staff nurse is difficult as you have no input on changes and care. I've thought about becoming a physician but it is costly and time consuming with a family, so I've decided that I could become an advanced nurse practitioner. My concern is that I don't have any experience as a floor nurse and will this effect me. I have only been working in the operating room and is this enough experience. I've heard that the NP programs train you thoroughly enough to where you can function safely and independently once you graduate. Any knowledge and all thoughts are welcomed. Thank you.

Hi, I have also just recently finished training as a RN. I started 2011 and have still been receiving training. Its a forever process. What I would say to do is to make sure your patient's consent is signed first and foremost before being transferred over to the OR table. Next, verify allergies, correct patient, if correct site is needed, make sure site is marked, ask if they have eaten or drank anything as this can be a contraindication for anesthesia ( risk for aspiration if they vomit). Check lab work for things such as potassium, hemoglobin, etc, pertinent information related to surgery. Being a skilled circulator comes with time and you will always find yourself nervous. Just take a deep breath, remember, there are always others in the room to help. Don't be afraid to ask the surgeon what he needs and if there is anything particular for the case. You have the scrub tech who is always always a good source of information, especially if its a RN as scrub for the day. You will find the OR to be stressful, in nursing we don't always have each others back in general and you have to deal with rude people in any setting. Just be strong and learn as much as possible. You won't know much until you are actually on your own doing things yourself, you own way. Good luck.

Yes in NJ. I believe they filled up all of their positions at this point. they are working to become a magnet hospital so they have to have a certain amount of BSN nurses as any other hospital does. THey will hire Associate degree nurses, just as any other hospital...vaguely... so just like most other hospitals require BSN, they just started requiring BSN.

It didn't involve a mistake I had made at all... it involved a personal situation that didn't have much to do with anyone but me. It had ended up in me finding a new job and everything, just because of the way the facility was being ran. I didn't feel the need for my personal name to be brought up in this interview.... its very unprofessional. I am sure you don't bring up a staff members name personally when discussing situations.... and we can all benefit from learning from others mistakes, so I can agree with you on that one.. but thats not the case... i find her very unprofessional.

East Orange General is working hard to revamp. They are under new management. I recently took a job as a new grad and the experience is much better than I envisioned it to be. The starting pay is that of most hospitals for new grads. 26/hrly day, 28.60 evening and 29.80 nights.

What would you do if your clinical manager was constantly behaving in a unprofessonal way, with no harm intended. I have a friend who interviewed for a nursing job at my clinic. Once out the interview, she texted me to let me know how it went and informed me that I was the mainstay of the interview. My manager had told her about a situation I had there as a new grad, using my NAME...and spoke about me in that interview violating my privacy rights in my mind. She used examples of situations for my friend to solve involving similar situations I went through... I was very upset by this. Luckily for me, it was nothing my friend didn't know that I hadn't already discussed with her. My manager weirds me out. She just doesn't understand how to be professional.