CT BSN student

I was a new grad hired directly into the MICU. It has not been an easy introduction into the world of nursing. I have a great preceptor, but my lack of familiarity with CC interventions on patients requiring rapid and repeated assessments, immediate delivery of care, and multiple changes to the POC hour-by-hour leaves me exhausted at the end of a 12-hour day. 1. I would recommend asking the unit's pharmacist for a list of the most-often ordered meds to review for indications, max dosing, titrations, warnings, etc... 2. Take time to do a thorough orientation to WHERE supplies are kept. Occasionally, someone frantically asks me to grab something they need during an unstable admission or a code and I absolutely cannot find it ANYWHERE, which is a poor situation to be in during an emergency. 3. Make a list of things that were unclear to you each day when you reflect on the shift and what didn't go smoothly that you can review with your preceptor(s). Nothing is as frustrating as having to repeatedly encounter a problem and STILL not know how to most efficiently resolve it (meds not stocked, equipment not working, materials not ready when a pt has to travel, labels needing to be reprinted, etc...). Unfortunately, I have found that there is seldom time during a shift to address these issues, and then I am so exhausted when a shift ends that I don't have the focus needed to review questions immediately. They usually occur to me when I'm in the shower before turning in for the night. 4. Look things up that are new or interesting to you that you encounter, especially research about nursing interventions/protocols. Anything you can add to your unit to improve pt outcomes will be appreciated. New grads sometimes have more exposure to the latest EBP trends that could be helpful to share.

I am currently in the ACE program. It is rapid and inexpensive for a BSN, but that is where the benefits end in my opinion. Perhaps my prior academic experience left me expecting a higher quality of education. The bottom line is that you show up, jump through the hoops, and earn a BSN. If I never see another PowerPoint presentation again after this program ends, that would be fine with me! Few of the professors actually lecture on the material and stress the important points. Exam questions are ridiculous and are not designed to accurately test your knowledge on the subject matter. You may NOT miss classes - not because they help you with the material (you basically must teach much of it to yourself), but because attendance is mandatory. There are a few of us who work part-time, but not the students with spouses or children. Be prepared to give up your social life for 12 months. The program is 53 credits with some long (12-hour) clinicals.