KatieL&D

Keep your chin up!! Being a new nurse is awful at times ( I have only been a nurse for 8 months). I am lucky to have the support of my coworkers. Learn from every encounter you have and do not let the negative attitudes get you down!! You are a nurse for a reason and will only get better with time. Best of luck :)

HELP!! I have been a nurse for 8 months. I am working nights right now. I work almost every weekend (even though policy states I should only work 1 out of every 3). I am a single mom of a 7 year old. So on the weekends I have to sleep while she is home. I can not continue to do that to my daughter so I am faced with some difficult decisions...do I put her in daycare on the weekends? do I apply for a daytime position (one will be opening up). The problem with daytime is it is a $2 an hour paycut. Our shifts are 7-7. I would just like some advice from other single parents on what works best. I am just feeling very burnt out. Thank you so much!!

I am a new RN and am working as a L & D nurse. I work nights. My question is after a delivery do you have techs to help clean up? Also, when working postpartum and having 4 mom/babies do you have help? We do not have a secretary or any techs. So it is the RNs responsobility to push with mom, sometimes take care of baby if the charge nurse or NICU nurse can not come and transition baby, then clean up the room, count sponges, cord blood to lab, etc all while recovering mom and baby. Also, when I am assigned 4 mom/babies I do all of the work including breastfeeding education, vitals, paperwork, medications, baths, hearing screens etc. I am just wondering if this is the norm for other facilities? Thanks :)

I got right into OB and LOVE it!!! There are some draw backs. First of all, it can be very stressful and demanding. I actually hurt my shoulder last week holding a ladies leg while she was pushing. I have found that some of the Doctors are very rude to a new graduate. Fetal Demises are very tough. Also, when there is not enough patients I have to stay home on call for $2/hour There are many positives as well! Getting to witness such a miracle is amazing. Bonding with your patient and her family is a great experience. Challenging yourself intellectually is a bonus. I did not like Med/Surge in school and can never see myself as that kind of nurse. Do not feel guilty if you can not see yourself doing that, there are many other areas of nursing. Good luck :)

This actually was just cleared up at the hospital I work at. It is illegal to make an employee stay in house and not pay them their regular wage. If they choose to then that is not illegal. For example where I work we must always have 3 nurses on. If not all three are needed then we can be floated to another department and help out because we are employees of the entire hospital. If they are just keeping you on call low census than they do not have to pay you your actual wage. We make $2 an hour when low censused.