AshleyO77

Hi Everyone, I was just wondering how you guys are getting of have gotten hours toward your certification? I'm very interested in getting certified but I'm so confused how how to get started! Can anyone help?!

I wouldn't try the one in Toms River... TERRIBLE!!!

Is there anything special I should do or anyone to call to get into UMDNJ corrections?! I've been applying and applying! I have some experience in nursing already!

Sooo... About a year ago I planned a vacation with my family to go back to my mother's home country that she hasn't been back to in 20 years. We are supposed to go at the end of March. Now the day after Christmas, I was dismissed from my job. So now I'm currently unemployed. BUT THEN today I got a call to come in for an interview for basically my dream job (I almost cried I was so excited) and I am really hoping I get this job. After calming down a bit I started to wonder if there was anyway they still might let me go on vacation if I get this job? Of course, I know it would be unpaid if they let me go and if they tell me there is no way I could still go on vacation I would just accept that and be ok with it, but has anyone ever gone through this? Has anyone gotten a new job but already planned a vacation? What did you say? How did you ask? What did they say? Your responses are really appreciated.

I worked 3-11 for a year and hated it. Like REALLY hated it. I have no kids and live at home with my mom and sister. I worked Monday-Friday. The best part was I didn't have to work weekends. I couldn't stand always waking up alone and coming home and everyone was asleep. I felt like I never saw any of my friends, cuz most of them are not nurses so they worked regular office hours. I could never fall asleep early enough or wake up early enough. I have worked every 8 hour shift and I honestly feel like 3-11 is the absolute worst.

This is an awesome post!

You go girl (or boy, if that's the case)!!!!!! Do you!!!

I think your reading this wrong. This nurse was talking about specific problems with a few CNAs. No one is saying all CNAs are horrible, we are just addressing her issue. And when I was a nursing assistant, there were plenty of times the other NA was busy and the nurse asked me to do something for her. I don't see why anyone should have issues with that, that is part of your job. And it is not "a very rare situation" to have a lazy CNA and the nurse falls victim. Just like there are lazy nurses, there are lazy CNAs. I used to work with some. There are nurses who toliet patients, feed patients, and even give bed baths. And sometimes when a lazy CNA is paired with a nurse like that, they take full advantage. Maybe when you were a CNA all the CNAs were awesome and the nurses treated them bad, but that isn't always the case.

Hey I've been there. I've been beaten, kicked, slapped and verbally abused with the best of them. I was not trying to say that CNAs have less stress. What I should have said is that CNA work is more task oriented, and nursing work is critical thinking oriented. That's not my opinion, it's a fact. And you are right, teamwork is the key to success! And I remember very well working with nurses who would go into a room, stay for 5 minutes, then come out and start looking for me (while I'm knee deep in poop) so I could go empty a urinal because that "wasn't her job". Those were days when I wanted to quit. And you know what? Because you have seen that type of awful nursing, it will make you an even better nurse! Good luck with your studies!

Hi everyone! So after spending all summer filling out applications, I finally got a call back! I was soooo excited! I went to the interview and it was great! The nursing recruiter told me about the salary, when the next orientation started and knowing that I had job, how much time I would need to quit. So I thought it was going well! She introduced me to one of the managers I would be working with (it's a float position) and he told me if it was up to him he would give me the job on the spot! She said she had another person to interview, but she would get back to me the beginning of the next week. So my I interview was on 7/26, so I called on 7/31 and she said they would give me a call when they decided. Then I got no response all week. So on Monday (8/6) I called again, and I got her secretary. I told her I was calling to follow up. She put me on hold for a second and then came back and said "the nursing recruiter is busy right now, but she wanted to tell you they are still deciding and will get back to you as soon as they make a decision". I said thank you, and that was that. I'm not putting all my eggs in one basket... But currently this is the only egg I have lol. Im still filing out applications though. Today makes 13 days since my interview. So I'm I out of the running or is there still hope?! I really want this job! I'm hoping I'm just being paranoid and they are currently doing a background check or something. With the job I have now, I believe it took about 10 days for them to offer me the job. So what do all of you think?

I used to be a nursing assistant on a fairly busy unit. Now I'm an RN. If I have a problem with a CNA, I talk to them directly first because I know if it was me, that is what I would have wanted. If the behavior does not change, THEN go to your manager and report the behavior. I would not recommand going into "I'm the RN, so I'm the boss!" mode. I PROMISE those CNAs will make your life harder. But at least try to talk to them. Some CNAs are just SUPER lazy, and nothing short of reporting them will change their behavior.( Also, just a sidenote, some CNAs do not understand how hard the nurses actually work. They think all nurses do is sit at computers all day and push meds. I always tell people "Being a CNA was physically demanding, but being a nurse is physically and emotionally demanding". Some of them are so lazy and rude because they just assume that nurses are just high paid drug dealers).

1- If you don't love every one of your patients and feel the utmost compassion for all of them, it doesn't make you a bad nurse. It makes you a real person. As long as you treat them all with respect and take care of them the best way you know how, you're good. 2- Take your break. Yeah you have a lot of work to do but go sit down for a few minutes and EAT! You'll go crazy if you don't. 3- Teamwork is the key to success.

This is one of the most important lessons my first nursing teacher taught me. She said, "when your patient tells you they are gonna die, you better believe them because even though they might look stable, when it's time to go, most of them know it."

Yay!!! Congrats!!!

Oh my this reminds me of a story. When I was still a nursing assistant (now I'm an RN), one of my pts was taking golytely for her colonoscopy which was the next day. She was going so frequently, and so VIOLENTLY, she actually had a seizure while she was on the commode. It was insane.

Prune Juice and Milk of Mag= poop cocktail

This is what I mean. Not that I want you to be horrified, but I was a nursing assistant with people with people who were in nursing school, and some of them changed their major after that experience because they saw what nurses go through and it was too much to take. And their is nothing wrong with that because nursing isn't for everyone. I've met nurses who actually assumed that all they would be doing was giving meds. Sone who didn't know how to put a bedpan on a patient. Some who didn't know how to change a bed with the patient still in it. And most of them had their BSNs(not that it matters to my point, but I thought I would mention that). You don't learn how to be a nurse from being a CNA, but you do see what nurses do and how much they have to do in a short amount if time. You start to mold your own idea of how you want to be when your a nurse (at least I did). I saw good practices and bad ones, saw how some nurses treated CNAs, learned how to deal with difficult patients and difficult family members, saw how they handled rude doctors and saw many nurses save lives. No I didn't learn how to be a nurse, but it sure gave me a realistic view of nursing and prepared me for some of the battles I was gonna have ahead if me.

This brings up a good point. I'm not trying to go off subject but I think EVERY nursing student should be a nursing assistant at some point. You get to see how nursing works, not the idealized view they show you in school and movies. In school you have 3 patients and you don't even do all there care (at least that's how it was at my school, maybe others are different). No, you won't always have time to spend hours with each patients, but after a while, you start getting your routine down, and then you find a way to talk to your patients and getting your work done too. When you are a nursing assistant, you learn time management, prioritization, and if your friendly with your nurses, they will constantly be trying to teach you things. So anyway... You will fine your way. I'm sure your a good nurse, and the fact that you are saying what your saying shows your motivated to get better and I'm sure you will!

Got an interview! Thanks everyone!

That's what's I've been trying to do now. I work in an acute rehab hospital but we don't have a MS floor. So I've been applying to every med-Surg job I see! And I have my ACLS, I'm working on getting PALS and IV certification! Thank you for the good advice!

I'm having the same problem. I've been working at an acute rehab for about a year, and I'm now trying to find a position in a hospital. I've been applying and applying with no luck!!! I haven't gotten one call. I call places and they tell me "my application is being reviewed" or "we cannot give out statuses of applications". It's so annoying!!! They keep telling you not to call, and that is also annoying! I just want a real person to talk to me for more than 30 seconds...

Relax!!! Take your time and don't panic! GOOD LUCK!!!

Well most of the ADNs I was talking about are recent hires (within the past year). Also I just want to get my foot in the door in any unit, and I can work my way up to ICU. I just need a chance

Maybe the nurse forgot? How many times do we mean to do something and then we forget cuz we get interrupted?