NrsNow

Nursing is a great career, but it's very challenging no matter what area you go into. The hours aren't ever "flexible" unless you work in a doctor's office...but as a new grad, you can pretty much bet on working either evenings or nights. And this is a very good web site for all nurses to vent and find support. To be honest, I feel I would overwhelm my husband if I talked about all this to him, because he doesn't understand, and that's fine. It's nice to find others who understand. And yeah, you're not ALWAYS going to get along with co-workers, but then there are those co-workers who have your back and help you and you know you can count on. Sure, it's not perfect, and yeah, I may complain, but if I didn't absolutely positively want to be a nurse, I wouldn't be...because it's not easy. And yeah, instructors will make it sounds all peachy and great, because if students knew how it was actually going to be, no one would do it....but the important thing to know is that those nurses who really truly want to be doing nursing, will be doing it, because it takes a lot of hard work, dedication, sacrifice, and most importantly knowledge and passion. I'm sorry this shocks you...but this is like a support group for most of us...at least for me. And you'll need support too one day.

How long have you been in this position? About 3 months How did you get started in Nursing? Started as an EMT-B, decided to pursue nursing, was able to obtain a job as a patient care tech (other title for CNA), which led to me being admitted to a nursing program Would you describe your present job responsibilities and duties? Managing patient cares (incl. wound care, bladder and bowel management, increasing independence in ADLs, providing patient ed re: meds, conditions - i.e. insulin, diabetes, coumadin, lovenox, to name a few) How would you spend a typical day? Receive report from previous nurse, assess patients and get vitals, plan eve - med times, drsg times, etc., admin supper meds, perform drsg changes, bowel programs, eve meds, and squeeze in new admissions and whatever else may come up What type of training or education did you receive for this position? Bachelor's of Science in Nrsg What do you like most about your job? What do you like least? Patient care, making a difference; the stress, pressure, and the fact that no one is perfect and sometimes even nurses make mistakes What do you think are some important things that someone going into this field should know about? Time management is important - start working on it ASAP; learning that learning from mistakes is part of the job and yes you will mess up at some point, but to do everything you can to avoid errors that will harm your patient - if you make a mistake, fess up and don't try to cover it up because that would do more harm than good.. What has contributed to your career success up to the present? Trying to learn and take it day by day What are some of the problems you have encountered on your job? How have you resolved the,? Trying to overcome being a new grad - to take every day one at a time and learn from the previous day How did you choose your profession? I just had a "calling" to it - I love people and I love helping people and making a difference in people's lives Did any of your past jobs prepare you for this one? As mentioned, I was an EMT-B for a short time and also worked as an aide which later transitioned to a nurse tech...which I recommend to anyone wanting to become a nurse Thanks for your time!

I am a recent new grad and am working as an RN in inpatient Rehab. I had been an aide for a while before graduating at this same facility and never realized how much pressure is put on these nurses. We are expected to care for patients of all ages with a variety of medical conditions. I have made just a couple of small errors, only one of which required an incident report but did not result in any negative consequences for a pt. But every time I forget to chart something small or forget to admin a prn for bowels or etc., I beat myself up for it, and almost make myself feel sick. All of the experienced nurses I work with are very supportive and my manager has also been supportive, but my need for perfection as a nurse has been taking a negative effect on me wanting to go to work. I'm beginning to dread it on some days - I feel stressed out and overwhelmed at times with new admissions and patients and time management, and working full-time... I am wondering if I am already starting to get burnt out....HELP