Anderle

I live in Ca and if you search the Sacramento Bee for State Worker Salaries you will find one person making that much. But there are several nurses making about the $200,000 range in Corrections. While I was a student I looked into the nursing job at the local jail and overtime was mandatory. But one would think if you have to work that much overtime, why wouldn't someone just hire another nurse? We know some state police who's salary is really augmented by overtime. Their base pay is like $89,000 but they end up making $135,000.

Thanks for bringing this up.I am a new grad. I think you should mention this to your director. We did many clinicals in hospitals that had computerized charting. We'd chart by checking WNL or NWNL (not within normal limits) then if NWNL you'd be prompted to another screen to just check more boxes (no writing). Seldom did we write more than a sentence or two. Then in our last semester during psych, our instructor was really into documentation and all the students realized that we should have learned and practiced this right from the first semester. Students were writing too colorfully or writing too much or just stressed and shut down because we were not proficient in effective charting. Less care plans and more documentation would have been better. If I end up working in a non-computerized facility, I feel I will be embarrassed by my charting.

I am a new grad, but when doing clinicals, most of the time the nurse I was with did not take a break or lunch. My preceptor never took lunch and seldom sat down, but I'd say she'd pace herself so she was seldom frenzied. Other nurses I met would come in as early as possible to get their patient assignments, start getting meds pulled before report and just get everything done early so they could take breaks and lunch.

Thanks for the advice! I will definitely do that.

As a new grad and recent student, from my experience I was shocked at some bad behavior of the healthcare staff in general; nurses, doctors, PT's, front desk. Nurses verbally exploding, so all the staff, visitors and patients could hear their problems, belittling the students behind our back for all to hear, nurses who won't assist a coworker, etc. If these people were in any other professional setting, I would think they would be fired. Fortunately I met some truly wonderful, exceptional nurses, doctors, etc who were so giving and kind beyond any of my expectations, to keep me encouraged to stay in this field.

I am a CA new grad (Dec2010) looking for work in an area with a surplus of new grads. I was really hoping for a new grad training program, but cannot relocate to the ones I see posted here. In my area, the only way to go may be a SNF (but most of them want a year experience too). I want to be well prepared for an interview and am sincerely interested in patient safety and care. Can anyone recommend a good book to read to refresh my skills or maybe one on geriatric care? I don't want to let UTI's and the beginnings of pneumonia go unnoticed. I never really got much from my instructor's notes at school and they are very scattered. It would be nice to have a specialty book or guide to use.

Sorry I cannot help you, but was hoping anyone can describe what an online skill assessment will ask. The CA State Prison system also has an online skills assessment for nurses.

One of the main concerns of many of my former classmates was the limited opportunities to practice and apply the nursing skills learned in lab during our clinical training. Also due to college budget cuts, summer or winter break work/study programs were not always offered. I have only started a few IV's in the AC area. Using lidocaine over hand veins just obliterated them for me. Also for students on the med/surg floor, IV's and IV bags are already in place and some hospitals have their own IV team so the floor nurses are seldom starting them. Skills like tracheostomy care, NG tube insertion were not available or the patient was too fragile for a student to practice on. Wound care and dressing changes very minimal the same with chest tubes. Our instructors would try to calm these concerns by saying the hospitals know you are new and expect this. So I figured when I graduated I would get to choose a specialty area and be taught those skills needed in a safe environment with a nurse mentor. But with no new grad programs in my area I am feeling very inadequate. Is this normal, or was my timing in clinical really bad for missing learning opportunities?

I think it depends on where you live. In my area SF Bay and south, there is a new grad surplus and no new grad programs. Some new grad positions are opening, but usually want BSN (not me) and it is very competitive. My fellow classmates who found good jobs all had to transfer out of the area. Their families are torn apart. I would not and could not do that. If you are flexible and willing to go, to well, as TheCommuter put it, undesirable areas, you may find opportunities to into new grad programs. If you want to stay local, then it is graveyard shift at SNFs with little or no training.