PchezRN

OMG! That is awful God bless the 2 nurses and their families. What a tragic story!

Magnolia: Glad to hear that you are still employed :yeah:I trust you have definitely learned your lesson and will continue to be a great nurse! I too, have also learned something from this thread, so thank you for sharing! Good luck to you on your meeting with HR on Monday! Keep us posted.

There were only 2 RNs out of like 30 people in general orientation for my hospital, but they still made it VERY clear that they audit charts and you WILL be terminated for accessing information on pts that are not under your care. I'm feel sorry for the OP and having to learn this the hard way Pray for strength and guidance during this difficult time!

Thanks again! Murze: There are soooooo many options available to choose from on google, and a lot of different ideas out there to help serve as a template for you. Thats how I made mine. Only advice I can give is proof read, proof read, proof read...and when you're done doing that...have someone else proof read it too lol. You DO NOT want to send your resume out with any kind of typos in it. Big no no! lol

Thank you all! I'm very excited!!!

Things I always carry with me are a stethoscope, tape, tiny bottle of hand sanitizer, black sharpie marker, yellow highlighter(for d/c meds), couple good pens, scissors, and a pen light(falls=neuro checks). I also have what I like to call my "nurses brains" which is a sheet I made out on the computer with all 24 rooms(# of pt's I have anyways), to help keep me organized throughout the day. I write down any pertinent data on it, plus anything I know i'll need to remember for charting purposes.

Well I would imagine that the 3 day orientation probably consists of new-hire paperwork, videos you'll need to watch, learning about the facility, paperwork, etc, but the 2 weeks with a preceptor will be where you are actually passing meds, doing tx's, putting orders in, and learning more about there computer system and paperwork. Sounds like it will be a good amount of orientation for you. We hired a new grad who got 3 days orientation/preceptor all together and she quit in her first month. I don't think it is fair to give a new grad 3 days and throw them to the wolves...IMO anyways.

I have a doc at my facility who will ALWAYS goes with the opposite of whatever you recommend. Like he doesn't want to go with you judgement because your just "the nurse". Drives me bonkers! Example: Pt is in pain and requesting something for a HA...can I have an order for Tylenol 325mg 1-2 tabs Q4? Answer: NO! Give him Ibuprofen 400mg Q4! Really? And there are far too many examples of this to go on about! Just the most recent one I could think of. Sometimes I wonder if I could use reverse psychology on him to get what my pts want/need lol!

Thanks everyone! Vanny: Most nursing homes are long term care, combined with skilled nursing/rehab. A lot of these facilites take new grads all the time. Problem is, be picky about which one you choose. Generally speaking...in my area anyways...LTC/SNF's are the way to go as a new grad because it helps to get you "feet wet" and gain the necessary experience to get into a hospital. Only problem is, the patients are not as acute as what you will see in the hospital setting. When you finish school, pick out a couple of nice facilities in your area (I recommend seeing what they scored on satisfaction surveys), and apply. And remember, they are interviewing you as much as you are interviewing them. With that being said, just make sure you ask all the right questions i.e. nurse/pt ratio, orientation phase of employement, challenges they face, why the last nurse left, how long the position has been vacant, etc, etc...and choose wisely. I hear a lot of horror stories from pt's who have transferred from other facilities and it's unfortunate. Anything else you'd like to know...just ask

I work in a skilled nursing facility where the nurse/pt ratio is 24:1. I think xtxrn said it beautifully and I could not have said it better! I do agree with the fact that it will feel a bit overwhelming at first, but you have to give yourself time to adapt to the facility, policies & procedures, docs and how they work, your management, STNA/CNA's, admission/discharges, and all the paperwork inbetween. How much orientation are they going to provide you with? My facility gives 3 days new grad or not (which I think is a crock). It is a lot to soak in at first, but you WILL develop your own "routine" and way of doing things, which will in turn make the job much more manageable. Best advice I can give is to be a team player from day one...and make sure you have your STNA/CNA's on your side...cause they can make your life a living h*ll if they want to. Just go in with an open mind, willingness to learn, and a go-getter attitude and you should be fine. Once you have gotten around a year of experience under your belt, it will be much easier to find a job in a hospital setting. Good luck to you!

Thanks! It's definitely been a LONG time coming ;-)

I was completely taken back today when I finally recieved the job offer of my dreams! A JOB IN A HOSPITAL! :yeah:Now I know this may sound silly, but I have been working in a skilled nursing facility for almost 2 years now, and have applied to every hospital for about the same amount of time WITH NO LUCK. I was so discouraged at times, and questioned if I would ever get a chance to prove myself. Where am I trying to go with this post? To all the people out there that are still searching. You may have to get a job in LTC/SNF first...but with a little dedication and determination...it can happen for you too! Just keep applying...the best advice I can give to someone who may find themselves in the same boat I was in. Good luck to all of those that are still in search of their dream jobs too! Never give up!!! :)

I know! There are quite a few that I dread being asked, especially the behavioral ones. But, ultimately they are trying to find the "perfect candidate" so I anticipate as many different kinds of questions when I do go into an interview.

Thank you! It feels great to hear that. I knew they didn't want to hear you have never made a mistake before because...well...let's be honest, the nurse who says he/she has never made a mistake before, is a dangerous nurse in my book. I was just curious to see if anyone thought that admitting a med error was the wrong kind of error to say. It was my second interview for a hospital i've always wanted to work for! It was also a peer interview that was very formal, and they asked about 30 written structured behavioral situational questions the hospital wanted them to ask, which really threw me off gaurd. I was expecting it to be more informal and the nurses asking me questions that they wanted to know about the candidates. I guess I sit and wait for either a call back with a job offer or a denial letter in the mail. I am going to remain optimistic about it though. I feel it's the best way to be at this point

I work in a skilled nursing facility where most of the pt's are just as acute as med/surg pt's and our ratio is 24:1 with 2 STNA's. Sometimes I feel it is a little ridiculous, but I manage. 11:1 on an actual med/surg floor though is just ridiculous and totally unsafe!

It feels reassuring to hear that. I thought I should have mentioned the first time I had a needle stick(clean needle of course), only because it was injury to myself, and not "potential" injury to a pt. Thanks for your words of encouragment!

Thank you. I was just trying to be honest, and hope they will see it in that respect. I guess only time will tell for now lol.

I was in an interview the other day and was asked about a mistake I have made. I was kinda at a loss for words and sat there for a moment thinking of what I could say without taking too much time/silence to answer...and I thought about a time when I had made a wrong time medication error. I told them about a pt who had a Lipitor ordered for 1800 and I gave it at 0800. I went on to say that my unit manager was notified, doctor was notified as well being given a one time order for that med, that the patient also ended up being fine, and how I had to fill out all of the proper paperwork for the incident. I also went on to say what I learned from the experience and things that I put in place to ensure that it didn't happen again. But when I was driving home, I had that "why didn't I" moment and started thinking about other things I could have said that may have been a better response. Was this wrong to admit during an interview? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks for the feedback!

Hello all! I am very curious to know...what would one say is the riskiest decision they have ever made in nursing? Any input would be greatly appreciated :-)

Well, it sounded to me like they pay you if you don't work out, and whether it's under the table, or by check with a 1099 at the end of the year...idk? But if they like you, then they will add you to payroll. I am going to ask all of these questions when I go. I figure it won't hurt to at least check it out. I'd like to think I have a very good intuition...and if it seems fishy when I go in and learn more about the position...i'm outta there. I'm worried that the doc is "not so nice" to put lightly lol, and wondering if he has a hard time keeping staff. I'm just glad I already have a full-time position elsewhere just incase this is not kosher. And even though there is a fine line between love/hate at my job, I will just deal with it until something comes my way...eventually something will...i'm optimistic! :) I really want to work in the hospital...that is my ultimate hope. I guess good things come to those who wait! I will post back after Wednesday to update how it went. Thanks for all the advice everyone!

You know, I was wondering the same thing...if the MD is really tough to work with. I'm not sure exactly what i'll be doing there on the first day, but I was told he doens't currently have any RN's that work for him and he does all the work himself. His practice has only been open for 6 years, which I verified online, and he is also affiliated with one of the biggest hospitals in the area and his office is actually connected to the hospital itself. I don't know what to think??? I guess I just go and find out what it's all about, and like I said...if it doesn't work out...I still have my current job to fall back on. I was just curious as to how many people have been offered positions in strange ways like these before. Thanks for your advise!

Hello All, I was hoping to get some advise from some experienced RN's...I'm a fairly new RN who currently works at a skilled nursing facility and have been there for the last year now. I have been applying at different hospitals/physician offices in my area for about the last month, because everyone has told me "get your 1yr experience, and you can go anywhere". I have already determined skilled nursing is NOT my niche, and want to explore all of the wonderful options nursing has to offer. Well, I was offered a position in a neurology office in a very strange way...I found this posting on Monster.com and applied via email with cover letter, resume, and professional references a couple of days ago. I received a call today about the position from a man who "claimed" to be the accountant/office manager for the practice. He pretty much gave me a phone interview, called some of my references prior to speaking with me, and then offered me to start next wednesday in the office...all without filling out an application, no background check, no drug-screen, nothing! He said they want to hire a couple of part-time RN's to work 1-2 days a week who will assist the physician and pretty much be with him along side him at all times (i'm guessing because of liability issues with being neuro, pain meds, etc.). He claims the doctor wants to get a feel for how the RN is in a working environment, and see if it will work for him. They will pay you for your services at the end of the day, and may put you on payroll at a later time (i'm assuming if the doctor likes you). Now, I have decided if I take this job, I will keep my current position, seeing as how it's only part-time anyways. I cannot afford to just be working part-time, and I would be willing to work both if it works out. And if it doesn't, I still have a full-time job, and about $200 extra in my pocket for my time on that one day I show up to work. My question is...does this seem a little strange to anyone? Maybe i'm just so used to the process of 2 interviews, application, drug screening, background investigation, license verification, orientation, etc. Has anyone ever been offered a position in such a way? Or is this something I should be leary about? Any advise anyone could offer would be helpful! Thank you so much for taking the time to read this!