Majestas

Thanks for posting, MusicalCoffee. I'm a new nurse in orientation myself, and first thought that being more emotionally sensitive is a weakness. In actuality, it can be a great strength if you know how to avoid taking certain things personally. This is challenging at times, but having a strong preceptor makes all the difference. One like SweetPotato can teach you this. My only recommendation to SweetPotato is to keep this mind, that some people have a more sensitive nature. Not because they are weak, but because it's just part of who they are. I believe you touched on this a bit in your article. And please, no arguments about how perhaps these people are not cut out for nursing, because I know that I can be a great nurse!

Hi, everyone! Like TerryNeal, I'm also a new grad and have just gotten a psych nurse job. My orientation starts next week (Nov. 5), and I'm both excited and apprehensive. Mental health is something that I've wanted to get into since nursing school, so it came a sort of blessing that this is the area that I get to start out in! In line with what others have mentioned, my thinking was that if psych is an area that you want to get into, then starting out in this area right away will help you become the best psych nurse possible better than transferring from another area. I'm glad to hear that there are HR reps out there who like to see psych on a resume! It's my hope to learn as much as possible on this first job, and then transfer to another area of psych nursing (outpatient, research, getting involved in a more specialized program, etc.). Thank you to everyone for your pros and cons! It was very helpful, as I had the same question.

Maybe taking a refresher course would be helfpul. I know they exist for RNs, and probably do for LPNs as well. I think it's been a while since you posted this thread, but maybe this idea helps. Novo's idea is also a good one, so I would say apply for the LPN positions after taking the course. Or maybe take a few relevent community college classess (or university, if you live by one and can afford it).

I agree with you, JENURSE03. This is a great site, and although I passed my boards last month, I like to come on the student and NCLEX section of the site to provide advice and support for students. I may not have much clinical RN experience, but I've gone through nursing school and passed my boards, so I may have something to share with those who are still going through it. Some of the best nurses I've met love sharing their knowledge and supporting students and those new to the profession. This is such an important part of what we do in nurses. I took my community health class in England this past February, and the nurses I met were so willing to work with American students! They were telling me that educating students, either formally or informally, is considered a duty of nurses in their version of the Nurse Practice Act. And the nurses I worked with actually took this duty seriously! This probably inspired me to take this responsibility seriously myself. How often do we hear about how important mentoring is in the U.S.?

I'm a recent nursing grad myself, and from my experience, the majority of employers like to have BSN prepared nurses. I may not have much experience myself, but I sincerely believe that pursuing a BSN is the better choice. There is much more opportunity for growth and pay once you get that first job. Like you, I also chose to go for a BSN at a well-respected school that is considered one of the top nursing schools in the country (and the best one in my state). I was hoping that graduating from such as school would give me some sort of advantage. However, the job market is tough, even for nurses. I agree that there is a lot of competition out there, and most employers want experience. While graduating from one of the "best schools" has not yet proven to be as much of an advantage as I had expected, it's possible to find SOMETHING out there. As difficult as it is, my suggestion would be to expand your horizons and move to a place with better opportunities. During my job hunt, I have found that some states provide more job opportunites than others. This isn't too bad of a deal, considering I'd like to move out of Chicago anyway. If it wasn't for my better half, I would have taken the other suggestion posted here and joined the military upon graduation.

From what I've heard, official "nursing shoes" are very comfortable, but pricey. I've tried finding more affordable ones, but all the ones I've been able to find are outside my price range. I suggest a solid pair of white (or mostly white) sneakers. Most nurses I've worked with wear them. As long as the shoes are comfortable enough to walk all day in, wear them! That's the point - can you wear them all day? Although good if you're willing to pay up for them, clogs are not an absolute necessity. I've found my "toning shoes" to be perfectly comfortable and acceptable.

Learning to enjoy this down time is ironically difficult after so many years of school, when we dreamed about all the things we would do given time. Whenever my boyfriend joked about having a young college girlfriend, I would always say that I'm not in college, I'm in nursing school. Now with that phase of my life over, there's more opportunity to focus on strengthening those relationships that supported me and put up with all the tears.

It really helps to know that it's not that unusual. It makes sense, but it's not what one might expect after such an important accomplishment.

I just graduated from nursing school earlier this month. I found myself experiencing similar emotions, especially right after graduation. As I have not yet taken NCLEX, preparing for it is one of the things that helps me take my mind off these emotions. In general though, this reaction seems to be in response to how life changing graduating from college is. After spending the overwhelming majority of one's life in school, the fact that the "student" phase of live is over is quite . . . emotional. As with any change in life and lifestyle, I think it's normal to feel anxious and even depressed at times. In addition to what RockinChick66 has said, I've personally found that establishing some sort of routine has helped. Like you, I've started excercising again (something that's difficult to do with all the study time nursing school required), as well as *gasp* really enjoying the weekends as weekends! One of the things I'm anxious about, though, is the job market. Both being able to find a place to work, and how to do well in my first job. It's both unfortunate and ironically comforting to know that even nurses have a difficult time finding work. One of the things I'm finding helpful is a book I got for my birthday calledYour First Year As a Nurse, Second Edition: Making the Transition from Total Novice to Successful Professional by Donna Cardillo.

Cleaning the probe and learning from mistakes is the best way to go here. The human body is designed to fend off a multitude of infections. I've made the same mistake, and felt absolutely ridiculous for not being able to put a probe on correctly! Now I can feel less ridiculous knowing it's not just me. Sometimes they really don't stick, especially if your hospital orders "universal" probes for its thermometers. They're not very universal and don't always fit well.

Yes, it seems overwhelming at first simply because of the amount of content. But it really is not difficult - it's very logical and common sense. I don't know how your textbook is organized, but mine outlines step-by-step procedures at the end, such as changing and caring for IVs, providing a bed bath, etc. Take a look at those, understand the reasoning for each of the steps, and understand the main concepts. This is what's important. You don't necessarily need to read every single word, as reading is all you'll ever be doing (unless you're a super speed reader, which most nursing students I've met are not). I found that focusing on Skills Lab is what really helped me with Fundamentals. This is what the class is all about - understanding, practicing, and becoming familiar with basic nursing procedures. You can also ask you instructor any questions related to the procedures and concepts in lab that you might not have understood from reading or lecture. They tend to be very helpful in clarifying things, and can provide demonstrations. With good time managements and study skills, you'll have little trouble getting through this class. Good luck!

Fantastic! We wish you the best of luck! I second Unicorn's question about your previous experience. Will the hospitals hire you with "license pending" before you take NCLEX? The employers in my area seem to require that boards already be passed upon hire.

A BSN is definitely benificial, as many employers (at least in IL) either require or give preferance to RNs with this degree. ALthough I now way look down on Associate's prepared nurses - once you've passed boards, an RN is an RN - I truly believe that it will only help you in your career, and you seem dedicated to both the profession and obtaining a good education. If you're applying for fall 2013, maybe take some of those extra courses from your community college during the summer. Also, perhaps you can apply for some scholarships that can help you afford other schools. This way, you won't have to depend on only one choice. There are many need-based scholarships as well as merit-based, and many merit-based scholarships give preference to those who demonstrate financial need. Also, most (if not all) colleges/universities will give you some sort of scholarship for your GPA at your previous school (at least, this is how it worked for every college I applied to, and the same can be said for those that friends have applied to). If you find that acceptance into a BSN program is simply not happening right now, don't give up! You CAN make it happen! Try getting the RN and getting a job at a respected hospital. Many employers will offer some sort of reimburstmant plan for going back to school, because BSN prepared nurses are beneficial for them.