MissM.RN

I have two thoughts about your situation: 1. nursing is a "24 hour role". no one nurse can be expected to do every possible ordered thing within 8 hours. i mean, if the patient doesn't have a productive cough, how are you supposed to collect a sputum for culture? :) 2. urine culture and sensitivity on incontinent patients cannot be collected via urinal or bedpan. This order must be accompanied by a "straight cath x 1 for sterile sample" order. there is no way to collect a worthwhile, non-contaminated sample without it.

If you can deal with a cross-country move, look into NH and VT. new grad and ADN friendly. PM me if you need further detail. I relocated too and never for a minute regretted it

If you feel comfortable sharing, what is your location?

OP, can you relocate? if so, send me a private message. i can give you a couple of leads. if not, best of luck to you. the job market for everyone has been horrible since the 2008 crash!

OP, I echo what a previous poster said: I think it might be time to get your anxiety under control. That doesn't mean you couldn't be a great nurse though! It sounds like you are smart and have some insight. Nursing needs smart, humble people. On the other hand, I will offer that you're going to have to "wipe butts" and that is a hugely important part of nursing. Good skin care and pressure ulcer prevention is essential. I have cared for patients who became septic from infected ulcers, and sadly one of them died. Perhaps being a pharmacist would be more up your alley. Less direct care, still beneficial patient care. Good luck to you! I'm sure everything will work out for you in the end.

OP - yes! I graduated at a very difficult time for new grads to get hospital jobs. It was hard to swallow because I have a family, but I'm glad I did. The hiring process at my hospital was ok - long but reasonable. Recommendation letters/CNA experience/essay are musts. My best advice is to be patient and go where the jobs are. I was lucky that my hospital paid for my relocation, gave me a house they owned to live in for 3 months, paid for all of my training including ACLS, and even paid for the gas I used to drive up from my home state! This hospital agreed to hire me before I passed nclex. best of luck to you.

OP, you should be thanked for your advocacy and getting this pt to the unit where they belong. As a charge RN, I would simply not accept this patient to my unit, not assign a bed or nurse, and maybe even file a union "unsafe staffing" report.

OP, you should be commended for your care and honesty. there are some nurses that i know who would have said "eh" or perhaps didn't even notice the BP AT ALL or worse still, let an entire day go by without any vitals being measured. I too wish that there was a way we could just have 3:1 ratio and do all care. maybe one aide just to help answer call bells or help with max assist patients or turns.

Agree with both OP and previous posters. That job makes it seem as though you were working at a nearly-bankrupt psyc unit in a prison. oy vey! however, yes many new grads state that the work is "dangerous" when it really is the new grad who can't keep up in a full patient assignment. that's not dangerous - that's just the expectations of hospital nursing. i have a hard time believing that gloves were not provided (sorry I just do). my best advice is to try a doctor's office not in the same location as your prior two jobs, get some experience, then apply to a hospital after at least a year. good luck to you.

WHY oh why is "journaling" a new thing in nursing? I find keeping your feelings and opinions to yourself is a lost art. I can't believe your employer (let alone nursing schools) is making people do this. Here's what I would write every day: "thank you, Hospital X, for hiring me". Here's what I would want to write every day: "wow, Dr. So-and-So is an idiot" or "these new dansko's are really tight" :) Best of luck to you, and congrats on being a new grad with a job

Can anyone give me their opinion on this: I've put a few applications out to BWH for staff nurse/floor positions and step-down/intermediate. while I heard back and received good feedback from two other rival hospitals, I have received nothing but auto-rejection emails from BWH. Tough to get in there for other people too? Or should I just move on?

OP, sorry you're going through that. 6 week new grad orientation for a 6 patient ratio? Unacceptable. Please do not judge yourself too harshly given that training and ratio. I refuse to work 1:6 and I am an experienced nurse. agree with previous poster that we always need to be prepared and can't be "too tired for a code" (or however she worded it) but still, staffing is key. I cannot imagine orienting and teaching some of my students/new grads under those conditions. How much meaningful teaching and bedside skill can be taught with 6 patients, two of whom are always confused/impulsive, two are circling the drain, and all need their medications and assessments done in a timely fashion? Best of luck to you. Hopefully you can land at a different hospital system in which cultivation of great nursing care is the priority over $.

Boston nurses, how long did it take (roughly) from the time you applied to a particular hospital job to the time you finally heard back from HR or the nurse manager? I am BSN/experienced. thanks in advance for any insight you can offer. it seems slow...hopefully i'm worrying over nothing :)

yes please! i'm guessing ICU would have to be 1:1 or maybe 1:2 at times. how does the nurse : patient ratio work out generally on other units?

Hi Ashley, I hope you don't mind me asking, but do you know what the ratio's are like?