APatriganiRN

...That don't require the GRE!! Anyone know of any??? I've got a "realistic" program I applied to that doesn't require them, and i didn't do well enough to feel confident about my 2 "reach" schools that require them...suggestions anywhere east coast-ish would be great!! :-)

One of the pharmacy managers or supervisors came up to my floor to talk to my PCM while I was working yesterday, and they both approached me to tell me no big deal, I was fine. Usually with a discrepancy it's 1 or 2 pills, and no one is allowed to leave until it gets straightened out, however that was clearly a pharmacy loading error rather than a nursing error or theft. I didn't een get repremanded for failure to report it. Needless to say, I really lucked out here, and I learned a huge lesson that might save me in the future since now I know EXACTLY what to do from now on. Thanks everyone for your support!!

I do feel much better about it this morning. I'm obviously humiliated at the fact that I didn't report it, but I know I've done nothing wrong besides that. I'm also fortunate to have a PCM that stands up for her nurses. I know I will get some sort of punishment for not following through with the descrepency, but I am confidently hoping that I will not face termination. The bad thing is that it can't technically be fully straightened out until Monday, however I have some fun things planned for the weekend so I am hoping to not stress too much. Thank you everyone who has posted here with advice, support, suggestions. You are all amazing, God bless.

Right, so I'm the idiot new grad who ALMOST had a smooth first week off orientation, and I got sidetracked and failed to do the obvious, which was to immediately report it. It's a mistake I'll never make again. What I don't know is, what do I do now? I have to wait until Monday to have all this straightened out and talk to my PCM. I don't know what to do. I've barely even taken the narcs that have been prescribed to me legally after surgical procedures bc they all make me sick, so needless to say I would LOVE to take a drug test and prove my innocence. Also it was pointed out to me that the number of pills that should have been there probably would not even be able to fit in that tiny compartment. I got caught up in my work, which is often expected of a new grad, although this is definitely a major thing. Idk what to do and right about now it looks like a sleepless night with a soaked pillow :-(

@orange tree- I counted 3 times and checked on the floor and even between the pyxis and the wall. @medsurg- I know, this is the part where i goofed up the worst. I did show another RN the slip, but was in such a hurry to get back to work that I totally forgot about it after that. I messed up bad by not officially reporting it. I failed to do the one thing that was constantly drilled into my head during school, and that's to cover myself. I will definitely learn from this mistake, I just hope it doesn't cost me my job. :'(

Hello all, I am a new grad and recently just finished up my 3-month orientation. This is my first week on my own, and up until today I had yet to create a decrepency in the Pyxis. Well today, instead of counting 20 pills, there were only 8. I was so busy at the time, that even though I made a joke about it to one of my co workers as it happened, I forgot to report it to the charge nurse. Now the night charge just called me asking what happened and why we are short 12 pills, and while she is going to try to fix the descrepency herself, she does need to report it to the nursing supervisor. Has anything like this ever happened to anyone else??? I am so shaken up and scared of what is going to happen to me! I know descrepencies do happen from time to time, but usually it's only by 1 or 2 pills, and the nurse has the sense to report it IMMEDIATELY. I've tried so hard to do everything right since day one, and right now I'm really upset and worried that my word isn't going to be good enough :-( Also, I can't believe that I joked about it and then forgot to report it-- does at least making someone else aware of it somewhat help my case (what I mean is that at least I told someone, so it's not like I tried to hide anything???) Please help!!

That's a great idea that I never would have thought of, so thank you so much for passing that along to me!! :-) Specifically, did you hit on points such as why you chose nursing, why you want to continue education and become a NP, and what you plan to do upon graduation? I feel like I could write entire essays on each of those topics...maybe my BSN teachers can look at my statement and help me chop the unimportant things??

I'm 7 weeks into my first job, still orienting, and still learning things every shift. Most preceptors are great resources, and you should be asking them a lot of questions (after you have already tried to find the answer). Also, you want to be prepared and willing to take the reins and be independent, but always run things by your preceptor if you're not completely sure--much better to take the extra couple of minutes to run it by a more experienced nurse than to put your patient and your license at risk. Also on my floor, there are 3 other new nurses orienting, and I've found their preceptors to be approachable as well during times when my own is off the unit or with another patient. Honestly, the hardest part for me is figuring out what MD/PA/APRN I need to call (I'm at a huge inner city hospital, so we have so many different care providers, it can be quite confusing at times!) No one is ever 100% prepared for their first job out of school, though I've never heard of anyone dying from it either. Soak up every learning opportunity you can, and find your go to people to ask questions. you will succeed :yelclap:

Hello All, I just finished my BSN and have begun working on a telemetry unit, and I am hoping to start grad school (ACNP) next fall (2012). I know a personal statement is required to apply to the schools I am looking into, but I'm really not sure where to start, what to include, and what these admissions offices want to hear. If anyone can give me some suggestions or a push in the right direction, I'd be most appreciative. Thank you!!

Serious!! I'm day shift, with rotating nights, and I worked my first night this Monday. Omg all I did was drink coffee/energy drinks and eat!! And then I ate when I got home BEFORE I WENT TO BED!

I will most likely be applying to Yale. My other schools are UConn, Columbia, and Univeersity of South Carolina. South Carolina is my last choice (I'd have to relocate), UConn is my realistic choice, and Yale and Columbia are just for the heck of it, though I definitely have a better shot than I'm giving myself credit for. I'm looking to do the ACNP track, btw.

Got another one...not sure why your pen won't work, and then you realize you actually have your penlight, rather than a real pen.

And definitely get it engraved!! Not only is it a nice sentimental touch, but you can prove it's yours!!

I'm also a new grad, and while everything is going well for me so far, I know for a fact that you're not the first/only person to have a problem like this. I was offered a few different jobs and explained the orientation/precepter deal, the whole 9 yards, and they're pretty much the same everywhere.... To get to it, every manager that offered me a job discussed precepting/orienting, and REASSURED ME that sometimes, you just don't click with your preceptor, and it's no one's fault, nothing personal, etc, just different styles. These managers and HR recruiters all told me- sometimes it just doesn't work out, and you can talk to your manager about it and get set up wth someone else. They say it happens now and then, and they try to put you with someone you can mesh with better. Saying something along the lines of, "So and so is a really great nurse, who is very knowledgable and good at what she does, but unfortunately, as much as I respect the work she does, I don't feel that we're meshing/ this is a good fit/ this is working out/ etc etc". Whatever you say, make sure that you give her props and emphasize that you like/respect her (even though you prob don't, and I don't blame you)- that way you aren't "tattling" on her, and you're lessening the risk of future hostile interactions with her. I know it's easier said than done, but hang in there!!! So many new grads are still struggling to find jobs, and you found one in EMERGENCY CARE!!! You must have worked so incredibly hard to get this job, and you don't deserve to have one mean person ruin it for you!!!

haha! I'm a new grad and I accidentally signed RN on credit card receipt the other day...I feel like much less of a d-bag now that I see I'm not the only one who's done that! ;-) Also, can't walk by a Purell dispenser without taking some haha