Katniss88

I started in the board's monitoring program in January. I had to go for an evaluation and then had to stay there for rehab per their requirements. In a week or two I will have completed their IOP program and then I can apply for reinstatement of my license. I'm worried about finding a job, I have a controlled substance restriction for 6 months. So that makes it even harder. I've tried dialysis and didn't like it. While I am waiting I've been looking at case management positions and psychiatric nursing. I'm wondering how others have found jobs? Is it possible to get a floor nursing job while having a restriction like mine?

I recently went to a rehab and completed it. I don't drink everyday and the only reason I went was on the recommendation of my therapist(yeah, I know very stupid idea to follow through with). When I came back my psychiatrist said I needed to self report. I did that and refused the VDAP program because I've already been to a rehab. Now they are gonna do an investigation. I'm scared I'm gonna lose my license or be put on probation. I recently just got a new job and am currently working out my notice for my current one. Does anyone have any words of advice?

I'm an associate degree nurse that wants to go back to school for my BSN. I got my degree from a community college and it was pretty tough. Has anyone on here graduated from Auburn University's RN-BSN program? Since it's a bigger university would the curriculum be harder than a smaller university?

I went to see an orthopedic doctor and he said I didn’t have OA, which is good. But I do have a condition that makes my knees hurt. As far as shoes I need something that provides good support, I’m looking at the brooks adrenaline shoes.

Everyone develops arthritis sooner or later from usual wear and tear on joints through life. Recently I had an X-ray done of my knees that showed some osteoarthritis. I've always had an acheness in my left knee every once in a while. Having been a nurse for over 7 years, walking those on those hard floors in a hospital for makes me wonder if I'm doing more damage by the shoes I wear. The shoes I wear are saconny running shoes and are very comfortable and don't hurt my feet. I feel it's too soon for me to be developing OA at 32. A nurse that has been floor nursing for 30 plus years definitely will have OA. Looking for advice. What types of shoes do you normally wear.

Even though I have been off from work for a week on vacation, my doctor advised that I be off for another week. He wanted to give me time to adjust to the change in my medication and to allow for more rest. I spoke to my manager about it and I decided to use FMLA for last week and this week. I also expressed that I felt the increase in overtime and not enough rest in between shifts stressed me out too much, I also brought up the fact that in weeks prior I told her I was starting to feel burned out and asked when the overtime was going to end. I am thankful that I have a manager that is understanding with my situation, she took me off the extra days on the schedule. I'm worried that my coworkers will be upset when they see that I'm not working the overtime like they are and won't treat me the same. I normally do not ask for help while at work because I like to do it all myself, but it's nice when a coworker is team player and helps you out when they see you are drowning. I like all of my coworkers, but I do not like tension or feeling like people mad at me because I'm not pulling my weight by working the OT like they are. Even if I told my coworkers the reason why, not everyone will be understanding so I see no point in telling my personal problems, also I do not want everyone to know that about me.

I never thought about taking FMLA. In the hospital policy it states mandatory OT is required of employees during times of disaster, so I'm not sure how it would play out. My vacation is coming soon so I'll be off for some time to recharge. I have good and bad days of course, yesterday was not good and being at work made it worse, but as the night when on I started to feel better(probably from all that walking). I should be doing some type of exercising but when I'm home I feel like doing nothing. I decided this morning that I didn't want the letter sent.

I’m currently going through a med change for my depression and dealing with my depression symptoms. My depression came back earlier this year when the pandemic began and after working on the COVID unit. Now most of my stress is from working so much overtime that is mandatory. My therapist offered to write an excuse/note to send to my manager saying that it’s not good for my mental health to be working this much. I declined when she offered because I didn’t want my manager to know I have depression and didn’t want my coworkers to feel like I’m not pulling my weight. But now I’ve reconsidered her offer of writing a note for my manager because I’m struggling with my depression. But I’m scared of what will happen when she gets the letter. I don’t want to change jobs because I like my job, but working all this overtime is too much. Changing jobs would only cause me more stress. Just scared of the unknown, I don’t want to let my coworkers down but I also hate coming to work. I hate being there. I see no end to it all.

I have been taking meds for over a year and my symptoms were managed, I felt good. Since the first time working on a COVID unit, my symptoms came back and I've had to switch to a different medication. I'm no longer working a COVID unit full time, only when floated there. My stress and anxiety now comes from having to work too much. We now are made to work 4 shifts a week. I'm seeing sicker medical patients than I did prior to COVID and during the lockdown. Since the COVID pandemic started we were made to work OT every other week, which was somewhat okay, but 4 shifts a week is crazy. I and everyone else is tired of working so much. I am hopeful that it ends soon, but I cannot see the end. The money is nice, but not at the price of my mental health.

I have scheduled myself for another session next week. My employer is offering mental health services during this time, but I prefer to see the therapist that I've talked to for over a year. Those nurses who are working on COVID units full time definitely should use the mental health services offered. I think once we are not made to work overtime I will feel better.

I was diagnosed with depression at the end of 2017 after seeking counseling for the first time. I didn't start an antidepressant till probably the next year, then I would take them on and off, kept telling myself that I wasn't depressed and didn't need the medication. Then in mid 2019, I had an embarrassing experience which provoked me to seek out counseling again. I found the right therapist and have been taking an antidepressant since. Nursing can be stressful at times, but I was doing fine with my depression and doing well until March. I worked on a COVID unit for the first time on a Friday, then the next day "bam" here are feelings of anxiety, sadness, and crying. I worked on a non critical COVID unit for a while and even volunteered because I wanted to help and wasn't afraid( I was afraid the very first time I worked on the unit). I forced myself to stop watching the news, even though I wanted to watch, because it increased my anxiety levels. We have been working overtime hours every other week since this pandemic started. Then recently the hospital is requiring us to work OT every week. That's asking too much. I am a nurse who RARLEY will pick up OT. I have worked 3 straight weeks of overtime. What makes it worse is having sicker patients than usual on my med/surg unit, these are not even COVID patients. I cannot devote the right amount of attention to a really sick patient who might turn critical when I have 5 others pts. The increased hours on top of taking care of really sick patient's has been wearing me thin. I like where I work, but I feel like I am becoming burned out.

Recently we had to start reusing gowns. My reaction to that is, what's the point of even wearing a gown then. If you've been in a COVID positive room, that gown is contaminated, no matter if you don't touch the outside of it. It's a pain in the butt trying to put them back on too. Having to reuse N95 masks over and over is awful. Such an ordeal trying to take it off and put it back on without touching the front of the mask or the straps touching it. I don't fault my employer, it's not their fault that they cannot get a hold of much needed supplies because every hospital in the country is needing the same supplies at the same time. In normal times we would not go through this much PPE in such a short time. Everyone's schedules were changed to best suite the needs of the hospital, we normally self schedule. Initially I was very nervous working on a COVID floor for the first time, now it doesn't bother me much. I'm doing the best I can to prevent myself from getting sick or anyone else.

I'm torn between whether it's worth it or not to pursue the BSN. Management seems to be a big reason to get a BSN but I definitely do not want to be a manager, too much of a headache. I want to get away from the bedside and I'm tired of the 12 hr shifts and the demands of floor nursing. I worked at the same hospital for 5 1/2 years since nursing school and recently got a job at another hospital. I've been working at the new hospital for maybe 4 months. I'm getting more experience but still hate going to work. My previous job was not awesome either but my friends made it bearable.

I've been a nurse for 6 years and have an associates. I've been taking the prerequisites towards a BSN but I'm growing tired of taking these classes and want to already be into the nursing classes. The college I'm looking at is Jacksonville State University and by their curriculum I have just a literature class to take and an exam to test out of the science requirements. I've been looking into Chamberlain university as I could immediately start into college classes and probably be done with the nursing program faster. I'm in no hurry to finish my degree because I'm not sure of what I want to do with it just yet. I definitely want to get away from bedside nursing.

Where I live we occasionally get ice and/or snow. In my five years of working as a nurse I've experienced two ice/snow storms. Thankfully the hospital I work for has a floor they don't use with beds and cots available. My first year working there we had snow and they asked us to come in well before the snow hit, the people that worked dayshift came in the night before. They planned for it in advance because they knew people wouldn't want to get out and drive in it and would possibly call out. Then last year we had snow again, they asked us to come in a couple hrs before our shift before the roads froze over again as the temperatures started to fall.

I keep going back and forth with myself on whether I want to stay or go, and by go I mean change jobs. Transferring to days will only help the working nights problem and help with my sleep. I will essentially be doing the same tasks and providing the same care as I do on nights except I will be discharging patients and admitting more surgical patients. There are just a couple of changes to get used to and a more fast paced shift than I'm used to. I've thought about applying at a dialysis clinic and have talked with someone that works at one of the major clinics to get an idea of what it's like and whether I would want to apply. It was an area that I was interested in working because I applied to one after I finished nursing school. Even though I'm scared of change and uncertain of things, I do know that I do not want to work in the hospital setting all of my nursing career. I feel comfortable in my current position, but at times I want something different or feel I need a change in my life. I do not see myself working at the same hospital where I am currently employed or even in a hospital in the next five years. My goal has always been to get out of the hospital setting. I'm scared to switch to something else because I've done ortho nursing for so long and it's all I know, I haven't even worked on a med-surg unit. I've seen a lot of nurses that have a varied background in nursing having worked in different areas and I think it's important to branch out and gain different experiences because you become more marketable and valuable to potential employers when seeking new positions.

Thanks for the advice. Even though I really don't want to move to days because of the craziness and how busy it is, it would be a change and a challenge for me. Both of which I need right now. I'm starting to think night shift has had a negative effect on my mental health and personal life. I've had more anxiety and been more irritable than I ever have been while working there. It may be affecting me more now because I'm getting older. I have thought about working somewhere else but I believe that would be too much of a change for me at this time and would cause more stress. What I know for sure is that I need a change, and I believe making a switch to days would help.

When is the moment that you know it's time for a change? I have been a nurse for 5 yrs and I have worked at the same hospital on an orthopedic unit for those 5 yrs. It's actually not a horrible unit to work on but very demanding and stressful at times. I was glad when I got the job as it was one of the hospitals and floor that I hoped to get. I still love what I do and where I work, my co-workers have become some of the best friends I've ever had and I enjoy working with them. What do not like is the fact that it's night shift, and I refuse to work days on that floor because it's beyond stressful and more than I am willing to put up with just to be able to sleep like normal people. I do not particularly care for the 12hrs shift either, but as an associates degree nurse without experience in other areas of nursing, there aren't much choices to choose from. At times I do feel a bit depressed and feel like day in and day out it's the same and I don't feel happy. I have many blessings in my life, so I shouldn't feel depressed or sad. The first few years of working there I did not feel this way, and was actually glad to go to work for the most part. Part of the reason I haven't changed jobs is because I'm scared to go anywhere else, I've gotten so accustomed to my job and I know what to expect. Another reason I'm reluctant to go anywhere else is the staffing ratios and the work hrs, we have pretty good staffing at 5:1 and are not required to work overtime. So I'm kind of unsure of whether I should go somewhere else because I may get another job and wish that I would have stayed where I was at. We don't have a lot of emergency situations on our floor and when they do happen it really scares me and thankfully there are many people there to help. I know I do not want to work as a floor nurse for my whole career, so I'm working on getting my BSN so I'll have more options open to me in the future. I just do not feel content, and nothing seems to shake the feeling of unhappiness even though I still like my job. Any advice would be appreciative, thanks.

I didn't think of it that way, thanks. I'm looking at Chamberlain, it's expensive but it seems like the better option. It was already gonna cost me a lot of money if I took all the prerequisites online that I needed if I used the traditional online RN-BSN program.

I've been out of nursing school for almost 5 yrs now and have worked at the same place my whole career. I haven't wanted to go back because the BSN doesn't guarantee extra pay where I work or in the state I live. Even the nearby state doesn't. There are so many classes I have to take towards a BSN before I can even apply for the program. I have no desire to be in management and I'm not wanting to progress to a MSN or become an NP. It was brought to my attention that I should be thinking towards the years coming ahead where I may not be able to do floor nursing anymore. It's a lot to think about and wondering if it's worth all the time and money. I've looked at chamberlain college of nursing but it looks sketchy to me and the board of nursing in Alabama is very strict on what they accept. I've asked them about it and they can't give me an answer either way. Most of my classmates who have went back have went to traditional universities to get their BSN. So that's why I'm unsure.

I called the school that I was planning to apply for admission to, JSU in Alabama. They told me that they would accept my science courses, so I got all worked up over nothing. If I had to take them all over again, I'm not so sure I would go back. I already have to take chemistry, which I'm not looking forward to. Of course they'll have to review my transcript and see what they'll accept and what I need to take. All the classes that I've taken are at an Alabama community college, so I hoping they all will transfer. But I think it's crazy that some colleges won't accept science courses that over 5 yrs old. I understand that science does change a lot with all the advancements that they are making, but you shouldn't have to retake classes you already taken especially if you already have a degree. I was looking at Chamberlain college for the RN-BSN program, but I'm worried that if I decide to go back for another degree that their degree won't be acknowleged at other colleges because their coursework isn't the traditional route for a BSN. I wish I would have started taking the prerequisites that I needed a few years ago, but it was overwhelming with the amount of classes I needed to take before I could even get into a RN-BSN program. I need to start somewhere though. Thanks for your reply.

I've been out of nursing school for almost 5 yrs come May 2018. I've been putting off going back to get my BSN because ther are so many core classes that I need to get before I can even start taking BSN classes. I've been told that I have to go back to school before the 5 yr mark or my credits will not be taken. Which makes no sense when I've already completed an associates degree. My question is this something that any of you have come across? I was talking to people that are from Georgia, but I'm wondering if this is true for Georgia colleges. I'm planing on continuing my education in Alabama, my associates is at an Alabama community college.

I've worked 7p-7a for about three and half years now. I've never had trouble staying awake during my shift because I'm the type of person who stayed up really late even before I became a nurse. I don't have trouble sleeping during the day but my problem is I wake up several times. In the past before I became a nurse it would take me 30 minutes or so to get to sleep but I can't recall ever having issues of staying asleep. When I'm off I try to sleep at night so that I can have somewhat of social life and to spend time with family. Lately because I've worked so many shifts where I work two shifts and then off two its really disrupted my sleep. When I got home from my last shift, I barely slept any. I fought to stay awake the rest of the evening so I could sleep that night but I still woke up around 0130. So I'm probably only getting 3 hours of sleep where I don't wake up. I just want to be able to sleep at least 6 hours or more without waking up.

Before I went for the interview I asked someone that I know who works there and she told me it was usually 9-10 patients on a low staffed day and she said that she wanted to be honest with me because she didn't feel like they were totally honest with her during her hiring process. During the interview they told me 10. In my mind I was thinking that a rehab facility took patients who are stable and well enough to transfer from a hospital into a rehab facility. They nurse I know told me that they have antibiotics to give, change dressings, and have patients who have wound vacs. I already had doubts about working at this facility when I was told about their nurse patient ratio. The patients that I take care of now are not really sick patients, but it can get really busy with having 6 to take care of. I'm really wanting to get some medsurg experience but I don't want to take a chance of losing my license in the process. They gave me the opportunity to shadow a nurse to see if I was still interested in the position. At this point I have more doubts about taking this position.

I recently interviewed at a rehab facility and they tell me they can give you up to 10 patients. Where I work now I typically will take 5-6, 7 patients when we are really busy, and this is taking care of patients who just had surgery or post op day 1 or 2. When I have 6 or 7 it can get overwhelming when they are the one's will run you to death all night. They told me their nurse patient ratio is like this because they are a sub-acute facility. I don't have any medsurg experience and I would get some at this rehab facility but I don't feel comfortable with taking 10 patients. They said they do have patients that are sick, so why in the world would you give one nurse so many patients?