b33again

I am a new nurse and I work for agency at an LTACH and the nurses/ mgrs don't follow an established protocol in place for addressing a high Braden Scale rating. Other facilities have a benchmark for a rating that is at 18 or more. If it's 18 then the RN has to DO something. I'm hoping I get feedback about the following so I can be proactive: 1. What should I do when the facility does not address potential problems? I documented it but they don't seem to pay atttention. I went straight to the Nurse Manager and she told me they would take care of it but really they did not when I went back a few days later. 2. What is the protocol at your LTACH? I appreciate your comments and feedback!!

Hi Jujubeee, I am a New Grad who landed in ambulatory surgery last year and work as PACU RN. I love your recruiter advice, and I am going to run with it! Here in SoCal the Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) jobs are lucrative because Med/ Surg RNs get in and don't leave. I am trying to get out! It's Per Diem work, and I'm not learning anything new-- my patients are coming out of light conscious sedation and I have them out the door in 15 minutes... Not your highly advanced PACU RN critical care going on here. You are so smart-- thank you so much!!!! My resumes are getting "kicked" all over the place, and I desperately want to get into a hospital, hopefully critical care, full time. You totally made my day.

I am not getting any skills or mileage as a RN!! I have been working one day a week in outpatient setting, as post- op RN at an Ambulatory Surgery Center. They like me there but it's small, same type of surgery every week and not much going on. I have asked but they don't have anything to add, like ideas, references, word on other openings other places, etc. I thought about typing my own reference letter and having my boss sign it since she is too busy to do it and is totally disinterested in my dilemma. She is not into feedback or employee evaluations. She is the DON and she works there part time! I decided to target UCSD hospitals, I have met so many new grads (while doing laser hair removal on them, my first crummy job as RN) who got in to UCSD New Grad program 1st try... they say they just applied, ho hum, that's all, I can't seem to get any details. ANYONE out there get interviewed at UCSD for tele, med/ surg, or burn center, how do I get to that destination??? My preceptorship was in Tele/ Cardiac / Stroke unit. I'm ACLS cert., will have MSN before end of year, but meanwhile, I need to work NOW, more than 1x a week, more than part time, for financial reasons. I am out of savings now. I think I have to go back to CNA! My resume already has a ton of past work positions from last career and then CNA while in nursing school-- don't want to add something that is not on the path I want to take, like a SNF (also tried cosmetics right after graduation, worked on the laser hair removal assembly line, HATED it, and quit). It's been more than 8 months now since graduation and I am totally frustrated with trying to get into new grad programs, job searches, etc etc. I have met so many new nurses who got right into new grad right away, they are ALL so much younger than me. I'm in shape, look young for my age, love to work, need to be busy and on my feet, absolutely love nursing, and I am getting sick to my stomach about this because I don't get selected past the application stage. I have a great resume, in my past career life (different industry) never had a prob with landing interviews and always got the job. Now as RN I don't even get to the interview stage. I need full time work-- yesterday. I selected UCSD as a target, don't know a soul there, but I can go on site to visit (who?) or volunteer (do RNs do this, worth it?). I belong to AACN and my biggest contribution is helping clean up after meetings. I don't have any experience whatsoever like my peers, I am so lost. A LVN or MA could do my current job of d/c IVs and assessment post- MAC sedation. My dream is to be in PACU and I don't know how in the world I will get there. Someone out there who is compassionate, sweet, empathetic... brilliant and talented, mean, drill sgt., RN new grad or nurse mgr, whatever, someone, say something, and weigh in, please help. Thank you I so much appreciate it and promise to pass on all good karma and not give up, but I am out of ideas and losing hope! God bless!

It took a lot of courage to talk about how retarded she was... Everybody be nice and weigh in on how she can best do damage control. Don't be a meanie!

Hi everyone, I had to laugh about all the bath comments. It looks like I could be more assertive in letting nurses know I would like to assist... and Elisheval is right, it's like we are amongst neurosurgeons, the way fellow students brag... My clinical group is rather large and greedy, so I will just have to elbow my way in. Thank you to all who replied! :bowingpur

I am so glad you responded-- it's great to know I am not alone. I am hearing that many hospitals will teach in the new grad programs, so we shouldn't worry.. haha but we do, we are overachievers! Thanks for posting and I will keep you informed... b33again.

Please a kind hearted nurse student-- Someone weigh in with your advice or experience that could help!! I am in an accelerated RN program and in my final quarter. I graduate at the end of the year and know I don't have enough clinical experience under my belt. My school messed up and lost its positon in clinical rotation scheduling-- so instead of doing clinical work in a hospital we ended up in a nursing home for med/ surg clinical! Nothing but passing meds! I have NOT started an IV on a real person, or completed many skills other nursing students typically do, like wound packing. I am a licensed CNA and work as a PCT and imaging assistant at 2 different hospitals. I graduated from a med asst trade school, so I can draw blood and do injections. But when it comes to using all the different devices, parts, etc., I don't know what I will do. I live in fear of ending up with a cranky preceptor and being found out that I am all thumbs with ports stopcocks... I see all these different things stacked in the supply room of the Med Surg floor and I am TOTALLY lost! I feel like I have a big secret that I am afraid someone will find out... My Maternal Health clinical (moved back, after Peds!) will be in a clinic and I don't expect to see action there, either. My Peds clinical is at a hospital and we are not allowed to TOUCH the children! The good news I did get some experience with critical care and also rehab, with brain injury patients... but NOT the fast paced world of Med Surg! Is this more common than I think? Anyone? HELP!! Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I promise I will Z"pass it on" when I become a nurse mentor myself.:heartbeat signed, b33again