Michizzle

Very true...a coworker made a comment about this group of patients will teach me for the next group of patients and with time I will improve. Makes sense :) Just a lil hard on myself. Thanks!

I am a new graduate, just began working at a Residential treatment center that provides services for substance abuse and eating disorder along with dual diagnosis mental health. I have been hired on as the Full time eating disorder nurse - I have filled in on the chemical Dependency side as well. I am very young (21) this is my first nursing job. I have always been interested in mental health so I am satisfied with my choice however I do question whether or not its the right thing. I don't always feel like I know what I should know as far as basics, meaning what I would have learned starting off on med surg floor. I think i do all right. Today I noticed that I struggle with consoling a saddened patient. I am sort of at a loss on how to educate myself on how to handle such situations. I know sometimes best thing to do is listen, and not talk. I just did not feel helpful to the patient today when sh was very upset witih her parents. Another thing is I have a group of moody tweenys. (pt in their twenties) Theyre kind ofboring, they dont want to interact or do anything ... makesz it difficult for me when I try to engage them in activ ities or conversation and they just coldy respond, if they repsond at all. i suppose I am venting, hoping someone out there understands or can advise me :) Thanks for your time!

I am fresh out of school and my HIV, MEdical errors and my domestic violence were all done in school and I did not recieve a certificate with the expiration date -- it was just a certificate with a completion date. I did look online and saw that they need to be renewed every 2 years, except the HIV is every 10 years. Thank you for your time

nevermind.

My clinicals, during school, were mainly at hospital. I am now working at an ALF and things are clearly different. I am trying to educate myself on ALF protocols and general ALF knowlege in nursing. Websites I have gone to through google all note to review certain chapters, yet I dont know where these chapters could be found. Also, I am a couple months away from needing to renew my CPR certificate and basic First aide. My job does not pay for that and I am not sure where to go to get this updated. I was also told there are things a first year grad needs to complete such as alzheimers education and some others. I wish there was somewhere that all this information would be laid out at. Where could I get this information? Thanks for all the help!

I believe it should be the oncoming shifts responsibility! It is part of nursing to come into work with the last shifts "loose ends" so to speak.

No I was not going on by what the DON had told me. I went by what I had saw with my own eyes and what each of their reactions were when introduced to me. Very closed off, unfriendly, uninterested, I have never been glared at so much in my life. Granted, I am pretty young! haha. But like I mentioned in my thread, I was there everyday for 4 days straight and it never lightened up. All I was saying is that it was intimidating. Today was firs day of actual work with them and was able to see a little more into how much was being unfriendly and how much may have been interpreted wrong.

I start my new job tomorrow as LPN in ALF, I am excited! This past week I have gone into the job 4 days in a row for interview, paperwork, TB results, Orientation. etc. Since day one I felt the hostility amongst the CNAS. I was able to overlook that since the administration was absolutely lovely and welcoming. I also apprecaited that the DON took the time to explain to me the personal side of their facility and that is; they do have attitude problems. I appreciated that the DON told me she did not want me to walk in blindsided, she gave me plenty of examples of what has recently gone on and ways to deal with situations. Nothing too bad just certain personalities. Also, while sitting in her office I whitnessed a few scenarios and loved the way that the DON handled the situation fast and professional. It made me feel comfortable to address an issue if needed and not feel like i am getting somebody in trouble. Today was my last runaround day before starting tomorrow. I walked out taking a big deep breath cause the CNA's truly are rude and impolite. I could not believe the things I heard them say and do in front of the DON! I hear a lot about CNA's trying to run off new nurse's so I am prepared to deal with hostility and I am prepared to brush it off, kill them with kindness, not feed into the negativity type thing. I am just hoping that tomorrow goes smooth! And that when I start off alone and out of training they aren't too hard on me! However I will give the job 6mos-a year and if the environment of staff is taking a big toll on me and cannot be resolved or lightened, I may have to seek elsewhere. One positive point to make is that I will be training, and have met with 1st shift yet I will be sccheduled primarily for 3rd so i will not have to deal with these particular meanies!

I agree. And those were my thoughts exactly. I first thought they were taking advantage of a young naive girl giving a low pay for a big job. I did not understand why I was introduced to everyone as 3rd shift supervisor, LPN...yet having pay that does not add up to that. The DON told me that techinically an assisted living does not need an LPN and that the majority of their staff is Med Techs. I am still lost at the fact that I AM an LPN and I went to school for LPN I should be paid as an LPN not as a med tech. The story goes -- their LPN, that is basically their backbone, is going on maternity leave next month. They did just hire an LPN 5 weeks ago but apaprently she is still making basicc mistakes. When I applied it sparked their ineterest to bring on another LPN to pick up the slack of the newbie yet pull some weight when the other LPN is on maternity leave. All in all it sounds to me like they need a nurse, they need a nurse now, and being a lil cheap!

My mother says Florida is so low because it is considered a "right to work" kind of state..she said it means your lucky to have a job. It does not exactly make sense the way she put it but she did live here for a long time so I do value her advice. I grew up in wisconsin..where 13/hr was what CNAS made...My cousin just graduated from LPN and started off 24/hr. Then again Wisconsin has state taxes and Florida does not. Which also plays a role in it.

I am a recent LPN graduate and decided to start my career off in an ALF, to gain the necessary experience in the management side of nursing. Especially with things that I did not learn in school such as paperwork. I live in Florida. I realize that pay down here is less than up north for example wisconsin. I was shocked when I was offered 13.00/hr for 3rd shift supervisor! I walked out with 13.75, but I am still disappointed and shocked. I even told the ineterviewer that i did not expect anything less than 15. I have classmates starting at 16.50-18.00. I am trying to look at the bright side of it. 1. the facility seems good, the DON was very open and honest about everything that the facility deals with on a personal lefvel and i appreciated that. 2. It is a job..it puts money in my pocket! 3. It is close to home which makes transportation very cheap 4. I am gaining the management experience that I need and also good references for future. 5. The hours fit my schedule and I have weekends off. However, I would appreciate a little more pay! Especially sine I will be filling big shoes while the LPN that runs the place has her baby next month! Any ideas regarding this?