newgradchad

newgradchad's Latest Activity

1. 

   Safety in hospitals with unions

   newgradchad posted a topic in Safety

   I NEVER WANT TO EXPERIENCE THIS AGAIN. THIS IS NOT RIGHT NOR IS IT FAIR. Christmas Eve and all throughout the hospital there are nurses calling out sick. I've been a nurse for 2 years and work on a cardiothoracic stepdown unit where the nurse to patient ratio is 1:4. On this particular day 1 nurse calls out, they can't find a replacement. The nurses on duty had to provide care to 6 patients! on a stepdown unit, with post open heart, pci, pacemaker patients on gtts and required frequent rounds for monitoring! I had patients complain to me about their care and one post-pacemaker patient develop a hematoma on my time. This hospital has a union and I came to this hospital thinking i would never have to deal with providing unsafe care. I'm afraid that I'm going to lose my license after this hectic day. I NEVER EVER want to experience this ever again and this should never even happen in the first place. I can't help but think that some of my patients outcomes are worse due to the fact I wasn't able to provide safe patient care. And if i were to voice this issue, it seems like no one would care. What is the point of union?! So senior nurses get time off?! I think that is the only benefit to working in a hospital with a union. I just needed to vent.
2. 

   Feeling miserable nearly a year

   newgradchad posted a topic in First Year

   I've been working for roughly a year and some months now on a very busy telemetry unit. Nurse to patient ratio is 1:6 and we get LVAD and heart/lung transplant patients/candidates. This is my first job and I started here as a new grad. It's been a great learning experience so far, but can't help feeling so miserable. I do believe that it's the environment, and not so much nursing, that's making me feel miserable, but let me tell you my story. When I first started, it was very stressful but I slowly began to get used to the load and didn't mind going to work so much. Recently this telemetry unit just transformed into a split telemetry/step down unit. With that transformation came a new group of nurses, a new manager, and a new director. Our tele ANMs were no longer the ANMs, the ICU nurses were and they manage their assignments completely different from how our ANMs did. Within weeks the new manager quit because she couldn't handle the stress, well that's the rumor at least. So we currently have no manager and more often than not I'm getting 7 patients instead of 6. We're not adequately staffed and assignments are based on location and not acuity. I love my coworkers, but don't agree with the way things are running. The team dynamics aren't the same compared to when I first started. It seems like I have no support. Anyway i was able to find a new job on a Cardiac Step Down unit because a smaller patient ratio would allow me to really learn more. I feel as though I'm going about this the right way but I really can't help but feel so miserable with my life. I feel as though nursing is not for me and that I'm doing the things that I just need to do and not so much what I want to do. I never had a favorite unit in nursing school nor does any particular unit interest me know. I'm about to get my ACLS and start a new career on a cardiac step down unit but is this what i really want? i can't help but constantly think about quitting nursing altogether and going back to school to get another undergrad degree in something else that could be more enjoyable, less stressful, and does not include the lives of other people in my hands. I don't believe there are enough good to balance out the bad in nursing. I think if I had known what nursing was really like, I would've never gone into the field. Any words of encouragement or honesty? I'd appreciate it.
3. 

   Please review my resume, 1 year experience

   newgradchad posted a topic in Resume

   Hey everyone, So the story is, my unit is undergoing changes and transforming from a 34-bed tele unit to a 22-bed tele/stepdown unit. Unfortunately because we down-sized, nurses are being "displaced" to different units. I'm one of those nurses being displaced but I figured I could take this opportunity to change jobs completely. I just started working here as a new grad and will hit my one year mark in November. I just wanted someone to look at my resume because i still have some experiences from college on there and wasn't sure if i should keep it or not. I'd appreciate any feedback. Thanks First Name Last Name, RN, BSN City, State Zip phone, email SUMMARY Hard-working, goal-oriented, compassionate skilled professional nurse with 1 year experience on a fast-paced, 34-bed telemetry unit seeking a position that will utilize outstanding assessment skills, excellent communication skills, and provide exceptional patient care. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Hospital Name, City, State Staff Nurse - Heart Failure Unit Provided direct patient care to patients requiring continuous telemetry monitoring including LVAD, transplant, and medical patients on the heart failure unit Participated in coordinating discharge planning and home care with doctors, social workers, case managers, physical therapists, occupational therapists, nutritionists Served as a patient advocate and recognized for patient satisfaction Monitored daily weights, intake and output, and reported symptoms and changes in patients' condition Actively participated in codes and rapid responses on the unit Participated in Performance Improvement projects and activities Provided written and teaching/demonstration skills for extensive patient education Modified patient treatment plans as indicated by patients' responses and conditions Counseled patients a family members on the promotion and maintenance of health and disease prevention through health teaching EDUCATION College Name, City, State Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing LICENSES/CERTIFICATIONS New Jersey Registered Professional Nurse New York Registered Professional Nurse Basic Life Support for Health Care Professionals IV Certified PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS Member - American Association of Critical Nursing OTHER EXPERIENCES Volunteer, Somerset Medical Center (Summer 2011) Extend patient comfort care and staff support by answering call lights, refreshing water, assisting patients with meal trays and feeding, and listening to patients and family members Survey patients on stay satisfaction after discharge Ensure each patient has Patient Education Folder and review materials with patient if needed Presenter, Englewood Hospital and Medical Center (2011) Collaborated with peers and identified areas of improvement on Stroke/Oncology Unit Developed a plan to implement a change on the unit Research included extensive literature reviews, interviews with nursing staff, radiology department, and risk management, product research Utilized management theories to plan change Provided a slide show and oral presentation to Vice President of Clinical Services, Patient Care Director and Nurse Manager of 5 Dean: Stroke Oncology/Unit Presenter, Hot Topics and Evidence-Based Research Fair (2010) "Soothing music can raise oxytocin levels during bed rest after open-heart surgery: a randomized control trial" Presentation on evidence-based study to healthcare professionals using PICO Presenter, Jewish Community Center on the Palisades (2009) Discussed Seasonal Affectiveness Disorder, early signs, and prevention tips SKILLS Proficient with Windows Vista operating system and Microsoft Office (Word, Powerpoint, Excel, Access) Outstanding customer service skills with background in retail Experience in collaborating with different departments that required maintaining open and effective communication CONTINUOUS EDUCATION Reporting and Identifying Child Abuse in NYS (June 2011) NYS Infection Control Training (September 2011) National Institute of Health's Protecting Human Research Participants (September 2010) Certification Number: 53556 EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES Nursing Student Organization (2008 - 2011) Participated in donations and charity events Advised underclassmen on nursing curriculum Filipino-American Student Association (2007 - 2010) President - raised over $500 for Ayala Foundation, awarded Outstanding Cultural Program of the Year, volunteered at various local charity events, led meetings with 40+ members, worked closely with Filipino Intercollegiate Networking Dialogue, educated members and campus on relevant issues Vice President of Internal Affairs - worked with Student Affairs and other student leaders to positively represent the organization Asian/Pacific-Islander Ancestry Month Committee (2010) Assisted in planning the events of celebration for April 2010 Collaborated with the Diversity Action Committee to plan "Culture Shock," an event that introduces new students to multicultural organizations on campus launched Fall 2010
4. 

   am i the only one?

   newgradchad posted a topic in First Year

   2 weeks off orientation and i've had one fall, one med error that resulted in an rrt and a patient who had a whole page of orders missing for a good 3 hours all in all effecting his medications. the next day my rrt patient went home but i cant stop thinking about my personal status as an rn and if i had completed all the right documentation. i feel like i'm failing and i don't want to give up but this is just so damn hard. my confidence is shot, i feel like i don't have anyone to talk to. i'm the only new grad on the floor. i don't want it to seem like i've wasted the hospital's money but i am so close to giving up.
5. 

   When will I stop dreading going to work?!

   newgradchad replied to janice_c67's topic in First Year

   this is me to an absolute tee! i feel like i'm suffering with the amount of stress i endure at work and i'm still working on my organization. i feel like i've taken steps backwards. i'm ready to quit but feel so guilty because my family really needs the money that i get from this job right now and there are so many of my classmates that would do anything to get the job that i have. you're not alone i really can't wait to feel like the pressure lighten up.
6. 

   Coping Strategies for New Grad Nurses

   newgradchad posted a topic in First Year

   I've posted before, I work on a Telemetry unit with LVAD and transplant patients on the day shift. I've been on orientation for about 8 weeks now and have a few weeks left until my orientation is done. My patient load is 6 and it feels like I've taken steps backwards. I spend many days before and after work crying. After a few days off I always tense up, get heart palpitations and cry the night before I work again. I know being a new nurse is overwhelming and its normal to feel afraid, but there aren't enough good days on the floor to cover up all the other days. I always come home thinking if I forgot to chart something or if my notes were done correctly or if I should've told the night nurse this or that. I wonder about some of the patients that I had that were sent out to surgery and transferred to ICU and wonder if there was something I could've prevented. My time management is my biggest problem and it feels like i never get a chance to even just think. i get so caught up with giving meds on time, looking up labs, taking off orders, that i feel like there's hardly any time for me to think about the patient. in the back of my mind i think if i really made the right choice in nursing. i feel miserable, stressed and anxious and most importantly unhappy. i know it's too soon and everyone tells me to lighten up and not be so hard on myself because i'm a new nurse but i'm having a hard time coping with the stress. my preceptor says i administer meds well and my notes are ok but i really need to work on managing my time and communicating with the people around me. i just need help managing my stress and some encouragement because i'm so ready to quit right now.
7. 

   new job and i feel like i dont remember anything!

   newgradchad replied to Moecato's topic in First Year

   Hope it's not too late for a reply, but i'm a new grad also. i graduated in may and started working in november. i work on a cardiac floor at a hospital with an amazing cardiac rep so it's extremely intimidating. it's been 2 months and i still feel like i don't know anything. you have to remind yourself that you're new and that it's going to take some time for you to apply everything you learned. you won't be alone so don't worry someone will always be there to back you up, prevent mistakes, and teach you. you are there to learn so don't expect yourself to be like the other nurses you work with. the importance is patient safety. i overwhelm myself all the time because i feel like i don't know anything, but all you can do is your best and speak up when you have questions. everyone already knows that you don't know everything so don't be so hard on yourself! good luck to you!
8. 

   new grad nurse on telemetry

   newgradchad posted a topic in Cardiac

   I could really use some advice/support. I'm a new grad that got hired on a telemetry unit that has a lot of sick patients, not only cardiac, but respiratory, GI, and transplant patients. I've only been on the unit for 2 days. the first day with my preceptor was really overwhelming with the paperwork and routines that i'm not familiar with. my preceptor gave me two very stable simple patients that were both very knowledgeable of their diseases and what they needed to continue monitoring for themselves. i had no problems with my assessments but my preceptor is so intimidating and i guess made me feel kind of dumb. i felt like was i was in nursing school all over again and i kept trying to remind myself to get out of that mindset and see myself as a real nurse with real responsibilities. the 2nd day my preceptor called out sick (in the back of my head i felt like it was because of me) and i followed another senior nurse. two simple patients again but it was a little hectic. i feel like i keep forgetting supplies that i need to bring with me when administering meds, asking about their intake and output, and stuff like that. i also have no idea when to call the docs about abnormal labs because it doesn't seem that these nurses do it (i'm on day shift maybe they just wait for the doc to come up?). nothing too serious has happened to me yet, but i'm extremely nervous and still terrified to go in for work. i try to read up on articles that the educator gives me and review through my medsurg book but its like when i get to work, everything comes out of my head. any advice please??
9. 

   Am I Marketable? At All?

   newgradchad replied to luvtonurse's topic in Nursing

   Stay positive you will make it! Don't let your fears get in the way of your success. I was once in your shoes: I didn't get the externships I applied to, couldn't get a job in the hospital as an assistant/aide/tech, I wasn't even in the top of my class. I barely made it. I feel like now I've always just made it because I didn't have enough confidence in myself, I always brought myself down and they kept me from getting hired. I graduated May 2011 and just got hired on a cardiac floor at Newark Beth Israel, which is amazing! If I can make it, you can make it. You've just got to be proud of everything you've done and stop comparing yourself to other people with other experiences. Your experiences and achievements are valuable too. Just show them how willing you are to learn. Don't beat yourself up for things you can't change. Stay positive and good luck! P.S. I did volunteer work also and many places I applied to counted that as experience as well.
10. 

    I did it! Advice for New Grads still searching

    newgradchad posted a topic in First Year

    I finally made it! Exactly 3 months and 1 day since I passed my NCLEX, I found a job as an RN on a telemetry floor which is really luck of me and hard to believe. I wanted to share something that I learned. This may not apply to all hospitals but this is what the recruiter and manager told me: No 1-page resume. It doesn't have enough information about what I've done in clinical and the amount of effort I've done for the organizations I've been involved with Don't apply for all and any position. The recruiter was impressed that I only applied to their telemetry floor. It showed that I was focused and knew what I wanted to do Be confident. They know that you're a new graduate with no nursing experience. You have to prove to them why you would be worth hiring. Do the research. I think they were impressed by how much I knew about the hospital's work and progress Not going to lie, I did get some inside help in getting an interview for this position, but I also had to be persistent with the recruiter and still do research to impress the manager. I was confident and honest and willing to really learn. I know the process is long, tedious and emotionally draining, but don't give up! Someday you will make it! Stay confident and be proud of everything you've accomplished! Best of luck to everyone still searching. Don't give up!
11. 

    Kaplan vs Hurst Review Courses

    newgradchad replied to awest2011's topic in NCLEX

    i took a kaplan review and i thought it was great. they give you sooo many practice questions that were very similar to the ones i had on my exam. there were some discrepancies between the book and video lectures online but the instructor verified questionable information for me. i thought it was very good. i passed on my first try. i heard that hurst is more of a content review and kaplan is more test-taking strategies.
12. 

    STILL don't have a job?? Vent here!

    newgradchad replied to wonderwomanchels's topic in First Year

    just need to vent -- i graduated in may 2011 and passed my NCLEX in june hoping to get a headstart on the rest of my classmates that haven't found jobs yet. what's most frustrating for me is seeing my classmates, who have taken the exam after me, find jobs! how is that even possible? ok granted i don't have the externship or aide experience, and i gave some of my classmates credit for that, but when i started seeing classmates that only had the retail work experience, like me, snag jobs within a month of passing is extremely frustrating! i have never experienced a jealousy like this in all my life!
13. 

    New Nurse NO Experience NEED HELP!!!

    newgradchad replied to newgradchad's topic in First Year

    YES! thanks for the support! how do you get past your fears? i feel like i really hold myself back because i don't even think i'm qualified, but i really want to start somewhere and i know that i can be good at this. i got an offer at the flu clinic but turned down the job because i didn't really understand the terms of the contract. question on following up on your applications: when they tell you that your application is on file and they are still looking to fill the position, what would you ask next? still trying to stay positive. i try to remind myself that every person i personally know that graduated in nursing with or without the externships/pca jobs/etc. managed to land a job last year. so i can do it! we can do it!
14. 

    (Imagine this is a cardboard sign) Will work for free!

    newgradchad replied to yikib38's topic in First Year

    if you're from nj there's an unpaid nurse residency program at St. Clare's hospital. The next program is in January and they're interviewing in November.
15. 

    New Nurse NO Experience NEED HELP!!!

    newgradchad replied to newgradchad's topic in First Year

    Thanks for the advice, but I kind of share the same feeling as jjjoy. I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving out my license from my resume because i've worked so hard for it! anyway i recently had an interview for a dermatology office as a RN, but the job isn't really like an RN-job, they just need the license for someone to operate a machine. I've also got another interview coming up for a flu clinic so hopefully that works out too. My sister is an RN and she told me that it's still early in the game, to be patient and keep trying. I graduated in May and passed in June. My sister graduated May 2010, passed in August and got hired in December. So there's still hope!
16. 

    New Nurse NO Experience NEED HELP!!!

    newgradchad posted a topic in First Year

    i could possibly have the worst work experience that exists. first of all i have none in a healthcare setting other than my clinicals (not even an externship!). the two years i spent in nursing school i applied for PCA, Nursing Assistant and Unit Secretary positions and a variety of hospitals and never got lucky enough to score the opportunity. The only work experience I have are from retail stores, 2 I had to quit because i started failing in school and 1 that i got terminated from without notice because a new manager came in while i was away for school. All these work experiences lasted less than 6 months and I'm embarrassed to even include them in my applications. Some positive experiences: I've done a presentation at an Evidence-Based Research fair at the hospital where i did my clinicals and another presentation for change process to the Vice President of Clinical Services. I was also president of one of the largest and highly-respected student organizations on campus during which i was able to raise and donate $500 to a foundation and was awarded with a program award. Presently I signed up to volunteer at a nearby hospital to perk up my resume. I'm thinking about picking up a non-licensed part-time job to help pass the time and hopefully perk up my resume too. I don't know I feel so hopeless, and extremely discouraged to even call and ask about my application. I could see everyone just look at it and say "are you kidding me?" Any advice or words of encouragement?