cityknitty_RN

And "real nurses who do patient care don't wear nail polish"? Yikes.

Nurses shouldn't wear nail polish? Really? I know artificail nails are an infection risk, but nail polish? I guess I've never seen these studies... I wear nail polish. And tend to change it every couple of days. Wash your hands. Wear gloves when doing any sort of procedure with a pt (which should be standard anyway). If you follow these guidlines, I guess I don't see the big deal.

It's just a little unnerving to me. I just think back to when I took the NCELX... there was a lot of material that I learned/studied that wasn't ever covered during the exam, but as a nurse you're expected to know. I guess I'm reflecting more on the process of challenging the NCLEX, not trying to single you out specifically

Nursing = science. If you really, really hate it, I would look for a different career path. While nursing is a lot of technical skills, a nurse has to know the reasoning behind many of those skills, which includes a very, very large science knowledge base.

Server for 5 years through college for BSN. Also worked as an LPN as soon as I was able to sit for boards. Continued to work as an LPN through school, then as an AD RN and now full time with my BSN. I had a clinical instructor tell me that servers make the best nurses. Really, it's the same thing... just with people's lives instead of their food :thankya:

Yes, it has happened at the hospital I work as well. I have been pulled to be a CNA in a 1:1 for my shift... no big deal, RN pay for NA 1:1 is pretty great. I'd say you're overreacting, IMHO.

Can be done. And typically is by many nursing students.

I had quoted in bold the part that was a little offensive (which I do realize was too sensitive on my part... my apologies). I do understand that you don't get the same clinical experience in LTC as you do in actute care, but when you say "I am planning on speaking with the director about my concerns regarding how to land a job without being able to use much from my preceptorship"... that's suggesting that you'll have a harder time getting a job if you only have experience in LTC. Almost regardless of the clinical experince you have, you may probably only find a job in LTC right now with the job market how it is. Heck, I spent 3 months of my clinical internship in CCU at a Mayo hospital and still had to spend 3 years in LTC/rehab before getting ajob in acute care.

I've heard that L&D nurses stay put. I haven't seen a job posting for an L&D nurse since I began looking for nursing jobs!

I had a very hard time in A&P. Acutally, I had to take both A&P I and A&P II twice as I got C+'s the first time around for both classes. Don't worry, you can do it, and you can still be a great nurse despite this. It takes some time to figure out the best way for you to study in a class like A&P. Instead of focusing on reading the details, try to study by understanding the big picture. (This helped for me anyway...it just took me awhile to find that out!) I know how defeating this can feel... don't worry, you can do it!! :w00t:

What?! As someone who worked in a nursing home for 3 years before landing a job in a hospital, I find this a little offensive. Nursing homes provide you with the opportunity to develop time management, being responsible for an outlandish amount of residents at one time and learning medications extremely well. Also, it provides a great opportunity to hone your skills in working with the elderly population (which is SO helpful as this is a HUGE population in acute care as well). You will use many, many skills from your preceptorship in a nursing home... and chances are, depending on where you live, you may end up having to take a job in a nursing home in this job market. Just read the 1,000's of posts about new grads unable to find any jobs, let alone in acute care.

Just my 2 cents... This actually is a pretty good reflection of the job market out there right now. You will probably not get your first choices in jobs. Many new grads are having to take jobs in less-that-desirable (to them) situations to just get experience. So, all that to say, this may be a very real situation that may carry over after you graduate. I agree with other posters -- make the best of this situation. Behavioral health can offer a lot of medical skills, not just therapeutic communication. And actually is a place where a new grad may find a job after graduation (especially with some experience, which you'll gain). I understand you needing to vent, and this is a place to do it. However, I'm sure that your professors don't have a vendetta against you-- it's difficult to place so many students in areas where many people have similar 1st and 2nd placement requests. The fact that you got placed with your 3rd option (that you put down, not anyone else) is pretty fair.

I agree that for emergencies, one can always call the facility so a cell phone is not necessary to have by your side at all times. However, I will say that my smartphone has come in handy at work a few times. I do have nurse-friendly software that helps with calculations, drug books, etc. It's quick and I use software that would be found around the nurses desk anyway (such as a Davis Drug Guide, for example). You may say, just look it up in the book. Well, it's quicker for me to look it up there. Same difference.

I agree with the previous post. Read to get a basic knowledge of the material as there's no way you're going to learn by strictly reading alone. Then, begin working through an NCLEX review book for the chapters you're studying for (usually broken up by body system). You could even begin with the LPN NCLEX if you're feeling like the RN NCLEX is too advanced for now. Most nursing program exams base their questions off of the NCLEX format and studying those questions will help you grasp the basic understanding of the material while not focusing so much on reading every single word in the text book. Reading the rationales to the answers may help reinforce the basic materail of the chapters you're studying and may help you learn it easier.

I would try talking to your nurse manager about your sleep issues. She may be able to work with you. I think it's a valid concern of yours and worth asking if there's a way to work around it without having to mess with your health. The marathon training, however, might be more tricky. This is where you'll have to get creative and make it work if it's something you'd truly like to do. My hospital has a fitness center for employees to use at a discounted rate/mo. I know a few nurses who will go down on their hour-long breaks (on night shift) and will use the tredmills. Otherwise, investigating gyms like 24 hour fitness or anytime fitness would be beneficial for nights off; you could train at night without disrupting your sleep cycles on your nights off.