JulieW

thanks for the laughs everyone! I agree that all of the above are totally nasty, but I can handle most without gagging (except colostomies, that's gag city). In terms of what 'freaks me out', I really have to say that watching a chest tube insertion just sends me over the edge. It seems when I worked in the hospital I was never prepared for it. The first one I saw shocked me, but even after that.. oh I just couldn't stand it. It makes me squirm just thinking about it.

Go for it, Amy. Only you know what is best for your family. I chose the same route due to the great schedule of office nursing, and found it to be my niche. I love it. It's a wonderful job. You won't know if it's for you until you try it. I only had 6 monts of acute care experience before I took this job. I think hospital re-entry is definitely possible after office nursing. You will be very surprised how much disease info, medication, and lab knowledge you will have. Certain skills may lack over time, but you can always take refresher courses and request extra orientation time, so don't worry about that. Best of luck, let us know how it goes. Julie P.S. Pay is $4-6 per hour less than the most I could make elsewhere.

Go for it, Amy. Only you know what is best for your family. I chose the same route due to the great schedule of office nursing, and found it to be my niche. I love it. It's a wonderful job. You won't know if it's for you until you try it. I only had 6 monts of acute care experience before I took this job. I think hospital re-entry is definitely possible after office nursing. You will be very surprised how much disease info, medication, and lab knowledge you will have. Certain skills may lack over time, but you can always take refresher courses and request extra orientation time, so don't worry about that. Best of luck, let us know how it goes. Julie P.S. Pay is $4-6 per hour less than the most I could make elsewhere.

Hi peaceful2100, I never realized how painful it would be to work weekends, 12 hr shifts (you will NOT see your kids if you work 12's except for long enough to kiss them goodnight), and holidays until I started doing it. I thought having 4 days off a week would make up for the missed plays, back-to-school night, and holidays. I found out I was wrong. I also was pretty disillusioned with bedside nursing. I agree with the previous poster that some of the best parents out there are hard working nurses. I just didn't feel like one. Luckily I found my dream job in an office. I work m-f 9-5, never a weekend, never a holiday, never a night. I love the job, it provides incredible autonomy, many skills, lots of prioritization, pt teaching, and opportunities for building warm, caring patient relationships. Of course, with the exception of school nursing and management positions, m-f positions are definitely rare, but I just wanted to make sure you have considered starting in a clinic, especially because a clinic NP is your ultimate goal. You may find you like it, and it would be a good starter for you before you embark on further eduacation. Of course, as a PNP with her own clinic, you will work an insane amt of hours at first, but that is another story! I will say right now though that the trade-off for such a great schedule is expensive. The money is definitely not in the office. I could make $5-6 more elsewhere but am lucky enough not to have to. Just make sure you've thought out all of your options before throwing in the towel entirely. Best of luck to you, Julie

Well, I haven't heard of that type of program specifically, however, requirements are certainly changing around here. For instance, 30-unit/two semester options for LVNs withOUT prereqs are becoming more popular (only stipulation is that the grad wouldn't be able to transfer their license to another state). Also, just recently I saw a large full page add in our local newspaper advertising new, faster, easier ways to get into the nursing program. With the shortage and attendance being down, I am not surprised by the ads and the schools trimming requirements. I am very surprised at a 6 week clinical though! Scary. Just a few years ago I missed out on enrollment at out local comm. college due to a competitive lottery system. 45 applicants were accepted and over 200 applied. Now, the same school can't get the 45 qualified applicants each semester to apply. It makes you wonder.

good questions chili, I don't have answers, either. I would be interested in hearing a rehab nurse's take on prosecuting/rehabing and who the most common re-offenders (age group,sex,financial class,etc) are.

kday, Thanks for including cigarette smell to the other offenses listed above! I can't stand the smell of someone who has just smoked a cigarette, and someone who chain smokes and has OLD smoke smell on them flat out nauseates me! I can't imagine what it does to someone who is sick enough to be in the hospital. I wonder if these smoking nurses and others that have patient contact really don't realize how bad they STINK or if they just don't care. Jeez. Smoke when you get off work, people.

Reading your post was an exercise in futility. Take english COMP next semester. It'll help.

Reading your post was an exercise in futility. Take english COMP next semester. It'll help.

Well, I love *almost* everything about my new job! But, not being on time is not much fun. Most days we are okay, only running 30-45 mins behind schedule (and that really isn't that bad for us!), but other times, people don't get seen until 1.5 hrs after their scheduled appt. The physician I room for has 2 exam rooms and I always have two pts back. We also have a 'shot room' that we use for injections and BP checks. It's small but I can put pts in it. I'd rather have the pt in a room than fuming in the lobby. Anyway, on these 'behind' days, there is always at least one pt that comes out of the room and has a fit. I feel genuinely bad for them because I know their time is important, too. My question is for those of you who have the same situation at work. What do you tell these people? Do you just apologise and offer to reshedule? Or, do you try to assure them that it won't be much longer (even if you don't know for sure that it's true)? I don't fault the Dr. because he is extremely thorough with his patients and never rushes them out. He answers all questions. I admire him for that, and know that the waiting pt will also get similar tx when it's their turn. It is appropriate for me to ask the front office to allow 30 mins for 15 min appts? I know that the more pts we see, the more $$ the practice makes, so I'm sure they wouldn't want that. Also, by the end of the day, we do manage to cram all pts in. Ugh. Frustrating. I didn't mean to ramble on, but would like some 'tricks' from those who've experienced this! The other internist and PA in the office are always right on schedule because it bugs them not to be. My dr. has been in practice for 25 yrs and it doesn't bother him in the least to be late. Thanks, Julie

I feel for you. I, along with a few hundred others on this board , have gone through the same type of thing. I agree with fergus on the oppressed group theory. My orientation as a new grad was awful. I was nothing more than fresh meat for these awful vulture nurses to attack!! I, too, am quiet and keep to myself. Our personality type is probably the kind nurse-eaters look for. My advice- find somewhere that you can enjoy your new career and blossom into a great nurse. There are so many fantastic, wonderfully supportive nurses out there that will make you feel at home. Keep looking until you find it. You deserve it.

Also Daz remember A-B-C's. Nursing school exams love to see if you can use them to prioritize and you'll see them on boards as well. airway, breathing, circulation. On your softball victim, airway is going to take priority over a rib fx (which she very well could have). Brainstorming with fellow students might be very helpful to you. They're in the same boat as you and talking stuff out with them can be a great help!

Daz, Focus on what unit your class is on right now. Read class notes. I'm sure your homework correlates with the lessons being taught, and if you compare sympoms to those things you've recently learned about, the right thing will click. Another thing you could do is start on the homework by doing it in reverse order. Begin by making a list of all the nursing diagnoses you can think of for each scenario. You don't need the medical dx to do this. Think of all the things you'd do for those people just based on the objective data, and once you have them all written down, reread class notes and you may be surprised at what jumps out at you. [This message has been edited by JulieW (edited February 21, 2001).]

Best of luck!! I did nights for only a few months but do remember what it was like for those first few shifts. I think the most important thing is that you take your sleep time very seriously and defintely have arrangements for someone to take care of your baby while you sleep. If you try to just wing it between her naps, you won't have much success and you'll go nuts. Also, you may want arrange your window coverings to block all possible light before your first shift. A dark quiet room is really important!

haha Duckie! I have worked with ones that would say such things like "it just screamed your name" isn't that revolting?? Anyway, on the floor I was hired to when I first graduated, my nurse manager was awesome. Such a nice lady and willing to bend over backwards for her employees, but not willing to take action against the sour apples. She did have a pet. The pet had been there as long as she has (15+ yrs) and the pet was self-nicknamed 'the princess' and boy, did she sure live up to that title. I won't go into specifics because we all know the type very well, but just wanted to reassure you that the favoritism thing seems prevalent in lots of facilities!

We have an office staff of 8 (including the two docs) and everytime someone has a birthday, the docs send us all to lunch on them which is nice. They'll also have lunch catered after a day of them showing up an hour late, which backs up the entire day. I agree it's their way of saying thanks. I don't feel offended at all!

Oh my goodness yankee, I really feel for you. I can identify with some of your feelings, but on a much smaller scale. I started on nights at a hospital (med/oncology, NOT ICU!) and it was very much the 'being thrown to the wolves' mentality. Two two nurse-eaters on that floor had worked there since 1986 and probably loved when a new nurse, much less a new grad came to work on the floor. I tried working it out on my own, I tried the just-not-caring, tried direct confrontation, going to management, and talking with others in the same boat (which there were quite a few of). I ended up quitting after 6 months and found somewhere were I could be nurtured, appreciated, and somewhere where I love to work. The difference of course is that I didn't move for my job like you did, but still, there must be other places you can look..? I am really against anyone feeling miserable in their job, because I know what it feels like to dread work due to these people, and now I know what it feels like to love work and have a caring bunch around. So, whatever you decide, best of luck. Do know that you are not alone. A lot of nurses go through this and have to search around to find the right place. I'll keep you in my thoughts! Julie

chili2641, First of all, relax! My point was that an associates in nursing DOES require more 'education' than an associates degree in general ed, or in ECE, etc,etc.. meaning that nursing, unlike the typical 60 unit/credit 'degree', requires an additional amt of units before you can even begin the nursing program. Thus, it's not fair to say that it 'only takes two years to become a RN', but this whole conversation is ridiculous. chili2641, you seem to have a real chip on your shoulder about the whole issue of nurses and how they feel about their education, what makes a nurse, nursing assistants getting respect, etc, etc. Try to let it go. Just be the best that you can be and everything else is up to your peers. I'm a LVN and don't feel superior to CNAs (I was one for a long time) and I don't feel inferior to RNs (I may or may not go back someday, who knows) but I don't feel like it's some RNs responsibility to encourage me to go on. That's up to me. I am my own person and so are all CNAs out there. Everyone has the choice of education. Like you, I have a BS in an unrelated field, but don't feel the need to spew it all over in order to make others think I am smart or something. That is ridiculous.

Why doesn't the 'education argument' fly with you? Just to be fair, an associate degree RN does indeed have more education than other associate degree prepared grads, the reason being that there is a minimum of 3 semesters of prepreqs, usually 30-40 college units worth, in addition to the 4 semester nursing program. AA degrees in other subjects = 60 units. Therefore, the 2 yr nursing program really takes 3-4 yrs. I'm not a RN and I'm not a MA but I think we should give credit where credit is due as far as education goes. I don't know why that would be a problem with anyone.

I think the "just" portion of her comment was rude. It's a demeaning way to refer to anyone. But, I think her pointing out that you were not a nurse was a good thing. And, if she had not, I hope that you would have. I am a LVN in a Dr. office and always clarify my status when a patient says something like 'oh, my wife is a RN in a dr. office' because to allow a patient to believe you have more training than you do is not right. I'm proud of what I am and you should be proud of your training, too. Pts can sense confidence levels! Our office doesn't employ MA's but most multi-physician offices in town, do. I think for injections, rooming pts, vitals, and other tasks, they are qualified. But I hope MA's don't do telephone triage or attempt to answer med questions over the phone. I don't even know that they are doing this elsewhere. I just think it would be wrong if they did. I have nothing against MA's, but am glad our office chose to hire a licensed nurses only, otherwise, I wouldn't have this job. I agree with the other poster's on getting a name tag clearly stating your MA status. That should clear up misconceptions in the future. Good luck to you, Julie

Hi Duckie! In school we did 2-10 for clinicals and it was really great being able to sleep in and wake up, work out, run errands, and get to work in an unrushed fashion. I really liked it, but it is no good if you've got school age kids, so now that I'm out there working, I work 8:30-5:00 and love it. Not too early, but I still have my evenings free. My first job out of school was 7p-7a and I thought I'd die from sleep deprivation!! Thank heavens for the body variations amongst us all because nurses are needed all hours! Hope you have a nice evening, Julie

It surprises me (although it shouldn't) how much negative feedback SubQ's posts receive. Responses to Nursedude's "nursing is pathetic" (would you recommend nursing as a career) is the same story. Both are male. Hmmm. They speak the truth. Don't blame them, blame your hospital administrators and your HMO big wigs. Stop taking crap assignments. Refuse. And, yes, QUIT. The MARTYR mentality that doing so is hurting patients and co-workers IS WHAT FEEDS THE PROBLEM. HOSPITAL ADMINSITRATORS HAVE YOUR NUMBER. THEY KNOW YOU WON'T DITCH YOUR CO-WORKERS AND PATIENTS. TELL YA WHAT- DITCH 'EM. SEE WHAT HAPPENS. I am a new nurse. I am female. I worked at a hospital for 6 eye-opening months. I will never work at a hospital again. Hospital nurses in general are back biting, whining bitches who, instead of channeling their anger toward management, take it out on one another. If you're under 30 and pretty and new, you're f*cked. Female nurses are exclusive, cliquish, and some would actually choose to spend more time on an incident report involving an hour late med instead of just giving the frickin med themselves. Nurses writing each other up was a daily occurance on my unit. Gee, talk about team work. What a joke. So for new prospective students who really want advice, get your experience in the hospital because it is beneficial (the learning aspect, I mean) and if you like it, great- stay. If not, go to a specialty floor or office or homecare or anywhere where you enjoy your work. I'd have to agree with SubQ, though, this entire thread is a really beautiful example of how nurses treat each other. Stick up for yourselves and if you choose not to, then at least don't persecute those who are trying. By the way, I QUIT MY HOSPITAL JOB WITHOUT GIVING NOTICE after walking in to work one morning and seeing that I had 14 pts and no CNA. I absolutely love my new job where I receive respect, have plenty of time for patients, and NEVER have to wonder if I'm going to float or work short staffed or work without a CNA. Oh yeah, I get a lunch break everyday, too. So should everyone. Demand it. [This message has been edited by JulieW (edited February 14, 2001).]

Mine were mostly priority, as in they give you a scenario and you decide which pt you'd deal with first. I also had a lot of pt teaching questions which asked how the nurse knows a pt understands the information taught or how the nurse knows thhat the pt requires further teaching. I had no med, no math, but quite a few OB questions, which I was surprised at! I'm convinced that you can't really 'study' for the content of the test (that's what school was for) but that you can study on how to be a good test taker. The review books are good prep for that. Best of luck, Julie

It depends. Are they also doing their RN and LPN duties? Or, are they being brought in for extra shifts to work as the aide without the added responsibilities? If the latter is the case, then it should be their choice to do that. If your facility is short staffed and they are required to do their normal routine AND the CNAs duties, then I'd be upset as well. No one can do it all. As far as some leaving because they say they didn't go to school to do aide work, well that shows their level of compassion I guess. If doing 'aide work' repulses them, then they are in the wrong field. Julie

Cherie, it seems like you got a bit defensive of your facility when you got the advice you did (and sound advice, might I add!). It's nice that you want to do so much good but if you don't take care of yourself, you will burn out quickly and your employers will take major advantage of your good intentions. I would recommend not doing so many doubles for them. Be the best nurse you can be during your shifts and let them worry about the rest. Also, I wouldn't exactly refer to a nurse that makes daily med errors an exception if she's employed FT, and an aide that scolds a resident for incont. is a cruel human being that needs to be terminated asap. Good luck if you decide to stay. In any event, I urge you to bring authorities into this facility. Once you're licensed, it will be illegal for you NOT to. It sounds like your DON was just pacifying you. If he believes she (the nurse in question) has done something bad enough for dismissal, then why postpone it? Because of replacement issues? Not too cool putting staffing needs on top of patient needs. Agencies exist everywhere. It all comes down to $$$. I can tell you care for the residents. You sound like a really compassionate person and I'm sure you'll make a great nurse. Show your residents and their families you care by notifying proper authorities. You should have numbers posted in your facility for Ombudsman. Best of luck. Julie, LVN