Piggles

I took an online EKG course through the AHA and that sufficed for my tele position.

I'm a senior nursing student and I just started working as a telemetry technician in the ICU. I did an internship in this department and expressed an interest in working there after I graduate from nursing school. They have a great training program for new grads. I took the internship with this plan in mind the whole time. I can't believe it's actually working!

Thanks so much for all of the helpful info. I am graduating from nursing school in a few months and I think I have a good lead on an ICU position after I'm licensed. I plan to start taking physics and chemistry next fall. My question is how much will an extensive background in chemistry help me? I have the option to spend 1 semester on chemistry, or go crazy and take 4 semesters of chem. I don't think I will want to start CRNA school sooner than 2-3 years after graduation so I have time. Also, I love chemistry and the classes are affordable. Do you think the in depth chem is really going to be an asset, or should I focus that energy on more general studies?

Wow, what a great read! I plan to read this at least three more times. I am 3 weeks away from my first preceptorship and I want to make the most of it. I have a background in education and I think what preceptors do is so vital to this profession that I am so proud to becoming a part of.

My class of 60 has only lost 2 so far. One due to pregnancy, and she came back the next semester with the class behind us, and another by choice. We are almost 75% done and graduate in May. My school has a great reputation and I am just lucky to be in a class of smart and dedicated students. Admission is based on lottery so it was pure luck that my class is like this. We have been hearing from all of our instructors that our class scores much higher than average. I think that this has built up a sense of pride among us and we try to help eachother make it to that finish line.

I am in a similar situation and would appreciate any advice. I am also graduating May '13 with 4.0 and I am doing 2 different preceptorships in the ICU. I have heard that it helps to precept in the ICU if that's where you will be applying. However, I worry that I am making a mistake by only precepting in the ICU since these jobs are so competitive. Will this make it harder for me to get a non ICU job? My dream is to work in a burn ICU or any ICU to start, but it is most important that I start working within 6 months of graduation, so I will take any position or move anywhere to make sure that happens. I am limited because I will have an associates degree, but I see that University of Utah and UCSF both hire new grads into their ICU and you don't need to have a BSN. My plan is to apply to these kinds of schools and to rural hospitals. Good luck to you Francoml, It's going to be an exciting year!

I have a hard time with this too and I am still trying to find ways to deal with it because I assume it will happen from time to time no matter where I go. My strategy so far is to carry myself with an air of confidence even when I am feeling something very different inside. I believe this is possible with practice. Then I try to always be gracious and learn from the instructor or resource nurse. I make the best of it. Finally, I have learned that it helps to try to understand where they are coming from. I mean really try to pick up on the subtle cues. I would guess that there is an underlying personal issue that is causing this person to treat you this way. Just remember that it is not personal. Then ask yourself what is causing this person stress and how can I make things a little easier for them while still maintaining my dignity and learning something at the same time.

I think that the first semester is the hardest because it feels like culture shock. You probably don't know anyone in the class yet and you aren't sure how to organize or study for your classes either. Nursing school and clinical is such a different experience that the first semester is the hardest just because you don't know what you have gotten yourself into yet. I am in my third semester now and I feel so much better. I have a support network of classmates, I have a routine for note-taking and studying, and I know what is expected of me. I have to say that this website has helped me so much because on the days when I get discouraged I can gain some perspective. Of course every school is different, but in my experience, If you made it through your prereqs, you have the study skills to make it through nursing school. Now you just have to acclimate to the quirky world of nursing school. That is why I think the first semester is the hardest.

Thanks for the response guys. In the first year of nursing school clinical was so scary and stressful for me, but now I am learning so much more from them and actually looking forward to it. It could just be that my last rotation had a very student friendly staff. Now I am super excited to start the preceptorship. I hope you get a good placement iluvpatho!

I am graduating from nursing school May of 2013, and I have been lucky enough to secure a preceptorship during the winter break. I elected to work noc shift in the ICU in a rural hospital. I would love to hear from anyone who has experience in this type of nursing environment. I am trying to anticipate the types of things I will learn, and to establish goals with my preceptor. I am guessing that there will be unique challenges, not having a huge team to support crises. I am also hoping that I will learn more about physiology because I will be able to focus more on fewer patients. I would appreciate any thoughts about how I can make the most of this opportunity.

Thank you for sharing your perspective. I am just about to start my preceptorship in my senior year and I am trying to prepare myself by imagining what concerns and goals my preceptor will have. It sounds to me like you have high standards and you know what an asset you are. It is unfortunate if your pupil is not aware of this opportunity.

Where I live, if you have had a clean record for a number of years you can go down to the courthouse, fill out a one page request form and have it expunged in a matter of a week or two. I think the wording "have you ever been convicted" is confusing. I would think that if you have it removed from your record you can check the box that says no.

I am super excited to start my final year of nursing school because I am finally working in a decent sized hospital with supportive nurses and clinical instructors. Well, my instructors have always been supportive, but now they seem to know that I am competent and there is no threat of being reprimanded or failed. I am finally able to do all kinds of skills that I have only read about until now. It is an amazing feeling of the culmination of hours of theory becoming hands-on experience. I am in a med-surg rotation at a hospital that has a culture of mentorship among all the nursing staff. I am soaking it up like a sponge. Quarterlife, I enjoyed reading your perspective because I have taken an opposite path. I have a degree in English education. I always knew that I wanted to teach, and I enjoy writing and reading, so this seemed like a natural fit. However, when I finally began working in the environment of the high-school classroom in my senior year, I knew immediately that it was not a good fit for me. I am not a disciplinarian, I don't like being the center of attention for hours in front of large groups, and the politics and low pay of the education system were less than appealing. I finished my degree though and took about 5 years to figure out that nursing was just the thing for me. I do see some similarities between nursing and waitressing, but they are the things I liked about being a waitress: working on my feet, constantly moving, continually updating a list of priorities as complex, fast paced situations unfold. I also love the social interaction with patients and coworkers. This all makes the day fly by, and I feel so good at the end. I am relishing in my naivete at the moment. I know that I am in for some rough times ahead, but I think that my shiny new nurse idealism will work for now. I plan to use my previous education to further my career in nursing. I want to pursue graduate studies in research after I get a few years of bedside experience. I think that I can take all of the reasons that I went into the English major and incorporate them into a marketable and satisfying nursing career.

Thanks, for your comments Mikeicurn. What you say makes a lot of sense!

I am a nursing student who will be graduating at about this time next year, and I am anticipating having to make the same decisions soon. Last week I spoke with a 2009 graduate of my nursing school (Santa Rosa Junior College, about an hour's drive north of San Francisco). He had some advice to share that I would like to share just because it is so different from what I am hearing in this thread. I am curious if it is because of my location or if he is just wrong. He said that if you get a job in LTC, you are stuck there because hospitals will assume that you are not trained to function in a higher acuity environment. You need hospital experience to work in a hospital and you had better get that experience as soon and you can, even if it means commuting 2 hours for your first job.