Bringonthenight

Omg yes to this whole post! I wish we worked together!

Please get up and help me when you see me running around like a mad person and all my call lights are going off at once. I know you think work is more of a social meet up with friends but I have patients that need help and I only have 1 set of hands. Please stop taking breaks that last for an hour-your break is now affecting my break, another nurses break and treatments on your patients are now behind schedule. Please don't ask me to cover multiple shifts for you so that you can have the weekend off then flat out refuse to do 1 shift for me when I had a wedding to go to because "my favourite show is on that night". Please stop coming to work late for report EVERY SHIFT. Leave 5 mins earlier, get here 5 mins earlier it's not that hard. Please don't interrupt my report until I'm finished. Please don't come late to work then want to swap assignments after report has already begun. Again, 5 mins earlier.. Don't use your iphone at the desk. Just to name a few things :)

Yes yes yes

Did you find the transition from Aus ICU to US ICU nursing difficult? I'd imagine it's quite different.

Wow, did you complete your entire nursing education in the US? Or did you become an RN in Australia then become an NP in the US? It seems impossible to get to the US an a nurse these days.

There are no monitor techs where I'm from. No CNAs. No transporters at night either. You'll learn to adapt. Unfortunately is all about the money. Nurses don't generate revenue- they just generate care.

Agree with the above posters. Team nursing can be great but your only as strong as your weakest member! I've worked in areas where it was fantastic and everyone worked hard and helped each other out, and I've worked in areas where someone in the team is lazy or just generally not good at their job and the whole team suffers. It can also be stressful on you if someone in your team calls out and is replaced by an agency or float nurse- you'll be carrying that team all shift! How are the other nurses on your floor? Are they team players? Have they helped you when you've been drowning? Have they taught you tips and tricks to make your shift run smooth? Or Is it a floor where the mentality is "that's not MY job" "that's YOUR patient that's calling". That could give you an indication of what team nursing will be like on your floor.

In Australia, NPs are very experienced RNs who have worked in their specialty area for years as well as completing post grad certificates and diplomas in the same specialty. In fact if a new grad nurse would like to pursue NP right out of university it would take 7-8 years of continuous study in addition to working in a speciality area in an advanced practice role. In comparison, you can do a graduate entry medical degree in 4 years... I'm torn on this issue. I think Australia needs more NPs and a shorter education time would encourage more nurses to pursue that path, however if I went to see an NP I would prefer them to be super experienced as opposed to someone fresh out of school and has barely even worked as an RN.

I just loved your title for this thread- cracked me up

Bed alarms don't stop falls. Your doing fine, chin up

The situation!! Good job

It depends on the grad. Some people are born to be critical care nurses and thrive- others struggle and take a long time to learn how to critically think. Bottom line if my loved one were critically ill id feel more comfortable with an experienced ICU nurse looking after them, I could trust that nurse to pick up on some small detail that perhaps the novice wouldn't notice simply because they've got experience. Things can go bad quick in critical care! But prove the haters wrong! thrive, learn, absorb and kick a**! You got hired in the unit, the manager obviously saw potential in your capabilities.

The big picture will come only with time and experience.

Preach!! This is one of my biggest annoyances! Nothing more frustrating then coming on shift, being told in report that the patient is on strict I + O yet that same nurse has recorded NOTHING all shift! Then the Drs round and it's you that gets yelled at! Don't get me started on daily weights!

Anyone recommend any good agencies that have offices all over Australia? Also ones to avoid at all cost? I've tried to do some research, haven't had much luck. Also can anyone tell me about "Your nursing agency"? I've never seen/worked with anyone in that agency yet they are everywhere on the internet. From what I can tell they have bought out/merged with a lot of the older nursing agencies like oxley. Thanks everyone any info would be appreciated.

Haha this

Nothing in cairns is formal!

I think both the student and OP did things poorly. The OP could have been a bit more social by making eye contact, saying hi I'm so and so- even if your busy doing work it's an easy thing to do. And the student could have walked away and not said something so stupid.

Is nursing in Canada similar to nursing in Australia or is it more like the US?

This thread has blown up in a couple of days

Good luck!

I'll be nice: Be a sponge- use your orientation wisely by jumping into the "deep end". It's better to do it now with your preceptor then if your on your own after orientation and freaking out. As it's a CCU familiarize yourself with the anatomy and physiology of the heart. Take an ECG class. Take ACLS Find out what the most common surgeries etc are that happen on your unit and study up. Participate in codes- don't stand back and watch. At the start of your shift check your lines with OCD tendencies and label them- you'll thank yourself when your not accidentally pushing something you shouldn't through a line running neo! Adding to the above- know which line is KVO at all times for when you need to push an emergency drug. Another thing that may seem tedious- make sure you check all your emergency wall equipment eg: your wall suction at the start of every shift. When your not sure ask- it's a huge learning curve. There's heaps more but that's all I've got right now Good luck :)

Yes. The lazy nurses are at all stages of a nursing career not just the experienced.

Also administering PRN meds? Is a nurse assessing the patient before your administering the med?