Kebby1016

It's what you're imagining! Usually it's a great big mix of ortho pre-ops, fresh post-ops, and post-ops that came back later with complications, strokes, epileptics, dementia and Alzheimer's patients, and oncology patients. It's also not at all uncommon to get comfort care patients who are transferred to our unit from ICUs to pass away, which is of course emotionally troubling, as well as very time consuming. I want to give their families appropriate attention and some are requiring morphine as frequently as q15 mins near the end....very difficult to keep up with when you have 4 and 5 other patients to manage too. We also get a touch of psych and other oddball diagnoses when there is no space in their designated unit. I've not updated my profile since graduation, I'm currently in Nashville, but coincidentally will be moving back to FL (space coast area) later this year. I see you are in central Florida. I've been aiming research for women's health positions at Winnie Palmer/Orlando health as those fields (as well as most others) are very hard to come by in Brevard where I'll be. Every position I've reviewed requests a minimum BSN and usually at least a year's worth of experience in the particular field. I'm very torn about working toward a higher degree. I know I'll enjoy that type of nursing much more, but it's still a stressful career no matter where you end up. í ½í¸”

Hello! I began my first nursing position in November 2015 working full-time on an ortho/neuro/oncology floor. I did a lot of classroom-type training and general orientation for the first month and have actually worked on the floor for about the last two months now. I was paired with a great preceptor, but I am feeling absolutely miserable in my new role. I know everyone likes to talk about how you need at least a year to get your bearings and gain some confidence, but I am constantly anxious and stressed out. I walk around my unit on the verge of tears all the time, spend most drives home in tears, feel sick on my days off and spend them worrying about what I did or did not do on my last shift, and letting the anxiety build about the next shift to come. I have a small child at home that I am solely responsible for on my days off and I hate being around him with this dark cloud over my head all the time. It's impacting my relationship with my spouse and other relationships as well. I never wanted this area of nursing, and have always longed to be in women's health (antepartum, L&D, postpartum, etc), but figured it was a good starting point as a new grad. I was hoping to get a year under my belt, but I can barely stand the thought of making it through the week, let alone a year. Even if I did, the hospitals in my area where women's health jobs are more plentiful require a BSN and I am ADN prepared. I am concerned about continuing education to pursue a different area, when I'm not feeling committed to nursing period at this point. Do I have other options aside from bedside with my education level? I'd greatly appreciate any insight!

Hi All! I've accepted a full-time RN position on an adult ortho-neuro floor. We were required to bring everything but the kitchen sink for clinicals in school, but I'm wondering what you all find to be necessities now that you are working. So far I've got a list that includes the following: steth, penlight, pens/highlighters/sharpies, scissors, personal items, and an extra set of scrubs. I also plan to keep my drug guide, lab book, and patho book in my locker for reference when I need them. What else do you guys use frequently that I may need to bring along? I've been out of school for a little while now, so I'm sure I'm forgetting things! Also, does anyone have a link for a great "brain sheet?" I'm open to any advice ya'll might be able to throw my way! Thank you! :)

Hello! I'm on the hunt for my first RN position and in looking at the job page of one of the bigger hospital's in my area, EVERY single job lists "one year of experience or the equivalent" as a requirement. Forgive me if this sounds ridiculous, but what exactly could be considered "equivalent?" I have zero experience working as an RN in any setting and have searched their site high and low for anything available to a total newbie, finding nothing.

Hi all, I have spent the last couple of weeks submitting multiple applications to tristar and st. Thomas facilities. I received a phone call from a rep at St. Thomas who said she'd been reviewing my resume and wanted to learn more about my experience. As I had put on my resume, I told her I have no previous RN experience, but talked more about the work experience I do have. She said all new grads come in through the nurse residency program (90 days orienting in different units with a preceptor), but the next cohort begins 10/26, very soon. She offered to ask the nurse in charge of the residency program if I could still be considered for that starting date, but thought it might be too late. She also told me there is a 2 yr commitment beyond residency completion. I'm concerned about starting so soon if I did get in for the 10/26 start date because I have a young baby that I'd have to arrange care for, and that doesn't leave much time to really search for the best candidate. Also, I was aware that sign on bonuses had to be repaid if contracts were broken, but I'd not heard of "new grad contracts." Is anyone familiar with what the penalty is for the st. Thomas system if you break contract? Can I get some feedback on their residency program in general? Good, bad? Was it a good learning environment? Do you have your classes and precepting shifts during the hours you originally applied for? I applied for all nights positions as my husband would be able to be with our baby then for the bulk of my shifts. I haven't even been offered a formal interview at this point, but I'd appreciate any input you all might have, just in case I do hear back from them. Thank you!

Hi All, My husband I moved to Nashville right after I graduated with my ASN in June 2014. I passed boards the next month, gave birth to our first baby in September, and intended to start applying around Dec/Jan. My son ended up arriving 6 weeks premature, and he and I both had some medical issues to contend with for some time after he was born. Things kept coming up and now he is a year old, I've been out of school for almost 1.5 years, and am only now beginning to put in applications. I fear I have let so much time go by that I will now be completely unmarketable compared to experienced RNs and those that are inexperienced, but at least fresh out of school. I have applied to several positions with Tristar and St. Thomas the last few days, but do not have high hopes of hearing back. I have looked at quite a few positions posted on Vanderbilt's website as well, however, EVERY SINGLE ONE lists at least one year experience required. Does Vanderbilt only accept new grads through its residency program or has anyone actually just applied for a position and somehow gotten a job without experience? I certainly wouldn't mind going through their residency, but the next cycle I could even be considered for would not begin until August 2016! How about Tristar or St. Thomas? I haven't been able to find any info regarding residency programs for them. Do either of them even offer a residency option? I am open to any and all information or tips! Thank you!

Hi All! I do hope I am posting in the correct area! I utilized all nurses.com as a student the last few years, but this is my first post now as an RN. I graduated from a Las Vegas ADN program in May 2014, moved to Nashville, TN shortly after, passed NCLEX in early July, and gave birth to my first child in late September 2014. In a nutshell, I am now 16 months past graduation, still without having had any work experience as an RN. We will be leaving Nashville and moving back to our hometown in Brevard County, FL where I have family to help fill the gaps of time that we'd need care for our son. I have connections with a few people in the area hospitals and have been offered work opportunities, given that I complete an RN refresher course prior to hire. Has anyone had experience with this in this area of of Florida? I've looked at the BON's approved list and none of the programs are any closer than Orlando or Winter Park, a drive I'd love to avoid! According to BCC's website( or eastern Florida state college now), they offer a refresher course with both theory and clinical components, but it is not listed as approved on the BON site. Has anyone had a positive experience with an online RN refresher program, particularly anyone in the space coast area who would have done the clinical component at one of the local hospitals? I would be so very grateful for any advice!

Congrats to all of you who made it in this semester! As long as they haven't changed anything since last semester, your dosage exam will be in your third week of classes. For the first three weeks, your clinical is in a classroom setting at one of the school's campuses. They call them ACE (alternate clinical experience) and your calc exam is proctored in the last one. :)

Thank you Stargurl! Totally knew that, I don't know what I was thinking. I'm glad I double checked! :) Question about the ATI test...I just double checked my login info and I'm finding nothing about the purchase of the CARP/Nursing Content Mastery test that we'll be taking. I paid for it a month ago, but it's not showing up in my ATI as a scheduled test. Has anyone else seen anything about it in their ATI profile? Also, is the SNA accepting credit/debit cards for shirt and supply purchases tomorrow? I think I remember reading that they were, but can't seem to find that info now.

We're not required to bring anything tomorrow for orientation, correct? Just don't want to show up and be missing paperwork or a receipt or something! :)

I went to the bookstore today and they refunded me the difference in what I paid and the cost of the book bundle online. That composite skills book that the salesgirl had mentioned to me apparently is required and it is now available in the bookstore. I guess it wasn't on our text list because it's not really a textbook. It's like a little booklet of checklist sheets of tasks that I'm guessing our clinical instructors will check off as we learn/complete them. It was $5.00. Thank you guys again for giving the pricing info, you saved me over $200. I really appreciate it! :)

Thank you Speedmy79! I just noticed that the hard copy price was also listed on the sheet given at orientation as $726 and some change. I will get in touch with the bookstore tomorrow...I'm so excited to hopefully get almost $200 back!!! Another question for you, were you told that you were still lacking 2 books that hadn't arrived to the bookstore yet? The salesgirl told me that the drug guides (which are listed on our required list) and some other book that she referred to as a composite skills book had not arrived and would be in on 8/23. When I checked what I purchased against the required reading list, I had everything except the drug guide. I have no idea what the composite skills book is that she mentioned...does anyone here know something about this?

Speedym79, did you pay $727 in the bookstore? It's necessary, but I feel absolutely sick about the amount of money I just gave them today. I'm wondering about your total though...they charged me $907.75 for the boxed bundle, then on top of that, the salesgirl told me I had to have the Neighborhood Access which was $43.75, Complete Guide to Documentation for $52.99, and a USED copy of the Publication Manual of APA for $21.75. With a pair of $5 goggle thrown in, I had a whopping total of $1,031.42! If I can get that boxed bundle for cheaper there, I will definitely head back tomorrow!

Hello! I have been accepted to an ADN program beginning next month. I have no nursing-type experience in any area, but I do already have some areas in mind that I think I would absolutely love to work in. L&D is at the top of my list,but I also think I'd really enjoy working NICU, in some area of geriatrics, or perhaps Hospice. I know that having had no exposure to any field of nursing, I may end up changing my mind...maybe even a few times! :) My mom has been an RN for about 25 years and upon discussing this with her, she says she strongly suggests starting out in a med-surg environment to get exposure and experience with a little bit of everything before going for a more specialized area. Do other experienced nurses agree with this advice or do you think if the opportunity presents itself, new nurses should go immediately to a more specialized area that they are interested in? I'm very aware that there may not be an abundance of positions to pick and choose from anyway, but IF a new nurse had the opportunity to go immediately into a field of real interest to them, should they do it or start out in a more general/broad field of nursing?

apn11, I got the workbook at the West Charleston campus bookstore. It was cheap...5 dollars and some change, definitely the cheapest purchase I've ever been able to make in a college bookstore! :) Even if you're not taking the toolbox course, it may be worth it to spend the 5 bucks just so you have something to practice with on your own over the summer. About half of the problems in the book(they are marked as take home problems), have the answers provided so you'll be able to check yourself and see if you're doing them correctly. It also covers how to write careplans and has a section covering medical terminology. CSN SNA, are the 4 extra credit points for 101 definite then for joining the SNA? I remember hearing at orientation that it was still up in the air as to whether or not the extra credit would be offered. Will the facebook page give the exact dates of meetings or is there somewhere else that we should be getting that info?