mmciv

I'm tired. I'm tired of being mandated to work 50 hours a week to cover shifts. I'm tired of working short even when staff are working overtime to cover shifts. I'm tired of getting yelled at. The wait is too long. That shot hurt my child. Why do I need an IV? Why can't I eat? I'm tired of people thinking Emergency means instant medical care for every small ailment? I'm tired of the ER being used as the second or third opinion in a long list of doctor shopping tactics? I'm tired of fluffing and buffing patients and then being told we aren't fast enough, checking in enough or controlling pain well enough? I'm tired of seeing my coworkers struggle to keep up, struggle to keep their chins up, and struggle to tolerate the constant belittlement and anger we receive from our patients? And I'm tired of having my heart broken. I'm tired of looking around what was once a happy workplace to see doctors and nurses who are holding back tempers and tears because we are seeing more patients, they decreased our nursing staff, took away a provider, and everyone is working overtime. I'M TIRED OF PROVIDING SUBSTANDARD CARE TO MY PATIENTS BECAUSE I'M TIRED OF EVERYTHING ELSE!! I love my coworkers. I hate to see them hurting. I love the doctor's I work with. I hate to see them getting stressed over wait times that are double what they were when we were properly staffed. Sorry for ranting and raving. Big shout out to all those nurses who are working a job they love through circumstances they hate.

I've been there and then I've been forced to get through it. When you walk into the code, just remember to breathe. You may hesitate more than a more experienced nurse to start compressions but that's okay. It will come. Remember, hard and fast in the center of the chest. If you don't feel your compressions are adequate ask someone to check that your compressions are causing a central pulse. When you get tired, ask to switch. And everyone who posted is correct, worry less about doing something wrong while doing CPR, the patient is dead everything you do is helping.

I will graduate in May and will be starting out in the ED. Congrats on graduating everyone!!

Hardened? Well I can see it happening. I’ll graduate in 17 very long days and I know after a couple years, months or even days working full time I won’t be the same bright eyed senior nursing student that types this today. Why? Because the world doesn’t work as well as it should. Put it simply the mom who doesn’t get prenatal care will go home with her thankfully healthy baby to possibly get pregnant again roll the dice and avoid prenatal care again. The mom who tests positive for drugs will cry all night because she won’t be able to take her baby home. Should I not be moved by the tears of a new mother? Of a woman who risked the life of an innocent child? The child who was hit by his mother’s roommate because he wouldn’t stop crying will return to sleep under the same roof. The crying 14 year old girl still needs the foley catheter even though this will be the most humiliating experience she can imagine. Children will continue to get cancer (as will adults). People we grow to respect, love and cherish will die. Life is hard. Nursing is hard. It’s only understandable that some nurses grow a skin that gets a little tough too. That doesn’t make them bad nurses or uncompassionate. At time they get stressed and a little short and as a student I’ve been on the receiving end of it more than once. I brush it off because I know that I’ve been short with those around me before too. We all have. In my honest opinion I understand where this question is coming from quite well. I’ve had it myself as I’ve worked with nurses and techs that have treated patients like cattle. The number of times I’ve dealt with patients who weren’t told what was happening, given a moment to ask questions or allowed to voice their fears astonishes me. In these cases I remember that I’m still a student with the blessing of time to do these things while they have other things on their minds. But more often the examples of nursing I have seen have prayed with patients, explained the options, shown mercy and forgiveness and have displayed more compassion than my still young and small heart could hold. My suggestion: Print some of your favorite answers off and put them away. In a couple of years take a look back and remember where you’ve come from and where you are. My little nursing school journal will be a reminder of the fact that I was once a happy go lucky girl who was awed by compassion that I hope to never lose.

Here is the table given at the end of the 2010 RN predictor. On the left is the percentage of questions correct and the right is the probability that ATI thinks you'll pass the NCLEX on the first try. Good luck! % correct probability 80.7% - 100.0% 99% 78.0% - 80.0% 98% 74.7% - 77.3% 96% - 97% 72.0% - 74.0% 94% - 95% 70.0% - 71.3% 91% - 93% 68.7% - 69.3% 89% - 90% 66.0% - 68.0% 84% - 88% 64.7% - 65.3% 81% - 82% 62.7% - 64.0% 75% - 79% 59.3% - 62.0% 63% - 73% 53.3% - 58.7% 37% - 60% 0.0% - 52.7% 1% - 34%