rjones416

I used to have this problem....press harder when pricking the patient so you can get more blood to come out. The strip will fill up easily now. You're welcome :)

Get that 6 months out of the way and start applying right after that. I started in my specialty straight out of nursing school and I'm doing just fine.

I wouldn't be a tattle-tale.

I feel so unprepared compared to you guys. All I bring in my bag is extra pens, lip balm and moisturizer lol.

Where have you been applying? Have you tried places like Guelph, Kitchener, Hamilton, London etc. I was out of work for like 10 months but now I have two jobs. One of them is where I did my consolidation. You will eventually find something if you keep applying everyday.

I was unemployed before and during nursing school. I finished last year December and now I have two nursing jobs in the specialty that I want to work in. It probably helps to have a job in a hospital for the connections but you don't need it.

Card, box of chocolates and a nice plant. Get a card and a box of chocolates for the unit too.

I think it at least helps to make your resume look better than other new grads who aren't volunteering. If there's a specific patient population you're looking to work with then volunteer somewhere where you will be interacting with those kinds of people.

How often does one work with a violent/aggressive patient? (daily, weekly, monthly?) I'm working on a forensic psych unit and haven't had any incidents so far. I have heard stories of nurses being attacked a few months ago though. Is being a psychiatric nurse rewarding and satisfying? Is it an interesting career? For me personally I love it. I find it rewarding to help a patient achieve their goals and be discharged from the hospital. A lot of them have been in the hospital for years so it's nice to see them moving on with their life. How emotionally draining can the work be? I think it depends on the nurse. For me I don't let any of the negative things get to me so I'm fine. I'm able to stay calm even if an angry patient is swearing at me. I understand that I'll have patients who committed very disgusting crimes but I don't judge anyone. I treat everyone with respect no matter what they did in the past.

Before clinical I thought I wanted to work in the ER or an acute care unit at a big hospital. During clinical I learned that I didn't like any of the medical units at all. I found them all to be stressful and couldn't see myself working on those kinds of units. Luckily I had my consolidation on a psych unit and I fell in love with it. It took me 10 months after graduating but I am now working on a psych unit.

One more thing...a lot of my classmates are working as PSW's since they can't find a nursing job. I know it's not nursing but I'm sure it pays more than Tim Horton's. It might also help you get a nursing job at the facility that you're working at.

I think it's gross and pretty tacky to wear your scrubs in public. Do you really need to show the whole world that you're a nurse? It's like the guys who wear their military uniform for no reason. It takes two minutes to go in a washroom and change your clothes after work.

I'm a new grad and I didn't get interviews until I started applying in smaller cities and towns.

Congrats on getting the job. What hospital is it at? I graduated in December and still haven't found anything.

At my school they said you need to pass all 3 comprehensive tests but guess what? A lot of people failed the tests and still passed at the end. I don't think anyone fails pre-grad unless your preceptor reports you for being incompetent or something. The purpose of these tests are to just prepare you for the CPNRE.