buytheshoes11 MSN, RN

Ah, these were the bane of my existence in nursing school. Then when I took the NCLEX I almost died when about half of my questions were SATA. In the end though, the fact that we practiced with SATA questions in school really did help prepare me for...

I have used the delegating example in an interview. This was the most constructive (but true) thing I could come up with for a weakness!

Always be honest with potential employers and try to network as much as you can. It may be tough to find something else right now - but don't give up.

It's nice to put names and personalities together. Thank you!

We switched from the physical alarm unit that is on the patient's bed (usually the strip) to beds that have the alarms built in with three different sensitivities. These are so much better, in my opinion. As for our unit's falls, I think bed alarms ...

We have private rooms on my floor, but I always do report outside of the room before going in with the AM nurse. If the patient is awake I like to say bye and introduce the on-coming nurse, and to ask if the patient has any questions/needs something ...

I'm sorry to hear about this, and I hope you interview for another great position soon! A good thing about this situation is that you can take your interview experience and use it as a learning experience.

Congrats to you for doing this! I wish you all the best. :) You should not have to be miserable day in and day out at any job.

I will certainly keep you in my prayers. It is very, very rare to contract anything from one stick though. I've looked up stats regarding this after my own stick.

My coworkers are amazing. We can chat not only about work things but our personal lives as well (within reason, of course). I like how we are from different backgrounds, ages, and levels of work experience. It really makes our conversations interesti...

At the M/S floor where I work the nurses obtain their own vitals. It's usually done with the physical assessments and as needed (before BP meds, changes in condition, etc.). I don't mind doing this, because at least I know the vitals will get done an...

I used Kaplan for their NCLEX test taking tips and NCLEX-RN Q&A's Made Incredibly Easy because it was just questions and answers on any nursing topic that you could be tested on. These are wonderful study tools!

My account is private but I still don't risk posting ridiculous things on my account. I like Facebook for keeping in touch with friends. Some things are better left to phone conversations and face-to-face chats.

In school I was taught about the standard five, but where I work now we include "documentation" as well. It varies depending on your school/teachers and your work place. But always remember to check yourself before giving meds!

Since your hospital has the option of changing units after those six months, I would try and stay on your floor for that experience. Trust me, six months will fly by. I stayed in LTC/SNF nursing for about eight months until I got into acute care (tha...

Thank you for this article! I think it is important that we ensure not only our patients are educated, but our coworkers as well. Too often I have heard "Oh it's just two tylenol, he/she will be okay," when in actuality, this person may not be.

Maybe this is silly, but I don't think society in general will start to value women more until we start treating ourselves better. Just my two cents.

I think that it is important to learn from our mistakes, when they do happen. No one is perfect and there is always chance for a human error. I won't say to stop feeling bad, because I know that most nurses are perfectionists and often we are harder ...

Congratulations and best of luck! My mom was in her fifties when she started nursing school - she recently graduated and is now working at a nice hospital near where she and my dad live. It is truly inspiring when I hear stories like yours. I wish yo...

I did the PVT about 4 hours after taking the test (then several times after that initial time, haha!) and it wouldn't let me register. Everyone that I have talked to that has done the trick has never had it fail in its accuracy. I'd be willing to bet...

This is typical for most facilities. When I worked NOCs I had anywhere from 35 - 45 residents. It is manageable though! You'll come up with a system that works for you.

I truly disliked management where I worked. It was so disorganized, we had absolutely no support, and we would be constantly threatened (i.e. "I'm turning you in to the State", "Why did you become a nurse?"...things like this we would always hear). T...

I wash after each shift. I feel gross when I come home, haha! I bought a new pair this past week, to celebrate a new job. :)

I get this a lot as well...I know I look young but that's okay! I tell people that I plan on aging well, like a fine wine.

May I borrow your pack of Velociraptors?