lifeisgood2012

I am going to be starting to work on 3rd shift in the very near future - I have read up on some articles about it but I haven't found anything recent - that helps with sleep patterns, etc. I don't want to get caught in a routine where I am sleeping the day away and unable to do anything else. I think I will like it better than 2nd shift - and I think its a great time of year to be starting this since its darker longer, etc. so by the time spring rolls around I will be in a routine. My other big concern is my immune system. I want to get adjusted to small meals and be eating enough that I don't get sick - I just dont know how to do that. I dont know what is going to taste good on my tummy. I just want to be sure I am taking care of my body so I give everything a fair shot. Also, I keep reading about how 3rd shift work actually takes time off of your life because of the natural rhythm to your sleep cycle, etc. Is that really true or is there just no real way of knowing? I can see myself really enjoying 3rd shift once I get into a routine - but my main concern is keeping myself healthy during my adjustment period. I know at my last job the 3rd shift supervisor had worked 3rd shift for so many years - she loved it. I think I will too - I just dont want to be hurting my health. Apparently some people adjust and others dont - I want to give it my all and give it a fair shot. I am also going through the adjustment of moving throughout all of this - so I know that is going to mix in with it too - I am preparing for it as best as I can (moving) before I start work again but its still going to be awhile until I can settle into a place. Thanks for any input you can provide - I have goggled websites, etc to try to get ideas but I haven't really found anything that has "hit home" with me.

Hi all! I am in NC and I am a new grad who has been applying everywhere across the state to work any shift, any time any location (since I have the flexibility to relocate) - and I am so thankful to hear that there are 2 people on here that are from NC that have gotten jobs as a new grad. If you could tell me what direction to go in or what companies they were with I would really appreciate it. I have been applying at prisions, for the state, hospitals that hire LPN's, LTC (you can look them up county by county) and urgent care clinics. I have also been looking at indeed.com and craigs list. Would love any and all suggestions of where you all have gone in the NC area - it gives me hope that there are places where I live that are hiring new grads - :) Thanks so much for your time. xoxo

in NC? I have applied at LTC, some hospitals, government websites (prisons/school nurses) and urgent care clinics. I am applying all across NC since I have the flexibility to relocate, although I am trying to focus on smaller areas near the coast. I have been flexible on the days/shifts I can work, I have great references and a lovely resume and cover letter. I know things are tight right now - I am just trying to utilize all my resources. Thank you for any suggestions you can provide. I am trying to get my foot in the door so I can learn to be the nurse my faith wants me to be. :)

I can empathize too. This post gives me hope - I appreciate you taking the time to write it out. I am sorry you are going through this and I think it is commendable that you are pushing through trying to get to your first year mark - bravo! I know it must be hard to do it without support- just keep coming here and we will try to give you the support you need. :) Its nice to know that there are preceptors and DON's out there that allow us, as new nurses, to be human. :)

I will work whatever shift, whatever time frame in whatever location so I can get my 1 year experience in. I don't have a preference right now - I just want someone to give me a chance. xoxo

Hmm... yep it is better than being fired. I was terminated 3 weeks ago and told it was not going to go on my license, but I had no idea that when I renewed I would need to answer whether or not I was terminated. I was essentially told that they found a nurse who had experience, and me being the "brand new nurse" they no longer wanted to invest the time in training me. Not in so many words, but that is the bulk of it that I comprehended after giving my friends and other nurses a play by play. Apparently, unknown to me, there are a lot of politics in nursing and that came into play with my job. I would have never known if I hadn't talked about it with other nurses/friends. I just felt lost. I am not sure if being terminated for doing something wrong or being terminated because of lack of experience feels better/worse - or even being forced to resign as the OP was asked to do - to me it just sucks all the way around. I wish you al the best in seeking out a new position - I hope you feel refreshed after the holiday weekend and ready to apply.

Maybe orientation period is the wrong word? I got fired within my 90 day trial period? They told me when they terminated me that it was my orientation period still - thats why I worded it the way I did. Regardless,, I am still gun shy. And I still regret the fact that it is difficult for me and so many others who are brand new nurses to find the time to train us so we can get that experience in. Thats all. :)

I am a brand new nurse (LPN) having worked 2 months in LTC and terminated because they found an LPN that could work my schedule (2nd shift - apparently not a desirable shift) that they wouldn't have to invest time training. The only thing I regret is seasoned nurses who forget that they were once brand new nurses too who had to go through training because they wanted to become the best nurse they could be. I don't mind doing the work that it takes to find a job - going in person, dancing a jig, jumping in and being proactive about learning - I just want to be given a shot to prove to myself and others that I am worth the time and effort to train. I am so gun shy now about being a nurse because I was terminated after they found someone with experience during my orientation period - but what can I do? Keep pushing forward.

Well, all I know to do is to keep persisting. Everyone at one time or another was a new nurse. When I become a seasoned nurse (which I will) I will never forget this journey and hopefully I will be in the position to help brand new nurses who are eager to learn and jump in with both feet with this career. :) When I get another job in nursing (which I will in short order - I can feel it! :) ) I am not going to move from that job for a long while. When I find a group that is patient enough and willing enough to take the time to train me to be the nurse my faith wants me to be (which I will in short order - I can feel it! :) ) I am not going to do them (or myself) the disservice of leaving after I get a year experience in. That's not how I am. Thanks for wishing me the best - I appreciate it. :) I will just need to shine brighter and have a better attitude than the seasoned nurses I am up against. I am up for the challenge. I didn't work this hard to get here to be overlooked. :)

Not sure if this is the right forum or not. Would love some feedback on this. I am a brand new nurse, recently graduated - had a bear of a time finding a job because of my "lack of experience" - when I did get a new job in LTC, I was let go during my orientation period because they found another nurse to take my shift that had more experience and they even told me "We had forgotten the time it took to orient a new nurse" in so many words. I had made a med error yet it was an error that may have been "common sense" to a seasoned nurse and not to a new grad - to the point that I have talked to half a dozen nurses about it, seasoned and not seasoned, and all but 2 have made this same error and at MOST been written up - otherwise no action was taken. With that said - where are new nurses supposed to get training? Eager new nurses, who want to learn the ropes, who are doing this because their faith led them here, where do we get our training? If LTC isn't going to do it who is? I know some of my new RN friends have preceptors in the hospital setting - but getting a job in a hospital setting as an LPN is like winning the lottery - its highly unlikely. I still apply to hospitals when they have LPN openings - but I have only had interviews in LTC. I really want to be a nurse. With every fiber of my being. I want to learn how to do it right -- I want to be the kind of nurse my faith has led me to be. And I do not know where to get training at. I wanted to stay at my last job for as long as possible - I learned so much in 2 months - but I am so gun shy now to go through orientation anywhere because I am afraid I am going to get terminated because they find someone with more experience than me. I know we all started out as new nurses. Please provide me with some direction. I have even considered going to RN school so I could get a job in a hospital - but to go to the LPN RN bridge program I have to have a job as an LPN - and to do it without that bridge I need to get my Med Aide/CNA license and have 90 days experience - so in the interium of that please tell me what to do - tell me how to get experience. I can only read so much, study so much - hands on is what helped me the most. Is there a secret password to some secret society where I can go and get this magical training for 1 year? I will ask questions, I will be there on time or earlier, I will study my procedures every day and night,, I will jump in and do it myself and have you explain to me how I am doing it wrong so I can learn - please give me a chance. Thanks for your time.

I have had several friends look over my cover letter and resume before I started sending it out. I have never once gone in anything less than a blouse and dress pants to an interview. I was always told to wear stud earrings (if your ears are pierced - and only one in each ear) and at most a watch and one ring I was also told to smile, listen and have questions ready. I haven't been on too many interviews (I am a brand new LPN) but I assumed, especially with it being so competitive out there now, that everyone else was doing all of those things too. I am suprised (but shouldn't be) to hear otherwise. At least I know that when I do go in for interviews, if I get lucky enough to get to that point, I at least have that part down pat. We were supposed to have mock interviews in LPN school- it got glossed over because we ran out of time. Thank you for taking the time to post this - I hope it helps others. I know its helped me - It gives me a boost to think at least I am doing something right since I have the "brand new nurse" sign already going against me. xoxo

This article is interesting to me. I searched for nurses and low self esteem to see what could help me after my punch in the stomach termination last week - and while I was reading through this I realized I have a few of these "symptoms" but not tons of them. I do tend to be overly hard on myself - as I am sure most of us are - and I tend to be bruitally honest with myself too. My self esteem has increased over the past several years due to personal changes I have decided to make within myself. However, being new to the nursing profession and now after getting terminated (posted on another thread) I realized that my self esteem in this field is very low- it was before I got fired. Now - I was able to do the work - not be shy - jump in and ask questions - build rapport with the residents, families and staff - but my confidence as being a nurse in and of itself is lacking - does that make sense? My worth as a nurse in that capacity has only been external - I havent had the confidence within me to trust that I am a good nurse yet - I dont know if I am making sense - it does in my head. As with anything I want to do more to overcome this - I dont want it to be an obstacle. Its not in so many ways - yet I cannot continue determining my worth as a nurse based soley on what one person says - for example - one day when someone says I am doing good I am happy - when they say I am not I am sad. I still jump in and try and ask questions - but I think less of myself. I dont know. Ok. I hope someone understands what I am saying and can help me with this. Thanks.

Because they don't want to kick me while I am down perhaps? Thats probably why they are telling me that I am "great". You don't know me either. So I will tell you - I am going to be harder on myself than anyone on this board or at my past job could be combined - so I am not even going to believe I am a "great" nurse until I feel it within myself. I am not unteachable - I can say alot of things about myself - but I wasnt afraid to ask questions, wasnt afraid to jump in and learn new things. And the things I was oriented on and did do over and over I am good on - but unfortunately there are many other things that I did not do over and over again - and did not have the practice on - and therefore lacked the skill in those areas. Furthermore, my DON said that things that may have been considered "common sense" for a seasoned nurse should not have been expected to be common sense for a brand new nurse fresh out of school and shouldn't have been taken forgranted as such. However, since they found a nurse with experience while I was in my orientation period they decided to take a chance on them and let me go. And while it was still a punch in the stomach and I have really had to take the time to wrap my mind around it, I am not going to let that incident, as well as some of the comments on this board,, get me down and have me forget my focus. I have been a nurse for a total of 2-3 months. I am going to be a great nurse one day - and I am worth the time and effort a new place of employment will have to orient me to get to that place. Its going to take a lot more to take me out of this field than being terminated from a job or some of the commentary I get here. I am not afraid to become the nurse I know my faith has envisioned for me to become. And thats all that matters to me in this moment.

Actually, I wasn't trying to learn my skills through youtube OP - it was a suggestion - a supportive suggestion - made to me after I lost my job during my probationary period as a new nurse. When I was in a very low place. You can't fix stupid? Wow. I am not stupid. If you are going to take the energy to make a post like this at least get the facts straight. I may not have the experience as a brand new nurse like seasoned nurses do, but I hope I always have the compassion to be supportive. You were once a brand new nurse too. And so what if I do end up watching youtube videos? At least I have the courage to dust myself off and try again after getting punched in the stomach. At least I am not afraid of asking for help when I need it - even at my lowest point. I don't ever want to be the type of person that has to lift myself up by pushing someone else down even lower.

So its not lying if I leave it off my resume? I would just hate to get my foot in the door somewhere and then have them find out I worked somewhere, much less got terminated. I would feel like I am hiding something- I would always be afraid that they would find out and be able to fire me because of the lie. I thought it would be attached to my nurses license anyway? I just dont know - I have heard good reasons to do both - mostly no tho. I would just hate to start out on the wrong foot with someone - and I am so new to this field I simply dont know what the best route to take is - I feel so wishy washy after all of this has happened too. Thanks for your support and understanding. xoxo