caliheartRN

Thank you all for your thoughtful responses. It is going to be a rough transition, but this is what I've worked so hard for. Time to be confident with what I do know and ask questions about things I dont know. 8 weeks flew by quicker than I expected!

Soon I will be off orientation and on my own. The realization has finally hit me and my anxiety is hindering my sleep... I think about it constantly and I am scared to death. Ive been told i'll be fine on my own by preceptors, but I feel like I still have so much to learn. When will I ever feel "comfortable" going into work. When will the anxiety and sleepless days end? I go home thinking about the previous shift going over in my head if I made any mistakes... Im blessed to have found a job as a new grad but this anxiety and overwhelming transition is getting to me.

Sadly many hospitals rather pay for travelers than pay for benefits/other expenses that come along when employing FT/PT.

They usually glance at it during the interview. You can also reference it during the interview. Have the nurse manager keep the portfolio so they can look at it (hopefully!) after the interview as well. Goodluck!

Look into obtaining certifications if you dont have them. ACLS/PALS, tele, IV therapy, etc

Hi AN, As a new grad RN, should I purchase my own malpractice insurance? I know that technically I am covered by the hospital I work at, but I have been told not to rely on them and to have my own to cover my license. Thoughts? What insurance would you recommend? Thank you in advance!

Hi AN, As a new grad RN, should I purchase my own malpractice insurance? I know that technically I am covered by the hospital I work at, but I have been told not to rely on them and to have my own to cover my license. Thoughts? What insurance would you recommend? Thank you in advance!

I got a call today... So they are still making offers.

In my new grad porfolio I included the items below: Cover letter Resume List of references Letter of recs (3-4 is adequate) Transcript Copy of License Copy of Certifications (BLS/ACLS/TELE/IV) I chose not to include copies of awards or projects which some people do. Insteas I just them in my resume.

I am so happy to have started following this forum prior to entering nursing school. The advice and support is amazing. I have officially landed my first RN (new grad) position at a local hospital and wanted to share my experience. There is hope out there for all of us new grads, stay positive and persistent! Hx: I graduated May 2012 with my BSN. I took my NCLEX early June and found out I passed shortly there after. I received a job offer about a month out from graduation. Landing the job: After graduation I looked up local hospitals and kept their career/recruitment website pages saved on my toolbar. Each day in the morning I took the time to look at each of the hospitals' job postings (making sure to do a thorough search- not just using "new grad" in the keywords). I applied to ALL of the available positions I qualified for, even the ones that said experience "preferred". After about 2 weeks of applying (yes I know this is a short period for today's economy) and tons of applications submitted, I did not receive one bite. I felt frustrated and depressed. Not a call... sometimes not even a denial email even though the position had been filled. I decided it was time to be proactive and do more than just submitting an application online... that would eventually be in a pile with hundreds of other qualified applicants. When this specific position was posted on the website I was highly interested. I contacted the Nurse Manager. I ended up having to call her more than once to reach a live person and not her answering machine. I asked her if I could bring in my portfolio to her office when she would be on the unit. She said yes, and a few days later I met with her face-to-face to hand her my portfolio. About 2 weeks later I got a call from HR for an interview with the Nurse Manager... & now I have accepted the position :) Tips from my experience: -The most important thing I learned from my experience is to do more than just submitting an application online. With so many qualified applicants these days it is extremely important to go above and beyond... or else you're just waiting on luck. If I had not contacted the nurse manager and walked in my portfolio I bet I would have not had the chance to interview. -Whenever possible get in touch with the Nurse Manager of the hiring unit. They are ultimately the one (usually) that picks the candidate. Sometimes you have to go farther than contacting HR/Nurse Recruiter. If you don't know who the manager is, try calling around (the hospital operator, HR, the unit). If needed, go directly to the unit to find out the information you need. Many people are scared that doing this would be too much or would bug the manager... and maybe some NMs will think this... however many will see it as persistence and determination. Whenever possible get face-to-face interaction. Simply calling and following up may not be enough. Putting a face to your name is a plus! -Make sure to be prepared and to look professional at all times. Even when dropping off your portfolio know what you want to say and how you want it to come across. That small interaction can be a game changer. -Have a neat, organized, and complete portfolio. Take time (and a little bit of extra change) to make it look nice. You want to sell yourself. Print your cover letter and resume on quality paper and utilize a nice portfolio binder. Include copies of your transcripts, licenses, certifications, references, and letter of recommendations. All of these things helped me land my interview. As far as interview tips: -Research common nursing interview questions (I used the John Hopkins Interview Guide I found on google). Think about your own personal scenarios that you can apply to a number of questions. Recalling a clinical event can be the hardest part of an interview because of nerves and limited time to think about past experiences! Be prepared! -Dress professional. A nice women's suit will make a positive statement. -Research the organization. Know the mission, values and any extra interesting facts. Know why you want to work at THAT SPECIFIC hospital and be able to answer a question about it. -I had critical thinking questions in my interviews... so if you've been out of school for awhile refresh (ABCs/critical pt versus stable pt/prioritizing/time management, etc) -If your interviewing for a renal unit skim over common renal nursing interventions... if your working on cardiac look up cardiac stuff... etc. You will probably have one or a few focused questions depending on the type of interview. P.S. I apologize if my formatting, grammar, and spelling are not correct! Goodluck to everyone on the job hunt! You chose nursing for a reason... remember that. Stay positive and be persistent. Go above and beyond and you'll land an interview somewhere!

One way to organize your report is to go through your information by systems (neuro, resp, cardiac, etc) making sure to include lines/drains/tubes where important. Then you can add any important events that happened that shift (Xrays/extra labs/procedures/changes in condition) You can have an outline that you follow when giving report that reminds you what system/category to talk about next, until you become more comfortable giving an organized report! Goodluck!