MMDEC

When have one in our er that is helpful when desperate, but i,don't want to use it day all the time and get reliant on it. It is a struggle because it does not show you the depth of the vein. It has its place, but isn't a magic fix. How long have you been a nurse may I ask?

Hi there, quick question for my seasoned ER RNs. I have to keep up with CE units for my RN license in my state, plus i'd love to keep up on new research and general ER info (new to the ER). Does anyone have recommendation for magazines, journals, or specific memberships to groups that would be beneficial? There are so many to chose from I thought I'd get some opinions. Thanks!

I didn't see the patient, but I was reading through the waiting room c/o list and saw. "Right knee itching x1 day, no pain"

I just got out of orientation not too long ago and I felt like you describe often. Actually I find with good thoughtful nurses, that we are much harder on ourselves then others are. I felt like I was doing awful, but all my feedback was encouraging. People understand that you are new! They will have understanding for you. You are learning! you shouldn't expect to be perfect. :) I feel like orientation is a big hill and towards the top you feel like it is getting so hard that you can't continue, and then you make it, and things suddenly get a bit easier as you travel down the other side for awhile. I found be off orientation is also like this, It gets so tough, and then it starts getting easier again. Keep your head up! Prayers coming your way :)

OK....here I am to ask the stupid question. Spice? Is this a new drug?

I have never worked in a Med/Surg environment ( NICU and ED) but I felt school really covered the basics, heck a'll we did at first was give baths. I've never had a problem adapting to my specialized jobs and have always received positive feedback. ( of course there is always tons to learn!) I think each nurse is different.

Thanks for all the great info Everyone! I start mid-next month and we'll see how it goes :)

It is not a trauma center (the other area hospital is) but there are a regional stroke center (which I find very interesting). They do not to alot of Peds because there is an area children's hospital, but they said they still get there fair share to stabilize and send out agan. Orientation will be 3-6 months depending on experience. Thanks for all the book reccomendations! I think I will be collecting and studying resources a lot!

I have always love emergency medicine and first responding. I took EMT classes while in college, I did my school internship for nursing in the ED and planned to get an ER job after graduating with my BSN. Unfortunately there were no open positions when I was applying (all required 3 years of experience), so I sent to my second choice, ICU nursing. By a twist of fate I ended up in a NICU but it was a very intensive unit and I learned so much! I moved out of state and was recruited by another NICU but I am very unhappy with my current postion (host of issues, lots of false promises, not as many critical patients) and I have been looking around for other positions in my area. I just accepted an ER position at another local hospital and I am very excited....and Extrememly nervous. I have only worked with infants for the past 2.5 years. I am out of practice with adult IVs, adult assessments, adult medications and doses. I know I haven't been out of school long and a lot of these things will come with practice but I am still ill at ease. I hope I sitll do well with the pace and environment ( I loved it while completeing my internship). Any words of advice/encouragement would be appreciated? Tips, tricks? Anyone else transfer from the NICU/Peds world and have some advice? Thanks!

My hosptial policy is exactly the same, and I have to admit that I have come to worker sicker then I should. Never with a fever, but I still would have called in if I were still at my old job. It makes us feel like children. I was shocked when our managers solution was to get FMLA. I always thought that was for people who had surgery, cancer, other serious illnesses. Ridiculous.

Thank you everyone for your thoughtful replies! To answer some questions in your responses: There are some other positions within the hospital I currently work at, but I am really not impressed with this hospital in general at all. (odd policies, poor benefits) There is another hospital in my town. It is newer, smaller, does not have an NICU to speak of, but has a good reputation for employee satisfaction and has good ICUs and ERs. I think I may start watching their job postings online and contact the recruiter. Thank you all again!

Truthfully, I dont remember a single person even glancing at or mentioning my GPA anywhere. I have two degrees from two different schools, and I just listed them both with GPAs at graduation, but seriously, I doubt they will look very hard once they notice it is a decent GPA :)

Hi All, Hope I'm posting in the correct place. I've been reading this forum for a long time but don't think I've ever posted before. Advice or infor would be very welcome. Thank you in advance! Here is my dilemma: Long story first I graduated nursing School and moved back to my hometown, which is very near a major hospital. I quickly got a job in the NICU of a "Childrens Hospital of >>>My State In my new city there is a smaller NICU, but has a good reputation. I was quickly recruited and hired by my new NICU. This NICU is much more outdated, but I was promised on hire that a new CHildren's hospital was coming within the year. I was also promised that since I had experience at a large intensive hospital, I would be able to start training for neonatal helicopter transport much more quickly (within a couple years). Well, I am now 6 months into my new job, and I can say that this NICU and position was very sugar coated by my manager. I finished orientation (a half one because I had experience) only to learn that I was only allowed to care for certain infants. Other types of infants or the premies would require extra orientation under a continued learning program. I have asked my coworkers, and many are still on this "learning Program" after 3 years of working here full time. So, I will not be able to start training for helicopter transport for much longer then I was told. I am restricted from caring for the patients that I am really most quallified to care for and am religated to caring for the babies who are about to go home. While I have a lot to learn about this unit and the specific protocols, I find it frustrating that I am not allowed to care for the patients that I feel the most comfortable caring for. Not only that, the unit is so slow that I keep getting called off for "low Census". I believe I have had only 2 full paychecks since starting here. We are allowed to float, but only to Mother-Baby, where we would have to care for the Mothers as well (with no additional training) and I am not comfortable with that idea. So after my long explanation, here is my question. I am not happy with my unit, or the hospital in general (extrememly mismanaged and focused in all sorts of crazy places, none having anything to do with the patients or employees). There is another hospital in the area (with no NICU) that has a better reputation for treating their employees with respect. I would have to change units (I am ok with this) and would have to apply for jobs with only two jobs on my resume as a nurse. One with only 1.5 years experience, and another with only 6 months or so. Would this hurt my chances? I would hate to be seen as a job "hopper". Thank you for your thoughtful responses.

Hello all! I'm new to posting on this site but read the articles for encouragement all through nursing school! :) Thought I'd write to get some advice from some more experienced nurses. I just graduated from Nursing school in August of this year. While my first love is the ER, I love critical care areas and applied for all the Critical care opening at my local hospital (its a big one). I was hired into the NICU which is a new, large 60 bed unit. I start December 10th and have been trying to prepare for my new career. Any advice from NICU nurses out there? Good things to get involved with? Good magazines to read? Good shoes to buy? Anything really :) Thanks so much