kat1822 BSN, RN

kat1822's Latest Activity

1. 

   Can an RN Volunteer on the Floor?

   kat1822 replied to kat1822's topic in New Nurse

   Thank you for your understanding. I completely get that hospitals wouldn’t want to do this for liability reasons. I knew I was overlooking something! Despite always saying “wow they’re growing so fast!” it still feels like it takes forever for children to grow!
2. 

   Can an RN Volunteer on the Floor?

   kat1822 posted a topic in New Nurse

   A little background: Last year I worked for almost 4 months on a stepdown tele unit. I could not continue even part time due to personal circumstances. At this point I'm in a bit of a tricky situation... I can't commit to a job right now because I'm 6 months pregnant with my fourth child. I don't want to consider a formal job again until this baby is at least a year old, maybe older and we have a reliable childcare situation. Obviously I would like to keep my skills and knowledge up to date and also I know many units are desperate for more hands. I miss nursing in and of itself quite a lot. I need something to keep me motivated and fulfilled. Right now this pregnancy feels like an unending abyss. Being home with the kids all the time, I can feel my brain cells dying by the second. I love them to death but being a stay at home mom is no joke. I worked as a student extern while I was quite pregnant with my second so I know it's physically feasible for me. However, I have never heard of an RN working on the floor just as a volunteer. Could anyone shed some light on this? Is it even a possibility?
3. 

   BSN - no experience and lots of children

   kat1822 posted a topic in Nursing

   Hi all! Currently expecting my fourth child in September. I have 3 aged 6 and under. Finished my RN-to-BSN online last year, but I didn't work until one year after finishing my RN degree (my youngest was born one week after graduation, so I stayed home with her until she was a year old). I worked June to Sept last year but I didn't make it off of orientation before having to quit - childcare issues, plus the unit I worked for gave me a bad orientation and the nurse:pt ratio was unsafe for the acuity level (stepdown telemetry 6:1 - even 7:1 for a few weeks!). I felt that my license was on the line and wasn't willing to take that risk basically. I left the hospital on good terms and have since been considered for employment there again, but decided it best to wait due to the pregnancy. Basically, I'm looking for some advice. My license doesn't need renewal until May of next year, but I'm not sure if the board of nursing is aware of my 4 months of working. Or does orientation not count towards working hours? Anyway, the baby is due this September and I tend to want to stay home with babies for at least the first year. What can I do to stay in the game? I'll have to do some refresher courses, it seems, before I go back to work. I have considered post-graduate studies because I tend to be a chronic degree seeker... I have been in college for about 8 or 9 academic years, all told (a BA in anthropology). I like to learn and I'm very detail-oriented. I don't think I would be a good academic teacher, but I do like teaching patients. Is the thought of working towards an NP too far-fetched? I know this much from the work experience I do have (even before nursing school - I worked as a CNA): I tend strongly towards end of life care, and I connect particularly well with oncology patients. I also appreciate the knowledge and critical thinking in cardiac nursing. Basically, anything that requires a challenge, or anything that involves delicate existential holistic care. I am very detail-oriented and I tend to do things "by the books" - I find it very stressful when I see people cutting corners because I think of all the potential implications for the patient (part of the reason I couldn't really handle the unit I was on as a fresh new grad). The reason why I'm asking about this is because I really miss the world of nursing. I love raising my children but I know that nursing is my secondary calling and I'm anticipating getting back out there one of these days! If you made it this far into my post, you deserve a medal or something 🙂 Looking forward to hearing any thoughts or recommendations!
4. 

   Help - Should I Work or Wait?

   kat1822 replied to kat1822's topic in Nursing

   SORRY!! I should have been clearer in my communication - it would be 2 days per week for 8-12 weeks with the possibility of extending orientation if I need it. After that, I'll go down to one day a week! I think that's quite generous. I don't think I'm overconfident, but apart from being familiar with medication parameters, being comfortable with trach care, and breathing treatments - the rest of it I'm fairly comfortable with believe it or not. I'm not "fast" at labs but I can interpret ABGs no problem and I think I'm moderately quick at analyzing other lab values. I worked in an assisted living facility for nearly two years that was run basically like a nursing home, so I'm comfortable with transfers, dementia, disorientation, and total care. On the first floor I worked on, many if not most of my 5 patients were FSBS ac/hs and I could usually handle that alright unless for example I had 2 or 3 BPs that needed IV push meds. As far as I'm aware, this is a 12 bed unit. Having said that, I don't know how many RNs or techs are staffed per shift. I'm going to shadow on Friday from 0630-1030 to get a feel for the place! Honestly I feel very optimistic about this opportunity. It's a part of the health system that I worked for before, which I have always admired because the staff genuinely cares (well, most of them - the ones who make it very far, anyway!). It's corporate, so that has some intrinsic downsides... but overall, people stay there. I have spoken to multiple nurses who have been there 15-30 years! Thank you for hearing me out, giving me some things to consider when I go shadow, and also for being realistic with me 🙂
5. 

   Help - Should I Work or Wait?

   kat1822 replied to kat1822's topic in Nursing

   Wow you don’t mince words do you! I respect that. And you have reminded me that I did feel a little on my own in my first job... which is one reason among many why I left. One of the things that did scare me was exactly what you said - I didn’t know what I didn’t know. My preceptor wasn’t very good - she didn’t explain to me that the hospital expected a very specific way of charting on a suicidal patient. If the oncoming charge nurse hadn’t told me about it, who knows when I would have found out I should have been doing that. I’m understanding that if I take this part time position, I will be working 2 days under orientation which would be “dependent” on my “progression”. That gives me hope that they will be supportive if I feel I need a longer than normal orientation. Hopefully by the time baby comes in 5 and a half months I will be off of orientation or close to it. I’m setting up to shadow on the unit before interviewing. I want to know what I’m in for before committing that way I can hold the job consistently for a long period of time (even if I’m not working “a lot”).
6. 

   Help - Should I Work or Wait?

   kat1822 replied to kat1822's topic in Nursing

   I really truly appreciate your perspective. Thank you for sharing all of this with me. Let me say this: I worked on a stepdown telemetry unit only part time for orientation for my first job. I was taking 5 patients by the time I left... I felt pretty comfortable for the most part unless I had impossible assignments (like argatroban or a heparin drip and lots of high BPs all at the same time and a new blood transfusion order- that happened once and was not a fun day). My preceptor was letting me fly on my own and would come in when I needed help like the scenario I described. All that to say, I’m looking at a position on a swing bed unit. After talking to some people about acuity levels on swing bed units and the type of care needed, I do feel quite confident that I could get off of orientation in less than 3 months. I’m a very quick learner and hard worker (and I’ve done very hands-on clinicals while heavily pregnant). It’s in the same health system, so the charting is all the same. The career coach said the manager is very flexible and they are looking for a PRN associate - she’s talking to her for me. I would be happy to do orientation 2 days a week if they’ll take me and then go down to 1 day a week or whatever is required for PRN. Then go back to work indefinitely after maternity leave. Thoughts? Thanks if you read this far 😅
7. 

   Swing Bed Med/Surg?

   kat1822 replied to kat1822's topic in Nursing

   Very glad to hear all this. I’m hoping the manager is interested in talking to me! Sounds like a manageable position considering I’m pregnant (at least compared to where I worked before)... Thanks so much!
8. 

   Swing Bed Med/Surg?

   kat1822 posted a topic in Nursing

   Does anyone have experience at a place like this? I have never heard of it before. The way I understand it, it sounds like a place people go if they need more hospital care I.e. long term IV abx. If you have any experience in a place like this, could you share what a day looks like? Im considering it as a new-ish grad coming from a stepdown tele unit. I’m guessing it will be less acute than what I’m used to.
9. 

   Help - Should I Work or Wait?

   kat1822 replied to kat1822's topic in Nursing

   It’s called mutual respect. He knows I would benefit from a nursing job and wants me to do it but I don’t think he fully realizes that new grads basically don’t stand much of a chance part time. While I did choose nursing and committed to it, I have always put my family first. It doesn’t mean I will never work... just that I have to continually discern when the “right time” is.
10. 

    Help - Should I Work or Wait?

    kat1822 replied to kat1822's topic in Nursing

    Yeah I really am. When I worked last time my husband and I took turns looking after the kids (he worked full time hours but it was flexible)... it felt like a divorce situation! Which sucked because we actually love each other LOL. I’m going to ask if I could work part time and have a babysitter for one of those days. But that still doesn’t account for the fact that they would probably still want my orientation to be full time🙄I’m going to do some more probing and networking and then let it be
11. 

    Help - Should I Work or Wait?

    kat1822 replied to kat1822's topic in Nursing

    My older children are almost-6, 4.5, and almost 2. I’m due in September. So far I have had healthy pregnancies; of course I realize that doesn’t necessarily mean this one will be the whole way through
12. 

    Help - Should I Work or Wait?

    kat1822 replied to kat1822's topic in Nursing

    Actually, considering the matter fuller, I don’t see why I couldn’t work part time, take maternity leave (or whatever I need to do to take a break to have the baby) and then go back to part time after. Someone mentioned this in their comment, and I think it’s reasonable. My husband doesn’t want me to do that basically because he won’t consider hiring a babysitter. They’re expensive, I get it. It would be great if I had family support but my mom has made it clear she won’t watch my kids so I can work. My in-laws live in England so that’s not an option either. I feel stuck in a rut regarding this circumstance 😕
13. 

    Help - Should I Work or Wait?

    kat1822 replied to kat1822's topic in Nursing

    I really appreciate all the feedback. A kind float pool manager is working with me to see if she can find a need for a new-ish grad working PRN somewhere. I don't have much hope for it. Like everyone has already said, I really think they expect all their PRN employees to hit the ground running. Who would want to worry about training a new person who's not even there very often? I can understand the limitation there. Unfortunately I don't think my husband will be okay with me working just part time. I've tried to explain that it was the acuity of the floor I was on and the lack of support (since the nurse:pt ratio was sometimes 1:7 on a stepdown!!) that made me such a hot mess a lot of the time... but of course he thinks that's what it will be like if I work any more than PRN on any floor! At this point it looks like I'll be waiting until about a year and a half from now to work. As much as I really hate that. I love nursing. Thanks again for the practical insight and wisdom
14. 

    Help - Should I Work or Wait?

    kat1822 replied to kat1822's topic in Nursing

    I only have 3 months of experience, but it was on a busy stepdown tele unit and I was handling 5 pts virtually on my own by the time I left. I learned a lot in that short time. Before that, I had an externship at the same hospital for 6 full weeks. During nursing school, I was in two different programs (long story, basically one entire university shut down while I took a bit of time off from the program, so I had to retake some stuff in my new program). I have had clinicals in 8 different facilities around the state, so I've seen quite a bit. I have a lot more clinical hours than most grads. All that to say, surely it won't impact my hireability too much considering I have legitimate reasons for not working anything very long term? Namely, having babies and staying home with them for awhile... I am keeping my license up to date. I finished my BSN last Summer and that bought me an extra 2 years before I need to do any more working/continuing education in my state. Thanks!
15. 

    Help - Should I Work or Wait?

    kat1822 posted a topic in Nursing

    I’m currently pregnant expecting my fourth child. I would like to work PRN at a local hospital (if they have a position that works for me). However, I know that I will not want to work postpartum- indefinitely. Raising babies is hard and important work! My concerns are that 1) They won’t hire me since I’m pregnant and might not return after maternity leave (is that discrimination?) and 2) a short few-months long of working will look bad on my future resume. I worked for that hospital for 3 months last year but left in good standing for other personal reasons. It’s so hard to work consistently with a family. I’m afraid if I don’t work now while I feel good I won’t work again for a couple of years. I love nursing. Any thoughts? Thank you ☺️
16. 

    Agency Nursing with Limited Experience?

    kat1822 posted a topic in Agency

    I am a relatively new grad - I graduated in May 2019, but I took a year off because my baby was born a week after my cumulative final. I worked June of last year until Sept but had to leave because it was not a feasible work situation since I had the baby and 2 other children aged 5 and under and was unable to find a babysitter I trusted. I was advancing quickly in orientation on the busy stepdown telemetry unit - 5 patients on my own by the time I left. I'm currently pregnant but feeling great (and low risk) and I'm itching to get back out there at least until I give birth. I keep running across agency nursing as a good, flexible option. I've had an agency reach out to me saying they would accommodate my situation. My biggest concern is that I'm not necessarily secure enough in my knowledge (and a few of my skills) to do a good job in agency nursing. Could anyone give me some input and advice concerning this? Thank you!