CrystalClear75

To everyone, thank you for your kind support and advice it means alot. Good luck to you all :) I can't even explain in words how much peace I've felt these past few weeks.

If I have to live with a few hundred dollars less a month then so be it, it's like paying for something like saying "here help me." I want to get into massage therapy and work on my own. I really think I'm done with nursing, it's a shame how much crap we put up with.

Stay at home mom:)

Very true...or more :) I plan on working my way up. :) Thanks.

I'll keep an eye open...but for now nursing is out :)

I had enough in the nursing field. With the economy being the way it is, it's very difficult to find a hospital/med surge position without any hospital experience. Sooo I worked at a nursing home for 2 and a half years. The first place I worked at was a LTC facility scheduled the graveyard shift. Got tired of that and bid on a daylight position at another facility since I had a difficult time finding daylight hours at the facility I was at. So this "facility" was in the city and in one of the worst neighborhoods(high crime) but that was alright by me, I grew up in a similar area. Well the establishment was horrid, I won't go into detail. I can take a lot of crap but I wouldn't even know where to start. Quit there... moving forward(making this short). Got a job at a Catholic facility, worked there for 3 months and got fired because I was told to speed up on my med pass since there was no secretary...I told the supervisor I am trying my best...she was well aware that we were short on aids ALSO(and secretart(. So, again she said you need to speed up. I had frequent fallers, screemers, it was a hell beyond hell night I was running literally with a bladder full and had it. I told her if you don't like the speed I'm going and the help I'm giving this poor CNA which should have at LEAST one more down this hall, fire me. Well they did. I got a job today at TGI Fridays, back to waiting tables. I can get insurance from my husband...and made good money as a server in the past and was MUCH happier. I'm SICK of being miserable and forcing every part of my being to go to work in those places. It sucked the life out of me, I CHOOSE not to live my life that way. Forget the idea of having a prestigious position as an RN, most of my coworkers were unhappy and miserable. I give those of you credit who stick it out with and I mean with a fair positive attitude. I've been looking for a job for the past few months and nothing. I'm done. Maybe I'll go back in the future when the working conditions improve. When I went into the restaurant to the interview I felt a sense of peace knowing that if I don't want to, I never have to go back :) BYE nursing industry, most of the administration topped with the laziness of many of these places sicken me. Feels good to say PEACE. Much love and luck to all of you. I hope your not miserable and just fake it to maintain your status as an RN...if your unhappy, get out. Life's too short to be miserable over a piece of crap job(the places are a piece of crap). PERIOD.

I have anxiety and take xanax when needed only under very stressful circumstances...if I don't my performance suffers due to increased heart rate, being all diaphoretic etc. This job is very stressful and I think that if you feel the need for something due to anxiety and it makes you feel better and able to perform your job better...by all means do what you gotta do. Now benzos are very addictive and withdrawal from them is horrible just from common knowledge I'm sure your aware of that...so I only take when absolutely needed. Your not the only one, trust me there's nothing worse than some days going into work with your stomach hurting and driving there in complete panic(one example for me). As long as you have a prescription you have no worries what so ever...they can't hold that against you.

Yes I guess it is a good sign...I will be there for 8 and a half hours though...I'm wondering what the heck I'll be asked or what this 2nd interview will entail. yhan they asked me about how I dealt with a conflict of some kind with a co worker and how I handled it. why i wanted to be a psych nurse. during my experience as a nurse what did I do that I felt proud of? not too many questions...things like that. :) Good luck

Well I got a second interview is that a good sign?

I just wanted some insight I wasn't going to write word for word it's been so long since i've studied this and i have no experience, i just wanted to hear what other people had to say and perhaps put in into my OWN perspective :) this is what i really want and i dont want to mess this up. 10 am wish me luck :)

Please I am so nervous and ready for bed in an hour...if I can get these down packed with confidence i'd be able to sleep soundly...what do these interviewers want to here. Tell me about yourself. 2. What led to your interest in nursing? 3. Describe a challenging problem you faced on one of your clinical rotations. How did you solve the problem? 4. When you are experiencing a stressful work situation, how do you relax? 5. Give a specific example of a time when you knew you did a good job as a nurse. 6. Have you ever been burned out? When? What did you do about it? 7. How would you respond if asked by the head nurse to do some of the menial tasks for patients that are normally not your responsibility? 8. How do you relax when faced with stressful work situations? 9. How would you respond if, in a rude and haughty tone, a doctor questioned your work, which you knew to be top-notch and absolutely accurate? 10. Do you think you will be a career nurse or eventually look for another profession? Why? 11. Why did you decide to become a nurse rather than a doctor? 12. Describe a situation in which you found yourself working with someone who was very sensitive and thin-skinned? 13. Can you describe a situation connected with nursing that mad you angry? 14. We have all tried different ways of showing consideration for others. What are some things that you have done in this respect? 15. What are some ways that you feel that nursing can become more professional? 16. If you were told that the nursing field was closed and that you could not become a nurse, what would your do? 17. What type of colleague do you least like to work with? 18. What type of nursing tasks do you find most objectionable? 19. Describe a situation connected with nursing that you experienced in the last year that made you angry. 20. How many years do you se yourself staying with this hospital? 21. How do you go about making a decision? 22. Are there any questions that you have for me?

Get a lawyer a good one that specializes in these cases...your not guilty and they can prove it.

Start by getting some inclex books just to get youself familiar with what the whole program is getting you ready for. If you need help in a certain area, such as I did with chemistry take full advantage of the tutoring program. Read books that are positive and uplifting...my favorite, "Change your thoughts change your life" by Wayne Dyer. I swear as soon as I read that there was no stopping me. Do alot of praying and BELIEVE in yourself, you CAN DO THIS. They will put you in classes that you tested into and just do your best...if you can't handle four classes go down to three and so on. If you have to take your time...time is going by anyway...do it the best way you can do it. BIG TIP, everything you learned that day as soon as you go home review what you learned and always try to understand what you didn't there are many resources such as this for one to help you understand. Take things step by step don't think of the whole picture...although looking through the inclex books is a good idea to do when you get into the program maybe just glance now but really put effort into when your in the program. ANY questions you have there is always help available. YOU CAN DO THIS. Congrats to you, DONT GIVE UP!

Hello, I have an interview at a psych hospital on Wednesday for the job I've always wanted since graduation. I applied persistently but most hospitals wanted some kind of experience. I have 2 years experience working with the elderly and many of them also had co existing mental disorders in addition to alzheimers and dementia. Anyways, the interview to get in there was brief and it was like "here you got the job." I know this is going to be more intense. I just bought a book "Esssentials in Psychiatric Mental health nursing" and also have an old inclex book to review. I need help in how to answer these questions and knowing what they want to hear and what kinds? Please help, I am jobless right now. I had to quit LTC because the working conditions were so harsh...we were down to ONE aid on my floor when there should have been two and they were wondering why my med pass was taking so long. I am afraid of the danger I'm posing to these patients trying to monitor these frequent fallers I had on top of helping out just so it all got done, I was so burned out and stressed I felt like I was dying so it was a mutual agreement for me to get the hell out of there. I've been so depressed, but got lucky to find that there's a psych hospital hiring close to me and they called me for an interview. PLEASE any help or websites for interview tips is so appreciated. xox Crystal

Calitor3 your right, I was thinking the same thing I'm not even going to bring it up...just worried that they'll call for some sort of reference but I was on orientation the whole time....like I said got sent home not called off that one time...and this place is not on my application....so I'm hoping that is the case that they won't even ask. I am so excited to be working in a spirit filled place...I am a very spiritual person and love to be "in spirit" in everything I do at all times if possible...and during my time at work is even an extra bonus. I'm always watching Christian or Catholic television...so I'll be a perfect fit( I hope). I even listen to religious stations on the radio...always praying...I just feel the need to be as close to God as much I can if that makes any sense...:redbeathe: I'm just really HOPING they don't call for a reference and ask me about putting the two weeks in. I've been through HELL and I mean hell the last few months I just want to be at peace...and include the lord in everything I do.:heartbeat

That's not true, the pay is very reasonable.

do u think me not giving a two weeks notice considering my circumstances would interfere with me getting this job?

I just got off orientation and was on my own for only one night. At one time, they called me off due to "over staffing." Well I was a float nurse and they just put me where ever they needed me and I did not get paid extra money for this. Anyways the job of my dreams called me in for a second interview(the first interview was before i took this job)...so I went and she said "well consider yourself a new job as a nice christmas present." I was sooo happy. I've been going through some tough times during the first few weeks of working at this other job. The second night I was on my own I came in crying and told them I'm packing my stuff and moving in with my mother my husband whacked me in the face with a towel and has been mean and nasty for the last two days for no reason. The supervisor said that I could go home...but it was considered a call off. The next day is when they called and said they were "over staffed." As stressed as I was, I couldn't bare having 56 patients on who knows what unit considering the condition I was in...moving takes alot of time. So I called the the next day and told them due to my situation, I have to quit...I'm afraid my husband is going to do something and I'm in the process of getting a PFA and don't want to keep calling off. Now, I got this job it's also LTC, it's a Catholic facility with a great reputation...always well staffed, nice people...I'm real excited to start. At the time of my second interview the DON knew I was still working there...do u think me not giving a two weeks notice considering my circumstances would interfere with me getting this job? I was just going to tell her that I was having some family issues and really needed some time off...I start dec 6 and plan on saying it will be just enough time to straighten things out and heal. I didn't even work at this other place for more than 3 weeks, maybe 2 and a half. I feel bad I didn't put my two weeks in but i really was going though a lot of crap....now I'm all moved in and need this time off. Any suggestions or comments is welcome. I really really want to work at this place. I am Catholic and feel closer to the lord or something working in this place...like more spiritual. Thanks

That was not my question or concern about knowing that it "may" show up. Your answer is way off topic, I thought we had to stick to the "topic" of the thread on this site...I'm so sick of getting comments from people like I'm a child, of course I thought there could of been a chance of it showing up, but I did work for a State job and had no problems so I'll admit I was quite surprised but never disregarded this arrest ever showing up(again no convictions of anything ever). My question was could this place not hire me because I was arrested in 2001 for something I wasn't guilty of. I thank the one poster who said "it's up to them." That's the conclusion I've come up with.

Altra If I had ever been arrested, I'm sure I would remember it, and would always consider the possibility that something related to that is going to turn up somewhere, some wa I didn't say that I didn't remember it and the possibility of it not showing up. I will admit I was quite surprised that it showed up that way because I just recently had my backround checked and got hired...and got hired at a place prior to that. You weren't reading my concern correctly...my question was could this interfere with me getting this job even though now it comes up "no results found" since I talked to the person who deals with criminal records...she fixed it or erased it now it's back to "no results found." Your answer makes no sense because that's not what I was asking or what I was concerned about. Your judgement was irrelevant. I thought we were supposed to stick to the "point" of the thread of what the concern is. That's why I don't visit this site often, too many people judge you way to quick without even remotely helping out the question of concern.

I've gotten hired at two nursing homes without problem, the job that i wanted most finally called me about the criminal backround check(i was hired she said until of course the backround check went thru) so the whole time i'm thinking yay i got the job because i have no convictions and when u look up on the public site on criminal records it shows up "no results found." Well the hr lady called me back today to tell me that my criminal backround check results came up "results under review". I KNOW i didn't do anything wrong recently...so the HR lady gave me this number to call to clarify the situation and she said that I was arrested and finger printed back in 2001. Well this was about a time when i was with the wrong person at the wrong place and the wrong time. I got arrested for being with a guy who dropped some girl off that he knew at a hotel room...i had no idea she was going there to prostitute herself, well i got arrested with the guy and her taken to jail but found not guilty. so thats what the "'results under review meant." So the person i talked to erased it from the computer...I called the HR lady and told her...she looked it up and it came up "no results found." so she says she has to talk to the DON again about it..the DON knew about the results under review. i asked her if this would ruin my chances of getting hired, she said she has to talk to the DON. i emailed the DON explaining i've never been convicted i was at the wrong place wrong time bla bla to please get back to me to let me know what's going on. do u think this will have any bearing on me not getting hired even though now the results are cleared? I was just ARRESTED but not guilty but if you go in the system it now says "no results found." so could this ruin my chances????

I've been working night shift for a year and a half now and absolutely love it compared to day shift. Virtually all the resident's are tucked away in their beds sleeping. Of course you'll have the occasional ones that get out of bed (I work in a nursing home) or holler out but in general night shift is alot nicer. Now mostly, I am working non stop and am busy throughout the night when I'm the only nurse...which is very often. It's a unit with a census of about 56 patients. By the time I give report, pass Midnight meds and hang the tube feeds, chart the ward report, complete three summaries, complete the daily charting( g-tubes, decubs), do the treatments and check orders(to see if they are transcribed properly in the mar) then eat lunch, then take my break....and perhaps if needed, write up an incident or a fall...it's time to do my second med pass. Then I'm DONE. It goes so fast...and I usually work with three CNA's and we all work together very well as a team. AND there's usually one or two supervisors working at night which will help out with writing up incidents etc if needed. I really cannot complain. Now for overtime, I have picked up part of a day shift after working all night...which was till 11am and I was fine, but yes I was really tired by the time I got home. I have also picked up a day shift on one of my days off for overtime pay and will never do it again, it was very difficult to adjust. If I didn't work nights full time and had more days off, the transition to working the day shift would be alot easier. Plus, day shift is so much louder, and as most of you said...there are families, doctors, more people and pain in the but things to deal with. I am and always will be a night nurse.

Hello, I'm a fairly new nurse(8 months with a license) and work in a nursing home. After a few weeks into my new job, I started to become depressed...it was a very slow progression. Eventually it just got so bad, I could not even get out of bed. Note, that I was fine before I started working. Throughout nursing school, I was fine. I do have a history of depression...had one episode about 10 years ago. My father passed away, I was treated with zoloft which was effective then I got over it. Now it's back, but the condition is worse. All I want to do is sleep. I work 11-7 shift so I don't know if that has anything to do with it but I'm so fatigued. Many days I sleep all the way till I have to go to work. It's just like sleep, work, sleep, work. I have no energy. On my days off all I want to do is lay around, I don't enjoy things like I used to. I don't want to leave my house, just the thought of going out roller skating(like I used to for example) with my daughter makes me want to vomit. I tried St. Johns Wart but that didn't help. So my doctor suggested Lexapro. I have NO energy, and do not feel much better, maybe a tad but I still don't feel right. I was wondering if anyone could relate to my situation. Did the sadness depression develop because of the stressors associated with your job? What are you currently doing to treat yourself, or should I say your doctor is doing? This is not me. I have a pretty huge responsibility, I'm usually the only nurse on a floor with 60pts and about 3-4 aids. I don't want to do hospital nursing because I'm not big on tons of paper work, etc. I know that won't be any better. I just don't know if nursing is right for me period, but I have to survive and eat. I'm lost. ANY comments are welcome.

[ Yeah I think that a separate category or an area of discussion as "part" of the forum is a good idea for people with 10 plus years of experience. Perhaps the topic or area of discussion could be titled "Nurses with 10 plus experience only." I'm hoping that you are not pertaining to this whole forum or the "General Nursing Discussion" made exclusively for that...wouldn't that be just a tad bit unfair?:)

I really can't side with anyone here. The original poster of this thread is entitled to his/her opinion just as much as the "non nurses" are on giving thier opinions on whatever subject in whatever threads they post in. It's all a matter of opinion, and as long as the posters do not violate the rules of this website, then there should be no area of concern. Of course, the concern of this matter(part of it) is those of you who are annoyed by the opinions of non nurses replying to nursing threads, but they have a right to say what they feel too. So I really can't say who is right or wrong.:) Once the "non nurses" walk a mile in our shoes, their opinions will most likely change...until then, there is nothing we can do to change their mind(in most cases). So I find it much more interesting to read about the various perspectives of others no matter what the title behind their name is...makes the forum much more enjoyable, in my opinion. :) Edit: I also wanted to add that those of you who are long time members should understand that new comers are looking for up to date feedback on what they are inquiring about. So using the search option results in older threads. Things(and the various opinions on whoever is on this forum at that moment, it's not always going to be the same person or same opinion in which the reader can also get a current understanding on the subject) do change, by the day actually!