RN_by_day

So I currently work at the VA. I have my BSN and 5 years experience as a RN. I was brought in as a nurse I, but with a high step. I spoke to HR about it and I was told....that my opportunity to negotiate steps and/or grades for my position was when I was initially offered the salary. However, being that this is my first government job, I was not aware of this until after I got hired and started to speaking to other employees during orientation. So my question is does anyone who works for a VA have any tips on what I can do to obtain my nurse II when it is time for my eval? Thanks 😊

I work on a step down cardiac unit and our ratio is 1:4....1:5 if we're short

There are nurses I can go to, I guess the bottom line is I'm just nervous

I recently graduated from Rn school in September and started my first official Job mid-January. Prior to becoming a RN I was a LPN for 4 years. I should mention i had no hosoital exoerience, just nursing home & doctors office which both are totally different from the hospital. So I'm on my last week of orientation but I still feel like there is still so much I dont know. I feel like my preceptor is good (although I really dnt have anyone to compare her to). Is this feeling normal? I don't want to be taken off orientation & then held accountable for something I'm not familiar with. I'm pretty much by myself now but I just feel comfortable knowing that my preceptor is right there if I need anything. I also don't know if I should ask for more time on orientation as I don't want to come across as not having confidence in myself either. My manager keeps saying, I'm ready but I can't help but feel like she's just saying that so the unit won't be as under staffed, so....

I can imagine feeling like that working night shift....I would be working days. How often do you have to be on call? The reason why I am thinking about going to the hospital is because I too want to spend more time with my family and kids. Working 5 days per week by the time I get home I'm tired and everything has to wait until the weekend

I currently work at a Doctors office and I do love it: its 8-4:30 MON-FRI with holidays and weekends off, however I recently became an RN and was offered a position at the nearby hospital. I feel like I should go to the hospital because I will actually learn things and put my skills to use, only work 3 days per week (3 12hour shifts) and If I have to work holidays, Ill at least be getting paid time and a half for it. Most people see the Doctors office as a dream job but-if you have a doctors appointment or court or anything like that, you have to take time off or leave early and you get no time and a half for holidays because of course, the office is closed. Lastly you have to work 5 consecutive days per week. Which is better? Which is worse?

I really feel like they dont have a RN position available but they are just not telling me which is very frustrating-I would much rather appreciate the truth instead of them having me wait for something that may never come. So Im still putting in applications and 2 people have already called back for an interview, so for now IM just going to hope for the best but prepare for the worst. Thanks for your advice EVERYONE! &&& the congrats

Well I've been applying for internal positions at different facilities & have a interview this week... *fingers crossed* hopefully I won't have to worry anymore... I definitely am starting to feel played

There is one other RN in the office currently, but my thing is that my supervisor was aware for months and months prior to me even graduating school, so I just dont think that this process should be taking as long as it has been

I agree, for now Im just putting in applications within the same system but with the hospitals, I just feel like Im being taken advantage of and Im kind of getting fed up-I really dont think talking to my supervisor will help much, she acts like she is just clueless about everything, then when I call HR, they just call her and its just a big circle. Thanks

She explained that I would be doing more education than patient care, but everytime i inquired about my new pay rate she just said she was not allowed to discuss it because she has mis-quoted rates previously and was reprimanded for it. And she clearly stated that I would be compensated once I became licensed and that I would become the diabetic educator. Now I can say that I have not been asked to do anything differently yet and I dont feel that I should until I am getting paid for it.

So I recently becamed licensed as a RN on 10/24/12 and I currently work at a family practice office as a LPN...5 months prior to graduating I spoke with my supervisor and asked if I would be compensated as an RN once I completed school and passed my NCLEX, she replied yes. So the same day I passed I printed my license number off the State board of nursing and put it on my supervisors desk and since I still have not recieved my RN pay and have not even heard about it again and it will be exactly 1 month next week. I did call HR but they were of no help and just basically called my supervisor and told them I called to inquire about my pay and as a result my supervisor asked me if I had any more questions--I just asked her if she could give me a time frame of how long the whole process would take and her answer was "several weeks". WHich I explained to her is not very descriptive that could mean 2 weeks or 4 months, I just feel like I am not being told whats going on. So I just feel like things shoule be moving along faster than what they are. Has anyone been in a similar situation? Am I over-reacting?

I totally understand where you are coming from, I recently finished nursing school myself. My suggestion to you would be: ask your teached for help, after/before school study sessions, study more (if possible) and utilize your classmates-everyone has a different way of interpreting information so your classmates may find some of the information easy that may be more difficult for you and lastly PRAY! Good Luck