RNewbie22

Haha. I like the blow torch idea. That's great! I have thought about asking security, but it takes them at least 30 minutes to get to me... I figured it would be obnoxious to have the same RN call every flipping shift 3x a week. But I suppose it's part of their job?

I work at a hospital in a creepy part of town. First job, new grad, etc. Absolutely love where I'm at, and I finally get the opportunity to move to day shift! (After 9 months waiting). My only fear is that I will now have to trek across creepy parking lots and streets to get to my car... This is no problem for night shift workers because you arrive as the sun is setting, leave when it's rising, and get free parking in the garage attached to the building. Day shift workers don't get the garage luxury. I have already had one creepy encounter in THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY when a guy cursed at me and chased me halfway to my car... Thank goodness I got away, but didn't have the brain to call security until after I got home so he's still at large... Any advice on staying safe? I don't have any day shift buddies yet so that isn't an option.

Just a little update... I managed to speak with my director, and she helped me get into a position in OB! I'm really happy now and I can definitely say that it was onco that was killing me... I had never been so depressed in my life (and I am normally a happy, bubbly person). I am actually smiling at work again--- enjoying my job and life. :) I think that sometimes people are just "made" for certain areas of nursing. Oncology wasn't mine and I found that out pretty quickly. Kudos to anyone who works in that area (my heart couldn't take it!)!!! I know not everything in nursing is "happy" and sad stories hit no matter where you are, but at least now I am where I want to be and I wouldn't trade this for anything in the world. Thank you all for your encouraging words.

Thanks for the organizational help. :) I think my main problem is really just trying to figure out if Nights/Oncology/Nursing is even "for me". I'm still in the orienting phase and actually considering quitting and finding another area to work in... but with the job market this bad, I don't know if it's even a good idea. I find myself just hating the job and trying to figure out why I did all this schooling in the first place... I cry on my way to work, in my car, run to the bathroom to cry in the middle of shifts if it's a bad night, and cry on my way home. I feel awful when I know I have to work the next night. I've never been depressed in my life and now I feel like I'm dying. I feel nauseated from staying up all night too. To top it off, I have an extremely good sense of smell, which means when I walk into a patient's room I can smell EVERYTHING. I have to hold my breath during assessments sometimes because I can't handle the body odor or urine smells. Cleaning patients is a nightmare and I find myself gagging and feeling really horrible because I can't control it but I don't want to make my patients feel bad. I just don't know if I chose the right career. :/

Hi all- Let me start off by saying I graduated in August of 2012 and have searched for jobs constantly until January of 2013. I wanted a job in OB and it was the only area I could see myself in. Student loans began to creep up on me and I was forced to make a decision to either find a job anywhere in nursing or sink. I was lucky enough to be hired onto a med-surg oncology floor for nights. With only one month in, I am feeling stressed, depressed, having nightmares about making nursing mistakes, and find myself emotionally distraught and crying a lot. I have had many patients get sent to hospice already or I hear news from day shift that something traumatic happened and they have died. I am becoming overwhelmed by the stress and have been getting sick to my stomach almost every day of work. I rarely see family and friends because I'm now a "night owl". I guess I'm just hoping for some encouragement... I don't know if its the nature of the job, the fact I work nights, or just being a new grad, but I was hoping that someone could offer some advice about how to cope. I don't feel like quitting is an option so I need some survival techniques to last 11 months before I can switch specialties. Please help...

Thanks so much everyone! I'll need to do a little more research. At least I have a place to look now!

Thanks for the info! I guess I will start with AWHONN then :) Let's just say I was still interested in getting Neonatal Resuscitation certification though. Would I be allowed to do so without experience prior?

Hi all- I am a newly graduated RN seeking employment in OB, but almost all job descriptions require NRP and C-EFM certification. Despite various internet efforts to seek out the best possible certification classes (online and/or in-person) I have come to the conclusion that I have no idea what is legit or not. Could someone be so kind as to direct me to accredited sites/places where I can get NRP and C-EFM certification that will be legitimate enough to suffice for a new job? Thanks! :)