luvleigrace

Some tips that I can think off the bat: 1) If you studied and did your nursing clinicals in Cali, def apply to the hospitals that you had your clinicals over there. 2) Always send a cover letter. 3) Take additional certification courses if you can. You mentioned that you've been in ER for over a year or so. If you're eligible, try taking the CEN certification to highlight your dedication, specialization and competency in emergency nursing. 4) Look around if you can take a Trauma Nursing course in surrounding hospitals in your location. 5) Look into if you can become an ACLS instructor. 6) I would highly recommend sticking in your current job and only move once you secure a job in Cali. Best wishes!

Hi Knufflebunny, how long have you been working in this job so far? It's normal to feel overwhelm at times when working in a new place. The great thing about your nursing specialty is that you help women with their health issues and help women prepare for their precious gifts-their babies! That's a wonderful place to work. My background is in med/surg/ tele and most of our patients are elderly with lot of co-morbidities, bed-bound isolation precaution patients etc. It's hard work, for sure-physically, mentally, emotionally etc. One way I think is helpful to counteract discontentment for any job or situation, is to be thankful. A lot of new nurses are having a hard time finding a job or have been searching endlessly for months or even till almost a year searching for jobs. Your work environment too is typically an upbeat atmosphere compared to high level stress environments like ICU, ER hospital settings. So I think, having a thankful heart and putting things into perceptive helps. And for me, I'm a Christian, so prayer is powerful-asking God to change my heart. I don't have control in changing the situation, but God can help me change my heart. Everything happens for a reason- good times and trying times- and all is meant to happen to work out for His glory and for our good, because God knows what's best. Last practical advice I can give, is to ask yourself the reasons what makes you overwhelmed with the job and if there is something that you can change to help you lessen your feelings of overwhelming. ( e.g. is it feelings of being unprepared or stress of pleasing others, or feelings of being inadquate in performing the tasks etc) If it's feelings of inadequacy, you can have more proactive approach, but equipping yourself with more knowledge about your specialty. Read and absorb nursing journals on topics related to your work and things that you deal at work. Perhaps you can ask an older, more seasoned nurse that you can trust, and ask to learn from her. Ask her/him questions. Read more on your companies policies and procedures etc. Continue to equip yourself in being more knowledgeable about the task. If you're feeling overwhelmed because feel not pleasing others, then need to step back and take a deep breathe, and just re-think. Most important thing in nursing and healthcare is patient's safety. We're their advocates and want to do what's best for our patients. When working on med/surg floor, prioritizing is key and sometimes to priotize would mean saying no to other task, so that the more urgent and important task can be done. Or sometime priortizing may mean having to call a doctor at a time that is inconvenient for them, but a must for our patient's condition. There's stress to that too in trying to please others, but if you know that you're doing what's best for the patient, and focus on that, compromising your nursing practice to please others diminishes and feelings of being overwhelmed or worried helps goes away. So yeah, I do hope you continue to press on. You're in a great field of nursing, continue to remember to have a thankful heart, and if you believe in God, pray and ask for wisdom in the plans He has for you and your family. God bless and best wishes to you in your nursing career. Feel free to ask if you have anymore follow up questions or if the things I mentioned were something slightly different from your thoughts.