chwcbesteph

I've always been paid for the time I spend on this type of training or education. I simply submit my hours to my direct supervisor as if they were expecting them. Never been an issue.

What's worse on your resume? An unemployed gap, or working a unit for six months? Nobody knows. Are you willing to bet your lost wages on it? How do you know what kind of nursing you'd hate if you haven't actually... been a nurse yet? I had similar thoughts about working med-surg and was certain that I'd leave the bedside after a year. Nearly three years later at the same facility where they have certified me, invested in my education, and given me responsibilites (and I still don't love this particular kind of nursing..), I'm glad I didn't get cold feet when I was still green. You might LOVE your coworkers. You might realize that detox work and keeping people comfortable at their most vulnerable or rock bottom is incredibly rewarding. You might take advantage of the opportunity to fine-tune your therapeutic communication skills and turn into that valuable nurse on other units when combative patients are admitted or someone goes CIWA out of nowhere. The other think to consider is... how long do you think you'll have the attention of this particular healthcare system if you keep playing Goldilocks with their offers??

Unfortunately, many nurses do not have the art of professionalism down and have to learn the hard way. If you've said your piece, let it be. I wouldn't touch this person's career with a ten foot pole!

For those of you who work out or have a gym membership... when do you fit it in? I found that I could easily fit in 4-5 workouts/week when I was working in the clinic 8-6, but now that I'm back on the floor 6-6:30, I'm wondering how to work it out. A few extra factors that make it difficult are that 1) I have three kids under 7 at home during the summer, 2) I'll be working varied/rotating shifts, and 3)I live 20 miles away from the gym AND work (they're right next to each other) so I'd like to work out before/after work if possible. What does your workout routine look like around shift work?

OMG I love this. I'm orienting to the ED soon and this is... validating.

Have you tried taking meds before entering situations where you might be sensitive?? I almost passed out observing my first surgery (a c-section) and had to excuse myself. I laughed about it later and moved on. You just have to know yourself, keep trying, and don't ever use it as an excuse to not participate. There are lots of things you can do as a nurse that don't deal with ick on a regular basis, but you will be exposed, so you need a plan. Good luck!

Hey all! I'm in the process of applying for an RN-BSN program and out of curiosity, would love to hear what kind of position those of you with BSNs currently hold (please don't respond if you have higher degrees). Management? Research? Community/public health? Are you still working the unit of your specialty? And please feel free to share what other certifications and trainings you've received to help beef up your credentials! I'm in the mood to be inspired about continuing my education and would love to hear you brag. :)

Oooo... LORDY. I am literally right on the other side of this right now. Took a clinic job in the facility I'm in to get off the floor and night shift and it was NOT a good fit. I was not challenged by the clinic environment at all. I came back to the floor full time and am now orienting in the ED (I'm in a critical access facility with a rural health clinic attached and these lateral transfers are easy in such a small facility). I can't believe I missed the floor and I don't see myself here forever but I definitely did not know what I had until I was gone!

Yes!! Perfect responses. I'm so grateful to be transitioning to a team of people who I know and work well with already, and can't wait to learn, learn, learn. Thank you all so much! ^_^

Hey all! I'm getting ready to orient in the ER at the critical access facility I've been working as a floor nurse in for the last 18 months (my first job as a new grad...) and my team and I are pretty excited to get started. Besides studying for and taking ACLS and TNCC, what can I do to prepare myself? What supplies should I have on my person at all times? And what do you wish somebody would have told you to pay more attention to when you started? Thanks for your insight... I appreciate it! :)

Did you really expect to come here and get people telling you to hold your career back for a relationship you're staying in because you're worried about what other people will think??

Roll your eyes in the break room. Be a duck... and let it roll off your back. Our first responsibility is to the patient. If the patient is apologizing for their family, you can bet there are other factors at play that have NOTHING to do with you. Take nothing personally. Develop some really good canned answers for other people's quips: "you're right, I AM just the nurse" or "I'm sorry you feel that way, let me know what else I can do for you" and defer to the patient in all interactions. Difficult family dynamics are just a part of nursing.

Everything that @Rose_Queen said holds water. I just want to add that where I am located (western South Dakota), it's almost pointless to get a BSN as a floor nurse. It's not even a prerequisite for many management positions. Lots of people all over the place get their ASN, work a while, do a bridge program, and move on. It completely depends on how competitive your local environment is whether or not you'll be excluded from positions for not having a bachelor's. I will say that now that I'm looking at a move down to the southeast, I'm taking future schooling much more seriously, even with 18 months of nursing under my belt.

On the other hand, there are LPNs in the field who have a big chip on their shoulder and feel like they shouldn't have to do anything extra when there's an RN around, like call the provider, hang IV ABX, note orders, etc., and who use their own perception of how LPNs aren't valued to undervalue *themselves*. Work hard, blow off what's not useful, and you'll be valued no matter what. I work with LPNs that I would trust with my patients (and if I were their patient) and I work with RNs that I wouldn't let take care of my worst enemy.

I second looking into your local NA chapter to get involved with lobbying efforts on the state level and attending committee hearings on nursing sponsored issues. LOTS of policy affects nursing practice and public health and this is one of the best ways to use your clout as a nurse to affect change.

Your state should have their own nurses' association that lobbies on issues in the state legislature. This is a GREAT way to get involved on issues that actually affect your local communities and use your leverage as a nurse with your lawmakers.

Yes! I'm so glad to see this post on AllNurses. I have served as a community health worker, doula, and childbirth educator before coming into nursing, as well as being extremely rural thus forcing my business into the online space. There is a LOT to learn about branding, passive income streams, marketing, etc. and I'm lucky enough to have been able to devote a good amount of time learning how to do webinars, run a blog, and set up online courses. The public is hungry for reputable, relevant health information and nurses are in a unique position to provide that. And it's encouraging to see the healthcare industry beginning to embrace this transition to preventive health and education. Lots of opportunities here if you're down to take them on!

HILARIOUS. As someone who has studied clinical herbalism, trained in aromatherapy (as an esthetician), and is passionate about integrative and C+A medicine, this is a HUGE pet peeve of mine. Everyone's a health coach! Except... you're not. This is one more reason why I think nurses really need to step into this role and give it more legitimacy and substance. Health coaching is an integral part of the trends in healthcare and it's an exciting place for nurses to be... IF we can get ahead of the curve and not be left behind.

I didn't put this in the "criminal record" forum, but feel free to move if need be. :) I live in a very rural area and have been considering several jobs that would require me to use the facility's vehicle. The rub is that I had a suspended license (that I was pulled over on in the spring of 2015) that was only reinstated just before getting my RN license in October of 2015. No other criminal history that would keep me from getting a job. What is considered a "good driving record"?? Would this suspension keep me from getting a job at a private facility? I've already been turned down for a state job (that would require a state vehicle). They didn't even call my references- due either to my driving record or preference (huge native and veteran population here). Is it even worth applying for jobs that require a good driving record?

Hey y'all. :) At the risk of being balled out by the seasoned nurses here, I need some support. I've been working on the floor at a 25-bed critical access facility for eight months. My patients are mostly swing bed patients, rarely under 60, and are stable/uncomplicated. I'm also working nights. Is it awful that I'm bored? I feel like I'm either babysitting or in a routine of task-oriented thinking. I feel valued on my team, am blessed to have very little drama between our nursing staff, and my nursing judgments seem to be appreciated by our providers. I'm just not being challenged or using the skills I came into nursing with (I have a background in perinatal education and community health work). I don't have many options locally for employment (I would have to drive 70+ miles for any bigger jobs) and am not interested in pursuing critical care. What I **want** to do is build my existing business and practice as a nurse educator and holistic women's health practitioner, but I'm trying to work out a real exit plan. Sigh. I guess I don't really have a question- I just need to get this down, maybe get some support, and see if it's worth sticking around at this job. I told myself that I want to get a year of floor work under my belt before moving on. I just wonder how much of that is worth it. I'm pretty miserable (my hair is falling out, I'm not eating, I'm fighting with my partner, etc.). Thanks in advance.

I'm a doula (and a RN who has never worked NICU, full disclosure) and I would find this extremely inappropriate for even our role- as professionals who tend to have a much more intimate relationship with the family than nursing. Even if I were asked by parents to do this, I can only imagine that I would default to encouraging them to do skin-to-skin for so many more benefits than just the physiological homeostasis that it provides. There's a big component here of PPD prevention, new parenthood adjustment, bonding, etc. I *would* understand having an extended family member take this role on, but a licensed professional advertising as some sort of skin-to-skin surrogate? I mean, I guess each family is different but this crosses some imaginary line I just can't quite put my finger on.

I find it super ironic that everyone on here defending nursing as an inherently holistic field has such a negative perspective on alternative medicine. I can only assume that these sorts of attitudes and perspectives are being used as filters (whether you realize it or not) with your patients who report engaging in these practices. Isn't the goal to be open and receptive to the possible social, emotional, and spiritual benefits of a wide variety of modalities which may not **currently** have the scientific community to vouch for them?? I'm a RN who has always had goals to integrate my passions for women's sexual and reproductive health, mindfulness practice, and traditional western herbalism. I was a doula and community health worker before becoming a nurse, and have always dreamed of running my own practice as a women's health coach with a focus on sexuality and trauma-informed care. In addition to being board certified, I've looked into getting trained in the Arvigo Techniques of Mayan uterine massage, Holistic Pelvic Care through Tami Kent, MPT, the Bodysex workshops with Dr. Betty Dodson, and the women's herbal educator program through Dr. Aviva Romm. These all would compliment my training and education as a nurse beautifully and I would be bringing in a unique and valuable perspective into all of these programs with my professional background. Holistic nursing as an emphasis is a response to a very reactionary model of care that is appropriate for acute and critical care but inadequately deals with chronic and preventable health conditions. To dismiss is, as I said, the very opposite of holistic thinking.

I've worked with a few RNs who act like they're allergic to physical labor and it. is. TERRIBLE. Those are the nurses who are secretly loathed by everyone who has to work with them. I, for one, take a lot of pride in knowing that my aides don't have to hesitate in reaching out to me for help with a patient. Heck, that's when I get the best assessments in! Also, isn't putting in your notice on the spot... questionably legal?? :/

Hmm... I wouldn't guess that there is going to be a way to sneak this by the BON, considering that (at least under my impression, anyway) the things they *specifically* look for are shoplifting/theft and abuse/neglect. How are you supposed to be trusted now around supplies, dietary items, and narcotics? Also, how could you explain why your BSN wasn't worth seeking out the multiple avenues for community resources to help families in financial hardships? You're obviously intelligent enough to earn that degree (which includes a little bit of community health education, yes?). I don't see how any of your professional authorities are going to be sympathetic to your story. I have a record. I got stung with a MIP, several "disorderly house" tickets, and driving with a suspended license. But this was all nearly ten years ago. If you can get by the board, you may be able to find a job that does not include bedside nursing until enough time has lapsed to show that you have established a clean record. But you're going to have to be more than "desperate" to being a nurse. You're going to have to be COMMITTED to everything that comes along with the role. Usually, that means keeping your nose clean Good luck to you. Truly.

This is why it is so important for nurses to receive comprehensive sexuality education. Biological sex is not the same as gender identity. Furthermore, there are not only two chromosomal sexes. There is a small percentage of the population that are born intersex, who are forced to conform to a binary gender expression in order to not face harassment when choosing a restroom. This conversation has steered into the territory of framing the issue around the "comfort" of transfolks, when really it's a huge safety issue. Forcing them into the bathroom of their biological sex opens them up to violence and harassment. Let's not overlook the masculine looking women being currently harassed for using the women's restrooms now that these laws are being "enforced". If this was really about sexual predators and keeping children safe, it would be illegal for boys to use the same bathroom as adult men, who are by far the biggest threat to their safety when it comes to sexual abuse.