Ldya1492

Pretty much all the nurses are less hours than me. Most are 0.6fte and just pick up when they want. I believe my preceptor is one of the few that is a 1.0fte.

I'm currently in the GI lab. My start time is suppose to be 7am to 3:30pm. They ask me to come in at 6am on certain days which I stopped and some days can run as late as 5:30 or 6 depending on how fast doctors are moving. I'm not obligated to stay now being on orientation but soon I'll be charge and on call where i will have to stay that late.

So recently I just started in a new department. I'm currently a 0.9fte and still on orientation. I initially thought that working 8hrs would accommodate me taking care of a family member and providing home dialysis for them but I'm not sure since some days it runs close to 12hr. How soon is it a reasonable time to ask to decrease my hours?

Thanks for your comment! I know a momentary desatting doesn't need charting. What I meant is sometimes we can spend almost all the case trying to get the sats to pop up, finding different sites to put the probe on or getting erratic pts to calm down that I don't even get to chart at all. I'm only charting the vitals q5min and specimens, medication and time given. Sometimes I have to prepare the chart of another pt while in the middle of another pts case. Just because if a pt comes in during another case I'm not allowed to put it in between cases. This charting includes adding the time out info, attendees and a template for medication. Specimens vary from case to case so it's hard to prefill out the lab req and computer chart with the specimen details. I can only prefill minimum things like date and drs name.

I recently started in the GI Lab and have previously worked the floor. I'm slowly getting use to the environment but some days I have anxiety due to the fast pace of the unit. There seems to be a rush to get the patient in the room and out the room for the doctors. I feel as though I have to rush through charting at the expense of the patient just to please the doctor. One doctor in particular even berated me for clarifying for documentation purposes (the doctor stated something and noone was sure so I simply asked and was told off for asking). I've dealt with difficult doctors in the past ad that's not a problem but what gets me is pampering the doctors and having to step over pins and needles throughout my work day. I feel like its a lot to do in the time frame at times. I have to document the specimen in several places, complete a lab req, monitor my patient and document it, keep them stable and from fighting at some points, and medicate. Its doable in perfect cases when nothing goes wrong but when I have a pt desatting or fighting throughout the procedure I don't have time to document at that point. And since I'm not to be an eye sore to the doctor I told to chart later on in the day. I have to constantly recheck charts and consents behind doctors. Sorry to complain guys. Just needed to vent. But what is your procedure area like?

So I personally have about 2.5 years of experience. About 1 for subacute (rehab\LTAC) and 1.5 for med surg. Recently I was offered a position on a PCU at different hospital. I jumped at the opportunity as I wanted critical care experience. At my then current place of employment I had dropped down to a registry position as I had taken on the responsibility of care for my mother doing home hemodialysis and other care. I approached my boss and asked her if I could have the opportunity to select what days i work(as my boss and I had previously agreed on every Friday even though my written contract was one day a pay period) to accommodate my orientation. She seemed disappointed that I was not coming back full time and said she would get back to me. Well orientation was coming so I called in 2 Fridays. My boss avoided getting back to me and I didn't want to lose out on the opportunity so I resigned instead of continuously calling in. After being at the new place for some time I found it very dissatisfing. The nurses wanted to gossip instead of orientating me or just left me on my own since I was not a"new grad ". Acuity was not taken into consideration with assignments. And it was a revolving door for patients. They push unstable patients to the floor just to get admissions in and the next there is a RR or code blue. One of my preceptor cried because the patient we sent died. The ratio is 3:1 but one nurse gets like 4 admissions a shift which is crazy. And then once you've completed the admission the want you to give the patient to another and take a new admit. I've approached the director with my concerns and she just states the staff complains too much, she'll look in to it and wants me as her spokes woman. I called my previous job that I resigned from and asked if they still needed help. They said yeah and would get back to me after talking to HR. I don't want to look like an idiot begging for old job back but I don't want to work somewhere I don't feel comfortable or have a reliable resource. Should I just wait it out until it gets better or return back to my old job.

I'm an ASN grad and planning to go back for my BSN soon as finding work as an ASN has been difficult. Hopefully the BSN will help open some doors.

More job opportunities as a BSN.

Never too old. Many of my classmates were older than you. Age isnt anything but a number right.

You have a prescription for it for a valid reason. So it should be no problem.

ADN-23

Im an ADN who recently graduated. Its definitely hard trying to land a job as an ADN where I live and seems that majority of the employers are leaning to BSNs graduates over ADNs graduates. Through out nursing school my instructors told us we'd have to get our BSN eventually anyway so just weigh your options carefully as far as cost, post grad plans, etc.

Great tips! Recently passed my self. I think knowing your learning style is key. I personally am a visual learner. Diagrams, drawings, videos to color coded notes helps me along the way.

You can say there are many in the health care field that eat their young/newcomers. I'm a new nurse and the daughter of a nurse with 30+ years under her belt. We have this convo all the time and how some older nurses have forgot what it's like to be in our new shoes but you'll come across those that are great, kind and eager to help. Just never take it personal. I try my best to kill those types with kindness but you definitely need a backbone.

Congrats!! Hard work pays off. 😊