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. 😊

I found personally spending too much time on a question I'd read too much into the question and pick the wrong answer. Sounds like you should work on your strategy of answering the questions. When I took the Nclex I took the advise of my instructors and picked the first answer I came up with after properly reading the question. I'd resist the urge to change my answer once selected and passed at 75 questions. Try stay positive!! Everything happens for a reason, at least I'd like to believe that.

Believe me I tried taking the bull by the horns lol. I even filled in for a call-in during my orientation. That was completely overwhelming since I had to constantly find a coworker to point out the resident to ensure I was giving the correct meds. Not to mention atleast one medication for every patient was missing and when I asked what to do if I didn't have the medication I got a shrug or an not so helpful answer. I asked several nurses where I could find the procedure and policy manuals, some didn't know and some said I should have gotten it during orientation. When I spoke to my ADON he told me that I was to go to the "new nurses orientation" which was in the building next door to the facility that I worked in (The LTC facility that I work for is part of a chain of LTC facilities located through out the state). When I went, other nurses there from the other facilities were on day 1 or 2 of their orientation. It made me think that my facility rushed the hiring process with me. I finally was introduced to the policy and procedure manual which is on every computer at the facility. This decreased some of my anxiety. I was then further instructed that I should be trained to use the electronic documenting system by trainers located off site. (Funny thing is I had to take the test for the electronic documenting system the next day with my ADON who said he personally would train me). The next day I came in to train and take the test all in one sitting and he barely new what he was doing which even more confusing. I still wasn't on the schedule since he had to see if I passed or failed the test (which I failed) and after I asked him repeatedly if I was to come in Monday he told me he would text me what my schedule was for the week. Well come Monday afternoon he texted me to come in and that he was there til 5pm. I felt he should have just told me to come in Monday, not text me mid-day when I have to drop everything. Maybe I'm nit picking now, since I'm usually patient but I'm kinda fed up. No proper training and no organization!! Everyday I get home I'm putting in tons of applications and just considering starting back to school until something better comes up.

Thanks for the advice. I did speak to the ADON and he only gave me two extra days. Also come the end of December I will be made the admissions nurse. My last 2 days have been alot better as I have had better preceptors who incorporate me in their work and actually explain things to me. I still have not been familiarized with procedures and policies and it's just kind of left up to me to figure things out. I wasnt even informed of a mandatory meeting or that I am to complete 40+ tests/assessments by a specific time. I'm contemplating whether to resign or just stick it out until something better comes up.

I am a new grad nurse and just got licensed this past August. I've been looking for employment since I graduated in May. Well I got discouraged with all the hospitals turning me down that I started to considered work at local nursing homes. I put an application in online at a LTC facility and a day later they called for an interview. The pretty much hired me on the spot. I was a little nervous but it seemed like a good place. Monday I started my first day. First the staff directed me to the wrong floor. After about an hour later someone came and informed me I was oreintating on the wrong floor. Once on the correct floor with the right preceptor they showed me around the unit and gave me a brief report. Everything was disorganized (supplies) and the floor recked of urine. During the tour several members of the team came out cursing on how they were being written up and how others weren't doing their job. I found this very unprofessional. Next my preceptor began showing me how to pull medications telling me the way she did it was illegal . Through out the rest of the day I did 4 g-tube feedings and thats it. This was an 8 hour shift. My preceptor flew through the documenting and then asked me what questions I had. I referred to my orientation packet and she told me "we'll get to that any other questions?" The day kind dragged as I sat looking around for most of the time. Almost at the end of the shift she threw me off on another nurse and told me she's good at documenting watch her. This nurse rolled her eyes and earlier she said her complaining made it so she didn't have to orientate. After about 5 minutes of awkward silence she showed me her documenting. I figured since it was the first day I should just hang in there. The next day I sat around and for an hour waiting on my preceptor. Everyone knew I was waiting and it wasn't until I asked when she would arrived that the called the ADON. Turned out she called off and they sent me back to the same floor and preceptor as the first day. It was even worst. I got on the floor at 8 and sat twirling my thumbs for another hour. My preceptor then sat a laptop infornt of me and said "here wanna play with the computer I mean like figure out how to do orders" and walked away. She had never shown me how to do it and I was there by myself trying to figure it out for 15 minutes. She came back and showed how to do one and walked away again. I figured out how to do it but then I was there til 11. I was there half the day and did nothing. I went to lunch and came back to do more g-tubes and she half way showed my how to document, showing me "her way". Today is my third day and orientation is only 5-6 days. I don't even know if this job is worth my time. I haven't learned anything. I don't mind attitudes and what not but if I'm not learning how to be a real nurse then whats the point. And I feel uncomfortable taking care of any patient when I haven't even went through proper protocols for procedures. Any advise would be great!

Is anyone taking any other classes with Nursing 101? I'm contemplating what to add to be considered full time but I don't want anything that's gonna be too overwhelming and Ive took all the prereqs.