Cindycin37

I was wondering how a Med/Surg nurse can make the transition to ICU? Is this possible? If so, how? Thanks:)

I was wondering what area would be best to start IV. I was told to start at hand and work way up. Why is this? Also, what causes a vein to blow when inserting needle?

I'm thinking about pursuing an NP education. Right now, I'm working on RN to BSN. What is the best way to NP? I've worked as a floor nurse for a few months. Can someone give me some advice?

"But after 3 months of those, my preceptor said NO MORE, and we only took patients with lots of comorbidities, on multiple drips, etc., which are less familiar in PACU and require a lot more prioritization, critical thinking, and communication with the team".... @wannabecnl.....How long was your orientation? I will be starting med surg floor next week, and my orientation will be 6 weeks. Is that normal?

I worked prn at a skilled nursing facility.My boss comes up to me at work and then ask me to cover a shift. Right now, I'm getting behind on school work & I'm also starting a full time job at a hospital. How can I say no without it looking bad? I know I'm prn but I will not know my hospital hours until probably Feb 16. Any advice?

Yea I wear my hearing aids but I have a hard time when someone talks really fast with accent. I was orientating with a nurse & politely asked him to slow down during change of shift report because I was hard of hearing and wear two hearing aids. I tried to explained to him that it was harder for me to hear the faster he talked because he has an accent (He is from Africa). He took offense to that and immediately starting treating me badly and then started talking to me like I was stupid. I get heart palpitations when I have to work with him now. I'm afraid to ask questions. He also told some of the C.N.As that I was racist. My son is half African american and I am far from being racist. I tried to speak with the DON about it but she basically said, "Oh he's just sensitive about his accents". She has a polish accent and stated that she knows how HE feels. Really? I completely understand that some may be sensitive about their accents but it still doesn't give someone a right to yell and belittle someone. Anyway, I have to work with him Friday and I'm so stressed out about it:/

Yea, I was orientating with a nurse & politely asked him to slow down during change of shift report because I was hard of hearing and wear two hearing aids. I tried to explained to him that it was harder for me to hear the faster he talked because he has an accent (He is from Africa). He took offense to that and immediately starting treating me badly and then started talking to me like I was stupid. I get heart palpitations when I have to work with him now. I'm afraid to ask questions. He also told some of the C.N.As that I was racist. My son is half African american and I am far from being racist. I tried to speak with the DON about it but she basically said, "Oh he's just sensitive about his accents". She has a polish accent and stated that she knows how HE feels. Really? I completely understand that some may be sensitive about their accents but it still doesn't give someone a right to yell and belittle someone. Anyway, I have to work with him Friday and I'm so stressed out about it:/

I would contact HR and find out if they would consider hiring a grad back in May. Never limit yourself based on job descriptions, sometimes they will make a consideration. I've passed up jobs because I didn't look beyond the job posting.

I'm preparing for an interview and for some reason I'm drawing a blank when it comes to the, "Tell me about yourself' question. I know that I should tell them about my education and what jobs I've had in the past but that's pretty much what comes to mind and that's it. I don't have experience as a nurse to brag about accomplishments or my qualifications. I'm stuck:/

I think working in med surg will give some good experience before going to ICU. My friend who works in ICU from nursing school stated that she wish she had done that.

Please tell me what residency program this is:)

I know sounds silly but I'm not really sure how LinkedIn can help me? I do have a linkedIn account and I have travel agency recruiters contacting me. I don't feel I have enough experience to do travel assignments. I'm afraid that I won't get the support from floor nurses while traveling. I've joined ANA but not sure how that can help me either. In addition, I'm really bad with interviews. I just recently resigned from a 6 months nursing position at a SNF and now I'm really nervous about the interview process. I know it's not professional to say anything bad about previous employers. I'm not really sure what they would say if a prospective employer calls them. I'm probably making this harder than this should be but I've been a home maker for years and I'm learning how to get back into the job market. Any advice on how I can get unstuck here and move forward?

Have you considered an RN Refresher course?

Would it be bad if I worked on my BSN fulltime and then reapplied to nursing positions after I graduate? I don't want to get stuck in SNFs:(

I would love to have the opportunity of getting into a residency program. I'm not considered a new grad anymore:( I have 9 months of phone triage nursing and 6 months of SNF experience. My experience and training wasn't very good though. I don't feel like a confident nurse and wish that I could get into a residency program and get the support from a new grad unit. I'm not sure what to do from here on out and feel stuck:(

Please tell me what organizations offer new nurses the training they need to become competent nurses.

Wow......I just recently resigned from a SNF because of the patient load. I had 15-20 med surg patients with no support. My orientation was 3 weeks; I had to push for the 3 weeks. They wanted me on the floor in 1 week! My orientation was very choppy and I was so stressed out. The nurses I worked with had accents and got irritated when I couldn't understand them. I felt like I had to beg for help. It was horrible. I felt so helpless and I was so stressed out. I was miserable and started getting short with people. I realized this and decided to resign. I wish I had a mentor to help me. I want to be a successful nurse so bad. I'm not in nursing for the money. I truly love the science and compassion behind it. I can only dream of getting into a teaching hospital and finding a preceptor who has a passion for teaching new grads. I'm really not a new grad because I graduated in 2011, but finally found an RN position on a med surg floor in 2014.

@Ipink RN......I wish I could find a residency at a hospital that would support a new nurse. You are so lucky!

Sadly, I quit the SNF after 6 months. I'm relieved to be out of this nursing facility but sad that I'm back where I started. I'm taking classes at a community college so I can get into UICs RN to BSN program. I guess I'm still holding on to the hopes that I will find a position in a hospital that cares about teaching new/stale grads. I really can't consider myself a grad anymore because I've graduated in 2011. I worked in a GI office in 2012 for 9 months but my mentor had alcoholic issues and the office didn't or wouldn't confront it because she basically control over the office (long story), and I didn't find another job until 2014. This of course lasted 6 months. I don't want to end up being a job hoper because I'm jumping to any position that will take me for experience. It's very frustrating to start out. I wish my school would have prepared me for this. They kept telling us that there are a ton of jobs available for RNs. They left out the part that there were tons of jobs for experienced nurses. Anyway, I'm plugging away and continuing my education but not sure if I will be able to find a position after I complete my BSN.

I graduated in 2011, found a job working in a GI office in 2012 and stayed there for 9 months. Left the GI office to pursue a hands on position. It took me over a year to find a job at a SNF. I finally found a job in 2014. Sadly, I left there after 6 months. The company was sold to another company which increased patent load with no support. Now I'm in the process of taking prereq's full time so that I can get into an RN to BSN program at UIC. During this time of unemployment, I reevaluated my goals and what I really wanted to do with my nursing career. I've decided that I want to work towards a career in surgical nursing. However, I'm unsure as to how I will accomplish this. I feel that every job posting in the surgical areas ask for 1-2 years of experience. Can someone tell me how to get experience with no experience so that I can apply for a position that will help me pursue my goals?

preoperative consortium?

I have an associates degree in nursing and I'm taking prereq's to get into UICs RN to BSN program. I'm currently unemployed. I worked at a SNF for 6 months and left due to nurse patient ratio. I wish I could have stuck it out but it was too much! It's going to take me 2-3 years to complete the RN to BSN program. I want to attend school full time so I can get done faster. I was wondering what area of nursing I should work in so that I can transition into surgical nursing? I've heard that I should get my esthetician license and work in a surgeons office, I've heard that I should take an injection course, and it goes on and on. I really want to get my career going but need some advice from a reputable source.

It took me a year to find a job. I got my EMT lic before finding a job at a GI office. It was a phone triage nursing position. I worked with the office nurse manager who was very hard to work & learn from. I sat next to her everyday & felt like I was walking on egg shells everyday. I was afraid to ask questions. I came home in a bad mood everyday. It was horrible. I left after 8 mo. It was hard to help patients because I've never worked the floor. It was hard to visualize and I felt my first preceptor wasn't hrlping me grow. She made me hate nursing. I left and it took me another year to find a position at the SNF that I'm at. My orientation wasn't very organized but I worked hard and I'm starting to make my way. I still have a hard time finding a mentor or preceptor that will guide me to be the best nurse. I'm not in nursing for the money. I love caring for people. Its rewarding. The patient to nurse ratio is too much. Patients are not getting the best care. I'm stressed out about losing my license everyday. Now my company is being sold soon and I'm not sure what will happen. I'm not sure about specialty but I love nutrition & fitness. I'm having a hard time finding my way in the nursing world & wondering if I really belong.

Argh....so frustrated with nursing. Its been 4yrs since I graduated & Im working in a SNF with 29 residents wondering if Im gonna lose my lic every time I work b4 I can get my yr exp in. Wondering if it will be the same working in a hospital; if I can even get a job there. There's no support for new nurses entering the profession. I'm so tired of struggling just to be a nurse. Im so entertaining the idea of leaving the profession altogether. I'm so sad. Not sure what to do at this point. Im so disappointed.

Work in SNF and I have at least 12-15 patients. Is this normal?