NYpedRN

first year is hard work. I agree. I was feeling so incompetent when I started. I had never done procedures like this in my nursing school. In the hospital that I rotated in, the nurses never drew bloods, put catheters in, never did anyIV insertions, etc. This place is crazy. Every child I have has a broviac or some kind of central line. That means central line care, central line blood draws, 50% of them are on TPN. They are post -op liver trans, bowel trans, etc with mag and k runs and all kinds of heavy duty stuff. I never gave blood or blood products before I worked here. I never did any of that stuff. I was doing bed baths and the hardest part of my rotations was like...trach care and vents. Never did I imagine I would work at such a high acuity unit. I thought I was going crazy when I realized that --who I am to complain that my work is hard? We have computerized charting, no paper! We hae 4 or 5 pts, we don't draw peripheral bloods, and we don't insert IV's unless IV certified. So, I trade in good for bad. I was going to transfer to another hospital with a less intense unit but - go back to paper charting, more pts, less nurses, less pay...hmmm...trade for trade, the bottom line is, it's going to be hard the first year in nursing no matter where you are. Sometimes I just feel like I'm going crazy, but other days I feel blessed. Good luck to everyone!

Hey, I just read your topic. How horrible. I am working in a peds-transplant, and med-surg(heavy) unit and I was told that my kids were "general med-surg" kids. WELL, all my kids are heavy. Everyone has TPN, everyone has CL's, some are being transfused, some are on cpap, some are from the onc unit that love our nurses so come to our unit. So here I am thinking I"m going to a unit that is general, and I'm not. so I have my first code, while I'm still orienting! It's not my pt but it was a full code. In my hospital, all the charge nurses on every unit have code pagers as well as the peds ER chief and the Picu cheif. The room was flooded with medical personnel. I couldn't even do anything. One nurse recorded, one drew up meds, one passed supplies, one ran for supplies....all in all I just stood and watched in fear that we would lose the pt. The pt transferred to PICU, was intubated, and expired a week or 2 later. I felt so bad, but hoped I would never have another code. a month later an "almost" code, but pt transferred to PICU in time! I must say codes are horrible and its hard to leave work at work. I still think of the day with my first code. it's like your first time losing your virginity, you never forget your first! lol..... anyway, that DR did have to question you but not in an intimidating way, and you did everything right. how were you supposed to know, I would not have called everytime my pt was c/o n/v. good luck in the future....

anyone working in the childrens hospital?

ah...and RSV season is upon us, yay....here we go with all the contact and single room pts...when does RSV season end? I had enough already and it seems it just began!

I start on monday at Columbia Pres. in peds. They said the orientation is 1.5 week in the hospital, then 6 weeks on the unit. They haven't told me what my uniform is yet and they explained to me that they do not offer subsidized housing but they can give me the broker's number and he only charges $200 above the rent and has some very good buildings. Hmmmm maybe I'll just stay in staten island if that's the case. I dont' want to spend 2k to to live there just yet. I'm nervous all of a sudden! The hospital is huge and I don't even know where the cafeteria is or the secrets to getting around....i'm sure I'll learn in time but I know NOT one person that works there. About the bar...I'm ready to meet up anytime!!! Good suggestion! oh and about the nurse recruiters at Sloan, they said I had the job, they were just waiting for an interview from the person on the floor. It's been 3 months and I haven't heard back from the recruiter.... and the lady who recruited me at columbia left to get a job at a diff. hospital, so maybe she'll be at yours!

I was very persistent with NYP. I meant different like columbia's base is 64,900 and Sloan is 65,750. not that big of a difference but it's more either way you look at it. I'm trying to figure out how long my orientation will be. does anyone know?

I know this is off-union topic but I will start my orientation in Columbia on aug 14th. so far I have filled out all the NYSNA paper-work but i will not find out details as to health ins., pension, etc until my first day of orientation. I don't know how one can be unionized and one not when its under the same NYP name, but I was going to take a diff offer from Sloan Kettering and everyone was telling me to consider the diff. that Sloan may pay more annually than Columbia, but that they weren't union. I decided to go with Columbia although it has nothing to do with the union/non-union debate. As far as working there goes, I have yet to start but I just went there and filled out an application, and was hired. I don't even know how to get around the building or where anything is. I guess in due time I will learn all of that, but I'll give updates periodically as to how it's going.

my mom has been an RN there on the rehab unit for 15 years, and just transferred to peds unit. She suggested I start working there, and she suggested I try the float team since I wasn't sure what I wanted to do yet. When I found out the nrs/pt ratios there and the nrs/pt ratios in Manhatten I was like...no way i'm putting my lisence on the line at SIUH. There's only so much to do but they are cheap when it comes to staffing. Some units are great, but most are a heavy pt. load and a lot of work to do. My mother works 7a-7p, goes in for 645 and gets home at 830pm, and we are 5 min from there....its very demanding from what I hear but then again, it depends what unit you are on. AS a float nurse, I'm sure you will see it all. the cafeteria is awesome though, kudo's to the great food...

good luck with the exam! The acronyms and math were a breeze....it is multiple choice for the math but every question throws in a "D" answer of "not the correct dosage, " so where as in the study guide all the dosages were correct, you actually have to go a step further and make sure that the dosages are indeed correct. The meds are easy if you follow the study guide, but there were a few I didn't know like some age appropriate administrations. Most of my drug books didn't have a peds G&D guideline for admin. I just guessed. I wish you the best of luck on the exam! Let us know how you did. Has anyone gone for the physcial yet? I am scheduled to go on aug. 7th.

I took the test on 7/19 and passed.....I got an 80 on the first part and an 88 on the second part.... I had to do the peds exam and it was on paper but all the rest of the exams I understand are computerized. No calculators are allowed. I did very well on the math part, and the acronyms are a joke--prn, q6h, etc....exactly what they told u to study...but the drugs-- the side effects and contraindications were hard...I thought I failed that part but 80 is passing so i just made it. Good luck to those of you taking the test!

You made me cry!!!!! lol we're both crying now!! I kept postponing it also, but then you just have to go take it! You're never going to get the same ques that are in teh study guides, but very close to it! the saunders cd's got me through, also a review class I took in Brooklyn helped me a very lot. Just tell yourself, I know the answers. I am a nurse. I went to school and passed, graduated and now I'm ready to start working! It's a shame that the test has so many broadened topics but the most common and most important things will be there, and that's what you've prepared for. I graduated school in June 2005, and didnt' pass the boards until May 2006! You can do it, I have faith in you and you better let us know when you pass!!!! Good luck and I'll be praying for you!!!

I passed!!!! I did it!!!! I'm so happy and excited and filled with emotion!! At the same time, every single planet that was on my shoulders just lifted. I feel a great ease of pressure but I know that my journey has not even really begun yet. Now comes the resume', and looking for a job! I am in Staten Island, but I pretty much know my dream job is to work for columbia Presbyterian so now I have to go over there I guess and try to get an interview. I'm am keeping my fingers crossed for the others waiting for their results... remember, I took it 3x, so never lose faith!! I will be posting on this site regularly now. Thank you Suzanne, I used your first tip and it got me through.

ok so I took it again yesterday morning. I got 130 ques. I think that is such a weird number. It felt easier this time around, but there was also a bunch of questions that I guessed on. I know that in teh beginning of the test I put the wrong answer for one ques, and they presented the same question in a different form like 40 questions later and I put the right answer. The pharmacology part was very difficult. I won't know if I passed until I think monday morning, but I will check tomorrow morning just incase. I am nervous but I did try this time. The last 2 times, I barely studied. I still think I could have done more than what I attempted this time,but...I guess if I have to do it again, I'll try a diff. approach. Keep your fingers crossed and your prayers with me! I know I am a nurse.

thank you, I'll be thinking about you on the 17th!! I am much more conifident this time around, and I am keeping a very positive attitude. We went through all that schooling, we are nurses!!

hey, first a congrats out to Immortal us-- congrats!! your positive attitude and faith has inspired me. Secondly, my test is scheduled for March 16th, just 3 days away. I feel differently about it now..I was going to cancel b/c I was doing the books and I started to get 80s out of 100, then one day I got 63/100 and then 68/100!! I was so nervous I was going to reschedule for a week or 2 later, but when I tried, all they had available was April 17th... I did more ques the next day and I'm back into 80s/100. I feel confident and i feel like I am going to pass this time around. I am only having some difficulty with meds now but I have 3 days to get them down- wish me luck, Lord knows I need it!!

My third test is scheduled for March 16th. I am starting to get really nervous and I think my main problem is negative thinking. It's so hard to say, I will pass this time, I am a nurse, I did well blabla, when I failed 2x before. I keep telling myself that I did so well in school, how could I not pass now? I keep telling myself the rewards of being a nurse are everything better than what my life is now. The part-time med asst. job turned to full-time RN, the salary benefits, the actually having a full-time set-schedule, being able to finally treat pts and being in the hospital setting. Finally having enough $$ to get a house of my own or a nice new car...all these things should help me to think positive but all I keep saying is that i failed 2x before. I try to relax, deep breathe. I have never in my life been such a bad test taker or had such anxiety. I hate the way my life is going now and the one thing that can make it better for me is passing this test, and I just can't seem to pull myself together!! Any suggestions for positive thinking once you've failed?

so I took the nclex 2x. There are some topics that I remember being on the nclex both times that I know I have to study a lot of. I know there were a lot of delegation, priority and judgement questions, but the ones I'm speaking of were the infectious disease questions. I dont' have exact questions and if I did I know I can't post them anyway, but there are some stuff I should know from school, that I cant' find in my med-surg text or my fundamentals text that I can't remember!! I've looked these things up on the web and I've gotten no response as to what I'm exactly looking for. First, Hepatitis pts. - private room? I dont' remember. I only think* that they can't be in a room where pts may have an open wound? am I thinking too much? next- TB pts- airborne/droplet precautions, private room, neg pressure, and all visitors and HCW's must wear masks. When you transport a TB pt. for any kind of test, they should wear a mask. I think I'm good with TB points. One more- Meningococcal Meningitis- private room or not? contact precautions, limit visitors and both visitors and HCW's must wear masks. When u transport this pt for a test- they wear a mask- but should they even be transported for tests? these are just some ID things I forgot and I can't find. I know the nclex loves to ask these ID ques. Thanks to anyone who can help out! I appreciate it.

well, I got my results on friday the 13th, the day before my bday, and my bday was ruined b/c of my 2nd failure. It's unfortunate that I went to 265 and failed, but my review course teacher, in Brooklyn- Dr. Bayliss..he assured me that it means I was anywhere from 1-5 ques away from passing. when I got the breakdown in the mail, I compared it to the first one, where it shut down at 75, and I went from below passing in 5 out of 9, to near passing in all. What helped me to get to "near" was the Saunders CD I believe, but I also can't expect to study 3 days a week with Saundersa and pass the boards. for the other question, I took them the first time Nov 23rd 2005, the 2nd Jan 11th, 2006. I paid again 3 days ago, I'm just waiting for my ATT, but I can't schedule a new test until after Feb 26th. So for the next month, It is my duty to hit the books and the cds seriously. I was so close. Third time's a charm they say though. We'll see. I do not want to fail anymore!! I was one of the top in my class for goodness sake!

thank you for your help. this was my 2nd time taking the boards. The first time it shut down at 75. Today, it shut down at 265!!! It took me about 3 & 1/2 hours to finish the test, with only 2 alternative format questions and a whole lot of wondering, when is this test going to end!!! I stayed focuesed and I kept repeating to myself, "you are a nurse, you received a degree, you are the nurse in the questions. " every question that would say "the nurse blablabla" I would replace with "I." that helped me out I think. Too bad I find out the results on friday the 13th. I'm about to go play pick 3 lotto for the number 265 lol. The next 2 days will be agonizing, but hopefully I will have passed. I know there is no definate answer on 265, but the 2 out of 2 people I know from my class that went to 265 both passed, so that is at least one hopeful outlook towards it. I will be on here on friday to let you know regaurdless pass or fail. Worse comes to worse I can take it 45 days from now again. (I am trying not to repeat that though!). Thanks for your help and support. I will let you guys know asap!

I have the same problem. I thought that 75 was the magic number. I had a problem with pearson vue when my test was originally scheduled for sept 13. i reshceduled for oct 10th, but they supposedly lost my info and said I never did it on the computer. I finally got a date for nov 23rd, and I failed at 75. I got mainly priority ques with a few disaster assessment ques and a whole lot of delegation questions. when my results came, everything said near the passing standard except for like 2 or 3 things which were below the passing standard. I have been doing the nclex 3000 and the saunders cd. My test is now wed morning, the 11th, 9am. I am psyched out, freaked out, tossing and turning at night, gained 3 lbs in the last week and a half.... It's so hard to maintain a positive attitude when you fail once before. I'm trying so hard to keep saying "you're going to pass, you're going to pass," but deep down I'm petrified that I will be taking it a third time. I even feel like all the motivation I need is there- good job, more $$, no more part time job making little money an hour and no more studying and stressing out about the nclex. Finally a full-time job that I love doing, and having a set schedule. Money in my pockets and debts paid off......so why can't I just be positive if all those things should motivate me to pass....why am I still saying, "Well, I can always take it again in 45 days...." ughhhhhh if anyone has any relaxation advice besides in through the nose, out through the mouth, or any suggestions on help to become positive in my 36 hours left before the test, please let me know!!! thanks very much for letting me vent and trying to help me out!! personal e-mail addresses are not permitted for your safety

I graduated in June and it seems the positions available that every hospital wants to give are nights. Its funny how there is such a shortage on nursing and I hear many nurses complaining about not enough staffing on days and too much of a patient load, but they will mostly hire new grads to the night shifts. I'm taking my boards Nov. 2nd, then hopefully I can start somewhere on days.