lvsmith

I posted some stuff when I was a new nurse about 15 years ago. Funny to see my thoughts from back then. I can say that not everything in my nursing career has been peachy keen. But, I am still a nurse. I have done so many things since then. I finally decided what I wanted to do. And I see it was depression that made me hate everything. I do look back on my Navy days and I am thankful for all of the training and opportunity I had to learn different skills. Psych and oncology stick out the most. And home infusions/home health made me understand that I didn't want someone making my schedule or hovering over my shoulder. I finally went back to school and graduated in dec 2017 as a psych/mental health nurse practitioner. I then took a leap of faith (because I didn't want some physician making a ton of money off of me and making me work my fingers to the bone) and opened my own practice. Its been one of the hardest things I have done ( cause I have been everything from web designer, marketer, IT and ERH specialist, accountant, office assistant - goodness everything - , but I like not having to answer to anyone. Its so much to learn!! I am now looking for an office to begin my next phase of the plan. Lets see what happens next! And Never Give Up!!

Ok, I've been an RN for 5 yrs and I made 31.50 at memorial hermann, and I make 32 for PRN at Planned Parenthood, but the most MD anderson wanted to give me was 27.50. B/c of this I have turned down both positions I was offered. I thought they were considered high paying and even higher b/c they were in the med center. But that was like a slap in the face after making much more at memorial hermann (not med center).

Had an order for feminine hygiene products PRN. We made fun of the doc for this one!!

I told my daughter - NO WAY- never want her to be as miserable as me.

I am in the navy (wont be soon) and we have to wear our khakis. This means horribly uncomfortable shoes and if you dont want to look sloppy you have to wear shirt stays (these are elastic things that attach to your shirt and socks to keep your shirt pulled down tight). There are very few of us who get to wear scrubs. Imagine me, short person, reaching up to hang a fluid with something pulling on my socks. I really didnt think we would have to wear these. Then on the last friday of the month we are forced to wear our whites. These are just as uncomfortable and get dirty at the slightest touch. Our poor corpsmen are the same they have to wear white for a peroid of the year, at least they get a uniform allowance. I will be so happy to wear scrubs, and I dont want them white or have to wear a cap. I have been a nurse for 3 years.

My husband says he used to call the lady parts a "pecan". We are from south Louisiana

yes, this is not what I thought it would be.

I actually worked with palliative care patients on the oncology flor. I had a patient that I really got to know and was upset when she died, these patients were different. The oncology patients were nice and appreciated you. I got forced off the floor to get "med/surg" experience because that is what the navy wanted.

Thank ya'll so much for listening. I was not a prior nurse, but I was prior military, so I should have known (but I guess I chose to be blind). I have no idea what I want to do, I am interested in so many things but have lost confidence in my abilities. Most of the higher up nurses act like they hate life and do not care about YOU, they are all in it for THEM and to better THEIR career. They would not even listen to my doctor when she asked them to move me to a less stressed environment (more than once).

I'm ISTP, introverted, sensing, thinking, perceiving. Does this mean I'm not in the right profession? I hate the nursing I was doing - havent found my niche.

Hi, I am in the navy, have been a nurse for 3 years. Did psych, oncology and then surgical, I hated it so much because they stuck me on the surgical floor when I said I needed a less stress environment, I resigned my commission. I am now helping the nursing research dept. I do not want to stay where I am, so I am moving to florida. I want to see if I fit anywhere in nursing, but everybody wants one year experience. I hated feeling like a servant and got grossed out by ostomies. On the surgical ward I felt like I was never accomplishing anything and all they did was complain and never were grateful. I didnt care whether they were in pain or sick, I wanted them to leave me alone. I became depressed and lost 15 lbs, went on medication and have never slept good. I need help, please!!

nurse candidate program

Hi, well I was enlisted in the Air Force and now I'm a Navy Nurse. I would have prefered to go back into the Air Force - my heart is in the Air Force (even thought I was only in for 3 years). I still wonder if I should switch I have only been in the Navy for 1 year. The navy had the better program -NCP program and $5000 plus $500 a month for the last 2 years of school and the Air Force - I was told I had to do one year of civilian nursing before I could get into the AF. So, I chose the Navy. The uniforms are horrible. Try working in direct patient care in a poly wool uniform that you have to have tucked into your pants with straps to hold your shirt down tight and nice with name tags and ribbons and ensignia - and having to bend down to empty a foley or reach up high to put up an IV bag!! The uniforms in the Air Force are much better. And you only have 2 not a whole bunch that YOU have to pay for - $1500 and maybe never wear them again. The Navy does have the bases closer to the coasts and the air force you may be stuck in grand forks north dakota or somewhere else in the middle of no where. The chances of getting a nice base house is good in the AF and almost impossible in the Navy. The Navy you may get to work with the Marines and live in thier base housing. The Marines are so great - so respectful! I do not know what else to tell you I loved the AF and probably would again - but I'm in the Navy and it's great too!! One big thing is that the AF is a smaller service and it may be harder to advance. My division officer an O3 said he was at a confrence with some AF nurses and they told him that due to the cut backs there would be no O4 boards for this cycle (pretty scary - I thought). Either way I would be happy to have another nurse join the club of the "coolest nurses on the planet"!!

Hi, I am a new Navy RN - I went throught the NCP program and I am at Portsmouth Naval in Virginia. I have been working as an RN since last April. Yes, you do get a rotation throughtout the hospital in the major areas - I think most big hospitals have whet is called the nurse intern program - mine was 10 weeks. We went to med/surg, ortho, peds and postpartum - some of my fellow peers went to the surgical, oncology units. We were supposed to have a 12 week orientation - but the units wanted us ASAP. Well, most of my fellow 6 nurses went to ortho, L&D, surgical, PCU, ED and I am in Psych. Most units work 12 hour day/night shifts - my unit works 8's. There is a lot to learn about being a new nurse and a new officer and your time may be spent learing on the ropes (as far as what your role is with the corpsmen). The corpsmen do a lot, but we also do a lot also. Many times the corpsmen are overworked and if you volunteer to do the little things and help them out in anyway you can they will bend over backwards for you. I am spoiled because most of my corps staff are specialized in psych and are mostly career navy. Yes, you will get some who do not pull their weight and it may be difficult to get things solved the "correct" way because even though you may be in charge (I was after 2 weeks on my unit - in charge of 3 units with at least 30 patients and 1 other nurse with 3 corps staff on each unit - on the night shift) there is a "correct" way to go about fixing things - the corps staff are not directly under you and you have to first let them fix the problem then you have to go to the senior of the shift then the senior of the unit and on and on - you get it. I have put in my request to transfer to another unit - I want more. One major problem with the military hospital is the civilian contractors. They think they own the hospital and we work around them. That means if you have civilians on your unit and they call in sick or do not show up - we take their place. No matter if it is your day off - you may get a comp day - IF that is possible. Some civilians never call in sick and are great to work with and some are not. For OR you have to have at least one year on the medical unit - the school is in Pensacola. But all in all I think that this is the best chioce for many new RN's. You have the opportunity to ask for a new unit every year, you have the option to move to a new duty station every couple of years and all of the benefits are great. And you will never reach the pay ceiling - you will get a pay increase if the president allows and cost of living increases. I think it is the best deal. I hope this has helped!