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I can totally relate! However I also believe that hospital staffing policies and acuity issues also contribute to the problem. Days when I am pulled in too many directions I make more mistakes. I am just trying to keep float and I know that I am not the only one to blame. Nurses need time to think when we are handling medications, treatments, chart checks, etc. It is for the pt safety. We are human we make mistakes, therefore in such a profession as nursing where we have peoples well being and lives in our hands why are we ALWAYS so rushed? I feel like I have to get running at the beginning of my shift to stay afloat for the day and if that morning routine gets interrupted (which is most of the time) I easily drown and become stressed and rushed. It's scary sometimes... That's the profession, you are not alone, hang in there and you will get through. I pray everyday that God would protect my patients while they are under my care and the care of the hospital. I believe patients are very vulnerable while they are in the hospital. Be thankful when your mistakes are not life threatening or causing much harm and learn from them. And when you need to take a break from work to regroup and unwind, it's for your good and your patients' good too!

Ok silly question in re: to this discussion. Say the trach comes out, you grab the obturator, are you reinsrting the one that just came out or a new sterile one? Then if that size doesn't work you grab the smaller size and attempt to reinsert that sterile one.

is there another area of nursing you could do that you would like better? out of the hospital, and maybe out of bedside nursing? Just a thought

HA! starting pay where I live for RN is 40,000! Where do you live?

I may be one of the few, but I would prefer a different schedule. I love my days off, but usually I end up having all my days off by myself with my husband and I on opposite schedules. I also don't prefer that my schedule is always changing. We have a great system of self scheduling, but there are weekend requirements (every 3rd) as well as Monday requirements (2 every 6 weeks) and Friday requirements (2 every 6 weeks). Since I like to schedule my days together it is difficult to keep any set evenings free for a class or bible study or sports league. I think I would prefer 4 10 hour shifts a week where I get off at 5 pm and can still have an evening. With 12 hour shifts I am lucky to get home before 8 pm, hungry tired and needing to get to bed to get up and do it again. And of course I would love no weekends or less weekends, like one a month or two weekend days every 6 weeks, spread out not having to take a whole weekend away at once. Those are my gripes although everyone else seems to only have positive things to say about them. I guess it is all in perspective and personal situations.

I've always learned NTE 4 g of acetominaphen in 24 hours, no matter what med it is mixed with

I am interested in hearing from some FNP's and the various roles and settings in which they work. I am considering getting and FNP, but am more interested in a specialty clinic (i.e. cardiology) or possibly a role in acute care. I am not certain what is possible to do with an FNP, I know that it can vary from area to area. If some NP's could post their education/experience background and the roles they work in it would be a help. There is a lot of confusion about what you can or can't do with a certain NP degree. I just don't want to get a degree then find out that what I want to do requires something completely different!

I think that is a great idea! I would love it. I probably would like to use it on my days off though, after work I am usually a bit toasted, but I would be interested to see if working out after work would actually be better for me than a hot bath and bed. It may be a better stress reliever and I could walk out of the hospital a bit more refreshed.

Thank you for feedback. I have actually been offered a full time position on the day shift and "tentatively" accepted it, pending a meeting with the new nurse manager in July. I will work on a back up job in case I decide that this ICU is not the place for me, but I hope that it is. We'll see. The website was very helpful!

I am looking for some advice related to interviewing unit managers. I am getting ready to graduate in August and have been offerred a position that I have really been wanting, but this unit has had some management challenges over the past few months that concern me. The hospital has just hired a new nurse manager this week who is suposedly terrific. My plan is to wait until I get a chance to meet her to decide if this is the place for me to work or not. I really pray that she is the one that may bring some stability that this unit needs. Anyone have some advice about what I should ask and find out before deciding to accept this position? In particular what do you look for in a good nurse manager and how can I best determine this from a meeting? By the way this is an ICU unit if that matters at all. Thanks!

Only you can make the decision, but it sounds like you have had a lot of experience and that you know what you want to do. I am in the middle of ICU clinicals and I ask every nurse if they started there, what they like about ICU and such. I actually have been encouraged by my clinical teacher that I could start in the ICU and be a well rounded and grounded nurse. She usually does not recommend new grads, but there are exceptions and it sounds like you could handle it with your goals and background. I have talked to the clinical managers in our ICU and they want me to do my senior capstone there and then decide for sure, but they all say that I could do it. I want to get a masters in Acute Care NP and need the ICU experience not to mention that I love the ICU. I have had two years experience as a PCT/CNA in the hospital and know that ICU would be a good fit for me. So good luck to you and talk to the actual managers of potential ICU's or clinical instructors who are familiar with your abilities and goals.

I just agree that you cannot find your meaning in nursing and if you are doing it for satisfaction in yourself you will probably come up short. We are human and will fail. I went into nursing because I love medicine and I love to help people, but not because it makes me feel good. There seems to be much more going on in your life, I will pray for your situation (not that I feel sorry for you). I believe that hard times will give understanding and meaning in the end. I hope this can be a learning time for you in your life. Good luck.

Last year our hospital scheduled a MANDATORY meeting for all employees. Our nurse manager split us up and assigned us to go to specific meeting times and I was told 1 week or less in advance that I had to be there on my day off. So, luckily it didn't interrupt my schedule, but other employees that didn't make that meeting were fired! I was shocked, considering they gave us very little notice and signed us up rather than letting us choose a time that best fit with our schedule. That seems very wrong to me???

I can't tell you for certain, but I do know that University of Colorado at Pueblo has a NP program that combines FNP and ACNP, so I would guess it must be somewhat useful. You might find some information on their website. Also question for you. What additional requirements are there after you get your FNP to also get your ACNP? I work at a hospital that is affiliated with a nursing school that only has a FNP program and can get tuition at one third of the cost, but I really want to do ACNP. If I can get my FNP and then finishe with an ACNP easily without going through a whole other program I would like to, I just don't know how and if that is possible. And feedback would be helpful. Thanks

I am looking for some information about the ways to go about specializing as a nurse practitioner. I really want to do the Acute Care NP program, but I work for a hospital that is involved with a school and IF I go to that school I can basically go for a third of the cost to me. The problem is they only have a Family NP program. Can I get a FNP and then speicalize in Acute Care someway? Does anyone know how that would be done without going through another program? Are there certain certifications I could get to sit for the ACNP exam too? I am trying to figure out if I can do what I want to do with a FNP or somehow tailor it... any info would be helpful. Thanks.