kflood

Another perfect example of a stressed out nurse who thinks being a nurse requires suffering and sacrifice. Sacrifice, sure, to some degree, but it doesn't have to be miserable, and being miserable and tolerating it doesn't make you more of an adult. Life and work don't have to suck, people. There are loads of peer-reviewed journal articles that address the risks of working long hours without a break, working awake overnights, etc. Not everyone is tempermentally suited for that kind of environment. It's okay. All it means is that you find a different environment. It might be more challenging, as our current healthcare culture isn't particularly supportive, but that doesn't mean it is impossible.

Being an adult involves, actually requires, knowing one's self and one's limitations. Self care is critical in nursing, otherwise you run the risk of turning into just another statistic: A burned out, overweight, stressed out, addicted to sugar/coffee/booze, etc., angry slave to a system that doesn't really work all that well. Functioning well as an adult requires self-knowledge. It demands an approach to self care that is practical, realistic, creative, and accountable. "Ndoht," this comment makes no sense whatsoever. It isn't helpful or supportive, and in my opinion, illuminates a lack of sensitivity, a limited education, and/or a general lack of emotional intelligence, all of which are required for a successful career in any helping profession. Shame on you.

I completely understand. I graduated 2 years ago (2nd career, I'm in my 40s) and have limited myself to community-based clinics, flu shot clinics, etc. in order to avoid the all or nothing 12 hour shift with no breaks, overnights, etc. I want hospital experience, but have found it impossible to find a normal day or evening schedule that allows one to have balance. I am an introvert, highly sensitive, and need breaks and time to recharge. I am extremely compassionate, good with patients, and very smart, but doing it for that length of time fries me! During clinicals I was almost crawling out of my skin at the end of what turned out to be a 13 hour day. So, I get it. Consider applying in places other than hospitals. You can still get excellent experience in other aspects of nursing. Alternative environments can include: community-based health centers, residential treatment centers, non-profit organizations (many do seasonal flu shot clinics, health fairs, etc.), Planned Parenthood, school nursing, and even home-health and hospice. Home health and hospice prefer hospital experience, for good reason, but it IS possible to find a place that will mentor you and train you. Emphasize your skills, play up your strengths, and tell them you'll commit to so many years. Some agencies will train you, believe it or not. I found one, and am just waiting for their licensing process to be complete, as they are new in the area. Other ideas: Naturopathic clinics and alternative medicine settings. If they do anything involving infusion therapies or injections, you can use your skills while also learning about other modalities. ALSO -- health coaching. Are you into fitness or health? Like to teach? Many nurses become health coaches, or are hired in settings with a corporate wellness program. In the meantime........ Volunteer like crazy to put something on your resume. Hospice volunteer, health fairs, whatever. Get creative. Being a nurse doesn't have to mean just one thing. Best of luck to you.

I would like to do the same thing............ so I am assuming one must carry their own liability insurance, yes? I would be helping a woman at home after her knee surgery, with bandage changes, bathing, etc. I would charge her by the hour, and have her pay me cash or check, then take care of my own taxes if I make enough from this job. I have never done this sort of thing, and am not currently with an agency or hospital. I am looking for work, and feel like this would be some good experience with money in the interim. Am I completely clueless?

Sorry, meant "In addition to being an arrogant......."

P.S.) Just an aside here, for what it's worth: I had an emergency with my dog during one of my scheduled clinicals. Luckily, I had scheduled too many, so I left a message immediately and was in no danger of coming up short. I had also never been late. Despite all of that, my preceptor made a snarky comment the next time I saw him about "the choice" I made. I HAD A MEDICAL EMERGENCY WITH MY DOG. Despite being an arrogant, hyped up, caffeinated jerk with poor boundaries (another story), he clearly was not an animal person (but of course someone's kid would be another story).............. my point is, the people who are teaching you and precepting you are not always good people, kind people, reasonable people, or smart people -- just because they are working as nurses or teaching nursing students. Just keep that in the back of your mind as you get thru the rest of this. Be on time, take care of yourself, get the best grades you can without hurting yourself, and let the rest go.

Ugh. Posts like this make me so glad I have already jumped thru this hoop. I hear you, and I feel you. I went back to school to pursue "people nursing" in my 40's (I have a veterinary background as a credentialed veterinary technician) and was accepted into an accelerated program (BSN in a year). Nursing school across the board is very "black and white", and accelerated programs are even worse -- they often border on unreasonable. As far as "weeding people out who are weak" goes -- it is a reality, although I wouldn't say that anything you have demonstrated in your post implies weakness. The black and white world of nursing school is a huge pain in the tushie, and self care is never in the mix, even though they mention it in the occasional lecture to cover their butts. I would suggest completely letting this last situation go -- FORGET ABOUT IT.......... simplify your life a wee bit, and perhaps talk to other instructors who are scheduling meetings at times that conflict with clinicals. Make sure you are getting daily exercise (yes, daily!!!), eating well, taking breathers, staying connected with supportive people, and scheduling fun when you can. If you can do even 20 minutes a day of all the above, you are doing well. Leave 15 minutes earlier than you have to in order to arrive on time, but I don't suggest being obsessive and arriving an hour or two early and depriving yourself of much needed sleep before a 12 hour clinical shift. The hard-core, black and white thinkers who are slamming coffee in their cars two hours before the start of the day are the same nurses that will end up with heart disease and other chronic conditions down the road, which is common in nursing. There ARE environments in nursing that are a bit less extreme and better suited for particular temperments, but those will come after you graduate. For now, you do need to white knuckle it to some degree, and I know it isn't fun. I don't know your age, and it does take life experience to get to know yourself and know your limits, but keep them in mind AND ADJUST WHAT YOU CAN. In the meantime, don't let the rigid world of nursing school and nursing instructors break your spirit. I had several less than perfect situations come up with nursing instructors, and they aren't always in the right or "fair." You are allowed to be human to some degree, despite what they make you believe. Communicate honestly with the ones that you can talk to, and play the game with the ones you can't. Know your limits, simplify your life, and take care of yourself every day. Things will fall into place when you are less stressed and overwhelmed....... forgetting about meetings til the last minute and being "late" is a sign that you are overwhelmed. All the best to you.

I think it takes a while. I know people who got there first IV in, first try. That's called "luck" not skill. Skill is what is developed from trial and error, and I think it also requires a certain amount of trouble shooting and recovering from those imperfect moments. I was competent at IV insertion as a licensed veterinary technician, then had a big ol' reality check when I attempted to place one in an elderly woman with fragile veins........... dealing with her anxiety as well as my own was a new experience. Don't overthink the whole IV thing. It should be one smooth motion. Breaking it into steps might not be the best approach for you, in 3D, because sometimes it just doesn't look like that. Good luck.

That is the brilliance of lifelong learning. We are constantly reminded that there is so much more to learn.

You do need a degree and licensure to be employed as a vet tech. Unfortunately, many hospitals, especially the little rinky-dink mom and pop places, like to save money, so they will hire someone, train them to do a few things, then let them call themselves "vet techs." Kind of like "Kleenix" being the commonly used term for tissue.......... even unlicensed assistants call themselves vet techs. They are not. Luckily, many state veterinary boards are putting their foot down about this. I don't know any RNs (and I am one as well) who have the scope of practice I have as a licensed vet tech.

WRONG. I've been a credentialed vet tech for the last 13 years, and we are the RNs of the veterinary world. Our scope of practice is way broader. See my new post below in this thread. They are NOT completely different..... and, as someone who holds a license in both areas of nursing, I can honestly say that, despite the lack of recognition and low pay, veterinary nursing is way more interesting (just my opinion). Again, check out my newest post for a reality check on what course work I had to take.......... and I had to pass state and national boards, just like a human nurse. Sad, really, that anyone would think so little of this role. But it's pretty common, I have found.

Hello! Just saw this, and have some random thoughts to offer. So......... I have been a CVT for 13 years now, and just two years ago earned my BSN in nursing. At the time I went to vet tech school, I already had a Masters in another field, so opted for a two year program instead of a 4 year (to avoid too much duplication). First of all: don't think that just because a program is only two years that it means it is "easier" or less of an accomplishment. Truth be told, I learned a lot more about science (and medicine in general) in vet tech school than I did nursing school............ The program I went through was very challenging, probably more so than my graduate degree because it was both academic and skill-based. And it was a lot more interesting than my nursing program as well, as we were required to take coursework in parasitology, zoonotic diseases, pathophysiology, hematology, urinalysis, small and large animal nursing procedures, radiography, dentistry, yaddah yaddah yaddah. Just an aside here, btw: vet techs ARE nurses, and our scope of practice is actually broader than that of a human nurse. In human medicine, there is a person for every role. Nurse anesthetists, phlebotomists, radiographic technicians......... med surge nurses, ICU nurses, emergency room nurses........ and don't forget about dentistry. Dental hygienists are the perfect example of nursing in that environment. Guess what? The average licensed veterinary technician who is being fully utilized in their training and scope of practice does ALL of these. Other roles we must fill include triage, client education, pharmacy.......... I mean, how many RNs are intubating patients, placing IVs, scrubbing in to assist, then skipping off to the lab to spin down a fecal and look for parasites under the microscope? Veterinary nursing is still a misunderstood and undervalued profession, and most people don't know what we do or they lump us in the same category as unlicensed assistants. But the truth is, it is highly skilled work and very rewarding in the right environment. The only reason why I added an RN degree to my resume was to broaden my options, as the pay in most environments sucks. I still do the CEUs to keep my vet tech license active, and it is the area of medicine about which I am the most passionate. I work PT in human nursing (and yes, I care about people and am good at my job), and I also have my own business as a veterinary home health nurse! I love having both qualifications, but am really hoping to see the day when licensed veterinary technicians get the respect and compensation they deserve. This will only happen when programs insist on excellence, when clinics make the role distinct from that of the off-the-street, on-the-job-trained personnel, and the public becomes more educated about what we actually do and the importance of the nursing role in veterinary hospitals. Nursing is nursing, no matter who the patient is.

No! I just graduated and am struggling with the same thing. Our brains are not designed to fight the dark/light thing. It affects us on all levels. I had a bear of a time after 3 nights in a row and had to say good bye to a job that gave me no other options. Put yourself first. The good stuff will happen.

The night shift isn't natural, and don't let anyone make you feel bad for struggling. As nurses, we need to be the best versions of ourselves on all levels. And if we can't take care of ourselves, we can't take care of other people. I wasn't even given the CHANCE to prosper at my first nursing job, because they insisted I do a week of 7am-3:30pm, followed by a week of 7 pm - 11:30 pm, immediately followed by 4 NOC shifts. When I was honest about how I was feeling physically, I was told I wasn't a fit. Peruse the literature and you'll see tons of support for NOT tolerating what doesn't work. The night shift sucks, even though some people can pull it off for a while. I am in my 40s', active, healthy, and vibrant. Even 3 lousy NOC shifts made me sick and crazy. Never again. I'll flip veggie burgers before I'll hurt myself for any job. Having to take drugs to sleep and stay awake makes you into a zombie. Zombies don't make good nurses.