DonMcAllister

I'm pretty sure it was the 90 day, but can't be positive. It was several years ago now.

I'm with aubgurl: sleep while you can. For now: Sit back and relax. Your instructors will tell you all you need to know. Definitely would supplement their coursework with an NCLEX book to further understand material and questions. I came from university and did very well, but the questions are tricky in nursing school. I found teachers like to model NCLEX questions to an extent, so it's a good idea. All the best!

That is very unfortunate. I remember hearing how some hospitals don't like to transfer new nurses with under a year experience. That being said, If I were you I would just be honest with that manager connection you have, telling her you regret choosing B hospital, and hope for the best.

I never had a problem with focus working 12 in the icu. In fact, I was so busy, I typically didn't eat until 2-3 usually. Between charting, hourly vital signs, issues arising, etc etc, 12 sometimes didn't feel like enough time. That being said, there were days where I had some down time. I usually read stuff online that I was interested in, helped out other nurses on the team, try to keep organized, etc. If you're having problem focusing, sleep of course is important, but also make sure you're not eating crappy food. Protein rich foods are the way to go. I remember eating cliff bars, which provide a bunch of energy.

Kaplan is a great idea. Where I went to school it was mandatory to take. They included it in the final semester as part of the curriculum, not only to help us but also to help themselves look better by ensuring great pass rates among their students. Good luck!

I was an ICU nurse for a few years, and there are definitely skills that will help in that setting, but I think many view dialysis as highly specialized. You might definitely be better off trying to get into ICU/onc floor instead of pursuing dialysis much more.

I think setting expectations would be the main thing. I worked in LTC as a supervisor, and the main thing we all want to know is what is required of us new nurses. Many facilities don't do this and many new nurses don't think to ask it until problems arise. Like riscky said, get specific. Wishing you the best!

I was pre-med, then later went into nursing after graduating with bachelors degree at Rutgers. I'm not going to tell you what to do, but I read a lot and I think it would be a good idea to take a year and travel. You can then apply for nursing school while your traveling, to make sure you get in the semester desired. Make sure you plan it out well in advance. Traveling will provide an awesome experience you might never get again.

I used to hate 12-hour shifts when I worked in the surgical ICU. The only thing I liked about them was that if I schedule it back to back, I open up several days off of work. That's something I miss now that I'm 8-5 as a nurse liaison. Still like the 8-5 much better, but there are days I'd like to go back to 3 12s and just get the week over with..