JesusKeepMe

Consider applying for prn positions also you guys. You get experience and some cash in your pocket. Don't limit yourselves

........for real?

Had just finished doing a 12hr overnight shift, then had to attend a 4 hr training after my shift. I was attempting not to fall asleep at the wheel as I drove 45 minutes home. I was speeding, ten miles over the limit. Cop in some small podunk town ticketed me. Was in my scrubs, badge on, even explained to him what was going on. Didn't matter, got a $135 ticket ;(

This isn't funny but I'm laughing over here! Reading these post sometimes...man.

I thought COW = Computer on wheels?

Dynamap

When folks tell you what you CAN'T do, that should be enough to push you to do MORE and do BETTER, or else you'll whine and get depressed and allow the words of others to define you. My short story, had a GPA of 1.3, had to retake LOTS of classes PLUS some to boost my GPA. I got 4.00's when I retook my classes, even some how got on the deans list. Now my cumulative GPA was still kinda struggling. I had a cumulative of a 2.9 when I was accepted into nursing school. I worked harder and studied harder than any other student in that program because I had to prove to myself and my professors that I deserve to be in that program. I tell you this to encourage you :) Forget what they say...keep pushing, keep striving to make your dreams come true. Don't you dare stop, KEEP GOING! You WILL see your dreams come true.

Your feelings are normal, all nurses go through that phase where they feel inadequate, and question/second guess everything they do. Sounds like you have no support where you work, that makes things harder for you. Don't let them see you sweat. Do what you need to do, and keep looking for another job.

You know how we do if we feel a pt isn't getting the care they need despite use advocating for them, we documenr the crap out of that situation. Most times as nurses, documenting is all we can do after going to the ends of the earth for out pts. I'm not sure how the pt you mentioned could get on hospice, but it seems that he/she surw as heck needs to be on hospice like yesterday.

If becoming an RN is your dream, then get to work making your dream a reality. You should already know the pre-reqs and minimum GPA needed to even be considered for entry into.the nursing programs in your area. You should be meeting with advisors and asking them for thier advice regarding what classes to take or retake. A wise student would retake the pre-reqs he/she got a C in. If you really want it, you will study until your eyeballs are dry from too much studying. You already know what you have to do. Good luck.

In reference to your personality d/o, you can be akward, odd, or one who isolates to themselves, yet thrive as a student and/or nurse. Seems like you have to work abit harder on your social skills, but you can fake it until it comes natural for you. You say you spend about 2 hrs per day studying, that you don't do well with comprehending the assigned reading, but you do well during clinical. That's good, but eventually, if you pass nclex, YOU will be the nurse, and you will be responsible for providing pt care. You will need to know WHY you are performing certain task, what lab values are saying, what various s/sx are telling you about a pts condition. When/if you take the nclex, you won't be tested on skills, you will be tested on knowledge, and your ability to think critically. So perhaps you should consider studying for more than 2 hrs per day. You owe that to your self and your future pts.

Wow. The staff involved can't claim ignorance because we all know about HIPPA, we know to do no harm, we know to advocate for pts, what the heck were these folks thinking? Really? Why do you have time to draw teardrops and mustaches on a pts face? Shouldn't you be preping for her surgery? Double and triple checking orders? Taking your time outs to verify its the correct procedure on the correct body part? Ummmm, how about providing pt care instead of using her body as a canvas for markers? I'm just undone.

Read over the contract numerous times before taking on an assignment. Was working with an agency that initially claimed I would get a stipend of $1500/month for housing, $250/week for food, and have a base pay of $36/hr. That sounds great right? Well, got to reading the contract and calculating the cost of hotels in the area...something was off. The contract said base pay was $13/hr for the first 40hrs/wk worked, then would be $36/hr for anything I worked over 40hrs. The housing stipend would be accumulated daily, so $1500/30 or 31 (depending on the number of days in the month). Also, the food allowance was divided by 7. So after I calculated everything and talked with a few people, my actual take home pay would've been about 600-750/wk, which to me wasn't worth it as I could find a position at home that paid the same amount or more per week. Those reps from those travel nurse agencies will attempt to talk you in circles. Be careful, and read everything.

If you find free housing, please let me know. I had a position that claimed free housing, only to find out that part of my pay included a daily housing allowance that I could use towards paying for an extended stay hotel. Those travel nursing contracts are worded some kinda way. Read and reread that contract!

If you must have a paycheck like yesterday, I would say take the position, but keep looking.

Thanks alot for your response, as I knew there would be some who didn't like my post, but again, it doesn't bother me. Did I read the responses? Yes, I've read each response to the thread here. If you've read the responses, you would see that I posted a response earlier in which I offered advice on how the student may go about handling his/herself in the situation, perhaps you should go back and review that response. To see people (whom appear to be students) stating the responses (most which were posted by licensed LPNs/RNs) were defensive, makes me wonder what planet some of these students are from. It has nothing to do with being defensive, it's us giving advice since we've been students, it's us making yoh accountable for your clinical learning experience instead expecting nurses busy with many tasks all at once, to hold your hand. Before you get to thinking I hate students, I don't. The best part of my career thus far has been talking to students, stretching their ability to think critically, and making them accountable for their clinical experience. So if my truth came across as "nasty" as you say, okay, well, perhaps you and a few others see it that way. My opinion is mine, and maybe a few other nurses share my thoughts, if you don't, fine. Have a great day.

That's one difficult situation for sure. I would think that documenting your encounters with this instructor and bringing it to the attention of the dean would be the route to go. Other students should do this as well. During clinicals, keep you head down, stay busy, and attempt to avoid her if possible. Soynds like she has some personal issues.

That fact that you're doing the right thing instead of sitting back and watching whatever wrong you observed continue to be carried out says so much about your character and practice as an RN. I'm thankful that nurses like you exist, and hope to be in the hands of a nurse of your caliber if I ever need medical attention.

Could you imagine to psych nurses who happened to be married to each other, going back and forth during an argument? Each one attempting to gain the upper hand and redirect the other? Sounds like a never ending battle that would be pretty awesome to watch.

Lol! You redirected your mom? I love it!

Use actual nurses on the defense huh? Well, okay. Well since the students seem to know EVERYTHING there is to know INSTEAD of ACTUALLY CONSIDERING the advice of nurses who have been students, let me stop being so nice and keep it 100 as we say where I'm from... Some of you students come on here whining about the most simple things, "Oh she didn't introduce herself to me", "We have too many chapters to read", "I'm failing and I can't get my grades up...help me please". Or you guys ask questions without LOOKING for the answer yourself...why post drug calculations on this website wben there are hundreds of websites that help with drug calc? When I see all the crying, the asking questions you can find the answers to, etc, it makes me want to vomit because some of you seem so entitled, lazy, and you just complain instead of seeking out out answers to drug calc yourself, and chilling out and taking the advice of some of the best nurses on here when it relates to how to perform better in clinicals, on test, etc. You guys think we pull his advice from our butts? Heck no, we were, get this, ACTUAL NURSING STUDENTS once upon a time, so we've been in your shoes. Also, some of us have been PRECEPTORS before, so we see students like you quite often; entitled, whining, lazy, ones wanting the answer handed to then on a platter, give us a break. Stop being all on the defense, and actually CONSIDER what an old head/experienced nurse has to say. You're still students, not nurses, yet. Oh, I don't care much about opinions or hurt feelings, I'm just saying what alot of other people on here were probably thinking.

Try to look at the clinical situation from your preceptors pointnof view. You awake at 0500, clock in at 0645, then get to the unit to see fresh new faces...cool. You see the census, you hear you may get slammed with admits today also...oookkkaayyy. It's gonna be a busy day. You just know you get a student today, you had no prior knowledge of this, you didn't take a preceptor class, nor do you get paid extra for precepting. You get a student, plus you have 6 pts. The nurse is attempting to teach you while also providing excellent care to his/her pts without getting too far behind. It's like double duty for these already crazy busy nurses. What I found worked for me during clinicals where I felt the nurse didn't want to be bothered with me, is making myself available to all the nurses, as well as the CNA's. I introduced myself to my nurse, expressed my desire to learn as much as possible and complete task she felt comfortable with me completing as these are NOT my pts, and she/he is held liable for MY care. If my nurse disappeared, I helped nurse aids with bedpans, handing out trays, getting pts water, anything to show Im willing to do whatever I can to help out. If another nurses was doing something I had never seen, I would ask my nurse if I could go with another nurse to view the procedure. Taking the initiative went along way, and made my day go faster while making the nurse/CNA's appreciate me being there to help instead of looking like a sour puss and taking up space. Now it's never right to be rude to anyone, but maybe the nurses are so busy or "in the zone" that they look mean, or they forget about their students...it happens. They're most times unaware that you're coming and get thrown into the situation. I know it flusters you, it flustered me as well, but try not to take it to heart, one day you'll be the busy nurse. Until then, get through clinicals by making yourself available, and with a smile :) You can do this.

Well now, that is interesting.

So true, "...but for the grace of God..." I've come to realize that nurses aren't valuable, we're just bodies. Nursing is about numbers and bodies. Makes me think of a recent post on here where one nurse discussed how here unit was allowing new grads with no experience as preceptors for other new grads....you all figure that one out. Management doesn't care about us as people, it's our license they care about. As long as they can staff with the minimum number or licensed staff, that's all they care about. They then demand that we attend mandatory meetings that start 2 hrs after the night shift is over, then the meetings last for four hours, then we have to be back to work hours later. Forget the fact that you didn't rest, you're a nurse, a machine. You don't tired, and you don't get sick, so do what you need to do to make it to your shift! Sad... I wonder if staff/management were truly grief stricken when hearing of the death of this wonderful person, or if the first thought in their heads were, "Well dangit....who will cover her shifts?"

Well, first off, as a psych nurse, I get offended when folks say psych isn't real nursing, blah blah blah. You haven't walked in the shoes of a psych nurse. You have only been a student. Having clinics on the unit vs being the psych nurse, way different. Now, if you're really wanting to pursue another career, go for it now instead of prolonging your dream. Plus you say you're having issues passing classes, well, it may be a sign. Go after what you want most, if being a nurse isn't it, that's fine. Just pursue your passion.