PrettyNerd

After reading all the replies, I feel discouraged and sad, I have a knot in my throat because I feel like crying. I haven't been able to sleep because I keep thinking about if I'm making the right move in working there without the vaccine and torn between if I should get it or not. It is my body and I am not 100% comfortable about putting something in my body thats new. I was excited to finally start working, and was thanking God for it. I was mistaken thinking that things were getting better, I am not following the news only our health department website to see how covid has been doing and it seemed it was getting better. My fiance that works in a hospital told me they had ZERO covid patients and all departments were back to normal. It wasn't until I was around other people outside of my circle that basically made me feel crappy about it. Thanks for your replies.

Thank you for being the only person that at least asked why I don't want to get it, instead of just telling me to get it. First, I don't feel comfortable putting something in my body that we don't know much about. It's a different type of vaccine in the way that it's made and how it works in your body. Since its new, we don't have enough information about the long term affects of it. I've even heard of it affecting a person's fertility and I don't have kids yet, but I want to soon. I've heard people are still getting sick WITH the vaccine. I've heard about women experiencing blood clots. I felt the vaccine was rushed and came out too soon without doing additional tests. I don't even think its FDA approved. I don't keep up with the news or read up on the vaccine so I admit I am ignorant in the topic but I know for sure that it is new and there isn't enough research on the long term effects. I am worried about how it will affect me in the future. I am torn because I care about the patients and people are making it seem like I'm selfish and don't care about them, which is not true, but you guys have to understand that when I go home, I am still in my body and if I quit the job, im still in my body for the rest of my life. That scares me

I feel like if they were in desperate need for a warm body, they would have it all over job search websites. I applied for one position and ended up being offered another. To answer your question, no, I do not drink soda, alcohol, do drugs, or smoke. Never have, never will. I try to eat as healthy as I can and exercise 3-5/week for the last 15 years. Never been hospitalized, never been diagnosed with health illness and I would like to keep it like that, thats why I'm paranoid about the virus. Yes, I will be looking to see what else I can do from home. I was just excited to get hands on experience but I thought the pandemic was slowing down.

It is not mandatory at the SNF I applied. But they will be testing me for covid once a week which I'm fine with. Yes, I know the flu shots are required and I do get them the times when I've worked. Yes! It did scare me, and if I'm the only person in the world who was scared of the virus then I must be a rare breed. Because I took all precautions to NOT get sick, and guess what? I didn't get sick! I have a lot of anxiety with diseases and its a fear of mine to get sick especially with this deadly virus! Its nice that I'm being pushed to get something injected into MY body that I'm not completely comfortable with.

So I wanted to come on here because I've been thinking about something and it has kinda taken away my excitement. So I haven't worked in 2 years and I haven't really had a hands-on, bedside care nursing experience since I graduated nursing school 5 years ago. So last year I didn't work at all because of the pandemic and since I don't have any real nursing experience, I didn't want to start during a pandemic, I didn't feel I was ready for that. I was really scared. So now that (I thought) the pandemic is slowing down I wanted to start looking for a job, I applied for a CNA position at a SNF I used to work at, at least to start working again. Surprisingly they are looking for an LPN for part time. I was so excited because I thought it would be a lot better now since everything is slowing down. However, they asked me if I am vaccinated and I said no. I had set my mind to not get the vaccine but now that I got this job I feel bad if I'm the only person that doesn't have the vaccine. I don't want to get anyone sick and I would feel bad if I'm the only one unvaccinated because I don't want people to not trust me. I don't know how bad it is at SNFs but I feel a little stressed now, and I was honestly excited to FINALLY get an LPN job after 5 years of graduating. I've also been hearing about this new variant virus, which sucks because I thought we were close to the end of the pandemic. I've not been keeping up with the news because honestly I get a lot of anxiety over the virus and it discourages me from looking for a job and I really want to get back to work. I don't participate in risky behavior like going out and not wearing a mask. I didn't get sick at all last year and I pretty much just stay home. My question is: Are there any nurses out there that are working and are not vaccinated? Also, what can I do to be safe at work? Is there anything I should bring with me, like disinfecting wipes, spray... Also, curious question, did anyone NOT get sick last year? Thank you!

Hi nurses. I am coming on to here extremely frustrated and I am extremely embarrassed of myself. Last post I mentioned how I am trying to get back into nursing after 5 years. I am on my phone so I am not sure how to post that link. Anyway, I have been looking for jobs and nothing seems to be to my liking or appropriate for me. I am extremely ashamed of myself for being 31 and jobless and on top of that, not knowing what I want to do. In my last post I mentioned how I regret leaving my last CNA job because they were already offering me an lpn job there. I was stupid and wanted to "explore other opportunities " which only lead to me getting fired and being jobless for over a year an a half. I need a job asap! Like I need a job a year and a half ago. I am so embarrassed to see other girls younger than me and newer to nursing and they are so brave to immediately get a job at a SNF or hospital or wherever. I deactivated my social media since 2016 because I was seeing my classmates move on and get good nursing jobs while I was over here just waiting to test for the NCLEX. I miss my high school friends and would like social media back but I promised myself not to get social media until I was happy with myself because it was making me depressed.That was 5 years ago and I'm still not a nurse. I am still embarrassed to put myself out there when I feel depressed knowing people are stronger than me and im just here afraid I'm gonna make a mistake, afraid I'm gonna be fired again, afraid I won't have an income anymore. Im literally crying right now because I hate myself! I need money STAT!! I'm so frustrated in myself because I'm only getting older and im not a nurse. Thats what I went to school for and I don't want my education to go to waste. I don't know what to do. How do I get out of my head? I want to be able to talk to people about my career and not have to hide from people because I'm embarrassed of myself. I feel like I need therapy. I literally have no friends. And I wanted to come on here to vent and maybe someone can tell me what to do. Im so tired of living in my head. Im too afraid to start my nursing career. It's been 5 years since I graduated. Does this mean I'm not meant to be a nurse? What do I do? Why am I so afraid to apply to a nursing position? Am I not smart enough? Am I too slow for nursing? Why do I overthink this?

To be honest, they wrote some things on paper to make me look bad and have a reason to fire me, although I never heard anything negative from patients or coworkers except for the "supervisor " which apparently didn't like me because according to other people she was insecure and thought I was there to take her job. She was the only other LPN there and then I came along. Some of those thing they wrote down was "lack of confidence" and apparently that was their big issue. They also said I wasn't completing my work although I was getting more work done than the other LPN, and she would sometimes give me some of her work because she was too lazy to do so herself. So there's the "reasons"... sorry it still angers me.

Hi and thank you for your words. Yes, although technically it's been over a year since I held the title of nurse, I feel like its been 5 since I graduated and did nursing hands on. I guess the reason why I say "I'm dumb" for not taking the SNF job is because I decided to take the clinic job instead which after working there for about 9 months, I was fired. The SNF job would have been guaranteed, they WANTED me there. I really feel like crying right now because getting fired has made me feel so unmotivated, discouraged, and somewhat depressed. This was my career and I felt I had worked hard to get into the nursing program. But I do need to work soon, its really hard to think about going back to work, but I need to.

Hi all nurses! I have a quick question and seeking advice. If anyone has gone through the same experience, please share with me, it'll help me feel better in that I'm not alone and things can turn around. Long story short: I graduated nursing school in 2016, I didn't get approved to take the NCLEX until 2017, which I thankfully passed on first attempt. I was working as a CNA at the time at a SNF which they were offering me a job there as an LPN and I stupidly and regretfully turned down because I "wanted to explore other options besides SNF" since I had only been working in geriatrics and thats all I had known. In late 2018 I got a job at a clinic as an LPN, only lasted a few months until like mid 2019. In 2020 corona hit and I just stayed home all year without working. I am embarrassed to say I haven't worked since 2019 and haven't put my nursing skill to practice since I was in nursing school. I made a dumb mistake in leaving the SNF to "explore other opportunities" (I feel dumb). At the clinic, I was only answering phone calls and barely had any patient interaction in person, if I did, I didn't use any of the typical nursing skills we learn in NS. Anyway, my question is: I feel scared, incompetent, now going back to looking for a job because its been 5 years since I graduated NS and haven't really been a nurse in that time. Im not sure if its a sign I shouldn't be a nurse because this ride is taking too long and something always comes up, like every year practically. How do I go back to nursing after 5 years? How do I get over my fears of not knowing what I'm doing? And to add to my reasons why I'm scared, with coronavirus I feel like im not competent to work with covid patients because I haven't even began working as a nurse, so how do I even posses the skills to treat someone in this pandemic. I need to start working soon. Im only getting older and feel like im just throwing my life away staying home. I need to move forward in life (ugh sorry, so much I want to say) Any advice? How do I get back to nursing after 5 years?

Hi NurseAsh89. Thank you for sharing your story with me. I'm glad to know there are other people who were once in the same situation as I am right now. It really shows that things do get better. I'm so happy to learn that there are other people who at one point felt "dumb" but were still able to get jobs and get through it. I will push myself and try not to let my mind get in my way. Hugs to you too ?

l Aaaaww! Can we be friends? Lol you are very encouraging! Thank you for sharing your story with me. It does really help me knowing that there are others who have felt and gone through the same thing I did/am. Especially hearing stories of people who were able to get through it and get a job. It makes me feel like this is only temporary and I will move on and work. You should definitely get your LPN if that's what you really want. I know you will make it, you seem very smart and know what you want. Thank you so much for your encouraging words ?

Hi Dave. Wow, I am glad to hear I am not the only one with a similar journey. Thank you so much for sharing. This is really comforting to hear, I mean, it sucks that it happened to you and I, but I'm so happy to hear that things turn out and get better, this is not permanent. I will definitely get there and start applying anywhere I can. Thank you for the encouraging words ?

Hi Nursex23. Thank you so much for your reply. You gave me awesome advice, I think I should write myself a 5 year plan, and have it as motivation to keep going. I think I will take on a job at SNF. It seems like that is the best path to take just to get started. I do feel incompetent at times, especially since getting fired. I do want to eventually go back to school to get my RN, but I do want to gain some experience. Thank you again, for your encouraging words, this really does help ?

Hi. I'm sorry but I am not by any means throwing myself a pity party. I don't want/don't need anyone to feel sorry for me. You said "for the majority of us, no one held our hand throughout life" but isn't it what these platforms are for? to ask for advice, give someone a "helping hand"? You said you've been on your own since you were a teenager, good on you, also sounds more like you are bragging. That's fine and all, but when someone is down and wants some type of encouragement, that kinda makes them feel worse. Instead, you could have explained WHAT you did to get yourself through hard times (if you had any). Just FYI, for any future post out there asking for advice, this was not the best answer.

Hi Scribblz, I really appreciate your reply. Your words do give me encouragement. Thank you! You are completely right in that I do feel discouraged and isolated, like I said, I don't know anyone that I can reach out to for advice regarding nursing. So I find myself dealing with all this on my own, which is so hard. I appreciate this. I think I will go back to SNF, this time work as a nurse. I was terrified when I got offered the job when I was a CNA at the SNF. But if I want to gain experience, i believe this is the best way to start. Thank you for the TED advice, I will definitely start watching some videos. Again, thank you for giving me the encouragement I needed ?

Hi! Thank you so much for your reply. I feel relieved to hear that it is ok to feel scared and dumb at the beginning, it makes me feel like I am not really dumb, and it is just part of the beginning of this whole nursing journey, I will have feelings, and they are ok. Thank you for your suggestion on agency. How different is it than working for the SNF itself? Are they flexible with scheduling? Would like to know a little more. Thanks again! ?

Hi beautiful nurses! I just wanted to come on here to vent a little and also would like some encouragement and motivation as I feel I'm running out of that. My story is super long, so I'll try to shorten it (I've written about parts of my struggles here before). First, I got into nursing school for LVN/LPN in 2015 and graduated in 2016. When I graduated, I was ready and excited to start my nursing career and was ready to take the NCLEX. However, I waited a long time to get authorized to test, because I guess they lost my file or some other thing happen (I'm also in Cali). Anyway, I ended up being able to test until June 2017, at this point I was working as a CNA at a SNF while I was waiting to test. Ok, so I passed my NCLEX, first try in 2017 and was looking for a nursing job. Honestly, I've always been afraid to work in SNF because of the heavy responsibility and honestly at this point of having graduated a year ago, I felt like I wasn't smart enough. They had offered me a job there at SNF as an LVN but I had to think about it, since I felt I wasn't smart enough. Fast forward, in mid 2018 I briefly worked as an LVN in a school doing one on one with a little kid. I was there for about a month an a half, didn't really do much besides watching the kid. Then I get a call from a clinic I had applied to when I was working in SNF, to come in for an interview, and I decided to take that job and leave the school job. So I worked at this clinic for 9 months. And this is what happened: I got fired the day after posting, in 2019. Been without a job since. Basically, since I graduated Nursing school in 2016, I feel like I haven't had a proper nursing job. I waited a whole year just to take the NCLEX, because Cali... So now I feel like I need to go to nursing school again, just to regain all the knowledge. I know of people who went to nursing school after me, and are now nurses, and I just look at myself and think it's been 4 years this year since I graduated. Haven't worked as a nurse (in terms of doing nursing skills I learned in school). I'm starting to doubt myself and think I shouldn't even be a nurse because I'm not smart, I'm not very ambitious at this point because it's been so long and I just feel like I'm never going to get there. I don't have any friends, and I don't have any family members that can give advice or motive me. I'm just on my own and it is a lot easier to get discouraged. I've been unemployed for 6 months now and I've been looking for jobs but they are all agency, so I'm not sure how that works or if that would be good, I also saw one for home health but since I haven't been on my own, I feel like I should work with other nurses and not just start off on my own. I am now 30 years old, jobless, and afraid to be a nurse (I feel dumb, and like the responsibility will be too much for me). I am so disappointed in myself. I had this dream of being a nurse and it just doesn't seem like it'll happen. I should be working right now, move out, have some money saved up, start my own family, but my life hasn't turned out how I pictured it. I need some serious motivation, and a hard push to just do things and not be afraid, but like I said, I don't have anyone, so it's easy for me to just feel like giving up. Well, I guess I still ended up making this post long. Sorry. Any advice? Sometimes it helps to hear I am not the only one that has felt like this, and people went through the same thing and now are successful nurses. At least I hope that can happen. Help!!

Thanks everyone that replied. Sadly, I was fired the morning after writing this post. It was ugly, heartbreaking, and difficult to process it. I've never been fired before and always had positive feedback from previous employers. It sucks how they made up things about me/made me look a certain way that was against my work ethic.

Hi all nurses! I wanted to come on here to get some advice. I'm an lpn working at a specialty clinic, first job since I graduated nursing school. I've been working here for almost a year. About a month or so ago I got written up for "not improving", not finishing my work, and for making mistakes that apparently some physicians complained about. This really came out of no where and caught me off guard. I have been working hard and trying to learn a lot since it is a specialty and not something we go into detail in nursing school. So I've been taking notes and asking questions when I need help, so I was confused when my manager brought this up. About a week later, one of the physicians pulls me aside and tells me that management is working on letting me go. This started making sense in my head because prior to the write up, they took away a lot of my duties. Then when I asked about which mistakes I was making, when I got written up, they were not able to answer my question. I must also add there is another lpn working there who is very insecure and likes to speak badly about other people to physicians/manager, she likes to twist things that are not true. Management takes her word on whatever she says, without asking me first. She sees I need help, instead of helping, she goes and runs her mouth and makes me look bad. Basically, they gave me a write up so it is easier to fire me. So I have 2 questions. Is there anywhere i can go or call regarding this matter? I've called a few places but cant do anything unless it is discrimination or retaliation. Second, is it best for me to just quit before I get fired? Hearing all the things they told me really hurt me, as I've always gotten positive feedback from other employers. It would honestly hurt me to hear that I'm getting fired.

Hi all nurses! So I recently (and by recently, I mean yesterday) I discovered this thing called fitness nursing?? Whaaatt?? I didn't even know there was such thing!! Let me tell you guys, I have always loved working out and actually my plan B if nursing didn't work out, was to become a personal trainer. I have been working out for about 12 years, and I have a true passion for fitness. I always find myself educating people on why they should exercise and how it's not just about losing weight, blah blah blah. Anyway, is there anyone here in this field? Any PT nurses? How did you get started, like where did you get your PT certification? What do you do? Thanks!

I would be a personal fitness trainer/own a business.

Wow! Please make that happen, that sounds amazing! I can see it as an assisted living.

Hi all! So I just accepted an lpn position at the SNF where I work as a CNA. I will be doing general orientation this week and training with nurses next week. I would like to ask some questions during training but I'm sure I'll forget since I'll be taking in a lot of information at the time, so what are some good questions to ask? what things should I need to know? This is my first job as an lpn since I graduated nursing school 2 years ago, so I feel kinda rusty and information is not fresh in my brain anymore 😢 can you guys give me some advice and/or tips please! I'm excited but nervous because I feel i forgot everything. Everything will be ok, right?

As a nurse, do you like/enjoy working in a clinic/office setting better than nursing homes/bed side nursing? What type of clinic or setting do you work? How is it different than working SNF?

Hi everyone! So if anyone has read any of my previous posts, then you know how much I was complaining about my situation. YES! I'll admit, I was complaining a lot, and I think a lot of it comes from a place of uncertainty in terms of feeling like I am not smart enough, or not having enough confidence in myself, so I felt like I was being extremely picky. Maybe I still am. To summarize everything. I graduated in 2016, passed my NCLEX in 2017. I started working as a CNA before even taking the NCLEX, just to have a job while I waited to test. During this time, since it had been over a year that I graduated, I felt scared to be a nurse, I felt like it had been so long that I had hands on nursing experience and I had a lot of self doubt and sometimes I didn't feel smart enough. Working at a SNF, I saw how much responsibility nurses had and I wasn't sure if I could do that, so I tried staying away from SNFs which is why I could never find a job, most LVNs work in SNFs (in my area). I finally got the courage to just DO IT, and I applied to another SNF which I got a call back and had an interview! YAY! I had an interview before at a small clinic but that one didn't work out but this one just seemed more real! Anyway, just by looking at the place it makes me excited to work there. It looks clean and more modern, it doesn't look old or like its falling apart, it seems well put together and it's a pretty big place with different units like LTC and acute care. I know I don't know the people whom I'll be working with so I can't say if I'll like working there but just by its appearance, I'm excited to work there. Anyway, just wanted to write this because I have to say, I am proud of myself for stepping out of my comfort zone and just do what seems (to me) scary. I know it took almost a year and that's too long of a time to wait. I just want to be a nurse! I do have some questions though: I'll have to take care of 20-28 patients, is that a lot? Is that the average? It seems like a lot, will I be able to do care safely with so many people to take care of? Seems like I'll only have a couple of days of training. Will I be ok? Advice? (For those that were CNA's before nurses): Since I've been a CNA, how do you transition from being a CNA to being a nurse? How do you become more assertive and delegate to your CNAs, I'm that quiet/shy person. I don't know if I'll get the job but IF I do...can you guys give me some advice on having a first job as an LPN working in LTC. What should I expect? How should I prioritize my care/time. How do I avoid making mistakes? Calling MDs, do you like where you work/what you do? Just any tips/advice is appreciated! Thank you!