Cholkasum

With needle sticks, you should report to charge RN and then follow through with the "exposure protocol" (it might be called a different name at your facility). This protocol applies to any hospital staff who has been exposed to body fluids in various forms (sharps, needle sticks, etc). Your unit should have package or folder with required consent forms & instructions to follow. It involves getting the client's consent for HIV & Hepatitis testing & blood collection. Then, you need to have blood sample collected by lab staff for rapid HIV testing. You have to assume it is from a patient. If I were you, report to charge RN ASAP & follow through. Good Luck

I have been nurse for about 7 months. There are times when I am the only male nurse on the unit but I hardly notice it since I stay busy. Some female clients will be uncomfortable with assessments and cares but it helps when I stay calm and pretend to be comfortable. I will tell them that the reason for what I am doing and it helps the female client to be more at ease. I know what is gossip and don't participate in it. I stay friendly to all my co-workers. As the male staff, there are times when your presence will help when the client is not cooperative with female nurse and so make sure to help out or make your presence felt. Whether male or female RN, I think being respectable, friendly, and willingness to help goes a long way. Best wishes to you.

I can relate to you since I have been a nurse for last 7 months now. As I start walking towards the hospital, I feel the anxiety. There are couple of things that helps me. On my way, I "intentionally" smile a few times and take some deep breaths. Then, I remind myself I am going to help my patients today and that will be awesome. I arrive to work at east 15-20 mins early because I hate feeling rushed. Also, one cannot assume traffic is always the same and so, it always helps to head to work early. Becoming friends or friendly with your fellow RNs goes a long way. Being new, I have not hung out with other RNs outside of work but I am always friendly to them and give them a hand whenever they need. In return, every one has been helpful to me. Although we each have our own assignments, we are a team after all and having the team spirit has been a great help to me for the last 7 months in facing the anxiety. On another note, I think little bit anxiety & stress is good as it keeps us alert and on our "toes".

I have been RN for about 7 months now & want to share some thoughts that might be helpful to you. Although you are new to the US hospitals, you mentioned you have 5 years of experience & that should help you immensely. Although there may be many differences, you should be able to learn and adapt to this new environment. Consider your new RN training (6-8 weeks) as the best opportunity to learn and "ask" as many questions as you can. That also means to ask to demonstrate anything that you are unsure about. Although there are stories of many horrible or uninterested preceptors, I strongly suggest you stay positive, focused, and learn everything you need to from your preceptor & other nurses. ASK them questions. Make them do their work, which is to observe you, correct you, and help you. Besides your preceptor, seek out other nurses. You are always going to find an RN on your unit who will be willing to help you. Also make sure you have a small notebook(that fits in your scrub pocket) where you can jot notes. Lastly, congratulations and best wishes to you.