Lillian11

I think the "just a job" comment was misinterpreted. I think that in response to your question of how to leave work at work, remembering that it's "just your job" is an important tactic in being able to function in your regular life. Yes, we all signed up for nursing because we are passionate about helping others. We are empathetic, compassionate, caring, etc. Yes to all of it. That being said, we still need to be able to go home to our families/friends/self and be able to take care of them and ourselves. Remembering that it's your job, and not your entire life helps with that.

Very interested in pursuing an FNP degree, but have lots of questions. I have been a nurse for just one year, and definitely plan to continue working full time. I work 3 to 4 12s per week. I have a 2-year-old little boy and a hubby too, so my free time is limited until 7pm each evening on any given day. I am currently in debt from my BSN degree about 50K. On a repayment plan, in 9 more years it will be forgiven through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. Given all of this, here are my questions: Does a part time 3-year online program sound feasible given my situation? Is the workload for a part time program heavy? Any insight on the amount of time necessary to complete a part-time program? Any recommendations on affordable schools/programs? I am interested in beginning sometime in the next year, hopefully becoming an FNP around the same time that my son begins Kindergarten. Thanks!

Thank you!!!!

Awesome! Good luck to you, too! I have been working as a tech in the CCU until the cardiac residency begins... love it! I am trying to pick up on what to learn... I think the biggest thing is to make sure you know your cardiac meds, body systems and how they relate to the heart, effect of surgery on the kidneys, vent care and know at least a little about different devices/machines like the iabp. I come home and look things up every day... Good luck :-))

Hi! I am starting a new grad cardiac nurse residency next month. I will rotate through four cardiac units and after 5 months, will be placed on one of the four. I have been a tech for several years, and am still picking up hours all over our cardiac units. I am absolutely positive that CCU is my dream job. I love everything about it so much that I forget I am at work while I am there. I am so happy to have found my passion in nursing, and now I just want to prepare myself as much as possible before the residency begins. They will take one or two out of our group of new grads after our residency, and I really want to be one that they take. I plan to keep a note pad to write down things to look up after each day on the unit. I also plan to ask lots of questions and try to soak in everything I can while I am rotating through. Does anyone have any suggestions for good reads to prepare for CCU as a new grad? Any great websites? And definitely any suggestions for the time I am there! Thanks in advance!!

I am am mother to a 13 month old little boy, and let me just tell you whatever you decide, you guys will make it work!! :-) It really doesn't matter which you choose, either way you will need childcare during the day while you are working OR during the day while you are sleeping. One advantage to nights is that if you know someone close that could come over and be in your house while you sleep to take of your baby, you might feel better about things at least for the first 6 months or so. That way you could be there in the case of emergency. As a new parent, I never slept more than 3 hours straight because I breastfed. My son didn't start sleeping through the night until a few weeks ago. I didn't mind, I just woke up and fed him and put him back to sleep, and my body adjusted. That's just part of being a mommy to a new baby. So if you work nights, and could hire someone to come in for 5/6 hours while you sleep, you could still wake up and breastfeed or pump if you need to. (Totally respect if you aren't taking the BF route, btw;)). I recommend CARE.COM, it is a great website to find a babysitter or nanny to come to your house. They offer background checks and it's much safer than using something like craigslist, but you don't have to pay a fee or an agency, which is better for you and the person you hire. Also, if you choose nights, and have someone in your home during the day while you sleep, your baby will always be with either you or dad, which in my opinion brings so much peace of mind it's almost worth having to work at night. Usually nights pay more, so you could always use the extra to pay your babysitter//nanny? Just a thought :-) People say that working nights interrupts your natural sleep rhythm, which you can't argue with that, but on the flip side, as a new mom, if you aren't working, you will definitely be up a good portion of the night with feedings. Luckily newborns sleep a lot all together though, so if you (and dad) sleep when baby sleeps you will be fine. When mine was a baby, my hubby and I felt like zombies all the time, but it passes! :-) Long story short, I vote for nights, if you can have a person in your house while you sleep. If you do daycare or take your child somewhere while you sleep, it's really no different than working while your child is there, so then it makes no difference.... Good luck with whatever you decide!!! And congrats on baby!!

Glad to hear it!! Unfortunately, working as a CNA is almost like working for minimum wage where I live... but the benefits, as mentioned above, in my opinion, are far reaching and have proven to be invaluable in my case. :-) Best of luck to you!!!!

Congratulations, you have been accepted to a nursing school!!!! You are well on your way to becoming a nurse!!! My school held an orientation prior to starting the program. They spent an entire day focusing on teaching us how to change our lives so that we would be successful in nursing school. We were told not to work (at all), to make sure we got enough sleep, ate right, studied enough, made time for exercise, and realized our social lives would basically be on hold until graduation. Now, let me tell you, I was a non-traditional student. I was 28, married and in a position that I had to work through school. The first month of classes, I noticed a job post at my school looking for a private home health CNA. I jumped on it, and got the job. I absolutely loved it. I worked there until that patient passed away, which was at the end of that semester. During my first clinical, I also snagged a job at the hospital working as a CNA. I was beside myself with excitement, because in my city, it is difficult to get in with little experience. I continued to work through nursing school as a CNA in the hospital where I will soon begin working as an RN. Yes, it was difficult to work and to juggle school, but it was definitely doable. I won't even touch on the fact that I got pregnant the end of 1st semester, carried my baby for semester 2 and 3, and then managed to care for my newborn the 4th semester... all while continuing to work as a CNA. I say this to motivate you, if I can make it with all that, you can definitely do it too!! :-) Why I recommend working as a CNA??? Well, for one, you learn something that nursing school just cannot teach you: the culture of nursing. You will bypass a good deal of the whole nurses eating their young dilemma, as you will go through this when you are a new CNA. You will learn that while you may aspire to save the lives of millions, and that you have nothing but good intentions, that you also need to develop thick skin for the workplace. I began my career showing up to work, naive and excited to HEAL and touch the sick! I was very naive, and I had no idea how cruel co-workers could be. I was bullied at times, and I was talked down to many times. I even went home crying and thinking that nursing wasn't for me. I had no idea how to resolve a conflict with a seemingly mean old batty nurse. But, with time, I realized that they were just stressed out, and that underneath their rude ways, they were actually very sweet.... a lot like I was when I first began working. What happened is this: they made me better, they made me stronger, they made me learn how to stick up for myself without letting a conflict ruin my day, or a relationship. They also taught me that although sometimes the presentation of their message wasn't the best, they usually had really important things to point out that helped me become a pretty awesome tech. I stuck around, and kept trying my best to do better, and get the hang of what was required of me as a tech. Slowly, even the meanest nurses on my floor became my friends. They stopped being rude, bullying and cruel, and they became my allies. They had to see that I was there to do my job, I could take constructive criticism and that I wasn't afraid to stick up for myself if I was talked to in an inappropriate way. This experience is invaluable, and I am SO glad I learned this BEFORE becoming an RN, as now when I move from tech to RN, I am not learning the culture of the workplace... I can simply focus on my new role as NURSE. Another equally important reason to work as a CNA: you develop your bedside manner. You get over wanting to puke in a corner at the sight (and smell) of c-diff BM... a GI bleed... squirting blood.... etc. You learn how to talk to your patients, and how to multi-task. You develop buddies throughout the hospital, but especially with the other techs. There is nothing like bonding with another human while cleaning a completely BM covered patient. Trust me, you are friends for life. ;-) You will acquire informal learning, that will only help you in nursing school. I can tell what nurses were techs before they became nurses. It really shows. Working as a tech first gives you firsthand knowledge as to what your techs are going through. You will be a lot less likely to tell a tech to go clean someone up while you sit and talk about what you did the night before with your nurse friends. This is something that I don't fault nurses for who didn't work as techs, but I told myself, that's definitely NOT the type of nurse I will be. Lastly, if you work as a CNA in a hospital and develop a great relationship on your floor, you will also have a job when you graduate. This is pretty important!! So, if you are contemplating the lowly title of CNA, I say go for it!!! You won't make much money, and at first you won't make many friends.... you will work hard, and you will be pretty tired, but if you stick it out, you will see that it isn't so bad, and you might actually like it. You will begin to make buddies, and you will become better at what you do. You will be a better nurse because you will have developed your bedside manner, you will know how to talk to your patients and you will also know the nursing culture of your workplace. None of this will be a surprise, which will provide for a smooth transition once you are an RN. Good luck!!

Thank you! I decided not to take the position. I felt really worried about it last night, and did a good bit of research on independent contractors, which lead me to realize that I would have been putting myself (and clients) in a possible unsafe situation... Appreciate your feedback! :-)

Thanks so much. I will definitely set money aside to cover taxes and call about insurance as well.

Hi! I have been hired by a company who just opened the first and only residential treatment center for eating disorders in my city. I will be in charge of am & pm assessments, meds, new admit assessments and general nursing duties for both the residential facility that just opened, and the out-patient program (minimal duties there). I have been told that the medical director is very strict about who she admits to the residential facility, they cannot have feeding tubes or heart monitors. In other words, these patients may be very ill, but the owners have assured me that they will be stable. Although I am a new-grad, I have reviewed the description closely, and I feel at least minimally competent to perform my job. I will be their only RN. The company has hired me as a contract employee at the rate I asked for, which was much more than the amount the hospital offered me. It seems like a great opportunity. They already have one patient in the residential facility, and tomorrow I am to do the patients' new admit assessment. Here's what I'm worried about. I do not have professional liability insurance. Should I purchase this immediately? Am I accountable, legally, for the meds I administer and services I provide as a contract nurse? Does this situation sound strange, being that I am a new grad, and that has never been mentioned? I am scheduled to begin tomorrow, so any advice tonight would be much appreciated. Thanks!!

Thank you for your service!!!! Thank you for sharing this incredible story.

Hi, I am so sorry you didn't pass. I failed my first time, and that feeling was the pits! The good news is, the feelings will go, and you can use them to motivate you to study and prepare even harder for time number 2. It's just a test, and not everyone is a good test taker. Good luck to you, future RN!!

Prayers for you!! You can do it!! :-) Just try your best to remain calm and keep your mind off of the exam today. Try to get a good nights rest. Remember that there is no way to know EVERYTHING that is on the exam. Don't panic if you see a question you don't know. Take your time. Brain dumping is when you write everything you can think of all at once on the provided paper. Don't do that until after the tutorial, if you must do it. You can do it!!!

I want to hug you! Thank you so much for the encouraging post!!! Makes me feel so much better. I do feel really guilty about going back to work... I really like the idea of working on the weekends so that he can hang out with his dad on the weekends. :-) Thanks again!!