jewel53

"It hurt my feelings that people didn't like me, but it hurt even more to think that if I couldn't even keep a stupid clinic job, how was I gonna keep an acute care job? It was worse than if they had not hired me at all." I trust this quote from the...

Psych up NOW by reminding yourself that this is what you have been looking forward to so that your mind and attitude are prepared to persevere despite all challenges you will be facing. When I entered nursing school, I had mental battles to fight in...

In my state of Indiana, it appears the majority of RN openings are for "experienced". With regard to LPNs or LVNs, they have been "phased out" of the majority of hospitals. I never understood why, but I think it has something to do with the emphasi...

At this point, "keeping up" may well be related to a need for learning organization and prioritization of tasks related to the care needs of each patient. This is something that must come with time, experience and patience. Virtually all RNs have h...

Take it from an RN who has been in the field for many years -- Your level of confidence and overall knowledge will increase with time. However, please appreciate the fact that you will never be a nursing "know it all". The worst mistake one can mak...

I graduated from nursing school 40 years ago with the perception that RNs who worked in outpatient clinics or MD offices did so because they were the ones who were too stupid or incapable of working in a hospital. After working my first six months o...

It has been suggested that I share an article I have composed about my nursing education and experience over the past 40 years. Due to its length, I am posting parts 1 & 2. If interest is demonstrated, I will post the remainder of the article i...

This story was a real hoot! Sadly, I am old enough to recall when use of a geri chair wasn't even considered a form of restraint!

One thing that raises a potential red flag for me as a legal nurse consultant is documentation that may be viewed as "defensive" documentation that appears to place blame on the patient. For example, a patient in a long-term care facility frequently ...

As a Diploma RN with 40 years of experience, I would put the hands-on experience gained within my nursing education beside that of any BSN program. Your interview experience was an insult to the nursing profession as a whole! The last time I checke...

It appears the more things change the more they stay the same. Just one week after graduation from nursing school in 1974 I was assigned as the permanent 3pm 11:30pm shift charge nurse for a 40 bed post op surgery unit. You guessed it -- I had not ...

During my first year of nursing school (43 years ago) I experienced many of the symptoms you describe. I do not know if you are just beginning or are well into nursing school. Personally, I had more difficulties at the beginning. I was questioning...

Just a note about where we have come FROM with regard to pay for RNs - In 1974 (my nursing school graduation year), federal minimum wage was $2.00 per hour. My first job immediately out of nursing school was 3p - 11p charge nurse of a 40 bed post o...

Were some of the issues listed here created as a result of the wider range of responsibility desired by the nursing profession as a whole? RNs have yelled loud and long for respect from physicians, permission to perform medical treatments independen...

After being an RN for 40 years I can tell you that NO question is stupid if you do not know the answer and not knowing the answer will potentially cause harm to your patient! As a Diploma grad, we were required to be on the floor at 7am in order to ...

You actually get to CHOOSE the patient's you care for during clinicals? Boy, am I out of touch! My instructors assigned patients with the assignment posted on the unit by 6pm the night before. Since we had to be on the unit at 7am the next morning...

Upon graduation from nursing school in 1974 (ancient, I know) I was going to (literally) set fire to all six of my student uniforms. My mother would not permit it. She required that I retain at least one of them for posterity. Frankly, I am very h...

I will never forget what my grandmother told me more than 40 years ago when I informed her of my decision to become a nurse. She said "If you want to be a nurse. Then be a nurse. Nursing was what I wanted to do, but my father refused to allow it say...

As an Old Diploma RN, we finished nursing school having performed (on patients) virtually every nursing activity you mentioned. The old "See one. Do one. Teach one." method of learning had its shortcomings. Nevertheless, we graduated with the nec...