deej394

I also experienced this. It was crazy to me. There was a ton of talk about burnout and compassion fatigue, and making sure you're spending time on self care, but no actual efforts to address the underlying issues that were making these problems so much more prevalent. The reality is that if the work situation were not so stressful, the encouragement for self care would not be as necessary. I regularly had to take sleep aids the night prior to work (and I worked day shift!) because if I didn't I would get about 4 hours of sleep due to anxiety of anticipating the following day. The constant encouragement to fix problems by meditating them away was very disrespectful. It was as if we weren't seen as smart enough to recognize the real issues at hand and we were just being "weak."

What is it with companies not allowing referrals to be given?! That's crazy to me. I just experienced this and luckily my direct manager was not aware of the company policy and gave me a referral (I also was not aware at the time I asked her). It seems like it's to completely prevent people from going elsewhere and trap employees.

I think you bring up a great point. If hospitals were not accredited by JCAHO, or if CMS had some requirements related to staffing for reimbursement I think we would see a lot more progress.

I think there's a decent chance that this will affect the rich and powerful. Lack of those of us who provide essential services (including healthcare workers) will eventually reach the rich and powerful, which we can hope will lead to the changes we seek.

I think you bring up some really good points as to why nurses are quitting. I am one of those nurses who recently "quit" however, I feel as though I abandoned a sinking ship. I recently completed my master's degree in another field, and got a job in that field. So while I left the bedside at the hospital, it was with good reason, and actually unrelated to the delta surge, since I had agreed to the position prior to the surge. This doesn't mean that I wasn't very happy to leave. The point in this article about getting bottled water for staff working outside in excrutiating heat spoke to me. When we don't give people the resources they need to do their jobs, they aren't going to keep doing them. Many nurses are strong and resilient but that resilience has been tested and a lot of us are breaking. While at my previous hospital we did not have tents outside at the time I left, the float pool (which I was a part of) was asked to staff more and more overflow areas with fewer and fewer staff and fewer resources. In one area, there was one phone for 7 staff members. So whenever anyone needed something, they would have to page, then yell for who has the phone, and hold onto it until they got a call back. This was a particular issue when transporting patients and overtly unsafe. The "unit" which was just an open hall, could not be left without a phone, but the nurse transporting a patient also needed a phone in case of emergency. This meant that the unit had to use the desk phone while any transport was occuring. ICU nurses are regularly tripled and floor nurses are having to take 6 patients at times, with the charge nurses and unit managers in staffing. People can't keep taking the constant calls (literally twice a day--every shift) to work extra when they feel completely unsupported by the hospital and the community.

Heads up to anyone reading this: This is mostly just a rant, but I didn't know where else to go to express my feelings. I have been a nurse for about 4 years now. I became a nurse in an accelerated BSN second degree program, mostly because I didn't know what to do with my undergraduate degree. I knew going in that I did not want to stay bedside and I still definitely feel that way. I am a float pool nurse at my hospital and am INCREDIBLY frustrated with our management situation. I realize that if I were less invested and less engaged these problems may not bother me so much, but I am a person who throws myself into whatever I am doing, so here we are. I joined the float pool about a year ago, and found out about 2 weeks after joining that the manager (who I really liked and who was the one who asked me to join float pool) was leaving. Her direct supervisor became our manager, and the hunt began for another manager. That position was filled in October, but that manager was asked to leave in February (despite being well liked and an effective manager). The director who oversaw them and indirectly us, is our current manager. She has to be the worst leader I have ever seen. I don't want to get too specific because if someone is reading this from my hospital, they will know exactly who I am talking about, and most likely who I am as well, but this person has no business leading anyone. She only seems to care about the directives she receives from "higher ups", and about keeping the peace, but does not exhibit any real concern for how her staff is feeling or doing. Everything she says seems fake and like she is just saying what "they" told her to say. This director doesn't listen to the concerns her staff have about safety, and does not advocate for staff at all. We used to come to the other managers with issues that would arise on different floors, such as staffing issues, issues with assignments, or general safety concerns. At first, when each of these two managers left/were fired, people would go to her with similar concerns. Now it has pretty much stopped altogether because we have recognized that she does not listen or care and does not even try to get anything done. Even now, when staff bring up an issue, she just brings it back to a small group of the Float Pool staff (myself included) and asks them to work on a solution. My response: "NO! The reason this was brought to you is because the staff couldn't solve it by themselves." Basically she has no business leading or even managing anyone and is super ineffective. Staff is incredibly disengaged and dissatisfied. On our most recent employee engagement survey, we did not meet the benchmark in ANY category, and the lowest score was in leadership accessibility. That's appalling. I am not alone when I say I am ready to quit not only this job, but nursing entirely and that has absolutely everything to do with her. The only reason I am still there is because I have a position writing our hospital's Magnet document and I do not want to leave that team. I have also been accepted to a master's program that I think I will like, but I can't see myself making it through two more years of this nonsense, while waiting to finish that degree. If you have advice for dealing with this type of dissatisfaction and disengagement on a personal level, please share. I am incredibly disheartened and came home from work today seething, and hopped on indeed.com looking for a job. Literally just any job. TLDR: Manager sucks. She is the cause of a lot of staff dissatisfaction and is unresponsive to issues raised. I am ready to quit. Trying to figure out how to deal with it.

I am a nurse on a cardiovascular stepdown unit and I have been there for about 2.5 years. I am very involved on the unit and have tried to come up with other things to help me be more satisfied with my job. I am a charge nurse, active on unit committees and involved in new nurse education. I'm feeling stuck because I don't know if there is anything that will make me happier and more challenged. I've never really had an interest in going to the ICU. I just don't see myself caring for 1-2 patients at a time, even when they are much sicker. I think it would still end up being boring after a little while. Basically if anyone can help, I feel like I've stagnated and I don't know what to do. I don't want to be one of those people who switches to a new job every two years, but this may be what I have to do for myself to be happy with work. I am likely starting school in the fall for my FNP, but I am thinking that maybe I should go for the ACNP route, just to prevent myself from becoming bored as quickly. If any of this makes any sense, and if anyone has any ideas for improvement, please let me know. I just applied to an ED job, and while I think I would like that, I don't know if it's the right solution. Thanks!

I think it depends on your state. I tested in VA and I got results the following morning by calling the BON. There was an automated system and it said I was licensed. By day two after I tested, my name was on the website with a license number.

For VA you can try calling the BON. They have a system where you can enter some of your information and it will tell you if your license is active or not.

Hi, I'm actually from the cohort that finished August 2015. Everyone I know that has passed the NCLEX has a job or is taking some time off but has a job lined up. Most people took the NCLEX within 1-3 months from graduating, with the majority that I know of passing on the first try. Many hospitals in the area are actively hiring BSN new grads (especially the INOVAs). As for working during the program, I it's doable if you have you can do at home or on the weekends. But if you're thinking of trying to hold a regular 9-5 office job, that won't work.

If it is allowed, it shouldn't be. Food is appropriate as are certificates to things (like a massage) without monetary value. A card is better anyway. More personal.

I agree that Kaplan is a useful tool. I used the Qbank, and took 75-125 questions a day. I would then look through most (not all) of the rationales. I also used hurst but I really don't think that helped me at all. I would also recommend trying to go faster through the test. If you don't know an answer just pick on (or several for SATA) and move on. Sitting there thinking about it for 10 minutes isn't going to help you get the answer. And the test gives you plenty of time. You want to give yourself the opportunity to answer all 265 if need be.

I have to say, I fully understand where you're coming from. At least on the third offense. It's sounds like the first two may have been deserved. My school did not have clinical warnings, or at least I'm not aware that they did. Really I think that we wouldn't face trouble in clinical unless we endangered patients. But I understand not knowing how to give IV meds because that's something that I don't think we were taught early in school. We weren't even allowed to give IV meds until our final semester. And at that point our instructor was not with us, but rather a nurse from the hospital (during preceptorship). So there was never any test outs for giving meds. I only finally feel comfortable giving IV meds and piggy backs after working. Even when I started work I had to ask how to hang piggy backs. I think your instructor may be being a little harsh on the last one. You did not want to hurt your patient and did not want to do something wrong. Did you tell that to your instructor? But at any rate it doesn't really matter if it's fair or not. You've gotta pass the next time. So study up and practice giving meds by different routes

If anyone hasn't purchased their uniform yet I have 2 red and 2 green large scrub tops and 2 medium pants. A friend of mine has 2 red and 1 green top (medium) and 2 pairs of small pants. If interested let me know and I can give you contact info. Also, in general if you haven't bought your uniform yet, wait. The student nurse association holds a sale at the beginning of the year and I think they're pretty cheap (although I didn't do it last year so I don't know actual prices).

I used my laptop that I had before. There is not specific laptop that you need, in fact you could probably get by without a laptop or tablet, and just a PC at home, but I wouldn't recommend it. I preferred having a laptop in class to follow along powerpoints. (Also, you have three hour long classes, and those can get really boring. It's nice to have something to distract you occassionally.) As far as the software, I used MS Office (mostly powerpoint and word, a little excel). I don't think there is any other software that you truly need. For one class for an online test we had to use something called Lockdown Browser, which was incredibly annoying. It was a special internet browser that only allowed one tab, and didn't let you go into any other applications. It also video recorded you to make sure you weren't cheating by looking something up in a book or something. There was discussion of using it in the future, but it went so poorly the first time with us that the professors abandoned it. So I would be surprised if they made you guys use it. Good luck!

I bought the package first semester which I regretted. It would have been cheaper to get the books on Amazon or something and purchase the codes separately. Or share the online books with someone. For the second semester I rented the books. The way that our courses were structured, 1/3 of us had psych, OB, and peds at a time. So I shared the rental with two others in different rotations than me. It was about $20. I also rented the other books I needed cause it was cheaper. As far as the shuttle goes, I only used it once and it was a special circumstance. There aren't really days that you go from one campus to the other and then back to the first place. So it's easier to just drive between the campuses, unless you live close to one of the campuses

No of course not. It just didn't show up on xray (which they sometimes don't) but that's what the Dr. thinks it is. And he recommended wearing the boot since that relieves the pain and pressure.

But aren't I more of a liability while I'm in pain (not in the boot) then wearing the boot? That's what I don't understand. I fully intend to make it through but it's an increased liability to have me do that because I am more at risk of falling or further injuring myself without a boot that I am with it.

The reason I say supposedly is because they say that the hospital won't allow it. But my thing is, is that what if I were injured while employed as a nurse? Can the hospital make me stop working? It just seems fishy to me that's all.

I am in my last semester of nursing school and I am fairly certain I have a stress fracture in my ankle. I previously broke the same ankle two years ago and wore a walking boot at the time. The walking boot relieves my pain from the current injury but my school told me that I am not allowed to wear this at clinicals because (supposedly) the hospital won't let me. Is there any recourse I have to be allowed to wear the boot? I can suffer through without it but that's only worsening the condition, putting me in more pain (making me more of a liability) and prolonging the time it will take to heal. Thanks

Hi all- I was just accepted into the fall cohort for the nurse residency program at MD Anderson. I am from out of state, and weighing my options. Can anyone provide insight into the program and its benefits and shortfalls? Have you enjoyed the experience so far? Thanks!

Hi, Can you tell me more about how you managed this? I am just finishing up nursing school, and I have been assigned all nights for my preceptorship. I am very worried and nervous about having a seizure I CAN'T have a seizure. I would lose my driver's license which cannot happen because I would have no way to get to work once I am employed. I just found out today about the nights and I am super stressed and nervous about it. I feel like I just can't do it, and if this had happened earlier in the program, as embarrassed as I am to say it, I would probably have given up. Do you, or anyone else on this thread have any suggestions on how to manage working nights with epilepsy? I've found out from previous EEGs that I am super sensitive to sleep deprivation, and that when I don't get enough sleep, I am much more likely to have a seizure. I am always really careful to get a decent amount of sleep, and I usually go to bed at about the same time each night. I'm freaking out and really afraid that I'll have a seizure during my preceptorship because of the sleep deprivation.

Hi- I have epilepsy, and I've had the diagnosis since I was 10, although I suspect I was actually having seizures for several years before that. I have only ever had absence seizures, but family members on both sides of the family have had more severe seizures, so it is always a concern. I take Zarontin 2x250mg twice daily, and have been well controlled for many years. The last time I had a known seizure was 2004, when I was 14 years old. Although was always usually aware when I had a seizure, I am concerned that, especially since I haven't experienced one in so long, that I may not recognize one. My question though is, have others with epilepsy found it harder to find employment? I am supposed to graduate nursing school in a month, but am dealing with problems with the night shift. I know that i cannot do nights because when I've had sleep deprived EEGs in the past (both with and without medication), I've had seizure-like activity or seizure activity. So as a new grad, will it be difficult for me to get a job working days? And would I be better off not mentioning a problem until I am employed? As far as I know, once I am employed by an organization, they would have to accommodate my need to work days under the Americans with Disabilities Act. I have never viewed my epilepsy as a disability before, as it hasn't limited me much in terms of what I am able to do. I am able to drive, and have never had an accident because of a seizure. However, I am currently dealing with my nursing school having assigned me straight nights (3 nights in a row at a time) for my preceptorship. I never documented a disability with the school, because I didn't think it would be a problem since I had explained my need to work at least mostly days to the person in charge of preceptorship assignments. Does anyone have any advice for how to proceed with this issue? I am supposed to start my preceptorship in a week, and have emailed the person in charge of placements, but I am worried that she will just tell me that it's too bad and I have to deal with it. Thank you!

Greenbean74- Honestly, I don't think you will need any of them. There's some that I never even opened (they are STILL in shrinkwrap). Everything can be googled, or you can ask a co-worker if you don't know something. But to be honest, I am not one to use textbooks all that much anyway, and I certainly don't use them for reference. The online textbooks are yours. They don't expire, so you would have the reference if you want it, but you also can't sell them back.

Morjayne4- For the parking passes, I got the general annual one for Fairfax/PW. Don't spend the extra money to be able to park in the garage at Fairfax. It definitely isn't worth it. At PW, parking was never a problem, and at Fairfax I usually parked in the Rappahanock Deck.