esrun77

I am a new grad who felt very grateful to get a days/evenings position at a large urban teaching hospital that happens to be the only Level I Trauma Center in my area. The benefits are great and so are my coworkers and management. After a few years I can work straight days and every 3rd weekend, and eventually after 20 years every 4th weekend with no holidays. We also have a limit of 4 patients and our CNAs are very helpful. The pay is great too. ...okay, now that I'm writing all that out, I'm remembering why I took this job in the first place, especially as a new grad. I still feel very grateful. However, switching from days to evenings is killing me. I know I sound like a wimp. I am a single mom trying to juggle the weekends and evenings with being a mom, and I'm concerned it's having a negative effect on my son. I may have overestimated my ability to juggle single motherhood and unsociable hours. Is it okay for me to switch to a clinic after only having worked there for 6 months? Or should I tough it out for another 6 months? Do any of you have opinions on how these hours affect our kids? ALSO: Is it okay for me to ask my boss to work every Friday and Saturday 12 hour shifts? This way I could at least have some reliability in my schedule. Is that too pushy?

I think if you like videos to learn Hurst Review is worth the investment--I know a couple people who used only Hurst and passed. I'm using UWorld and NCLEX RN Mastery and I like both, I would recommend using all three resources instead of picking only one. And hey, if now wasn't your time to become a nurse don't sweat it, you're gonna get there before you know it!!

Ideally I would like to work in a clinic or as a school nurse.

I will be graduating from a relatively prestigious university in December, but I found a home health and hospice job at a great organization with PRIME hours and location...but will this open doors for me? The reason I mentioned that my university was prestigious was not to irritate all you lovely nurses but just to emphasize that I am open to other pathways if there are others that would open more doors. What do you guys think? Is home health and hospice a good job for a new grad looking to get experience?

Thanks, Julius Seizure. You're basically on point. There only has to be one RN in the facility, and it appears my boss may have dished out some false advertisement on the email he sent, stating that NTs can cover RN shifts. We're just acting as nurse techs during what is usually an RN's shift, but there's always an RN on duty

One last question though--if there is one RN plus me in the facility, can I complete RN duties under her guidance? I am certified with medications, as well as certified as a CNA.

Yikes. Either I trusted my facility too much, or I'm missing something. Thanks for the advice everyone. I'll have to talk to the RNs and everyone else here to see what's going on.

Okay. Well there is another RN in the facility. I take back my question, I'm sorry, I think this would qualify as somewhat of an internship type position. I'm working as an RN, but only during NOC shift and never without an RN nearby

My scope is not limited. I would be doing assessment, MD communication, med administration, you name it. For reference, nurse techs have to be nursing students who have passed pharmacology.

Personally, I think the more critically ill the patients, the more respect the nurses get. I definitely don't agree with that assessment, especially as I currently work in LTC. Creativity and assessment are crucial. On top of it, if a patient has an emergency, you almost have to switch gears completely and "become" an acute care nurse immediately. Another consideration: LTC facilities usually will hire graduates of technical schools more willingly than hospitals, and I think that's another issue. Also factor in the burned out state of many of these nurses from being totally overloaded for years, making it appear as though they don't enjoy their job, and you can see why respect is lost. Definitely not rightfully so, however!!

So at my facility, a short-term rehabilitation center with a few long-term care patients, nurse techs can cover RN shifts, only if the shift is a NOC shift. Is this legal? Just want to make sure this is okay before I agree to anything. Nurse techs have been doing this for a long time before I ever got hired, which was recently. Still, I want to make sure.

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

I care about my clients: I spend my time here simultaneously cursing their healthcare providers while also ensuring doctors and nurses question their abilities and job security at all times.

I'm one of the few nurses who doesn't have gallows humor. Oops. So yes, I can see how you'd be disturbed by it. I personally don't think we should become numb to these emotions and situations, but clearly there are a lot of people who disagree, who see it as a form of coping.

If bedside nursing is your absolute dream, then go for it. Otherwise... 1. You will not have job flexibility because you will be a new grad and will have to take what you can get. 2. By the time you'll have enough experience to get the job you want, you will probably also want to retire. You're right that there's a big demand for nursing compared to other careers, but it really depends on the area you live in. On the flip side, I know a nurse who just got her ADN and is in her fifties as well. We had a number of middle-aged adults in school. A lot of people choose nursing later in life, so it's not that it can't be done. It's just that a lot of the benefits of a nursing career are reaped later in life. I hope you choose what is right for you. Blessings!