SierraC

Graduated from Excelsior 4 years ago. Started off in Med/Tele ...went from there to ER and then to ER psych which I found is my passion. I am currently the ADON of a psych facility and working on my BSN through EC. Eventually , I would like to be a psych NP.

My best advice to you...during orientation...befriend a few experienced nurses...they really are your greatest resources. I have learned SO much from a few nurses who really took an interest in me and supported me through the whole new grad experience. Don't be afraid to ask questions..it is better to ask than to make a mistake...it is a hard road as a new grad...don't get discouraged...it is a learning experience

This is a major pet peeve of mine too. I had a pt yesterday ...first day I had him but he had been admitted five days ago. He had several major back surgeries that did not turn out well. He had scheduled pain meds but also prn pain med orders. Noone told him that he could also have pain meds as needed. When I told the oncoming nurse this . she said " Oh you had to tell him that...now he will be asking for pain meds all night" I was so irked about that.

I have the same problems...certain unit clerks and cna's can make or break you.....in nursing school there is so much about delegating tasks...but i find there is noone to delegate the task to ....so much falls on us..we have ONE cna for a 35 bed med/tele/surg unit so you can only ask that person to do so much. It is very frustrating at times . I do really love my job but I think we need more staff.

Orientation is hard! My first few months afterwards were a tad stressful too. But you do learn how to make it easier. You have to learn what works for you. Now when I go in at the start of my shift , I bring ice water, linens ,whatever iv fluids are ordered and do my assessments and ask the patient about their concerns, questions ,etc.. That works for me, anticipating what the pt may want so I do not have to run in and out of the room.I also start my med pass as soon as I can because something always comes up during it. It will work out for you....give it more time. I don't think it is easy for anyone as a new grad on a med/surg floor. Best wishes

I also had a good experience with EC. I finished in July of 2005 and have been working as an RN on a med/tele unit since December . I think I was just as prepared as any other new grad . The CPNE was stressful and I spent alot of time preparing for it . I found that a great resource when preparing for it was the half hour phone sessions they offer to ask questions and clarify things. I really used that alot . The clinical examiners at the CPNE were very fair . I really never felt that any of them were out to get me even though I did fail one lab and one patient care scenerio. Good luck to you. It really helped also to read the good expereinces and the bad experiences . I learned alot from both . There was a website ....alittlesarcasm.com ..where people posted ...I am not sure if it is still up....but that website helped alot.

Hi I feel like I could have written your post. I have been off orientation for 3 weeks now . I work on med/tele and have six pts on days. We only have 1 cna though for a 35 pt floor so I feel I spend most days washing pts, getting ice water , and helping pts to the bathroom and trying to do meds , assessments. orders, etc....it's making me crazy. I am really trying to maintain a positive attitude . I haven't messed up at all but I also do not feel most of the time that i have a good grasp on everything that i should. Just think the next time you go to work , that there is someone else out there running around like a squirrel on speed:) Hang in there!!!

I worked on a pedi floor for a year or so...the staff would buy the kids who had no family or families that could not afford it..clothes and such. For Xmas, we would all pick a child and buy something special for that child and leave it on their bed on Xmas morning. I say do what you feel is right in your heart!

What helped me is that I did the Mosby's exam...it points out your weak areas and then I focused my studies using the Saunders book and CD. The section in Saunders , I think it is called prioritizing or delegating care...really helped me and the questions were very similar to the NCLEX. Good luck to you

I am so sorry to hear that! don't give up.

Hi, my husband and I came out too CA about a year ago. We have been traveling for a few years now ( he is a RT) . We first did it in our home state of CT and then ventured out here because he has family here. I was enrolled in EC before we came out here so I knew that I could not work here. Our plan was to go to Nevada once I finished the RN program and settle down.

I went to NY from CA to test for my CPNE. I tested in July in NY...the wait in Long Beach , CA was until December . It was worth the money and the travel time . I am glad that I did it. I graduated in Sept. Passed the NCLEX this past week. Moving to Nevada next week, already have my temp license there.

This is my understanding of priority questions. The question will ask what to do first in a situation, who to assess first out of 4 pts, what pt to assign to a lpn or cna, or my all time favorite...a pt comes in with whatever signs and symptoms, what do you anticipate the dr to order? I guess the priority questions indicate the higher level questions on the NCLEX .

Fingers and toes crossed!!! Do you live in a state where you can get quick results? I live in CA but I applied for licensure in Nevada so was able to get the quick results.

This is what worked for me with the Saunders book and cd. I would take a quiz on a content area ...if i tested below 70%, I would read up on that area in the book and then go back to the CD and take the study part for that area just to drill it in . Then I would take the test in the same area and usually after all that I would score in the 90% -95% in that area. Also, I based the concentration of my studies on the weaknesses that were identified from the Mosby's practice exam. Hope that helps!