wa-rn

I was a med tech for 4 years before becoming an RN (Oh, yes...I also made as much as an LPN because I was per diem, but no benefits) There were many things I was not aware of (that could have killed someone) regarding medications and food & drug interactions, necessary nursing interventions.... In nursing school, we had to know everything about a med, but as a med tech, basically, all you had to know are the 5 rights of med passing. Nothing about evaluating certain VS or labs before administering a med was ever done, or giving certain meds on time,... And if there are no parameters, most med tech won't even bother taking BP or P (and they are not trained to take Apical Pulse) and some just like some CNA's will just make up the numbers. So know this, no matter how experienced this person is, they do not have the knowledge that a nurse has. This is worse than directing a CNA to do ADL's, these people are giving drugs:eek: So, you will have to be specific about things that need to be done, YOU ARE STILL THEIR SUPERVISOR!!! and you are still responsible. Do not AND I REPEAT do not assume that she will do her job as you would, because she may not be that well informed. I would let them know from the beginning what you do when you pass meds, and make sure they know they can ask you any questions.

Well, that is a myth that nursing students & some RN's still believe in. As a nurse, I still do nurse aide work, from getting VS to changing an incontinent pt. Our job is to make the pt comfortable be it with a pill or repositioning. Sometimes, I have to play both roles in the same shift because there is no CNA...when a pt asks for bedpan, a good nurse does not leave the room and look for an NA, he/she puts bedpan under pt & tells NA to follow up on it. It is a misconception that RN's do not have to do aide work; we learn aide work too...

SMILE! When I meet a new patient, nothing says "I am a friendly & caring nurse" like a big smile as soon as I step in the room, that is the first thing that a patient notices about me...even the really sick & miserable patient like to see that smile... We are there to make them feel better, even if it was for just a moment

:balloons: Congratulations! And best of luck.

In Wasington, I work noc shift in a hospital floor of 15 beds, min of 4 pt's max of 8 or 7. Usually 2 RN's with 1 aide (2 aides if census of 14 or more) not bad unless all 7 pt's want to use BSC all at once

My first semester is nursing school was basically like CNA training, we had to learn all the things that I learned in CNA training, from VS to bedpans, transfers, and yes cleaning poop...yes there is a right & wrong way to do it (the difference was that not only did we have to learn to do a CNA's job, but we had to understand the logic behind the way we do things) and these are skills we had to be checked-out of in clinicals, and we were watched and asked questions while you perform the task (and the was a possibility of a U as in unsatisfactory, must do over!)... Because of my CNA experience, I felt more at ease while someone was watching me So unless you want to change career paths, I do suggest going for training to be a CNA so you become more comfortable with it when you actually are watched wiping someone's butt. Another reason is, as a nurse, sometimes there are no aides, and you would be left doing patient care as well as your nurse duties... Also, once a nurse, you will learn to appreciate the work of a CNA having been one yourself (especially those that help make your shift go smoothly...And one more advantage, you acquire people skills, you would learn to interact with patients... Good luck with your job search (and nursing school)!

very cute!

Hi Kristy, I remember my first one too, it felt awful, I was mortified. But then I calmed down and did what every good nurse should, call the doc. It was a good experience, the doc actually thanked me for having the courage to report the error, I was shocked. I remember my heart was beating so fast, but I guess being honest is the best thing to do in this situation, because the mistake needs to be delt with. The resident lives on, unharmed from my mistake...It also happened to my preceptor on my first day of internship (she had 20 yrs exp) but she did the right thing too(she was an inspiration). And I learned to quadruple-check my meds

Being a new nurse on a floor is not the easiest thing to do, nursing school teaches you about delegation, but it is easier said then done. I used to think like you, but that quickly changed. I hope that you get luckier than me and have good aides working with you when you graduate, it’s enough stress being a new nurse.

In nursing school, it was recommended to do one year in acute care. After that do what you want

so far I have been so unimpressed with these CNA’s...I used to say of the nurses that wouldn’t help lazy & condescending, but guess what, I didn’t go to nursing school to do other people’s jobs, I have my work to do, and the CNA’s have theirs to do, why the hell should I do it for you if you are just sitting on your ass doing nothing…I am all about helping but CNA, that A stands for assistant, so assist and get off my back…