farrasha

Make sure that you’re sure before trying to do anything, if anything. I got my BSN going to school and working two jobs and literally didn’t tell anyone for fear that I would fail and be embarrassed. No one knew even my closest friends until I posted pics of graduation. Everyone was shocked lol.

I have terrible social anxiety and PTSD. I have been seeing a counselor and a psychiatrist, combining therapy and medication. I still have hard days in life in general, but I am making it. This is a career change for me and I had similar concerns in the beginning of this journey but I have been a nurse for a year now and I don’t regret it one bit. So far lol. I do my job, I don’t make a lot of friends but I support my coworkers and try to keep a team mentality. I am terrible with small talk, but calming down anxious and scared patients who look to me for comfort has been slowly helping me in that. I could’ve been a nurse a year earlier but I let my fear allow me to walk away from school even after I was accepted. But I came back. You can do it... the day to day isn’t always pretty or easy but for me, but to be able to do something I truly find meaning in makes it worth it.

It’s never too late. I served 12 years in the army and used my gi bill because after getting out I was unfulfilled doing the same jobs I did in the army on the civvie side. I hesitated for a few years but finally jumped into school. I was far from the youngest in class and oldest person in my class was 56. I have now been a nurse in the ER for a year and I don’t regret being a late bloomer in this field. I finally feel like I’m where I should’ve been. Better late than never. Go for it!

I did this during orientation during my sixth week as a nurse. Scariest moment ever. My preceptor had stepped away for a while and I was giving it on my own, something I had never given before. The instructions that were written were to give 1.2 mg sublingual without specifying that it was supposed to be spread in three doses. They were so tiny so I was like okay that sounds ok. I found out later that 1.2 was the max total dose. You should've seen my face. I administered three tabs at once. ? I felt so dumb! No harm to the patient, he stayed stable, Due to lack of rooms upstairs he was with us in the ED for hours so I was able to keep an eye on him. My preceptor told me not to worry and thanked me for owning up to it after I realized what I did and told her. I was terrified and it made me super careful from there on. You bet I'll never do that again.

It's possible to skip the year of Med Surg, I think Med Surg would be great experience and great area of its own but it doesn't have to be a stepping stone. it's a position that people like or dislike just like any other. As new grads, a friend of mine got hired in the OR and I got hired into the ED. I knew the ED was what I wanted so I applied to positions that hired new grad nurses for ED. I'm almost at my year and though it has been been a bit hard to adjust from school to the pace of ED I feel like I made a great choice.

Interesting, I am a new grad and in my first healthcare related job ever... in my unit, we always have to establish two IV sites before we are even allowed to start a blood transfusion. So in my case, if I had a med order I could use the other site so I didn't run across that issue. I always assumed that was everywhere but I just learned it's not, I guess it is just our policy.

Not sure if this is the norm, but a new grad BSN in Maryland, I applied to several new grad jobs in my area with no luck. I finally had to relocate to another state to get my first job, as it was the only place that even called me back for an interview. Friends of mine that did get jobs easily were already employed at their facility as techs, while I worked retail during school, so I am thinking that may be what gave them the advantage.

Some people turn "mean" due to the way life or work beats them up but I think also some people are just mean. I can understand being exasperated and having a bad day but it sounds like she's crossing a line. I am a new nurse so I can't speak about burnout but in my previous career (military) I was told during basic training that I would soon lose my "sweetness" and be as mean as everyone else and I never did in my 10+ years of service... even when I had my own soldiers to lead in combat. They told me the same when I took a retail job, that I won't be so sweet to customers in a year and I'm only nice because I'm new. But I stayed me and customers appreciated me and my patience for the years I worked there. As I start this new journey I pray I stay on course. Stay true to yourself and put these experiences in your pocket to remind yourself what you don't want to turn out to be. Because we can be shaped to be good in our field through bad experiences just as effectively as through good ones. Remember how this made you feel, and you will be more conscious to do the right thing when you're in those shoes.

Hi guys! I passed! I took my exam yesterday and my results are still not available on Pearson Vue but the BON updated my status as "Active" today! I'm a nurse! I'm a nurse!!!! How I studied: I paid $139 for UWorld with 1 assessment in Mid-June before I graduated, did all 2000+ questions and got to over half of the Mark Klimek recordings. I studied hard the night before even though they tell us not to, but I didn't look at anything the day of. Test ended at 75. I was so sure I failed. Still cant believe I passed! My new job depended on me getting my license asap so now my job is secure thank God. Congrats to anyone who passed, and to whoever hasn't taken it yet, you got this! And to anyone who didn't pass, keep pushing, you will get it. We worked too hard in school and have come too far to quit now.

Took NCLEX this morning! Got 75 questions. Many select all that apply and No math. I know people say 75 is a great sign but I'm scared!

Awesome! I pray you get the best news soon!

The Maryland BON is so hard to get in touch with! I was on hold for five hours last week. My school still had not sent the transcripts so I ordered them to be sent to the board via FedEx off my school's website. Once I got confirmation that it arrived I still couldn't get in touch with anyone from the board. I finally had to drive the hour to Baltimore to get a response but by the time I left I got an ATT! I'm so happy and scared! I need to take my NCLEX soon to keep my new job offer so I booked it 100+ miles away from me on July 16th. I'm nervous.

You can definitely do this. I just finished Nursing School... it was my second career after spending 12 years in the army. I am starting my new career in my late 30s. Before I started, I second guessed myself so much, even enrolling and dropping out one time before the classes even began lol. But that next semester I went back after I told myself, the time will go by whether I pursue my dream or not. So I might as well spend the time reaching for my goals. It's never too late to do anything unless we are dead! Well except being world class gymnasts, I suppose. lol. You can do this! If I can give any advice I'd say try to set aside time to study. When you have family and work it's hard, but even 30 minutes a day will make a world of difference in the long run. I was a crammer during all my other schools, and cramming does not work in nursing school. Trust me. Also if your school has a free tutor program, use it. I've never needed a tutor before when pursuing my previous degrees but decided to give it a try. They gave me such amazing advice about how to remember some things and great test taking strategies. People wondered why I was going to a tutor with a high GPA... but I tell them I had a high GPA because I used all the resources I could, including the tutors. So bottom line is... map out your time, use your resources, and believe in yourself! Live the dream. It'll all be worth it.

Congrats! I'm still waiting for my ATT. I was on the phone with the MDBON for five hours! I hope to have something resolved by Monday my transcripts should be there by now so I am going in person.

I am currently on hold with the MDBON... it's been an hour. I don't have to go to work til 5 so I can hold as long as they make me. But is this normal? Probably backlog from the holiday I'm guessing. Or is it normal to be on hold this long?