megRNn

Keep snacks in your pocket. Almonds, candy, baby carrots.

Probably will get clinical scenario questions to get a feel for your assessment and clinical thinking skills. A patient comes in short of breath, tachycardia, diaphoretic. Vitals 99.1, BP 165/90 HR 120 RR 25 SPO2 94%. EKG Shows ST elevations. What are your initial actions?

Do you have a union? If so contact your union rep asap. I would imagine you would receive a written waning if this is a first offense. A third party overhearing a conversation about a patient is not an intentional violation if you met the standards of the law- the conversation was had in an authorized area and the staff was involved in the patients care. Was it at the nurses station? This can be quite the slippery slope. If you don't have a union rep and you are facing termination definitely seek a lawyers advice. Good luck!

Coming from a level 1 trauma center you will be a desirable candidate for any position really. Get 1-2 years experience and you will be able to move back to Cali!

Usually means an offer is coming if all your references check out. Good luck!

I have great admiration for NICU nurses. It must be infuriating to have to deal with parents who put their babies in those situations.

I think you should stay put and apply for medsurg jobs when you relocate. Don't sell yourself short on all you can learn at your current job. If you like the work environment there that's golden. It will enhance your learning. I think new grads should get 1 year at their first job under their belt before moving on.

Yikes. I'm sorry this is happening to you! I would insist on more orientation. It's your license, reputation and ultimately your career as a nurse that you are putting on the line. If you begin caring for patients without the confidence and the experience, you will likely make mistakes that could harm you in the end. It's not fair for them to just throw you to the wolves like that.

I'm allergic to morphine & zofran. Can I get some Benadryl with that. It only works if you push it really fast. My pain is 10/10. Ugh, why can't my cell phone get reception in here! (Phone call to the ER)-um yeah the doctor told me to call when I run out of pain medicine can I get a refill/my friend lost my prescription can I get another one/no I swear he said to call/[calls again hoping someone else answers]

Salt always follows water. What your thinking of is when u put a cell in a hypertonic/hypotonic solution what happens to the cell (it swells or lysis). Vomiting = water loss = electrolyte loss

Thanks for the tips everyone. Fortunately I just got hired in a Level 1 ED :) So ready for this fresh start!

index this is a great online resource

Here's one pretty good thread https://allnurses.com/emergency-nursing/new-grad-er-1001648.html But just scroll down the ER forum and there really is a lot of threads worth reading. My fav link is index it has a ton of great info

Congrats on the job! As a new grad you will go through an extensive orientation period where an experienced nurse will guide you and teach you the skills you need to know. They will have a skills checklist to go off of. During this time ask lots of questions and be ready to learn! Nursing is about life long learning so even after your orientation ends you will still learn a lot, especially in the ER! Good luck!

So, how'd it go??

Most importantly be confident. Smile, make eye contact, shake hands, be polite, dress to impress (conservative suit or collared shirt, flats, hair pulled back, minimal makeup-sorry I'm assuming your female). Bring copies of your resume and attach a letter of redemption (basically a revamp of your cover letter). If it's a panel interview make sure you bring enough for every one. Good luck! Don't forget to breathe!

This is why I love living in California! (not bragging here, just saying so don't beat me up please) Wages here range from $40 to $60 per hour some places even higher (depending on years of experience and region). Yes it's expensive to live here but bottom line the pay is awesome and the weather is awesome. But none of us became nurses for the money, right? Wink 😜

Do it! If you want to be a nurse take the loans and work part time during school if your very concerned about the debt. Being a nurse is awesome and you won't mind paying off the loans that helped you have such a rewarding career. I would recommend working as a CNA or some other type of medical experience. I worked as a medical assistant in nursing school.

Assuming it will be a bachelors degree and with half off that's not too bad. What state are you in? Would you qualify for any federal aid? Maybe look for scholarships. My regret was not working more in college to cover some of the costs. But just consider how much you will be earning as an RN. The monthly payment on 30K will likely only be around $300-400 which will be nothing once your making good money. You will be better off getting a BSN than some other degree when you look at the job prospects. Good luck!

Having been a medsurg/tele nurse for the past 3 years, I have been eager to get into a speciality. It has always been my dream to work in the ED (but honestly didn't know if I'd ever make it out of medsurg). Its been a really hard year for me dealing with a work related injury and a lot of disappointment. Well, I finally got the break I've been hoping for! Super excited I will be starting in a level 1 ED at the end of the month! New job, new city, new experiences :) So grateful for this opportunity and excited for everything I know I'm going to learn! Just wanted to share my news with the AN family and ask for any advice or words of encouragement!

At least you learned a lesson about using patient identifiers and it was not too serious (didn't harm anyone). Mistakes are about learning and I bet you'll be more vigilant in the future. School is for learning and making mistakes. Don't be too hard on yourself!

Honestly, nursing school/a nursing career is challenging and you must have the drive and determination within yourself. Don't look for inspiration from someone else, look within.

How about hospice nursing? It's very rewarding and a slower pace. Typically requires only 1 year of experience. Hang in there!

I feel UCD has excellent pay and I would argue that the union is to thank for this. Sacramento is one of the highest nurse paying regions in all of CA, except maybe the bay area however when you adjust for the lower cost of living compared to bay area/ southern CA, you really see your money. Also, the pay goes up with every year of experience and each contract year. I would argue, having grown up in Sacramento and preparing to move back there, that while some areas appear to be "ghetto" some of those areas are actually not bad places to live if you can get used to the diversity. Sacramento is very diverse so depending on your perspective, diverse areas may appear ghetto, again depending on your own perspective and what your used to. Also, there is a pretty good house rental market in case you arent quite ready to buy. Example: 2 bed 2 ba house in nicer neighborhood runs 1200-1500. Hope this helps! Also, is doesn't snow in Sacramento! Here is the union contract that explains nurses pay at UCD (make sure you scroll down to 2015). http://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/labor/bargaining-units/nx/docs/nx_2013-2017_appendix-a_UCD-january-2014-to-january-2017.pdf

Pause pump, flush the primary line from the port nearest the patient, give med, flush again (10cc), resume pump.