greenandsilver

Hello, All nurses helped me get hired almost six years ago and I need some more advice. I am interviewing for a part-tine PACU position. I am Med-Surg for over five years now. What are they looking for most going into the interview? Thank you so much, fellow nurses.

BurntRN1, is this your first job? It sounds like maybe you need some perspective. Wait until you have six months to one year experience at this job then you can apply for other positions that will be more compatible to you. Getting that first experience can be tough but you can get through it. Buy a calendar and strike off the days and you will be surprised how fast they go by. If you are worried your work isn't completed when you get home, you need a different system. Are there any nurses who would be willing to share their worksheets with you. The major points of any nursing day are assessments, vital signs, treatments, medications, prns, checking for new orders periodically during the shift, reassessing pain, can anyone think of anything else? Work out a flowsheet will room for all of these to be crossed off as you do them and your day will be much easier. Just remember perfect shifts are rare. Are you able to move to a different part of the country where nursing is better paid? You always have options, remember that. You worked hard for your license and if you are in a job with low pay and no benefits, once you have the experience you can move up and out. If you are worried about not getting references from your job, if you are a new nurse you can still use instructors, preceptors, co-workers. Are there any volunteer opportunities that would be able to get you references? I would look into that as well. Good luck. I don't thing taking on home care after all your hard work will be satisfying. You could look into home health if you have a good driving record. They always need nurses it seems.

I use Eucerin Original Healing Rich Lotion on my hands before I go to sleep. I keep it by my bed. It works well for me. I get it at the grocery store, not cheap but not very expensive either. I find that discount brands of lotion don't really heal my dry hands. If I put it on during the day I just end up washing it off before it can do its job. I wish I could buy this lotion for all of my diabetic patients with the horribly flaky skin on their feet and ankles.

I recommend finding other students to form a study group or ask to join a study group (with the A students if possible). This should help tremendously. You can't be shy, just approach other students and sell yourself. Also a voice recorder at the teachers desk or at a desk near the teacher will allow you to listen to the lecture again if necessary. No one is going to hold your hand in nursing. You have to get a tough skin and learn to put yourself out there.

No calls for an interview, I hope you are reading this. With your experience you should be getting many calls for interviews. You need a professional resume, even though they are expensive you will get results. Many people will disagree with me, but trust me the results are worth the financial investment. Contact [email protected], I do not work for her or get any compensation. I just know that she will be able to help you. You have to believe in yourself and apply for as many positions as you can once you get the right resume and cover letter.

I wear SAS Freetime shoes, my feet are never very sore.

OR Nurse, Discharge Planner, Care Coordinator, Diabetic Educator. All much easier on your body. The oldest working nurse in the country is an OR nurse.

Yes, leave now and get divorced while you are unemployed, get a job at McDonald's or somewhere to support yourself for a while if you have to or you might have to pay support like someone else suggested. Don't feel bad that you are still in this marriage because no one taught you to expect better for yourself but this community of caring people is saying get out now. You don't owe this man anything, don't tell him you plans, when he is out for something, throw you clothes, nursing books, and other essentials, and your dog and your truck to a motel. Once you get there take him off your credit card and bank accounts. Contact your landlord and give notice, be honest about the situation if you have to. Don't expect a deposit back because this guy will leave a huge mess if he doesn't do worse. Don't contact him for other belongings, you'll have to see him again and he will just use it as an excuse to wear you down to come back, he loves you, he'll change, he can't live without you, no one else will want you, you're fat, ugly or stupid, right. Just see the cost of starting over as an expensive lesson in life. He probably hurts your dog when you aren't there. Just don't go back. Abuse is abuse is abuse and you don't need it. Being alone is scary at first but it will get better. Then find a lawyer and file for divorce. You may have to live off credit cards for a while, especially for a pet deposit, but those can be paid off. The loss to your self-esteem, safety, and your precious years are something you can never get back.

If you really want to be a nurse, you can do it, on appeal, mention the small amount of points missed to pass and stellar performance in labs. If and when you get back into your school or another school, stop working. You need that time to study. Yes, you will need to take out more loans or live on a shoestring but it is the only way you are going to reach your goal.

Hello What To Do, I hope you are reading these posts, I have to say I agree with all of them. Most importantly figure out a way to check the fetal monitors on a regular basis even when you are in the zone doing something else. Maybe if you set an increment alarm on your smart phone or a digital watch. Ask L & D nurses at your old facility how they keep track. I wouldn't trust anyone at your current facility. Document everything you can, get your resume and cover letter together as soon as possible and start applying for positions now. You won't be able to use your current manager as a reference but most interviewing managers would understand that you would not want him or her to know you are looking for a new job. The most your current facility can say is that you are currently employed there when a possible new job calls to verify employment. When they ask why you are looking to change facilities it may not hurt to say something like, you love L & D (if you want to stay with that) and that you have always wanted to work at said facility based on . . . (do some internet searching for proof of excellence you can quote) and with your five years of nursing experience as well as six months of L & D you know you would be an asset to their team. Is it possible to go back to your old facility and regroup? You know you are a good nurse with years of experience to prove this and you don't need this PIP undermining your self-confidence and making you too paranoid and too stressed to take excellent care of your patients. Because that is what is going to happen as well as what is already happening.

I think it is all right to ask questions. Try and see if you can think of the answer yourself, from training or critical thinking first. Then if you still need to ask someone, ask in the most respectful, concise, and competent way possible. As you gain more experience and confidence in your nursing judgment you will ask fewer and fewer questions. Everyone started out like that.

If they won't take the preceptor recommendation, I would dig deeper to find the former employer and charge nurse. Think outside the box. Are you able to go see them at their place of employment, do former co-workers know how to reach them, LinkedIn, will support staff let you know when is the best time to reach them? Most people want to see you succeed and will give you the time if you are professional, grateful, and courteous.

Pick yourself up, start over. You are a New Grad so you have your nursing school experience and instructor/preceptor recommendations to go by. Good luck. You made it through nursing school do you know you are resilient.

Becoming an LPN/LVN usually takes about a year. I would research the pay in your area for that type of nursing as well as the cost of schooling. If you think you could handle loan payments as well as living expenses on LVN/LPN pay, I would say it would be worth it. However I would be wary of taking on a huge student loan if the job market is unstable and you plan on retiring in a short while. Bedside nursing is very demanding physically, in LTC as well as hospitals. Home Health may be less physically demanding as well as a good employment opportunity for LPN//LVNs. Some of the LPN/LVNs I have worked with are some of the best nurses I have ever met.

Nursing school is stressful, then all of that too. I have three suggestions: 1. Volunteer, even if it means driving a while. It counts as experience and the staff and fellow volunteers are wonderful sources for recommendations. 2. Contact your most trusted clinical instructor. They will be able to give you a recommendation as well as help guide you on how to contact potential employers. 3. Pay for a professional resume. A professional resume, even if it costs hundreds will get you interviews.