lovendove

I'm looking for some advice and any/all help would be appreciated. I've completed my year of med/surg and although I have really grown to love my floor and the nurses/staff I work with, I know that my heart really is in the 'code' environment and if I could work on a trauma team of some sorts, that would be ideal. I love love love working codes. At my hospital, they don't have one nurse that runs the codes, they send a nurse from one of the specialty units to go (ICU/CCU). We have both MICU and SICU and so I'm going to aim for a position in some sort of critical care area. I *hear* that SICU is better from other nurses in my hospital... I'm not quite sure why as I have NO experience with either (although if I had to guess, nurses prefer SICU because the unit is new and totally updated) What is the major difference besides the obvious? What information would be good to researching/ponder when trying to decide? Does the rush from helping in a code/critical moment become monotonous? Any tips on how to make myself more marketable for placement in a CCU? Thanks in advance!!!

I applied to Delhi assuming they were accredited but they are not. No harm, no foul if I choose not to go since I haven't committed to anything yet but just wondering what the pros/cons are to an accredited vs. a non accredited program for an Rn - BSN. I'm going to be going for my masters at some point, so wondering if that non accredited will set me back in any way. Any input/advice etc will be greatly appreciated! -Lissa

I just applied last week and hoping to start this summer or fall. I am a little bummed to have just realized they are not accredited and wondering if it's really worth it at this point to try to find another school. In the grand scheme, what is the benefit to going to an accredited school? I plan on going for my masters at some point so I'm not sure if that makes a difference or not. Thanks for any advice/guidance! -Lissa

I'm sure I'm not the first nor the last and I'm sure there are ppl that are probably tired of 1st years complaining... and in the same breath, im SURE nursing was probably 10x's harder for some senior nurses back in the day. AND I know there are ppl without food right now that would love to have my problems but I NEED TO VENT. Please don't take this as lack of love for nursing because I LOVE being a nurse... but I find my self losing some of that like someone chipping away at it shift by shift. And also, please don't take this as ungrateful because I really do try to be thankful in all things but i'm really struggling here. I'm tired of my floor. I LOVED it at first but it's really wearing on me. Mostly because of the lack of help. We have the laziest CNA's. It's this lazy spirit that they have, most of them are the same way and I can't understand it.. is it the job? Is it inevitable becuase of what they do or is it the person? Is it the floor? Does it change floor to floor? Hospital to Hospital? Will I ever escape this lazy do nothing attitude? It's not my job... ask So in so... I'm on my break (for two hours)? It's awful. Is it because they are in a union and we aren't? I DO NOT GET IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please shed some light on this for me.... I'm on a neuro floor but lately we have been getting a lot of medicine patients and complete cares...and I just can't take it. I NEED help, I CAN NOT DO IT ALL ON MY OWN! I have to put off things that aren't that important but still part of my shift duties, to tend to priorities and then not getting things done but there isn't TIME. I don't feel safe all the time either. It's scary. I'm exhausted and i'm barely 6 months in. I don't know if I can make it 1 yr on this floor:( I want to look for another position but I love a lot of things about my floor (most of the time), I do love neuro and I love my hospital and the patients are down to earth, most of the staff are really great... I don't want to leave and if I leave on bad terms, my shots of getting into any of their other hospitals (because it's a system of hospitals I work for) are shot so I feel like I have to stick out the yr even though it feels like its taking my joy day by day:( And I've always been one to say you must love what you do but I'm not loving what I'm doing these days... And I'm not 100% of me because of the circumstances and that not fair for my patients, my family or myself. I don't know what to do:(

I think I found it:) http://shop.advanceweb.com/professional-accessories/pens-organizers/6324-prestige-medical-nylon-organizer.aspx

Can you link me to some sites that have these types of thingamajigs. I saw a nurse with one on my floor the other day and it looks like it will help with my pocket situation... not enough space for the things I like to keep on me (tons of flushes, alcohol, pen light, pens stetho etc). Her's was like a navy blue nylon hip holster, super cute and perfect... but I can't find it anywhere and she doesn't remember what store she found it:( HELP PLEASE:) TY!!!

WOOOHOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

this was an awesome post! i agree; i put things in gods hands and just lift up my cares to him; when i do, it's like they aren't even a thought in my mind because i know he will take care of there rest... its not alwasy easy to remember that; to stay in that mindstate; to stay in communion with him so it's nice to see reminders like these in here. ty for sharing! also, i agree about studying. i felt like i waited too long to test (graduated in may) and started working 2 weeks later as an rn on permit... it's easy to pick up things on the floor that aren't the 'standard' on the nclex and it was nice to study/refresh myself on what the standards are, and why! i need to do that more often, for my patients, for my career, and for myself

WOOHOO!!!! I knew you did it too hun! When you messaged me that you had priority questions towards the end I just knew! YAY!!! I tried to message you back but my kiddos were distracting me:p YAYAYAYAY WTG!!!!

hmmm, maybe it's different here in ny. A coworker of mine was saying her sister had to wait months and was a wreck about it; no one could even ask her about the test without her freaking out over not knowing.

oh gosh hun, I have no idea. I'm so sorry you have to wait so long. I just found out that back in the day they had to do the tests on paper and wait MONTHS for the results, like 4-6 months. I would be a wreck. thats such a long time to wait meanwhile I was a mess waiting 48 hours. How were the questions you were getting? What type were you getting before the computer turned off?

I'm sorry:( Not sure how I can help but I can try! How many questions did you get and how did you prepare for the test? Do you know how long it will take to get the results in paper... I believe I read somewhere that they will let you know what areas you need to work on for next time.

I know this is an old thread but im shocked so many ppl were disappointed. I found kaplan very useful especially the decision tree; I had to use it a few times on the NCLEX. However, I didn't find the nclex questions as hard as kaplan as far as level of critical thinking/deciphering of what nclex was asking/looking for. In the end, if you have a good knowledge base, know the rationales for why an answer would be correct or incorrect based on the topic, then you probably don't need kaplan. I had a job riding on me passing or failing and I didn't want to risk failing and I only had 4 weeks (barely) to study/review. Also, the fact that I took a year off before returning to finish my last semester had me worried that the material from my first 3 semesters was no longer fresh in my mind. I def needed the online course to refresh myself.

oh and a big shout out to the G-O-D! To god be all the glory. Thank you for the knowledge, wisdom and understanding. The patience to study with three children, the support of my loving family with both helping with the kids and also staying in constant prayer. I know you have a plan for me and I will continue to do YOUR work! Thank you lord!!!

my take on the nclex; totally about critical thinking. You have to know your disease processes but also know how to decipher what they are asking you. Kaplan totally prepared me for that; how to read the question, find out the topic then read the answers, find the theme/pattern etc; once you know the topic they are testing you on, then you can eliminate the answer choices that don't work etc...That was KEY! without know the topic you were shooting in the dark; which I had to do a few times because I missed the theme in a few of them until I got home and realized what they were wanting me to think about and BOY were a few of those high level in hindsight; probably pretest questions but I got a few of them right just by eliminating the obviously wrong choices. AND a few of them were very blessed guesses! So thank you god for that guidance! Kaplans questions, to me, were WAY harder than the questions I got on the nclex so in that sense, and looking back at the program, it prepared me for critical thinking and trying to figure out what the HECK they were talking about. I was so discouraged when my kaplan tests weren't high marks but so glad I don't have to study anymore:P