stepwintention

It's a pretty standard med. I've used it in the ICU and the floors for Alcohol withdrawal around the clock CWA where we give a dose every four hours while a patient is going through DTs. Also helps to calm an agitated patient.

Get a book on Med Surge Quiz questions and do them, lots of them to help you build up your way of thinking so you can learn to prioritize and. understand what to expect. Good luck.

I think part of the problem is when a clique forms. Cliques can ruin a unit, especially if management is aware and doesn't do anything about it because the nurses are competent. This is where the whole "nurses eat their young" concept springs from. It becomes part of the culture as ICU nurses are harder to train. Bullying seems more common in my experience in the higher acuity floors where people tend to have higher egos. What validated it for me was talking to other ICU nurses one other units. Many left their units because of the bullying. When a clique forms and management does nothing, it's sort of over.

OK, there's a lot to unpack there. I've been an ICU RN for 2.5 years. I was on the tele/stepdown unit for 5 years. Plus I'm a guy so dynamics are a bit different. Married, kids, not into partying and all that stuff. Don't expect or look for a social life with them, they may not even be cordial. Just bust your butt and learn. Higher acuity nurses can be elitists and where they phrase nurses "eating their own" come from. You're gonna have to believe in yourself. That's the first thing. Look at the haters like a pack of hyenas. Don't feed them or show them weakness that they can feed off of. People are gonna talk. Who cares, believe in you. If you need help with that, have some confidants and a therapist on stand by, but don't ever feed the hyenas. Know ACLS inside out, memorize it so it when the fit hits the Shan you know exactly what to do in what order. That way your priorities are not questioned. Start studying for the CCRN and I mean get Nicole Kupchicks videos because it is the fastest way to get the info in you via lecture. They're videos that helped me get the material much quicker than just reading. Do practice quizzes too. I should have done this earlier and it held me back. Couple hundred bucks. Shore up your weaknesses. IV's foleys, NG tubes, watch vids on Youtube and practice. Help out other RNS with what you are good at. Find mentors who you trust and get a mentor off your unit who doesn't know your coworkers. Reduces the commingling and gossiping. Don't worry about fitting in. You're there for your own reasons and you're an ICU nurse for your own reasons. Some people like the technical skill, others like the adrenaline. I am there to alleviate suffering while people are on their journey. We all have our strengths. It's OK if this unit is not for you. Look at it to get your skills sharp and then transition over to a more supportive team after a year. Look at it like a short term contract instead of a "this is it". Once you've done 2 years in ICU, you can go anywhere. It helps with the hard days. Go help your neighbors and that is a great way to build trust but don't put yourself so far out there that you appear desperate. Just be Johnny on the Spot. Someone is in a COVID room, before that RN goes in ask them to Vocera you any supplies they need so you can get them to reduce their time. Go IN THE ROOM when someone else is crashing and do something. It's easier to learn when it's not your patient. You can observe and ask questions. Get your time management down. You're gonna have to learn how to sedate, prioritize pressers, manage a vent. Learn as much as you can in your course work and also Youtube to fill in the gaps. Do practice questions to build priorities from practice exams. Join a committee for your unit. Look, new grads can get anywhere from 6 to 9 months of handholding in the ICU while floor nurses typically get 15 shifts. That's the difference of about 90 shifts of experience so you're going to have an uphill battle but you're going to be so much better outside of it after because you'll have worked harder for it and can prioritize better. Play to your strengths, hide the weaknesses except for those you trust and be open to criticism. Maintain an excellent relationship with your charges. Pick up extras and make it known you're putting everything into it. Never let the bastards drag you down. Say that to yourself every time you see a hater or they give you the cold shoulder. Best of luck.

I boxed a few years before, so yes I still do it on my rougher days. :)

Hi! I've been working about 8 months as an RN. Here are some tips that helped me get over the weak knees in the beginning. I still get nervous at times, but that tsunami of info can be overwhelming. So hope this helps. 1. Three words. HIT THE GYM. Getting it out is huge. We see life and death on a regular basis. Coping is huge. 2. Study up what you don't know. Drill and you will be confident in your areas of weakness. ie. If you don't know cardiac meds or IV pushes, grab your hospital policy and memorize the top 10 meds you push. 3. Get a mentor who is not on your unit that you can vent to and won't judge you. 4. Nursing is a practice, it is ongoing. There is always more to learn. When I don't know what to do, I take the scenario and put it into a test question. It takes the emotion out of it so I can think clearly best of luck!!!

Hello, I hope everyone is doing well out there and having a blessed day. I wanted to start a discussion to see what others thought about calling the MD at night and what has worked for them when night shift doctors are crankier than usual as well as prioritizing when to call and when not to call. I recognize that day shift nurses have more direct access than night shift nurses so calling the MD or speaking to an MD can be frustrating at night when they are off their sleep schedule. We, the rest of the nurses, try to group our calls together so we can minimize the number of pages, but also end up endorsing some of our items to day shift depending on how important it is. I just notice that real world is not always like NCLEX and wanted to get more of an idea on what works and what does not. Have a great one and thanks for any feedback.

I like solving problems and sometimes a guy can bring a different approach to help a patient.

I was a CNA before being an RN and I will say it helps on a few fronts. One, you get exposure to be sure that you really want to do this. Two, you learn what it is like for CNAs who you will be delegating to and you will learn how to delegate but also what not to do. Three, you get exposure to what department you want to work and as aforementioned, you will make connections to get a J-O-B later. :) Best of luck either way!

Nursing is a second career for me. What amazes me is the lack of feedback we get as new grads as well. I came from a corporate environment where after projects or jobs, we broke down what went well and what went wrong so we can build on it and learn from our experiences. One would think that new grads would have that experience after precepting so they can continue to build while they get experience. I work shifts wanting to get some kind of feedback, as I do ask for it an receive it on occasion, but it seems odd to me that this is standard in many corporate environments but not one where people's lives are at stake unless it is after an event. What I hear is that no news is good news. I can't tell you how much this bothers me. Along with all the drama that goes along with bullying, there is more than one factor that prevents new grads from excelling.