cupcakeluver

I'm a new ortho nurse...with about 4 months experience. I've been off orientation for a little over 2 months. I work the weekend night shift rotation and there's usually just me and one other nurse. Sometimes this works out great if there's not many patients...other times it's crazy hectic and I have 9 patients. We have no cna's on weekend/nightshift. I agree with previous posters about clustering things together. I start the shift by trying to organize tasks and plan accordingly. It doesn't always work out that way but it does help. And it really is true....you get better with time. I'm still slow but I'm much better than when I first came off orientation! Bathroom trips are the most time-consuming for me. I've learned to help someone get situated and make sure they can reach the call light. Then I have them call me when they're ready. That freed up a lot of extra time. Good luck. Most days, I really like my job. Wishing you the best.

I was hired prior to taking boards on a floor that I precepted on. I worked as a nurse intern and that title was updated (along with my pay) when I passed boards. Most of my classmates had jobs prior to taking NCLEX or started working immediately after. I agree that a lot of it depends on the state. Once you pass those boards and a license number is posted on your BON website....you're good to go as a registered nurse.

I'm not an educator. Just a new nurse with less than 6 months experience. I just wanted to comment that I was NOT taught percussion in my ADN program. It was explained to us but in very general terms. I was taught that it was a skill performed by advanced practice nurses. Apparently this is not true. I have never seen percussion used during clinicals or where I work now. I'm pretty new to the game so maybe I will see it eventually. Just wanted to let you know my experience.

I don't know if it's an actual "rule". My school had this policy also. We could not work 24 hours before a clinical day. We were told specifically not to work prior to clinical. Now you could work a shift after clinical...but not before. So go figure. The instructors never elaborated on whether or not it was a BON thing or just school policy so I'm not sure. I think it was a school policy though. So yes, I have heard of it and it was enforced at my school. If you were caught working before clinicals, you were sent home. It didn't happen often. My advice? Don't tell anyone you work that Friday! Just leave it out. Good luck. I know how hard things are financially during school. Hope it works out for you.

I'm a new grad in TN and I make $19 an hour. That's what most all of my classmates got also. This is hospital pay too. Hope that helps.

Nursing is HARD work. I'm a new grad with about 1 month experience on my own. I work my butt off every single shift. It's difficult physically and mentally. I always heard nurses say that it was hard and that you didn't really know until you were actually in it. Well that is so true. Clinicals are nothing compared to an actual shift with 6 patients. I work hard and I earn every dime of my paycheck. Money isn't everything. It is necessary though. If those nurses are making extra money for working in undesirable areas....then they are definitely earning it...one way or another.

I'm a new grad set to be on my own July 11. I've had multiple preceptors during this past month. I've had a pretty good experience so far. I think previous posters have given great advice. The only thing I would like to add is let your grad do stuff! If it's something you've been over and the grad is competent and knowledgeable then let them have a chance to try it out. I also prefer my preceptor to let me think a minute if I don't get something right away. I'm usually going through the steps or trying to recall something. I have a preceptor that always wants to tell me the answer. Sometimes I just need a minute to think about it and sometimes I really have forgotten/don't know. It helps me way more to actually do the skill/charting myself and think through the process. Obviously this is after my preceptor and I have went over the particular topic/skill. Also, I agree about lack of clinical skills. I did some things frequently in school and other things I rarely even saw. You want to let your new grad know that it's okay. It makes it so much easier to come to you and tell you that I need some practice with this skill or with this issue. It just really eases a lot of the stress that you're feeling as a new grad and it helps me learn so much more because I'm not worrying that my preceptor is thinking I'm stupid or a terrible nurse. I think it's awesome that you care enough to even ask for advice. I'm sure you're a great preceptor!!! Thanks so much for helping us goofy newbies during this difficult time!!

I just received my license this week so I know where you are coming from OP. To be honest....it's still hard. There's preparing for nclex and now I'm studying/learning a new job. I've yet to receive my first check with my RN pay rate. I get it tomorrow so we'll see how it goes. If it's what you love and what you want to do.....then it will be worth it. You're already a nurse so you know more than someone like me who is going into the field essentially blind. We learn a lot in school but you don't know what you don't know. I agree with the previous poster...you're too close to give up now. You've made it this far. Having nursing experience will make the transition to working at least some easier. I will say it's an incredible sense of accomplishment once you are licensed. I'm glad to know from other posters that it's worth it. Looking forward to that first check!! And that can soon be the case for you OP, if you get over this last hurdle. At least give it your all....you might be left wondering about the "what ifs".

Today was the day. I have completed nursing school and obtained a college degree. After 2 long years.....I'm so glad it's over. This website has been an invaluable resource for me during my time in the nursing program. I stumbled across it shortly after applying to the program, and I have used it frequently since then. I've learned so many tips and tricks through this site, including what to expect for clinicals and certain classes. As I begin my new career as a nurse, I will continue to use this website in the hopes that it will be just as helpful during my transition from student to actual nurse. I'm definitely sure I can find some good information about the NCLEX and the PVT trick..lol! Thanks everyone for reading. I'm just so excited to have accomplished this huge goal. I never really believed I could do it. I started off slowly taking classes. I set small goals...if I could pass anatomy then maybe I could pass anatomy 2. Before I knew it, I was in the program. With lots of hard work and dedication, I made it through. So thanks for being there allnurses. Whether you realized it or not...you helped this person to succeed. I did it!!!!!!

While I disagree with parts of your post, I can empathize with you about the subjective elements associated with nursing school. There is a LOT that rests on an instructor's opinion or subjective assessment. It's extremely upsetting to know that you are at the mercy of someone's opinion. It was one of the most difficult aspects of nursing school for me. Now, in a perfect world, those opinions are based on years of knowledge and experience in the nursing profession. The instructor is compassionate and capable of setting aside personal feelings and judgements. Does this always happen? Nope. Does it happen often? Not in my opinion. If you find yourself in one of these unfortunate situations, you better make damn sure that your objective skills are up to par. It's not always fair but it's life. And not just in the nursing world. As I'm learning now, job interviews are all about your ability to meet that manager's expectations and opinions.

Thanks for the story!! It does help us new nurses starting out. I'm not there yet....but will be soon. 1 week until I graduate and then the NCLEX. It sounds like you did an awesome job....for any nurse!! That patient was lucky to have you.

In my program...we got one day in the OR. This was during 2nd semester and med surg 2. I got to see a foot amputation. It was very bloody. I had a nice doctor who I believe was trying to scare me. He kept asking me if I got sick easily. Lol. He let me get up close and personal. I survived it though!!! Also, the nurses were rough in OR. I've heard it takes a certain personality to really excel in that area and that these nurses can sometimes be territorial. Anyways, I definitely had to have some tough skin to make it through that day. I'm sure that's not true of all OR nurses.......just my experience at that particular hospital.

To anyone.... So does it usually work? Is the person typically receptive and willing to discuss the issue? Or do they just ignore you or worse, behave in an even worse manner? I'm genuinely curious. I'm graduating in 55 days and I'm trying to gather all the information I can about being a successful new hire. Of course I was taught in school to speak with the person directly first. I just wonder how that goes over. My main question is....do you think most people are willing to work things out on their own terms? Does it just make the situation that much worse to tell that person you have a problem? I'm guessing it depends on the individual. Perhaps one should wait and scope out the individual before deciding to discuss the issue?

In my program, you only do stuff with your instructor during clinicals. You are assigned a patient and I may watch the nurse do her assessment while we're both in the room but that's about the extent of my interactions with the nurse during clinicals. If a skill comes up that the nurses are willing to share, they ask the instructor if we can take care of it. The instructor either says yes or no, depending on what all is going on that day, and then selects the student who will perform the skill. That student then goes with the instructor to complete the skill. I have never had a nurse show me anything during clinicals. They are busy with their own work. During preceptorship, which is during our final 2 clinical rotations in our final semester, we are assigned to a nurse to get a more in depth view of the nurses day. We are expected to set up our own times and provide our preceptor with a list of objectives regarding skills we may need to accomplish. These skills must also include things other than tasks, such as time management or organizational methods. The assigned preceptor takes a class to become a preceptor and receives additional incentive to precept (although it's not very much). In reading how all these other schools are set up, I'm so glad my school does things this way. Although it is a bummer to only have 60 hours of hands-on time with a working nurse, that nurse does have the choice to work with a student. It must be terrible to just be shoved in someone's lap for the day....for all involved. This sounds like an issue with the schools. The arrangement is not fair for either the student or the nurse. My advice is to make the best of it. Be kind and willing. If your assigned nurse still hates you, keep your head down and move on. Maybe the next one will be different. There are many situations in nursing school, and in life, that require you to just put your head down and move forward. If nothing else, it's teaching you how to cope in difficult situations which I'm sure will prove useful when you begin working as a nurse. Difficult people are present in many situations. Sometimes you just have to make the best of it. Good luck to you OP.

Great thread Jordym919! I'm graduating in May too, and I often worry about the "real world" of nursing. Looking forward to reading all the great tips. :)