DrKim

Nursing is one of the few professions that provide members with a variety of options. All of the options you wish exist, already exist and prefer nurses with experience. You already know the answer to your own question :)

No. Most good preceptors do not behave in that way. I'm very surprised that he allowed you to give meds without supervision the first day. He either (A) thinks you're very capable, (B) has a chip on his shoulder or © is testing you. There is nothing wrong with having a conversation with him at the end of the week. You can say, "So, I've worked X amount of shifts with you and would like some constructive feedback on my progress thus far." Now be prepared for him to not be nice, if he's a bully, he will see this as prime opportunity to hurt your feelings. Or he may surprise you and do nothing but sing your praises. If he says anything negative, when he's done, thank him for his feedback and say, "I appreciate you teaching me _____________(think 1-2 things you enjoyed learning). One thing I can say is that I was not entirely comfortable doing _______ alone. Would you mind coming with me when I'm _______? That way I can ask questions of you right then and there. I'm still learning all of the technology and how things flow on the unit." He sounds like the type who would say, "well she didn't ask me!" if you make a mistake. So ask him. Plus, it may also make the lightbulb go off in his head that he needs to be a more diligent preceptor. If he still won't help you, nothing wrong with asking another nurse.

First, congratulations on your upcoming graduation. December will be here before you know it! This is a good problem to have so kudos to you! The answer really depends on what you want to do in 2-5 years. If you don't graduate until December and already have job offers, something tells me you already have a 5-10 year plan. Which one will best prepare you to stay on track with your plan?

The manager was not impressed because what you indirectly conveyed was "indecisiveness." It's more likely that the manager was trying to assess: do you know what current best practices are for diabetes management (elevated blood glucose is common in ICU patients due to the presence of infection) and do you know where to look for the best answer quickly (hospital intranet for EBP websites and hospital specific practice policies). ICUs are well known for giving nurses a lot of free reign when it comes to practicing and being a strong nurse capable of making quick decisions is a must. You essentially said too much and nothing at all, simultaneously.

Several nursing organizations and boards of nursing discourage compensation for preceptors. While the preceptor may not be paid directly for time spent with the student, functioning in the role of a preceptor is above and beyond standard performance expectations. So the preceptor could discuss the number of student he/she precepts during his/her annual evaluation with the nurse manager. Precepting a nursing student plus other performance indicators (attendance, relationship with co-workers, taking advantage of leadership opportunities on the unit, etc) could result in a raise in salary and/or performance bonus and/or promotion. So no, you cannot be compensated directly but it would not hurt to mention precepting during your annual evaluation.

The only one that can really answer that question is you. Nursing provides so many options beyond the bedside. If you have time before you apply, speak with nurses who work in different environments, then re-evaluate if nursing is for you.

How about switching to day shift. This could be beneficial for you by (1) increasing the likelihood that you will feel challenged and (2) increasing your visibility with nurse managers, physicians and other members of the interdisciplinary care team. The increased visibility can help you with your transfer in the future because key people (decision makers tend to only work during the day) will know your name/face.

Yes to the address. It shows that you are not transient. Some HR departments will look the address up in Google Maps because that's usually the first thing an unstable person would lie about. It all depends on where you are applying. If you want to work on a peds unit then the summer camp job is applicable. If you want to work in a primary care clinic, then medical billing is applicable. Listing your clinical rotations, especially if they were at good facilities is beneficial. You also want to list any impressive internships too. There's no one way to do this...some more appropriate than others but no hard rules on this one.

You actually have to tell your school because it is so recent. Your program's undergraduate coordinator or dean may have dealt with this situation in the past and the sooner he/she knows the better. I'm sure you're not the first student to make a mistake one summer. Nothing is worse than getting ready to send a student to clinical to only learn from the clinical site that the student did not pass the background check. Also, depending on what school you go to, if you're fortunate to have a Law School most law schools offer free consultation clinics so you may be able to get some help there too.

I would hire an attorney or contact a company like RN Guardian. The disbarment piece can become an issue with future employment because it could be seen as "disciplinary action" taken against you by licensing body. I don't understand why the juvenile record was even disclosed because usually those records are sealed or expunged. But I would seek some expert advice on this.

I am sorry to hear about your situation and recognize how frustrated you must be right now. I would need a clearer picture of exactly what's going on but just based off your post a few questions come to mind: 1. What degree did you get? What kind of program did you attend? 2. Did you apply to hospitals where you completed your clinicals? Usually those are the first to grab new grads. 3. You may be applying to units that typically require at least 2 years of experience. Med-surg floors are always hiring. Are you exhausting all of your options or trying to force a square into a round hole? 4. What kinds of hospitals are you apply to? There is no shortage of nursing jobs. You just need to make sure that you are matching yourself well with facilities. The final hiring decision was clearly not up to the nurse manager and she probably will not answer you out of sheer embarrassment.

With patho, pharm, and careplans, things liven up pretty quickly. Enjoy your "downtime" now.

Florence Nightingale won't notice you're missing but your Dad will. The pin doesn't make you a nurse, the NCLEX does. Most students and their families find the pinning ceremony to be unnecessary.

I second everything in Awesomosity0's post and emphasize "I would not, under any circumstances, do a diploma program." Diploma programs are very limiting. Some hospitals will not even entertain the idea of hiring a diploma nurse. You sound like a strong student, do not limit yourself with a diploma program.

Depending on your gpa, do not dismiss a traditional nursing program. 1-2 more semesters is not that big of a deal. Plus, traditional program students get an entire summer to pursue an internship or study abroad; something accelerated students do not get to do. Accelerated programs are intense and admission committees do not like to accept students who present any risk of not succeeding. The greatest predictor of future behavior is past behavior so you are a risk. Sometimes the committees will reject the application entirely or reject the application for the accelerated program and encourage the student to apply to the traditional program. No matter what, attach a letter to your application owning your mistakes and what you want to do differently. Being passionate about nursing is good but it's not enough. You will have to demonstrate to them that you have a genuine commitment to finishing. Have you looked into therapy or talking to someone about your fears? If you're really going to do this this time, you need to be emotionally strong. Nursing programs are tough emotionally and physically.