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Try Kaplan. It's expensive, but they teach a "decision tree" that I found very helpful. Also, if you don't pass, they offer further help. Another feature that I thought was useful was analyzing how I answered practice questions. For example, how long I spent thinking about a question or how often I changed an answer from correct to incorrect. (Usually because of over-thinking) I think there's a lot of value in practicing relaxation, too. Try to recognize when you're flustered and do what works for you to clear your mind. Deep breathing, meditation, visualization etc... You WILL pass. You just might have to change the way you prepare.

I knew all through nursing school that I didn't want to work in a hospital. It's the frenetic pace that gets me. I like to be busy, but that type of environment feels like chaos to me. (Insert funny new nurse montage) Fast forward two years, and guess where I'm working? In a hospital. I work on an acute rehab unit- mostly TBI, strokes, SCI. The pace here is different than a medicine unit. It's still busy but a different kind of busy- back breaking and way more charting and beurocratic nonsense. When I float to other units, I feel woefully unprepared. (On my home unit I can go months without so much as touching an infusion pump.) I think the adage "use it or lose it" applies. So here's my question... There have recently been some openings in an ICU immersion program where I work. I have heard time and time again that if you are unhappy in acute care to try ICU. I'd like to hear what others think of this idea and how ICU is different than other acute care work.

Thank you so much for getting back to me! Your response gives me hope. I have been starting to think that I may just hate nursing in general... Maybe in a more organized, professional environment I will find that I actually enjoy using this degree that I worked so hard for. :)

Good morning. I graduated in May and started my first RN position in early July. I accepted the first position that was offered to me that wasn't LTC because I felt that I'd have an easier time getting into a hospital and, frankly, LTC doesn't appeal to me. Currently, I am working on a TCU that primarily serves patients with socio-economic struggles such as homelessness, addiction and mental health disorders who also have need for skilled nursing care- such as complicated wounds, IV abx etc... It is a small facility with all of the struggles that seem to go along with being a small facility (little structure, little oversight, terrible staffing, utter chaos-everyone has their hands in everything, awful benefits). Recently, I had an interview with a large dialysis company for a hospital-based acute dialysis position. I was surprised to even get an interview, as I have been applying for several positions every week since I graduated with very little response. The interview went well, I think. It was a long interview, where we discussed the process of HD, the hospital environment, specializing, my clinical experience, my likes and dislikes related to nursing, new grad woes and nursing woes in general. During the interview, I asked if shadowing would be an option. I am so new to nursing that I don't even know what my interests are. Also, I really want wherever I go from my current position to be a place that I am happy and stay for a while. At the end of the interview, we scheduled a date for me to shadow which is next week. My thoughts on the acute HD position are: 1)I will get a wide variety of patients and hopefully discover my area of interest. 2)I will feel more supported as a new nurse, as the training is full-time for 12 weeks (vs. 10 shifts- sink or swim, at my current position). 3)The environment will feel more professional and controlled, with the focus being on pt outcomes and best practice rather than just getting through the shift. My questions for experienced renal/HD nurses are: -Is my train of thought regarding the benefits of the acute HD realistic? -What do you perceive as the 'positives' and 'negatives' to this type of nursing? -Besides HD/PD/renal info, is there anything that I should brush up on before my shadowing shift? Thanks!

I suspect the real problems in nursing are the reason behind the outcry. Although we shouldn't expect a pat on the back for our martyrdom, it does sting particularly bad to have the utter disrespect for our profession broadcast by public figures.