joseash

Again, Florida is soooo vastly different from Panhandle to Keys. There are big cities, riddled with the same problems as any other big city in the US (but arguably better weather!) and there are small town Mayberry-like towns that are sweet and homey and safe and cheap. It is warm year-round in the southernmost portion and gets a bit chilly in winter in the northern panhandle. Bad drivers exist everywhere (and I don't mean just in Florida either.) If you want to leave Boston behind and give Florida a try, go for it! Don't let anyone discourage you. You will eventually form your own opinions after living there awhile but in all honesty, I think you'll like it and I say this because you have a positive outlook about it and seem to be open-minded. As a military spouse who has lived in many a new town, I know firsthand that going into it with a positive outlook makes a world of difference. There's good and bad about every place but you can't dwell on the bad. People I know who move to a new duty station with a negative mindset already in place never like it there and suffer through miserably for their two or three year tour. Those who go into it excited and embracing the positives make the most of their experience. Good luck to you!

Sorry, that totally sucks for you and seems kind of unfair. I know our policy is that we have to work one of the major holidays, either Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year's. Just one of them, not all of them! We do self-scheduling and plenty of people signed up for Christmas Eve night (I work nights), especially some of the older nurses without young kids. It seems people kind of look out for each other on my unit. I'm sorry yours didn't work out that way. Try to make the best of your holidays anyway. Since your daughter will be home, celebrate and enjoy your time together on whatever day it falls. And thanks to your daughter for her military service. I am a military wife myself so I understand what a difficult (but rewarding) life it can be.

It certainly doesn't hurt to apply anyway but I do know that some hospitals/units in this area do require a day/night rotation and are sticklers for the every other weekend rotation. My particular place of employment is much more laid back, thankfully! Staff there are either straight days or straight nights. And we are required to do three weekend shifts (Fri/Sat/or Sun) per four week schedule, self-scheduling so it's not like you are committed to the every other weekend thing. Self-scheduling is one of the major perks of my job, I must admit.

Hang in there, we all have bad shifts from time to time. You are not unique in that way so quit beating yourself up about it! It doesn't matter how long you've been around. Things happen. You will learn more every day and you will build confidence in your nursing skills as time goes on. It sounds like you have good support from your co-workers and that can make a world of difference. As for spilling half the meds, again probably most of us have klutzy moments like that as well. Do you want to hear one of mine? Here ya go.... I had to start a new IV on my cancer pt with hardly any veins to work with and I actually got one in, much to my surprise! But like an idiot, I went to flush and check for blood return and then left the syringe attached while I grabbed for a strip of tape to secure the site. Meanwhile my pt trying to be helpful in some unknown way I'm still trying to figure out lifted her arm up and of course the weight of the syringe pulled the IV right out. Blood started flowing, it was a mess and worst of all, I lost a perfectly good site with not much else to work with! I felt so stupid but of course I learned my lesson and always have my tape handy now. As luck would have it, or maybe an angel on my shoulder that night, I found another teeny tiny vein and was able to get another IV started. Made for good practice in IV skills, that's for sure! But see, we all have our moments. Learn from them, laugh about it later (only the funny ones), and move on.

I know everyone is free to have an opinion but why so much hate towards Florida and so much of it very generalized? All of Florida is not the same. I think every single state has areas with higher crime, poor schools, people with low IQ's, strip malls with chain stores and restaurants as far as the eye can see, etc etc. This is not unique to Florida alone. It is everywhere in this country. There are not half blind blue haired ladies behind the wheel of every car on the road. Cockroaches are not flying through the air every time you turn around and gators don't just meander through the neighborhood on a regular basis. What a bunch of stereotypes. I think for many people, the grass is always greener on the other side. If you are not from a place, it has a hard time measuring up to your hometown (even though you were in big hurry to grow up and leave that place behind as soon as you finished high school!) As a military spouse, I have lived in a lot of different places and going into each with an open mind (that's important), I've liked them all. Some more than others but Florida was the best and where we plan to retire to (not as old people but as young 40-somethings when hubby's military time is up). Northwest Florida in particular is unlike most people's stereotypical view of Florida. We have a change of seasons there. You need a coat in the winter time. It is not the part of Florida where most snowbirds flock to for the winter season. The beaches are among the most beautiful in the world (and I've been to beaches all around the world so I can truly attest to that!) The wages were lower there but so was the cost of living, no state income taxes, no personal property taxes. Real estate property taxes were pretty much the same there as where we currently live. The hospitals in the part of Florida where I lived were first class facilities. Good places to work. In fact, at my current workplace in the DC area, during orientation they mentioned one of these hospitals as a place to emulate due to its very high patient satisfaction rates. This is thanks in large part to the efforts of Quint Studer, a legend in the healthcare industry. But anyway, I felt like I needed to jump in and defend Florida. I don't hate it and it's not such a bad place. We are all different in our wants and needs and not everyone wants to live there but that's okay. That leaves more room for the rest of us. :onbch:

Inova Mount Vernon Hospital or Inova Alexandria Hospital might be good choices for you. They are both in Alexandria. IMVH is off Rt 1 perhaps a bit closer to Springfield but Alex isn't but two or three miles further. Not sure which would be easier to access via Metro/bus. I think IMVH currently has more openings though. Good luck with your search!

Be honest. Tell her just what you told us. You shouldn't dread going to work but, especially in this economy with so many people looking for work, I'd hate to see you miss out on the chance to get your feet wet as a new nurse. Have you looked to see if there are any other opportunities in your area?

I have to agree with you. I like nights, my coworkers are awesome. I feel like I have learned so much in the past year and actually enjoy going to work. I have read enough posts on these forums about people being so anxious about work that they cry before/after/thinking about going in. I have NEVER shed a tear about this job. Things have moved along smoothly for me and I guess those of us with positive happy experiences are less likely to post and vent here then the unhappy ones, as Jules A mentioned. I hope you are part of the happy group!:wink2:

How long did you work there? Were you still in your orientation period? Have you talked to your former manager about the situation, perhaps in a very non-confrontational way to determine what the problem was and how you can improve? Did you have any problems on this floor or did they let you go out of the blue with no sort of warning? If your boss said she would gladly take you back after you got some M/S experience, then perhaps you should go talk to her, ask for a reference, grease the skids a little bit and see what you can find out. Maybe you could look for a job in another hospital system altogether without making mention of this job if you never finished orientation? I hope you find something soon!

I've been in your shoes. When we lived overseas, I still maintained my license in my home of record, Florida. I kept my license active just by paying the fees and keeping up with my CEU's. If your state actually requires clinical hours, could you perhaps look into a travel job and make your next trip back to the States a "working vacation?" Or acquire an active license in another state with fewer restrictions? I know for me working overseas was just not an option. There weren't any jobs at the military base and there was definitely a huge language barrier (and probably other red tape) to make working on the economy not a viable option. I hope you find a solution that works for you. In the meantime, enjoy your experience. Being a SAHM and experiencing a new culture all at the same time is a real blessing!

We have to do 1 major and 2 minors per year. Other "hard-to-fill" days may also count, like Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, Halloween, etc. It's self-scheduling though so you aren't forced into anything you don't want (if all works out well and everyone pitches in which is what seems to happen). There are plenty of people already on board for Christmas Eve, those without kids or with grown kids, so the rest of us with little ones don't have to worry. What wonderful co-workers! I work night shift so my holiday this year is Wednesday 11/26. I get off early Thanksgiving morning, catch up on some sleep and then off to dinner with family (someone else is cooking, thank goodness!)

When you do clinicals in nursing school, you will be exposed to different areas of nursing and then maybe you will find out which most appeals to you. If surgery is most interesting to you, then maybe working as an OR nurse would be your niche. You have to go to medical school to actually DO the surgery but as a nurse you would be in the operating room assisting. I'm not sure where you live but in my area, some of the hospitals offer a "Shadow a Nurse" day and even a Nursing Discovery Camp in the summer for high school students to learn more about a career in nursing. You can also check out these sites: http://mshs.beanurseathca.com/ http://www.discovernursing.com/ Study hard and keep your grades up! That's the first step.

Don't think it has anything to do with the degree. It really has to do with the individual nurse.

To be honest with you, I really rather enjoy working 2 or 3 nights a week instead of M-F days. I did that (not as a nurse) and don't miss it at all. I like being able to buy groceries or shop at the mall during the week when there's no crowd (especially with the Christmas rush coming!) I like having every day free if school calls and my child is sick or school closes for a snow day. I may be tired if I worked the night before but at least I'm available. That means the world to me and made the nights decision a no-brainer. Being detail-oriented is a good quality in all of nursing, not just OR. I don't think you can go wrong with either decision. But wow, what a great position you are in with two such awesome choices! Best of luck to you!

Sorry I don't have much advice for getting you organized but I think you will work that out on your own anyway, part of the learning curve. I just wanted to provide some encouragement and say I've been in your shoes. I can remember in the beginning having days like yours. During orientation, I was eased into the patient load game starting with one, then two, heck, I even handled three patients just fine. But then they tacked on #4 one day and it was like all hell broke loose. I was running myself ragged trying to figure out how to keep who needs what straight. My preceptor was awesome and encouraging and well, I could rave on about her forever but she was a real blessing. The point being, I did learn to manage four patients before orientation was up. Then I moved to night shift and suddenly I was handling 7 and 8 patients and doing it well! (1:6 is a much better ratio and what we aim for but the reality of it is, there are times when we end up with more as the night wears on.) I have my own little system of checklists and organization on paper but I am also much better now at keeping things in my head than I was in the beginning. I used to be so in awe of my preceptor because just off the top of her head, she know that Patient A was NPO for a test and Patient B had labs drawn an hour ago that we needed results on and Patient C needs a B/P check before we go give that Lopressor, etc. She just had all that in her head, meanwhile I was struggling just to remember who my patients even were without looking at the papers. In time, it just all comes together. It really does. Just keep on trying and learning and doing and things will be okay!

LOL, I got a good chuckle out of this!

I, too, am a med-surg nurse thinking about making a move to NICU. Unlike you though, I don't hate my current job. I actually like it just fine but want to make a change down the road and go in a whole different direction. But anyway, on to your situation..... Just my opinion but I don't think you've been at your current job long enough to know what it's really like. Honestly. In the long run, you may be right, med-surg may not be your thing but after only 7 weeks, you're still just beginning to get an understanding of what's going on. That said, I don't think it's a good idea to jump ship so early in the game unless you've already talked to your manager about it and she is okay with it. Most places put a lot of time and money into training new grads and expect you to pay them back with at least a six month to one year commitment. If you can transfer within the same system to the NICU and your manager gives the blessing, then go for it. Otherwise, I personally would be hesitant to make any kind of move before holding up your end of the bargain as a new nurse. There is absolutely nothing wrong with going straight from school to a specialty like NICU but you also can't go wrong with getting a bit of med-surg experience under your belt either. And since you've apparently already started traveling down that road, well, I think I'd stick with it a bit longer. But again, just my . If the perfect NICU opportunity were to arise, I know it would be very hard for you to pass up and I can totally understand that! Just don't burn any bridges, know what I mean?

I did it. Worked full-time during the day with a toddler/preschooler. Took most classes late afternoon/evening when possible. Fortunately my workplace was fairly flexible. Tapered off to working part-time towards the end and quit altogether for the final semester where I did my full-time preceptorship. Did I mention my hubby also deployed to Iraq in the midst of all this back in 2003 when the war was first kicking off? Fun times. But I survived and you will too. It may not be easy but it can be done. Good luck!

Change is scary but that quote makes good sense. I like it and will definitely keep that in mind when I get to the point where I'm contemplating a leap myself. Thanks, racingmom!

I totally understand the love of the blue Tubex. When I first started on med-surg, my preceptor got me hooked on it. She gave me one which I used for the first time and immediately disposed of in the sharps container. ARGH, I could've kicked myself! Fortunately she had another to spare and I have guarded that thing with my life for about a year now. :nuke:

I went into nursing just with the goal of being an RN, no particular field or specialty. I figured it would come to me eventually. In school like many, many others I really enjoyed the OB rotation and thought maybe that would be my niche. I also really liked the pysch rotation (unlike many of my classmates) but not sure if I would really want to work there. And even though I'm not much of an adrenaline junkie, I've also thought maybe the ER would be a good fit. Despite all these different thoughts I've had, I am really feeling most drawn to the NICU. Out of the OB rotation, the thing I liked best was newborn nursery. The NICU is all that and more with a higher acuity. So I am giving that one serious contemplation. But currently I work on a med-surg floor which I actually really enjoy. It has been a wonderful learning experience. My co-workers are all amazing from the RNs to the LPNs to the techs to the managers. We do self-scheduling which is a huge plus too. If you can imagine, I generally have fun at work! I share a happy camaraderie with my colleagues, I enjoy my patients (well most of them), and feel settled with the routine of the floor. I'm really in no hurry to leave all that. I think sometimes there is this pressure in nursing to "specialize" and that you need to do more than just med-surg. (This mentality seems to be strongest among students.) True, med-surg is not for everyone but for me it has definitely been a good place to get my feet wet. In response to one of your questions, I don't think there is anything wrong with only being interested in one area of nursing. Many people on this board seemed to know exactly what they wanted to do from day one and went that route. That just wasn't how it worked for me! I'm just going to see where life takes me...........

Things may have changed in the past couple of years but when I lived in Pensacola, the area hospitals had more than enough nurses to choose from locally. Agency was pretty much unheard of. It was such a wonderful place to live though so I guess people were willing to take staff positions and not make as much money. I know I would probably lose at least $7-$8 an hour if we moved back there. But the cost of living is definitely cheaper so I guess it all balances out. Oh and FYI, Sacred Heart paid the most back in 2004. I suspect that hasn't changed. Also, you could look into the Pensacola Naval Hospital and VA Clinic. They would definitely pay more but take more work to get into the system. Good luck and I must say, I'm a bit jealous. I miss Pensacola!

I wouldn't quit my job over it but I certainly wouldn't be happy about it either. I had to wear all white in nursing school and I would just feel too student-like if I had to go back to that all over again. Plus there are all the other practical reasons others have mentioned against white. I don't think hospitals are going to color coded uniforms because people come to work looking sloppy. It has nothing to do with that at all, in my opinion. Color coding does nothing to change a person's hygiene and presentation anyway. I think it's more a trend of the times. Back in the day, nurses wore all white, dresses and caps. That was the trend back then, color coding is the new trend for our day and age. When I was in nursing school four or five years ago, all the area hospitals where we did clinicals were color coded. It was like a high school pep rally, everyone in their colors. I recall at one place nurses could wear either all white or white top with purple bottoms. I believe techs wore all purple and ancillary staff (radiology, respiratory, etc.) wore purple polos with khaki pants. I suppose it did look professional and made people easier to identify (as long as you know the coding system) but I've just gotten too used to my current hospital where we can wear whatever scrubs we choose. I like having that freedom. I think the big RN on my name tag should say it all but honestly, many patients just aren't that observant. These are the same ones who certainly aren't going to figure out who I am by what color I'm wearing!

Do you have to chart meds in the computer when given? I usually look at my MAR printout and write med times on the top front of my worklist. Then I also see what the computer has scheduled for me to chart on during my shift. That way anything new should appear in the computer cueing me in. But your system may not work this way......... Yes, it does get better. Things will slowly start coming together and suddenly you will realize that you "just know things." Of course one day something will pop up that you have no clue about which may totally shatter your confidence. This is normal - not even the most experienced nurse knows it all - but don't let it ruin your day. You just need to take a deep breath and remind yourself of how many things you DO know. It is way more than you are giving yourself credit for, I assure you.

It is always sad to hear these sorts of stories. Everybody starts out their nursing career as a NEW NURSE, green and inexperienced. There should be much better support from colleagues and management. You get a good general background in nursing school but nursing school isn't the real world and there is so much to learn once you start working on the floor with your very own patient load. Anxiety is okay and normal but not when it takes over your life. I think your biggest issue is lack of support from the higher-ups. Your anxiety might decrease dramatically if you had somebody telling you what you are doing right and how you are improving everyday. Somebody to boost your confidence and believe in you. You are bound to make mistakes and constructive criticism should be welcomed but it sounds like you are just getting plain criticism without anything constructive about it. You should not be berated for being new and not "knowing it all" yet. Nursing is a job unlike any other. There is a steep learning curve and it just takes time and experience to get through that. Is there any way you could transfer to another unit, one where you might be welcomed and made to feel comfortable as a new nurse? I'd put your feelers out and see what else might be out there for you. I hope things get better soon.