sandys

I started out of school at the surgicenter at our hospital. Absolutely loved it, but my job did not have benefits. My husband started his own business so I needed a job with benefits. I needed the M-F days schedule so I took a posiiton at our IM clinic. I took a $10 per hour cut in pay to do so, but I work four 8 hour shifts per week. So there are options out there, but you have to weigh the pros and cons.

We check medical history, assess the patient, NPO status, vitals, labs, anxiety, start IV, possibly premeds such as reglan or an antibiotic. If you get postop patients as well, you'll be busy monitoring them and checking in new patients as well. Busy and task-oriented.

Most of all, do not go into nursing if you do not fully understand what it is and if it is not your passion. Do not choose nursing if you just want to make decent money, if you do not LOVE caring for people and educating people, don't choose nursing. There are too many people in this profession that really hate it. Unlike other jobs, if you hate nursing, it really effects people. They count on you to be there, when they are at their worst, and to always do the right thing for them. This job comes with more responsibility than just showing up for work everyday, and when things in your life sucks, that's hard. If you don't love it, you won't do it well, not on your best day, and especially not on your worst.

I've been in practice a year and have never had a needle stick. The needles we use for IV starts and IM/subcu injections all have safety devices. We do occasionally use needles that do not have safety devices, but I am always aware and am extremely careful with those. We have needles for accessing portacaths that have a very clunky safety device that I usually don't use, I simply remove it and walk straight to the sharps container so I never have an opportunity to stick myself. I have had coworkers who have stuck themselves using this particular safety device. I know needlesticks happen to experienced and good and safe nurses, but I am very careful and am not worried about this particular issue. I have from time to managed to come in contact with blood on my bare skin, usually from starting an IV, removing gloves and then picking up garbage, etc. I'm never happy about this situation, but I think the risk of contracting anything on intact skin that is washed thoroughly is very minimal and I have never reported it. Anyway, if nursing is your passion I'd not let needlesticks keep you from it. Just develop good practices from the beginning and keep your focus.

We use Zofran with LR all the time. The Merck web site states that it is compatible as well. Never been a problem. I work in a pre and post surgical unit so all we hang is LR, that is what patient's come back to us with and Zofran is our first choice for postoperative nausea and vomiting.

There will continue to be so much to know and remember and eventually implement. As a new grad orienting to my unit, I am most frustrated by things that I miss and KNEW I should know. There is just SO much to know and remember and often it is one little thing that should tip you off to ask a certain question or take a certain action. You do your best and learn and remember from every opportunity. You can do it, but don't expect that overwhelmed feeling to go away!

While there is a nursing shortage it seems unwise to require more years of schooling to become a nurse, but it is confusing to most people that there are so many different ways to become an RN. For the most part all of the core requirements to be a nurse can be achieved either in an ADN or BSN program. Both have to prepare you to take and pass the NCLEX right? With advanced practice nursing presenting so many options, many nurses, ADN, BSN, whatever, are on their way to something else. I think it is unfair for hospitals to discriminate against those who pursue those opportunties or those who choose not to. Ultimatelly they have no guarantee that an employee will stay a certain length of time, regardless of their ultimate career goals. I am a BSN prepared nurse and honestly I do feel that those who have furthered their education should be compensated for their efforts, just as experienced nurses should be compensated for their experience. I also think that positions should be filled based on experience and best fit for the job. Any hospital that excludes RN's based on how many initials they have after their name is idiotic. All just my opinion, of course!

If I can remember to put Cetaphil lotion on my hands every night before I go to bed, I notice a huge difference in my skin. I like it becausse it's not one of those really heavy, greasy lotions and it still works well. The trick is I have to remember to do it EVERY night!

Pretty much as others have stated. Take vitals, ask pre-op questions, antibiotics if ordered, start an IV, for cataract patients there's a whole series of drops. We also get our same-day patients back and recover them which includes vitals every 15 minutes x 4, then every 30 minutes x 2, starting liquids and a diet, etc., and determining when they can be discharged. I personally love the change of patients coming and going throughout the shift. A lot of the tasks themselves are very similar, but if you don't hit it off with a patient you aren't stuck with them all day!

Do be honest about your knowledge, what you do and don't know. Be an advocate for your own education; when there's a procedure, diagnosis, IV start whatever that you want to do or watch, speak up and ask if you can do it, watch it, whatever the case may be. Your preceptors, if they are good, will try to watch out for interesting stuff for you, but ultimately your educational experience lies in your own hands. Don't get in the way when things are extremely stressed and hurried (a code situation, etc.). I always would do the simplest things for the nurses I was watching such as gather up the trash after an IV start. They appreciate your willingness to do the small stuff too. Good luck!

I took Kaplan and passed NCLEX this week. While I liked Kaplan and thought their strategies for answering questions was good, I really didn't use them on the exam. I would get a couple of good review books and just stick with those if I had to do it over again. I would have concentrated on those select all that apply questions a lot more too as I had WAY too many of those.

Took mine yesterday, it shut off at 75, and thought I failed too, but I didn't!!!! It was a horrible test. I felt like I guessed on the majority of the questions, did not know the meds they specifically asked about, just felt pretty crappy about the whole thing. I was so incredibly shocked and relieved when at noon today my name popped up on the BON web site (I probably only checked about 1000 times prior to that!). Think positive thoughts, the odds are that you passed. Good luck!

I took it today also and it shut off at 75. I also know of 6 other people in my class who also got 75 and all have passed. I DID NOT LIKE the questions I had, way to many SATA, way, way too many! I am on pins and needles until I know. Good luck everyone!!!!! I hope we ALL passed.

Thanks everyone. He's doing a little better today. It just surprised me that I didn't have a better idea how to help him! What have I been doing the past four years in school! lol.

I am a new graduate, taking NCLEX next Tuesday (yikes)! I feel very competent in my ability to care for med-surg patients. Know how to treat a patient with a fever, muscle aches, loss of appetite, etc. My 12-year-old however makes me feel like I know nothing about medicine at all! He is very sick, fever, chills, muscle aches, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, productive cough, jeez could there be more?! I feel like I totally have no nursing skills when it comes to taking care of him. It took me 2 days of listening to his cough to think to take out my stethoscope and listen to him (he's diminished on the left side with a few crackles). He had a fever and my husband had to suggest getting a cool cloth to put on his head. His doctor thinks he probably has early pneumonia and prescribed an antibiotic so hopefully he'll turn the corner soon and improve. I really just feel like my nursing skills should have kicked in a little sooner. It's not that I'm not taking good care of him, I just feel like as a nurse I should have been taking better care of him. I'm a little frustrated with myself!