weilae

Hello everyone! I am a recent grad and have started working in a CVICU. I had been hired on the unit about six months ago for an individual internship through school that I needed to complete in my final semester. During those six months I worked two to four shifts per week and learned the basics as my clinical experiences really didn't give me any chance to practice nursing skills. I felt that this helped me out a lot, as I learned the layout of the unit, as well as the staff that worked there. Since starting as a new grad however, I feel as though I have taken a giant step backwards. I've talked to the other new grads that were hired with me, and some have told me they also feel they are struggling to keep up. I've talked to seasoned nurses, my preceptor, management, newer nurses...anyone I can think of to get any type of advice on how I can push through this wall I've hit. Right now I am finding that the biggest thing I am struggling with is time management, delegation, and prioritizing. There are also situations where I just have no idea what to do. For example my patient's blood sugar was low, and all I could think was "That's a low blood sugar....what do I do about that?". It makes me feel incredibly self conscious, and I know that I need to be patient, but I also need to find out what works best for everyone! What tips/tricks do you have for a new grad nurse starting in an ICU about time management, delegation, and prioritization? I appreciate any and all feedback!

I just wanted to leave a comment and say thank you for writing this. I am a new grad nurse and was hired in a 30 bed CVICU unit. I've always known I was a sensitive person, and had no idea there was actual a term for it. Everything the OP talked about made a lot of sense and something just clicked once I read this. I had always previously seen my sensitivities as a negative thing that affected me personally and professionally. Now that I see so many others are affected by it and can manage it, it brings me a sense of ease. I will be implementing these tips into my everyday life and see what works best for me. I have wanted so badly to be the best I can be for my patients and now I feel I have some simple and easy "tools" I can use to make it work in a positive way. I am hoping with time being a new grad nurse won't be so difficult now that I have a better understanding of what's going on!

Just took mine today and it shut off at 75 questions. I just feel numb right now.....I felt like I was getting every question wrong! Does everyone feel this way after they take it? I can only hope these next 48 hours go by fast!

I currently work in an ICU at an Aurora in Milwaukee. Not sure which location you were thinkin of applying, but right now Aurora is short nurses everywhere. I hear from other nurses who work at Wheaton and Froedert that most floors are short there also. It's a good time to graduate and apply for any nursing job. The Aurora in Milwaukee doesn't care about you being a new grad or not. They can pay you less and teach you the way they want you to do your job versus someone who has years of experience. I love Aurora and I plan on staying there, but you have to figure out what hospital system works best with your values and beliefs. If not you may be an unhappy person and get stuck somewhere you don't want to work.

Hello everyone! I am just wondering how long the entire process actually took for all of you? I turned in everything at the beginning of September. Sherry had contacted me about grades since I go to a school with no GPA (just pass fail). I sent this in and then never heard back. I called once a week for about a month and then began to feel like I was pushing it so I backed off. I haven't received a rejection letter either so I'm really confused about this? Has anyone else had this happen? At this point I just want a yes or no so I can move on with my life...