ayejay09

I purchased a lilac Littmann this week and got it engraved. And it no longer leaves my side. Problem solved.

We self schedule. You have to pick 4 weekend days (out of 6 weeks) and have to do 1 on call on the weekend. Our weekends tend to be covered more because who doesn't want an extra $6 an hour?

Extended stay hotels are your best bet. I have 2 pitties and that's how they travel with me.

I was not eaten as a new nurse. However, I was confident but asked questions. I also learned not to take any crap off of anyone. You say you're thinned skinned, you might want to toughen up. Not only do nurses eat their young, but doctors, families, and patients will yell at you. It's just a fact of the job. But don't be afraid to be a nurse. You might just have to find the right specialty for you. I thought I wanted to be an ER nurse. I even have co-workers tell me I would be great for it. But I think Med-Surg is my calling. It's ever changing and challenging at the same time. I love being a nurse and wouldn't change it for the world. =] Good luck in nursing school!

No matter what floor or hospital I've worked at, I've taken at least my 30 minute (sometimes 15-20) break. I eat my lunch and then go back to work. I pass off my pager/phone after checking up on my patients. I know in some settings this may be hard, but you can't take care of patients if you're passed out due to hypoglycemia.

I love med-surg when I can actually do my job. My currently facility restricts RNs because we are a prestigious medical teaching facility. Doctors get priority over nurses. Overall, I love my job and the patients I see.

I've never heard of switching assignments for social reasons. There have been a couple of times I've REQUESTED not to have a certain patient back, but it doesn't happen often. And I request that way if it doesn't happen it isn't a big deal.

This was the ONE time I forgot my stethoscope.

I'm not a new grad, but even when I was I didn't act like that. I love working my nights. Who doesn't love holiday pay? And i'm always eager to learn new things. I even show our new nurses things when I'm doing something that doesn't come up often. Just last night I walked a newbie through de-accessing a port. You have to be willing to do the time. If not, then hospital nursing isn't for you. We should always been hungry for more knowledge. When we think we know it all, patients die.

So, this week hasn't been fun. My lovely Litmann that I received as a Christmas gift has been stolen by a doctor. I've even gone so far as to post fliers around the unit. I know that many nurses have their stethoscope stolen. My thought is "If doctors are stealing our stethoscopes, why are the facilities not paying us for those EXPENSIVE things?" Take it out of their paychecks. Every stethoscope stolen results in money taken from their paychecks. Or make them pool money together to supply us stethoscopes. Needless to say, I miss my stethoscope. Who else has these problems? How do you track your stethoscope down?

I scored a 98% pass rate and passed with 110 questions in 30-45 minutes.

I've had to deal with this question. And I'm not Christian.. I'm Wiccan! I find it easier just to stay away from the topic or lie to make them feel better. I've actually had a patient request not to have me as a nurse because I said I was spiritual. So, I learned my lesson.

It took me 3 months to find a job in nursing. This is in an area that had a critical nursing shortage. I did 6 months of psych before finally getting an acute care job. Good luck. There is no logic to it.

Congrats to all who were accepted! I am a current RN 2 here at Vanderbilt. Welcome to the Vandy family!