Wandrlust

Mothers who don't want to hold their baby because they think it "spoils" them. .so not true, especially in the nicu they need that bonding and as a nurse i dont always have time to snuggle with them myself wish I did!

I am the same way. I love nights, but I cannot sleep more than a few hours and i've tried it all! I got so depressed over it and couldn't understand what was wrong with me. I think some people just can't do nights. I work in a busy Level 4 NICU and it is so busy all night, my previous job had a lot of down time at night, now that I'm busier I find that at least I don't feel that sick feeling throughout my shift. I also have to do transport via helicopter or ambulance so my adrenaline is high, by the time my shift is over and crawl into bed I crash and I sleep much longer now. Just something else to consider. .i hope you find something that works, i know how you feel, hugs

I only had 2 weeks of training as a new grad. I think new grads are spoiled nowadays with such legnthy orientations and want their hand held and caudling the entire time. I know I sound mean, but I repeatedly see new grads like you, where your not prepared by the end of orientation, need to extend orientation etc. etc. Nursing is hard, especially acute care, some people just don't cut it. Some new grads don't ever catch on and are so slow about eveything, not just slow with tasks, but slow comprehending and prioririzing and want to take the long methodical way to do everything-ot look like a deer in the head lights when you explain the simplest things. That's great if you have 1 patient, but it will never work on a busy unit. You're not a nursing student anymore!! And I don't believe you had 5 patients on your first day! Maybe the nurse had you take report on them and you helped, but no way she had you do all the assessments, med administration and care under her license without at least seeing you do an assessment first.

I wanted to work in the OR, but I could only get a job in Mother/Baby as a new grad. I have been stuck in this specialty 6 years, because they want you to have experience to be hired for other specialties, so fustrating!

I love being a nurse. My dream would be volunteering to do missionary work, to truly help those in need. Unfortunately, I can't do that because I have kids and need a paycheck. I'm hoping one day to at least go with a church group..

This is exactly why I'm switching specialties! I love the mother/baby specialty but, I'm so sick of the over the top demands from the whiney mothers who I have to bend over backwards pleasing while I may have a critical patient I should be attending to, all to avoid a negative press ganey because they may have to wait for a an extra cup of water for their husband who can't walk down the hall and get it himself, or heaven forbid he brings his own food. This is not nursing. It's customer service. I get that it's a business, but it is not safe sometimes because I have to do hourly rounding or I'll get fired. Sometimes I have patients who I should spend way more time with, but nope I have to hourly round on piddly stuff to get a great press ganey. So over it. They can keep their traveler nurses and I'll leave. Then i'll watch your scores tank due to travelers who don't care about customer service and only about actual nursing, the way it should be!

That makes sense! Thank you for explaining that to me, because I have always doubted my manager, at my previous place of employment, when she said the positions were "posted", but haven't had any applicants...

...About how there are so many nursing schools in some of the big cities and not a lot of hospitals- but how the units are always short/hiring? ( Like Houston, Dallas, D.C. etc.) Hmmmm....

It looks right, but I was taught to draw up the Morphine (or whatever medication you will be giving IVP) in a separate syringe- so in your example, I would have drawn up 0.5 ml of Morphine and then injected that into a Saline flush (after discarding approx 6 ml from the saline flush first)..my instructor was super anal and instructed us to do it this way so we didn't accidentally inject the saline into the Morphine bottle before drawing up the amount needed and less guesswork/chance of error.. I always feel like I waste needles and syringes this way though. Did that amount control the pain?

No family around in Correctional Nursing LOL or the Operating Room...how about Pacu? Cath Lab?

I don't mind writing the papers, but I dread the hours upon hours of research that goes along with it.. And properly quoting sources, ugh very tidious.

Hello! I have an opportunity to switch specialties from postpartum/nursery/nicu to pediatrics at a different hospital. When I applied I had thought the position was for nursery, but it's actually for pediatrics and she said they like their pedi nurses to have pedi experience. So, I'm not really sure why they called me lol I told them I don't have pedi experience and she said they give 6 weeks orientation. My question is, will 6 weeks be enough orientation? I would love to switch specialties, since I've been in this same specialty now almost 7 years and nobody would hire/train me in a different specialty when I tried in the past. I'm also nervous, because I love my specialty, but I think I'd love pediatrics, but I'm not sure since you never really know until you start.

Hello, I am switching to night shift for the next year for family reasons, and I have to put my schedule in for the next 6 weeks and I am not sure how to schedule myself. I have to work 2 night shifts per week- so my question is, it better 2 work 2 nights back to back or would it be better to space them out over the week??? I have occasionally helped out and worked a night shift and I remember that feeling of being up for 24 hours-wow..but, I was able to go home and sleep until late afternoon and felt a little spacey that night, but I think I could've worked again if needed. Do you think it's easier the second night??? Or do you like staying up 24 hours for each shift? Yes, I am totally overthinking this, and that is why I am finally posting the question here so I can focus on other things!!!

I guess me and my husband are among the few unlucky ones. Our healthcare premiums went from $600/ month to $1200/month this January do to the ACA. He works for a large company almost 100,000 employees and they claim they can't keep up with the rising cost if insurance..well neither can we!! God, help us all!

Hi, you will love it :) off the top of my head I'd suggest reading up about pp hemorrhage, H.E.L.P syndrome, magnesium Sulfate (we have Mag patients on the m/b unit where I work), hyperbilirubin, breast breeding technique/education..AWOHN, La Leche are good resources..you have a strong background, so you already no alot of the stuff so you will do great! There is a drug book called "Medications and Mother's Milk" it is an excellent resource and there will probably be one on your unit, but I like my own copy. Look up newborn v/s and assessment, common heart defects. Also important, read up on Low blood sugar in the newborn ..very important!! I know there is more, but this will get you started. Good luck!! It is such a great specialty, I love it! You get the sad stuff too, but hopefully you guys will rotate it enough so it's not very often.