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.

Neezy84, I know how you feel.. some of these places have horrific working conditions that suck the life out of you. And then when you work with toxic co-workers it is literally hell on earth. What helped me is finding a specialty I could bare and I found that I actually enjoy it. I love my patients, and in 6 years I have only had 1 patient who treated me terribly and it wasn't even her, it was her mother. The specialty may be kinda boring and repetitive at times, but I don't feel doomed at the beginning of my shift anymore. I know your options are limited as an LVN, because some places just wont hire you. I would comb the sub-specialty forums to see what may appeal to you..I considered correctional nursing at one point because the nurses seemed to love it. Hugs to you, I hope you find something better :)

I totally understand the question you're asking and I think it is valid, because so many nurses are miserable at their jobs-I'd be cautious and worried as a new grad too! I have been working postpartum/nursery for almost 7 years now, since graduating in 2009, and find it very low stress- or at least a different type of stress. It's crazy busy, but manageable in my opinion. Most patients are healthy and stable. It can be mentally boring at times, because you spend the day teaching the same thing over and over so you really have to like this particular specialty (which I do). Word of advice, I've tried to get into different specialties, but nobody will hire me other than an OB unit because I have no experience in any other area, it's really frustrating! And then they have the audacity to ask why I've stayed in that particular specialty that long! I have a few friends who work in pre-op and they love it, they prep the patient for surgery, start the IV and have the patient sign paperwork..you may want to check that out.

Hello!! It is so difficult to switch specialties in nursing, especially since I only have an associates degree- I am working on my BSN, but I still have about 2 years left! I graduated nursing school in 2009 and I have only worked Postpartum and Nursery my entire career- I spent 4 years at my last job, before moving out of state and the only position I could get here was in postpartum/nursery. They asked in my interview why I have been in this specialty so long, well gee it's because nobody will hire me without experience in another specialty!!! Ugh. Sorry, just a little frustrated. Anyways, since we moved here I thought this would be a perfect time to switch specialties, and I am really interested in HH, because I have an uncle, aunt and grandmother who require HH visits and I've seen how much of a difference these nurses make for the them. My Father also needed a HH nurse after surgery and she was such a blessing to us! I am so inspired by these nurses and I want to see a broader range of diseases, wounds, etc and be able to advocate and make a difference. I have read numerous posts in this forum to get an idea of what the job is like and it definitely looks challenging and very busy- which is good, because I will never get bored. I love the fact that everyone says the best part of their job is the patients! I am sure there are some really difficult patients out there, but I really want to feel like I make a difference, I have so much compassion and got into nursing ( like everyone else) to help people-I don't feel like I do that now. I would need to brush up on many skills and study the disease process and various medications. In postpartum/nursery I spent a huge portion of my day doing patient education, so I will love that aspect of home health. I can definitely understand why HH requires experience, because you need strong assessment skills and be able to recognize a problem right away. Unfortunately, with no med/surg background I am having a really difficult time getting my foot in the door. I never wanted to be pigeon holed in this specialty, but I have had to repeatedly go back to it, because no other specialty will hire and train me- and I need a job I would appreciate any advice.. I realize the specialty I am in is not doing me any favors (I just wanted to add that I love postpartum/nursery, but I am ready for a change)

I love my specialty, which is Mother/Baby I feel like it's less stressful and not as intense as other specialties. I spend a lot of time teaching about breast feeding and how to care for a new baby. It's a "happy" vibe on the unit because most people are celebrating their new baby..It's busy, but I love it. I've thought about doing clinic nursing just to have weekends off, but I can't find a way to make it work with my kids doctors appointments etc. It's so nice having 4 days off every week..that's a huge reason I stay in the hospital setting. I hope you find something !