1st week down

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN]

Just had to come and blog about my first week because I know a few wanted to hear about it. I really wanted to wait until after tomorrow (I hit the floor tomorrow) but I was to excited so I will update after my floor shift too.

New Employee orientation has been great. I am super excited about the company I am working for. Everyone has been very nice and friendly and they seem to really enjoy where they are working. It's all been very surreal. I am anxious on how tomorrow will go. It's so nice to get paid to do all the computer modules. We had to do them as students. (no where near the same amount) and it was just as brutal, but getting paid makes it not as bad. LOL

So anyway, I hit the floor tomorrow night. Then I have off until Tuesday. Next T, W and TH will be BRUTAL. It's 3 days of computer training so long hours in front of the computer learning the ins and out of the system. I am familiar with what the hospital uses because I had clinicals there so it's not completely new to me. Then Friday and Sat I will be on the floor again and on the floor from there on out.

New Grad residency starts on July 20th and it's every other week all day. That will be nice to get together with other new grads. I got a friend an interview so I am hoping she gets hired on so we can go through that together and car pool on nights we work together.

Anyway, so it's all been great. I will update more later.

[CBsMommy]

How exciting for you! It sounds like you are going to get a lot of experience with all age groups and to be cross trained in the PICU side of it, too! Sounds like a dream job that will open many doors for you in the future! Congrats again! I can't wait to graduate (and get a real job)!

[Aurora77]

It's great to read things are going so well for you!

I've had my first two days on med-surg as a real nurse. That transition from student to nurse is odd, isn't it! I actually did my final ASN precepting on the same floor I'm working on, which makes it even wierder. It's so nice just to be able to pull meds or fluids from the omnicell without having to go get the real nurse.

Your positive posts are comforting to me. I had a great couple of shifts; my coworkers are welcoming and I felt reasonably comfortable, but reading a lot of the posts in this forum makes me wonder if I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop, if that makes sense. Glad to see someone else enjoying their new job!! :)

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN]

It's great to read things are going so well for you!

I've had my first two days on med-surg as a real nurse. That transition from student to nurse is odd, isn't it! I actually did my final ASN precepting on the same floor I'm working on, which makes it even wierder. It's so nice just to be able to pull meds or fluids from the omnicell without having to go get the real nurse.

Your positive posts are comforting to me. I had a great couple of shifts; my coworkers are welcoming and I felt reasonably comfortable, but reading a lot of the posts in this forum makes me wonder if I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop, if that makes sense. Glad to see someone else enjoying their new job!! :)

It makes perfect sense because I have felt that way with this whole process, I didn't believe I really had the job until my name was on that sign up sheet my first day at new employee orientation. I kept worrying something would happen. I just finished all my computer training today so tomorrow night will be my first shift to work as a RN without any restrictions or setbacks. I am so excited and nervous!! I will still have my preceptor watching over me during my orientation phase but it gets to be her shadowing me finally.

Anyway that is so great you are also having a good experience! I just can not say enough good things about the hospital I am working at!!!! The icing on the cake is being on night shift. Today was my last day getting up early (except the 6 new grad resident classes I will have every other Wednesday starting the 20th). I am a total night person and I love that I get paid MORE for doing the shift I WANT to do! I will continue to update and welcome anyone to share or add to. I love hearing other good experiences.

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN]

So I thought I would update on my first 2 floor shifts without restrictions. The census on the unit is pretty low this time of the year which is actually turning out to be a huge plus. My first night there were only 4 patients so my preceptor told me to take one and she would take the other. I am getting familiar with the different types of equipment. Peds does things a bit differently then the main floors so I was learning that because I had a peds patient. So my preceptor was there is I needed assistance but she pretty much let me do my thing. She told me what all I needed to chart each shift and because I wasn't afraid to ask questions on something I wasn't sure of she felt more confident letting me be on my own. So she was readily there but wasn't hovering over me or following me just watching. It was nice. I had to draw blood on a 3 year old twice and that was nerve wracking. My preceptor assisted the first time, I did the stick and then she helped me secure it, the little girl was a FIGHTER! then the second time she had me do it on my own. I got it YEA!!

So then we got a new admit about 6 hrs before shift ended so she had me go ahead and take on that patient too. This one was an adult. We found out a few hrs later that the patient was going to be a rule out TB so that sparked all kinds of things. We had to move them to a negative pressure room, had to wear the N95 masks (what a PITA that is) and all that. I had never done that because as students we couldn't take on patients like that because we weren't fitted for the masks. So she walked me through the whole admission process there.

Next night had same 2 patients and this time she had me do them on my own without any sort of assistance. I mean, she was there if I needed her, we carry phones so it makes it nice if I have a quick question I can call real quick from where I am. She told the patients that we both were the nurses but she was having me take on the primary roll and if there was any problems she was there but outside of needing something from her she would have me running the show. The patients were easy patients and after that first night I knew the equipment and charting and all that so I just did my own thing. I didn't need to consult my preceptor on anything, when it was time for meds I went and got them, did my rounding (we do hourly rounding at my facility) and functioned as the solo nurse the whole night. She reviewed my charting and all that regularly but from a computer since you can track everything from the system.

So the low census has made things nice because it is slower I can take on the full RN roll pretty much solo already so that by the times things start picking up in Oct. when it's RSV Season and Flu is coming and all the other winter illnesses comes that keeps the unit packed I will already have a really good handle on things.

My preceptor said it's good on her end too because when they have a new grad and new orientee in the busy season it's so easy for them to just do because the unit it hectic and time is scarce and there isn't that time to really slow down and teach and stuff. So it's more stressful on the new grad to keep up and get to function independently and stuff. How this happened by I will be good at time management and all the equipment and flow and all that when things start picking up. So I am happy how it's all worked out. My preceptor said she has been really impressed with how I am functioning as a new grad. I am willing to stop and ask questions if I am unsure which makes her feel secure in me and letting work independently, I am willing to get in there and do things even if I am nervous (I did put a stop at doing an IV on a 12 week old that the ED had already stuck 4 times, I don't have much experience with IV"s period, let alone to jump right in on that one, so she said she will have me practice IV's on her and other nurses and go to Pre-Op for a shift too so I can get better at that). So anyway she said she doesn't think I will need to precept long because of how well I am doing all ready and because if I do run into something new or that I don't know they are confident even if I am not precepting anymore I will still ask. (which I would). They are a really supportive unit. They still ask each other questions and for help when they have been nurses for a long time.

So it was a success, I work again on Th,F and Sat. My last shift I truly felt like a nurse since I was doing everything on my own without someone right there. It was great, but I like knowing that I still have the support if it's needed. It was weird having to call Pharmacy or having Pharmacy call for me. Or in the morning when I was almost done a Doctor sought me out to get an update on the patients. He asked if I was the one taking care of them and I said yes and when he asked stuff I wanted to say "probably you should talk to the real nurse" but I sucked it up and tried to remain confident and let the Doc know how the kiddo was doing. First time my phone rang I wanted to ask what I should do. LOL

[Aurora77]

I totally relate to the whole "real nurse" thing. :) I had to talk to a couple of doctors on my last shift. They were very respectful and treated me like a professional, but in the back of my mind, I still felt like a student, lol.

[Spydered]

Congratulations and it's nice to hear that things are working great for you. I'm sure your personality and eagerness played a big part in the smooth transition...:)