Wish you would have had experience before 1st job?

allnurses Guide · Oct 29, 2007

I'm not a new grad but I didn't have any experience prior to nursing school and it was fine.

My orientation was great at my job and I learned from some great nurses. The DON was so kind and compassionate.

You will be ok.

steph

LadyPhantom · Oct 29, 2007

I graduated on May 12 and started working on May 14. I never worked at any type of nursing or even healthcare job before I went to school, so my only "experience" was my clinical rotations in school. I always worked retail sales jobs, worked as a daycare worker while my kids were small (free daycare), and as a correctional officer for a while. I got hired on at one of the hospitals I did 3 of my clinical rotations at, and I had a good preceptorship after I was hired (over 3 months) and I work with some really great nurses who help me a LOT. I have some really bad days, some "ok" days, and have had two really good days in 5 months. I am a nervous wreck before I go into work and an exhausted mess when I get home from work. I am hoping it will either get better with time and experience, or that I will learn ways to deal with the stress.

You should be able to get a job when you graduate. I found that in our last 3 months of school, we had 6 different hospitals and 4 nursing homes cater lunches and/or dinners for us and try to get us to come work for them. We were very actively recruited.

Also, I do wish at times that I had some type of healthcare experience before I started working as a nurse. I think it would have helped some, but I don't think it has held me back any. I just ask a ton of questions (everyday!) and thank God for the great nurses I work with who never get irritated with me and always help me.

Good luck to you!

decartes · Oct 29, 2007

The best way to learn THE JOB is on the job training. Doing nurse externships during breaks will help a lot in getting you started in the unit you'd like to work in.

allnurses Guide · Oct 29, 2007

The best way to learn THE JOB is on the job training. Doing nurse externships during breaks will help a lot in getting you started in the unit you'd like to work in.

Absolutely - on the job. It took me at least a year to feel like a nurse. So many things to learn. I'm not sure working in health care prior changes that.

steph

WannaBCRNA · Oct 29, 2007

Thanks everyone-lots of info! It would be hard for me to work right now, as I'm putting a lot of effort into classes and being on the Dean's list, so I'm glad that a lack of experience has not hurt anyone! I will check into externships! Thanks all!

LadyPhatom-Can I ask, why have you only had two good days? What constitutes having a "bad" day for you? I do have to say, after visiting these boards I have rethought my decision to be a nurse, many times. Is anyone happy in this field? Ha.

meandragonbrett · Oct 29, 2007

I always recommend working in a Nurse Extern/Nurse Intern position at your local hospital. Even if it's not in a unit that you want to work, it will help get you acquainted to REAL hospital life and the way things work.

NurseNayin07 · Oct 29, 2007

To all you new grads entering the nursing work force--do you think it is important to have some type of nursing experience under your belt, prior to graduation? I'm just in the middle of my school's nursing program (going for the BSN), and have never done any type of nursing job. My roommate, who is a semester a head of me, has been a CNA for a long while.
Will I be able to get into a nursing job having only have clinical experience from school? I mean that in terms of, will I have able to "hack" it or will I be behind and lost?
Should I be looking for some type of nursing-job? Does anyone know anything about tech jobs? I don't think I'll become a CNA though, so that's out.
Has anyone had any success with just shadowing a bit maybe, going to school, and becoming a nurse?
Thanks all.

Although it is not necessary, I think its an awesome idea to work as a CNA before you become an RN. I know that in my city/county, it was almost impossible to find a job in a specialty area unless you had "connections" or you were a CNA on that floor. Tons of girls I graduated with ended up working on their floor (or same hospital) that they were a CNA on. I worked as a CNA II in L & D, and although I decided not to be an L & D nurse and start out on a Surgical floor, I feel like I had made the right decision by working as a CNA in school. I think it allows you to adjust to the hours, especially 12s. As a CNA, you build time management stills just as you would as a new grad RN! I heard that summer nursing externships are beneficial as well. But its entirely up to you!

LadyPhantom · Oct 29, 2007

Thanks everyone-lots of info! It would be hard for me to work right now, as I'm putting a lot of effort into classes and being on the Dean's list, so I'm glad that a lack of experience has not hurt anyone! I will check into externships! Thanks all!
LadyPhatom-Can I ask, why have you only had two good days? What constitutes having a "bad" day for you? I do have to say, after visiting these boards I have rethought my decision to be a nurse, many times. Is anyone happy in this field? Ha.

The two good days I had were the ones that I didn't get behind on meds, actually opened my charts before 1pm (halfway through my shift), didn't piss off any doctors (I seem to have a knack for that...lol), actually felt as if I had some idea of what I was doing instead of running blindly, actually got to eat lunch and go to the bathroom at least once during the day, and didn't have to stay over for at least 30-45 mins trying to finish things.

The bad days: when I walk into a mess and immediately have to start the process of transferring a patient to the unit, while another patient is an elopement risk and trying to sneak out the door, and another patient is confused and combatative. Or when I am so totally behind on meds and I have 3 doctors waiting at the nurse's desk to talk to me, and the phone on my hip won't quit ringing and I have a family member who needs me to explain something the doctor told them and I can hear one of my patient's calling out my name in the next room and I get a call that my other patient is confused and walking around naked and fighting with the CNA's. All this before 8am. The day just never seems to get better for me after that. And that is just one example :uhoh3:

But I am hoping that things will get better with time and experience.

NursingAgainstdaOdds · Oct 30, 2007

I have to say, I worked as an aide during nursing school and it was the best thing I could have done. Period. I learned A LOT about prioritization (yes, as an AIDE), and just the basics of "what do I do for what". You may not know what drug to give for this or that, but you learn some invaluable problem-solving, communication, and just gaining a general comfort level in a health care environment. It's INVALUABLE when you graduate.

WannaBCRNA · Oct 30, 2007

Thanks for all the insight everyone! LadyPhantom, I'll keep you in my prayers!

You description of the things that make you maybe not enjoy your job so much, are actually the aspects that spark my interest--I love to be busy, I like chaos even more, so long as I get to leave it at work when I go home for the night...maybe I'll be a good nurse, after all :)

Again, you're in my prayers!

swee2000 · Oct 30, 2007

I agree that working as a CNA prior to &/or during nursing school is important & beneficial. Aside from just the basics(taking vitals, giving baths/making beds, inserting foleys, etc), there are other valuable skills you'll learn & experiences you'll be exposed to that you wouldn't neccessarily get alot of practice with during nursing school & clinicals. And they are things you will do everyday of your professional nursing career!! So here are my reasons why the job experience is helpful:

1)You learn to properly & appropriately communicate with patients

and families

2)You learn how to communicate with fellow staff members, including CNAs, RNs, Charge Nurses, etc

3)You learn how important & helpful teamwork is for everyone, staff & patients alike

4)You gain experience in caring for the sick &/or dying

5)Learn to recognize nonverbal signs &/or behaviors of patients that could indicate something serious is wrong(ie: patient suddenly becomes confused, diaphoretic, dizzy, &/or SOB...all these mean something!!!)

6)Learn to prioritize patient needs, develop good time management skills, and build a strong sense of self-confidence. These 3 things are

very important to have during nursing school and will help you out immensely in clinicals and on the State Board exam

7)Working as a CNA(regardless of where) will expose you to alot of the pathophys & pharmecology stuff you'll be covering in school. Therefore, when it comes up in lectures or readings, you'll be able to connect the dots and have a better understanding of the many different diseases/disorders out there, the signs & symptoms unique to them, how they can effect the body, and medications used to treat them(ie: Type I or Type II diabetes; s/s of hypo or hyper-glycemia; circulation, BP, kidney issues, etc; insulin or PO meds).

Lastly, I just wanted to add that when I started nursing school, I was a certified CNA but had never worked as one, let alone anywhere else in the healthcare field. In fact, I thought my instructors & fellow students w/experience were tooting their own horns when they kept stressing how helpful a CNA job would be for me, my education, and my career. It didn't take long to figure out that they were right. I can honestly say the knowledge & experiences I've gained from working at a hospital and seeing things in real-life helped immensely in school and made the lectures & readings that much easier to understand.