Nursing Program... I HAVE AN INTERVIEW...Calling all Nurses!!*UPDATE**

[Elite Silkies]

I really enjoy hearing about the fields and why you like it and why you didn't. I do want to pick an area that will be the most rewarding for me. I don't think I could do pediatric........ I don't think I could bare the feelings. But, who knows, I love those babies!

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Quote:
I think it was because I was assigned to inpatient acute dialysis and it was the most boring thing I've ever done.

Wow. My brother was a transplant recipient after doing peritoneal and hemo for five years, he died in my arms at work from a heart attack...to much stress over his 45 years with the disease. My mother was on dialysis for three years before dieing last Memorial Day, she was 81. I'm pretty sure that it's kind of boring for the patients, too.

Take care,
Ed

Ed, I'm sorry for your losses and the profound effect that dialysis had in your brother and mother's life. There are many nurses who love being dialysis nurse and that's wonderful...I'm just not one of them. We were discussing nursing and the areas of nursing that we found rewarding...or not so rewarding.

I've been in oncology most of my nursing career, including bone marrow transplant and pediatric oncology...and now oncology research. I cannot change the fact that my patients have cancer, but I can help to make a difference in their lives. I'm sure there are many dialysis nurses that feel the same about their field of nursing.

Judy

 

[Intheswamp]

Casey3043, thanks for the reply. You really don't know what a blessing you are for those kidney patients. My brother was a tough guy, who grinned and took the dialysis...he experienced peritonitis a few times with peritoneal and the rollercoaster ride of hemo but he always appreciated good, caring nurses. I don't know why I said he was on dialysis for five years (guess I wasn't thinking) because between the peritoneal and the hemo he was on dialysis for more like ten years. He never quit working through it all and even while on peritoneal he would change out bags driving down the road with the window closed on the top of the bag as it drained into him. My mother found out her kidneys were failing when she went in for some tests on her heart...the heart doctor saw the numbers and canceled the "dye" test which kept Mother from having to start dialysis earlier than she did. She was what I would call a Southern gentlelady and endured the treatments three times a week. I know she was miserable each trip and basically the only thing during the 3-4 hours of treatment that could give her comfort was the encouragement of the nurses and other patients.

I do think that dialysis nurses are a different type of person. I'm not knocking other nurses, because I know there are excellent ones in many other fields, too. From my viewpoint as a family member of two dialysis patients I can see that a special relationship builds between patient and nurse. Care givers and patients who see each other three days a week for years tend to build a special bond. The patients rely so much on the nurses both in and out of the chair. I don't know how nurses handle it when one day they get that call that Mrs. Smith or Mr. Joe aren't coming back...they have to put a smile back on their face for the next person sitting in the chair...and go on with things.

My hat's off to the dialysis nurses, may God bless you ya'll,
Ed

 

[Intheswamp]

No problem, Judy. We all have a place in life, the good thing is when we find it, eh? I can understand how a person could hate dialysis, it is like having a constant "time out" called in a person's life...but like my brother always said, "It's better than the alternative". I'm glad that you found the field of medicine that works for you...I really believe that for a person to approach their potential that they have to be doing something that they enjoy doing. Helping people to feel better (whether physically or mentally) while in some of life's toughest times has to be very rewarding. The area that I live in is no stranger to cancer, just a short piece from where I'm sitting I'm pretty sure that there is an undocumented cancer cluster. I hope your research touches many people in the days and years to come.

God bless you,
Ed
Quote:
Wow. My brother was a transplant recipient after doing peritoneal and hemo for five years, he died in my arms at work from a heart attack...to much stress over his 45 years with the disease. My mother was on dialysis for three years before dieing last Memorial Day, she was 81. I'm pretty sure that it's kind of boring for the patients, too.

Take care,
Ed

Ed, I'm sorry for your losses and the profound effect that dialysis had in your brother and mother's life. There are many nurses who love being dialysis nurse and that's wonderful...I'm just not one of them. We were discussing nursing and the areas of nursing that we found rewarding...or not so rewarding.

I've been in oncology most of my nursing career, including bone marrow transplant and pediatric oncology...and now oncology research. I cannot change the fact that my patients have cancer, but I can help to make a difference in their lives. I'm sure there are many dialysis nurses that feel the same about their field of nursing.

Judy

 

[scooldog]

Spent 12 years getting my 4 year BSN raising two kids (single parenting).

Yes is it was difficult but certainly not impossible. I spent 1

year in Surgery and then 1 year on In Med/surg. The O.R. is brutal. Not because of the work or the patients only because of the egos

of many of the other staff.

Many Docs think they are God and the nurse is the hand servant or whipping boy/girl when things

go wrong.

Other nurses do their best to make sure that certain Doc's "love" them in turn stabbing fellow nurses when they aren't looking.

I loved the fast pace atmosphere but the narcissistic personalities ruin it. I will tell you that i decided to "travel" as an OR RN for 4 years

and had the time of my life

....if it weren't for my partner who became sick of my being gone I would still be doing it now. How

does 80-90K sound per year with a month off or as much time as you want to take off? I climbed mountains in Alaska and worked at

prestigious hospitals like Dartmouth (New Hampshire is gorgeous). Yes, nursing is so wonderfully diverse and the sky is the limit when

it comes to specialties. I am now trying my hand at home care and love it! I graduated at the age of 37.

Looking forward to new

fields of nursing as I age and can't handle the physical demands of some of the specialties. I wish you great luck in your future. Only

words of wisdom are : Do as many of the actual NCLEX CD tests as you can get your hands on because passing the NCLEX is truly

a practiced skill. My computer shut off after 75 questions which is the minimum for either passing it wonderfully or failing it miserably.

Luckily I passed but had seriously no clue as to whether I passed or failed. PS. if travel nursing interests you PM me and I will fill you in

on some of the details...can't say enough great things about it! thumbsup
Shannon

 

[Elite Silkies]

Shannon,

I thought about the Traveling Nurses! That's pretty good money too

I would have to wait until my kids were out of school before I could that, but that is something that I would def. be interested. I think my husband would enjoy traveling with me. I have always wanted to travel, just never can afford to do it.

I had my Interview today! I had a knot in my throat and one in my stomach and my deodorant failed me miserably

I should know in 1-2 weeks if I have been accepted.

I am not going to be too disappointed if I don't, because I know that I have done the best that I can do, and I will try again next year. There is only 20 spots, so it's pretty hard to get in.

Wish me luck!

I'll let everyone know how it goes.

 

[supaflyz]

I didn't even knew they had a thread regarding nursing in here lol. I'm a nurse and I keep chickens as well. I'm 29 years old and have been a nurse for a year and a few months. I prayed and was luckily able to attend school and work at the same time so I just received my BSN this December! I was working at a LTC facility. I loved and and like most of my patients. The whole time I wanted to go to a hospital to see how it was and because most nurses recommend getting a year of experience in med-surgical floor and that it was consider "a real nurse if you work in the hospital." I figure that I would not land a job at a med-surgical floor with LTC experience. However I was ecstatic when a big time hospital in my city called me in. They hire me the same day after the interview. I made the major mistake of listening to others instead of staying at a job where I was happy.

I'm in orientation for 2 months and next week will be my last week before I'm off on my own. I'm quitting next week. It is just too much stress. I lost 10 pounds. I can't sleep after I get home from work. I have to hold my pee from 7 pm to 2 am. Get about 15 minute break then on my feet again till 9 am. I never get out on time. It is crazy work. I think about my job after I get home.

I came back to my old job today as a PRN nurse. My patients all hug me and with a really big smile. Some even ask me to promise them that I would come back. All my coworkers hug me. I really miss it. Just listen to your heart when you are a nurse. The good thing about nursing is that you can work in a vast area of nursing field such as: school nursing, public health nurse, clinic nurse, dialysis nurse, nurse in the army or navy, hospital nurse, travel nurse, ICU, ER, NICU, PACU, psych.

 

[seminolewind]

I didn't even knew they had a thread regarding nursing in here lol. I'm a nurse and I keep chickens as well. I'm 29 years old and have been a nurse for a year and a few months. I prayed and was luckily able to attend school and work at the same time so I just received my BSN this December! I was working at a LTC facility. I loved and and like most of my patients. The whole time I wanted to go to a hospital to see how it was and because most nurses recommend getting a year of experience in med-surgical floor and that it was consider "a real nurse if you work in the hospital." I figure that I would not land a job at a med-surgical floor with LTC experience. However I was ecstatic when a big time hospital in my city called me in. They hire me the same day after the interview. I made the major mistake of listening to others instead of staying at a job where I was happy.

I'm in orientation for 2 months and next week will be my last week before I'm off on my own. I'm quitting next week. It is just too much stress. I lost 10 pounds. I can't sleep after I get home from work. I have to hold my pee from 7 pm to 2 am. Get about 15 minute break then on my feet again till 9 am. I never get out on time. It is crazy work. I think about my job after I get home.

I came back to my old job today as a PRN nurse. My patients all hug me and with a really big smile. Some even ask me to promise them that I would come back. All my coworkers hug me. I really miss it. Just listen to your heart when you are a nurse. The good thing about nursing is that you can work in a vast area of nursing field such as: school nursing, public health nurse, clinic nurse, dialysis nurse, nurse in the army or navy, hospital nurse, travel nurse, ICU, ER, NICU, PACU, psych.

All I can say is thank gosh for taking action when you needed to. I've been there for 20 years and finally resigned from hospital and I'm now a visiting nurse. Man, you talk about how nurses are tortured- You get fried after a while. Good for you.

 

[supaflyz]

All I can say is thank gosh for taking action when you needed to. I've been there for 20 years and finally resigned from hospital and I'm now a visiting nurse. Man, you talk about how nurses are tortured- You get fried after a while. Good for you.

Yes I hate the fact that my manager basically screams at me at the ursing station and I'm still in orientation. I also heard her being rude to other nurses. The pay is good but I will say that I work for every penny of it. I look up online and I think one of the article said that nursing ranks highest in employee burnout and stress. I believe it too. I'm afraid of losing my license at the hospital because there is soooo much to do in so little time. The charting itself takes a toll on you. I never leave work at work. This is the 2 month mark and I'm already feeling htis way. It will not get any better. I know I felt this way at my first job but at least I get to sit down and actually think about what I'm going to do next. Hospital jobs definitely pays more but the stress that comes along with it is not worth it.

 

[seminolewind]

I had a charge nurse that would scream at me everytime I asked her something. It was really getting me upset. How dare anyone think that they are allowed to yell at me! Who gave them the right!

A few times, including once with that person, I took her aside and said "I don't know if you're aware of this but you yell at me all the time and it's really getting upsetting". She was shocked. But I was nice about it and it stopped.

I would not be afraid to take that manager aside and tell her that her screaming at you has got to stop. Be really nice about it, but tell her to please stop. You don't get paid to come in to work to be screamed at.

Hospitals are stressful. If you don't speak up for yourself, you get eaten and pooped on. If you don't stop someone from treating you badly, soon everyone does because they can get away with it. If one treats you like an idiot and you let it go, eventually everyone will treat you that way.

Supafly, when I was new, the charting would make me cry at the end of a shift. I was so confused by it, what to write, what not to write, etc. A nurse rescued me by showing me a system that starts at the top and works it's way down for assessment. What saved me is writing these little systems down on a small pad, and this would make sure I covered all the bases. I carried that for a year. It took the stress away. Also, buy yourself a small pocket size book that lists illnesses or treatments and possible side effects , like with meds. It will help you cover what needs to be addressed according to what the patient has. A lot of that is from nursing school. If a patient has an IV, you have to address certain things in your note. And so on.

I'm just starting out as a visiting nurse, I've had 20 years neonatal experience, and it took me 2 years to get hired into working with adults. But with homecare, there's a thing called an Oasis. It's 20 pages long , checking off things about your patient. At the end, you push a button and it generates another paper that is THE plan of care. It's amazing how this system takes all the blocks you've ticked off and converts it into a narrative. However, there are guidelines to follow when writing what you did at that visit, and QA can keep sending back the form for corrections. It's real frustrating. If I take my $40 per visit and divide it by all the hours including paperwork, I make $3.25 an hour, LOL. But not really kidding.