Found a post on Allnurses that just sums it all up.

Mar 13 by Jennerizer here

"A lot of the hospitals here in Florida are getting rid of the patient care techs....so if you plan on being a nurse, you better make sure you're ok with doing a lot of what a typical CNA would do for the patients. I can understand why turn over is high for new grads....it is crazy out here. I've been a nurse for over 7 years & even I am getting fed up with the shortstaffing, poor pt to nurse ratios, the constant berating of HCAHP scores & how we (the nurses) need to do better.....even though the hospital chooses to keep us running with as few nurses as possible. Our poor new grads are started out on med/surg with 7 patients, no techs and no secretary. If I had started in an environment, I would have turned around & ran the other way.

I don't think it's so much that older nurses are eating their young......rather they are too overwhelmed themselves to help very much. I am not jaded towards nursing.....nursing is a fine career. It is when administration thinks because a nurse "can"...that they "should" do everyone's job. We put in our orders, we are doing respiratory treatments, now they are telling us to make sure we clean the rooms on a daily basis.....as well as emptying the trash and laundry. Cater to not only the patients, but their families also...because 60% of the patient satisfaction surveys are filled out by family members. Remind doctors to do this or that. Call doctors with results of tests....and in turn get yelled at by these doctors for bothering them with results.

Where is the nursing in all that? We are being turned into a jack of all trades & then blamed when something doesn't go right. Lab messes up a time or a order....well, the nurse should have caught the mistake & corrected it....or the nurse should have noticed no one from lab drew the blood at the exact time & the nurse should have made a call to remind lab to draw the blood. The doctor orders the wrong test or doesn't give a reason why a test is ordered....the nurse should figure it out or follow up with the md. MRI is ordered but the dept is taking awhile to get the patient...the nurse should call and find out why they are taking so long. Pharmacy is questioning medications, have the nurse call the MD to clarify & then call the pharmacist to follow thru on clarification. Pharmacist still doesn't agree? The nurse should keep calling until it is resolved. Why can't the doctor & pharmacist talk to one another? No one around to answer the phone, the nurse should drop everything to answer the random unit phone calls. It goes on & on & on. Put the nurse in the middle & then blame the nurse for everything that isn't perfect. That is not nursing!"

THIS. THIS. THIS in so many ways. Urgh! Thank heavens I'm not the only person who thinks this way.

And to add, why is it when a doctor comes on the floor to write orders for a patient they RARELY go in to see the actual patient? Patients expect us to stop what we are doing to call and inform the doctor of every question they have no matter how minimal it is (such as getting an excuse for work after they are discharged) and then get pissed when we don't take the time during our busy shift to stop and do said task....I'm sorry that passing pain meds, putting in orders, and drawing labs is more important that making sure you have an excuse for work!!!! All questions could have been resolved had the physician actually dropped in and SAW THEIR PATIENTS!!!! Then I wouldn't have to call them to get that order for tylenol for that patient who has a headache because they've been stressing out about not seeing their doctor for 3 days....

And patient families. Please do not get me started on you. Yes, I know that you want to visit your family member. I completely understand that. But please don't linger at the bedside and refuse to move when I ask you to so that I can get to said patient. And stop rolling your eyes at me because I don't have time to make YOU coffee or answer every bloody question you have. I can't tell you anything about the patient's condition. Stop asking! And no, this isn't a hotel or Burger King. You can't have it the way you want it. I'm not a waitress. I don't make coffee. I will if I have time, but I'm not going to stop in the middle of an assessment to make you a cup.

Lord. It feels like all I do these days is complain. I wish visiting hours didn't start until at least 11am. Then I could get my assessments and morning med passes completed before grandma, cousins and their best friends from high school show up and slow me down. -_-

The Road is Long

I've been working as a nurse for 6 months and 8 days and I must say...nursing isn't what I thought it would be. I've been yelled at my patients, threatened by family's, humiliated in front of every staff member on the floor by doctors. I've gotten in trouble for things I didn't know, things I was never taught and never thought to ask about. I've been made to feel little, unimportant, a waste of space in a hospital that can easily replace me. I do not feel important at all. Another name on a page. Another face in the crowd. I try and it doesn't seem to do any good.

I've been told that the first year of nursing will be your hardest. I've only been working for 6 months and 8 days and I'm already ready to quit.

In my short time as a nurse two nurses have already resigned. Neither of them have been on this floor for a year. This particular unit will chew you up and spit you out. Sure, there are nurses who will help you if they see you drowning, yet you're 10 feet under before they realize or care to help. And you hate to be a burden. Everyone's busy. No one has time to stop and answer every single question. They pile up, they suffocate you and before you know it you're head deep in chaos and no one, not even that sweet, even tempered charge nurse can help you.

I try. God how I try, but each day the light at the end of the tunnel grows dimmer. I can no longer see the glow as it fades. I try to keep my head up. It must get better eventually...right? Less than 6 months and I will be a year old nurse. Will I know everything? No. Will I feel comfortable in my own skin? I hope so.

Nursing for a new nurse is a difficult feat. I truly wish that patients, families, doctors and more experienced nurses realized how hard it really is. They expect you to know so much in such a small about of time. Six months is not very long. 3 days a week. 4 weeks in a month. 6 months. 96 days. That's barely 4 months of true experience and yet I'm required to have all of the answers or at least know where to find the answer which is easier said than done some days.

I'm ranting. I know. I've been having these horrible days a lot lately. A new nurse said something online that has stuck with me for weeks. I'll summarize it.

As a new nurse we need support and guidance. We need help even though we may not always ask for it. Please, when you see me drowning in piles of paperwork, calls, physician orders, family issues, do not ask me if I need help as you're one number away from clocking out. You do not wish to help. You only want to make yourself feel better, satisfy your conscience before you leave at the end of the day. Please do not, after asking if I need help, huff and pout when I ask you to do something for me. If you didn't want to help you shouldn't have asked. There's nothing more irritating.

Tomorrow I'll give it another try. I've yet to have 2 horrible days in a row. Tomorrow will be better. If it's not at least I get three days off before I have to plunge back into the despicable world of bedside nursing.

Just keep swimming!

So I just started working as an RN Monday. We had orientation from 7:30 until 4:30 Monday and the rest of the week 8:00 until 4ish. Today I got out reasonably early because I finished everything for today yesterday. Orientation on days 1 and 2 consisted of meeting in a conference room and listening to the CEO, COO and other members of the hospital talk about the policies of the hospital etc. I, like most of my peers, was in a state of shock the entire time. I still couldn't believe that I was there. Me. A registered nurse working for the largest hospital in our area? Yeah, I can't believe it. But here I am. XD The first few days were just to get us acquainted with the rules, etc.

Day 3-5 were nursing orientation. We did nursing skills such as starting IV, putting in urinary catheters, setting up chest tubes, cleaning central lines and trachs. We also learned how to set up the IV pumps and use the EMAR system. The MAR system is kind of confusing, but I think it'll be very useful when giving meds. The only down side to the entire nursing orientation was that I didn't pass my pharm exam the first time. I made a 80 instead of the 85 I was supposed to. I studied and passed it today with a 100. XD I'm glad about that because I was really stressing out about it. It's sad to say but I'm really glad that I wasn't the only one who had to retake it. It made me feel that I wasn't the only one who just didn't get it. Second times a charm though and I blew that exam out of the water!!

I start working Monday. I'm excited and terrified at the same time, but I know that they don't expect me to know everything right away. I'll try my best to do what I've been taught and be the best nurse I can be. I really do think that I'll like this job. It's a bit overwhelming right now, but I know things will calm down eventually (more like in a few months, but who's counting?)

This is my free weekend before I start working as a nurse so I'm gonna enjoy it.

Good luck to all the nurses out there who are starting their jobs. If you're nervous you are not alone. We're all in it together!!!

Me

My NCLEX Experience!

So, I've been studying almost nonstop for the NCLEX. I started in May, but I didn't really study hard core until after I graduated and applied to take the exam. I didn't over study, but I didn't not study either. I think I did about 800+ questions between Saunders 4e and LaCharity's Priorization, Delegation and Assignment. I also studied Pharmacology Made Incredibly Easy. I did a couple questions on Facebook ( onsome nursing community) and did HESI and ATI exams. I have to say that nothing really prepared me for this exam. The NCLEX was a rude awakening. I felt like I knew absolutely nothing on that test. I guessed on pretty much everything except the math questions.

My exam consisted of prioritization, psych, 2 math problems, 4-5 select all that apply, nursing roles, elder abuse and, nurse conference teaching material and medications...lots and lots of medications, most of which I didn't recognize. I got 76 questions before the computer shut off. When I finished I nervously left the testing center and went to wait for my sister to pick me up.

The drive home from Macon was crazy. I kept thinking about the exam. I barely remember the trip home.

I checked Pearsonvue and the Board website for results almost every hour. I tried the pearsonvue trick and got the good pop up. The good pop looks like this:



If you don't know what the good pop up is check Allnurses.com. They have full threads on how this trick actually works. I was excited about that. I actually freaked out when I got the credit card screen the first time I tried, but I think that's because I was trying to register without signing in. >_<

I didn't get my results the day of the exam (Wed June 29), but around 7:20ish today (June 30) I checked the board website and it said that I had no application. I freaked out again. I tried 3 more times before I finally went to the site homepage and checked to verify my license status. I didn't know I had a license at this point so I didn't think it would work. I left the license number blank because I didn't have one. It worked. It said my license was active. O_O <--- That's how my face looked after I read that!!!!! I'm so happy right now. I told my mom and my sister and then called my other sister and my cousins. They were all happy for me. XD I also told everyone on facebook because I've been keeping up with classmate results on there too. So far everyone on my friends list has passed. XD

NCLEX was hard for me. It's nothing like the questions in nursing school or Saunders. They make you actually think instead of being able to pick the obvious right answer. No answer on that exam is obviously right or wrong. They all look right and you have to think 'what will kill my patient faster', 'what side effect shouldn't my patient be having with this medication.' I didn't know the signs and symptoms of those medications but obvious nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea weren't the right answer because almost all drugs may cause those.

As for prioritization, I got a lot of questions asking which patient should the nurse see first after getting report. All of the patients in the options were sick, but you had to think about which one would decline the fastest if you didn't see them immediately. In some of the questions all of the patients were stable, but you had to decide which one would you see first, not based on critical situations, but on diet specification (insulin before breakfast or procedures to be completed in the morning. I also got one ml/hr question and one critical care math question that dealt with mcg/kg/min. I didn't even study math but I think I got both of those questions right simply because I took critical care last in nursing school.

Well, that was my experience with NCLEX. I'm glad it's over. Now to do well at my new job! I can't wait to start!

Good luck to everyone still waiting to take NCLEX. Breathe, relax and you'll do fine!

Me

Not a nursing student anymore!

I know I haven't updated this thing in ages. I'm sorry. The past few weeks have been hectic, exciting and just...yeah. But I'm done with nursing school. Yep. I graduated on May 9, 2011 from school and have been enjoying the happiness ever since.

So, I passed PCN 4 with flying colors. I went on into preceptorship on a med surg floor. I was assigned to work with a charge nurse which was very interesting. She not only had her four patients, but she also had to make assignments for everyone else. To say the least it was an interesting experience. My 96+ hours on that floor will be memorable. I have to say I got a bit too attached to my patients up there, but it's hard when you spend 12 hours taking care of them. You learn more about people when they are sick I tell you. I got a great evaluation and left their feeling like a nurse. It was a great experience.

I did not go to the pinning ceremony. I just didn't see the point. I had a pin, but I just...didn't want to go. I didn't get overly attached to the nursing program so being pinned wasn't something that meant much to me. I believe I'll be happier about my accomplishments when I'm actually a licensed nurse. I honestly think pinning should take place after you take and pass the NCLEX, but that's just me.

Um, I attended graduation. It was hot as hell that day. The black dress I wore soaked up most of the sweat, but the drive to the center was torture. The program took forever to complete, but it was nice for what it was. My family was there to congratulate me which was all I really cared about.

I just went to my first nursing interview on Friday. It went well for the most part, but I'm sure I could have done better. Nerves...they will be the death of me. Hopefully I'll hear back from them soon about whether I got the position or not. -crosses fingers-

I got my ATT to take the NCLEX. I've been studying here and there using saunders, but to be honest studying questions just seems like a waste of time. I'll keep at it. I've done about 200 questions so far.

If any of you are in the process of preparing to sign up for the NCLEX please take note of the following prices. Had I known it would be this expensive I would have saved more than the money I did.

NCLEX- The actual exam is $200
Board License Application- This pays for the license you'll get when you pass the exam- $40
Background Check- $50

Total= $290

The process to sign up is fairly simple. I signed up right after the first HESI attempt which sped up the process after I graduated.

1. Sign up and pay for the NLEX exam. http://www.pearsonvue.com/nclex/
2. Go to your state Nursing Board site and pay for your license. In my case I had to go to http://www.sos.georgia.gov/plb/rn/. You MUST go to your own state's website.
3. Get your background check. We used Cogent. You must pay online. Print the registration code and take that with you to the site. This is the website we used. http://www.cogentid.com/index.htm

After you've done that your school will email your transcript to the board and they will make sure that you have everything else completed (application and background check). To check on your status you can log into the board website. Everyhing should say Completed and not Pending when everything is done.

The Board will send you a ATT (Authorization To Test) through your email if you put an email or by mail/phone etc. I chose email since it's faster. You log into the NLEX website on Pearson and schedule your testing date. That's it. You're done.

I wish someone would have explained that to me before hand. I have to say I was lost. Hahaha

I'm waiting to hear from my sister. She's driving me to the testing site since it's almost an hour away and my car won't make it. I'll hopefully get to take the exam this month. Wish me luck.

Well, that's all for now. If you have any questions email me at dragonlvr452@yahoo.com. I don't check the comments sorry.

HESI EXIT EXAM!!!

So....yeah, I passed the HESI exit after THE FIRST ATTEMPT!! Yayayayayayay! I swear I got up Friday thinking that if I didn't pass it was no big deal. They gave us 3 attempts to pass the thing and this first attempt was wayyyy earlier than any attempt they had ever given in the program. My thinking was, if I didn't pass then it wasn't really my fault. They hadn't introduced all of the material to us beforehand so it wasn't my fault that I didn't know half the stuff on there.

After I dropped my mom off at my sister's I drove over to the school, sat in the car for a while listening to SHINEE and then took the long walk from the Clearview parking lot to the CCT building room 122. I sat outside with this other girl who kept asking me what the PT normal levels were for coumadin. Like I fucking know. She was freaking out over such a tiny detail. THIS is why I don't talk to people before exams. They start freaking out over stupid stuff like coumadin levels right before a huge exam like every question on the exam is going to be about coumadin. So, I politely told her I didn't know and tried to block out all the pre-test chatter around me. Yapping about the test five minutes before an exam isn't going to improve your score. I know from experience and you'd think they'd know after being in this program for ever a year.

I sat in the very back of the room. Perhaps it's a nervousness thing but having people behind me during an exam makes me nervous. I feel like everyone's watching me take the exam. Weird I know. We got ear plugs but I only used them for 30 minutes or so because they bothered me.

During the exam people constantly got up and went to the bathroom. I never took a break because it wouldn't have calmed my nerves. It would have made me more nervous. Some people seemed to get up just to get up. I'm used to sitting for hours at a time. We do that every monday and thursday for lecture so I didn't see what the problem was.

It took me 4 hours and 30 minutes to complete the exam. It was 160 questions with 10 being pilot questions. Pilot questions don't count toward your score so actually it was 150 questions.

When I finished I seriously thought I failed. I sat there wiping my dry erase board clean. I thought I'd make a 800 or something. I suck at HESI exams. My med surg exam score wasn't great and our professors kept talking about how hard this exam was. It WAS difficult, but it wasn't so hard that I felt like I wanted to have a mental breakdown.

When I saw my score, a 980, I took in a sharp breath and my expression was like this O_O or maybe like :0. I was so proud of myself. I still am. As soon as I got to the car I called my mom and told her I passed. This is after I calmly walked from the testing room. We were told not to react within the room. :) My mom was proud and so was my sister. I would have gone to celebrate with everyone in Illges, but I really only wanted to be with my family.

So, that's my HESI experience. I'm done with that exam. There's no more retest and no more sitting their for 4 hours. XD

Yay me. I'm one step closer to becoming a nurse!

Exam 5. A is what I'll make on you.

Today is exam 5. I'm sitting in the computer lab waiting to get started. I'm not nervous about this material, but I'm not exactly confident either. Here's hoping that I get an A. LMAO. You know what, I'm going to get an A because I studied the material. I know it and I believe that I'm comfortable with it enough to take the exam. XD.