Reply With QuoteBefore working in the ICU worked on 64 bed Telemetry Floor. Took care of up to 5 patients on days & up to 10 on nites. As most of you know, the older patients don't always sleep during the nite D/T sundowners.
My preference is definitely ICU.
Most ICU and ER jobs that I've seen posted require one or two years prior acute care experince.Originally Posted by tyrus
Barry Manilow didn't write I Write The Songs. Bruce Johnston did.
Before working in the ICU worked on 64 bed Telemetry Floor. Took care of up to 5 patients on days & up to 10 on nites. As most of you know, the older patients don't always sleep during the nite D/T sundowners.
My preference is definitely ICU.
Hi There!!
I am a Michigan Nurse and know that the staffing ratio's can be hard. I remember those first few months on the floor as stressful esp because you have to learn to multiple task with 4-5 patients. The burn-out rate is high and its exhausting. YES!! I moved into the ICU where I could concentrate on one or two sicker people. Have you considered ICU over cardiac stepdown?
Chris Z
The first year as a nurse on the floors, specially in a hospital are not pleasant. The good news is, once you get past it, it gets easier and you can start to see other career opportunities.
That experience is invaluable as it prepares you to deal with a large number of patients, situations, emergencies and conditions.
When you get to the point, where you've dealt with situations and built up a strong measure of confidence, your career outlook will be much brighter.
Do look to other nurses on your unit, learn which ones will answer questions and lend a hand.
Be eager to learn new things. When foleys are going in, ivs need to be started, doctors are doing procedures on the floor, ask if you can watch, help and learn.
Nurses look kindly on new nurses who are willing to learn.
Do hang in there for at least a few years.
Andrew Lopez, RN
Nursefriendly.com, A National Nursing & Consumer Health Directory
Welcome Chris Z!
Cary James Barrett, RN, BSN
LAD RN, I am a new nurse too. Congrats on surviving school, the NCLEX and all the other indignities on the path to getting those two initials!! Sorry to hear your first nursing job hasn't been what you had hoped for. I have several friends dealing with the same thing right now. This has been a difficult transition. Cassio did say something that is true...nursing is very different from the school experience. You don't have to go the day before and stay up late doing care plans...but you don't get the time to really focus on one or two patients in the in-depth way in which you do as a nursing student. There aren't nearly as many tests, but there are codes and near-codes and a million split second decisions and you can't study ahead or review your lecture notes. I'm having a blast in my new job and learning a ton every day. I am fortunate to have found a facility I am proud of and a group of nurses who work as a team and cooperate with one another. I know this is a difficult time to find a job but it definitely sounds like you are going to be a great nurse but you may not have found the right fit. Have you tried talking with your manager or graduate nurse coordinator? Do you have a resource person you can reach out to and perhaps plan for a transfer? If you do not feel that there is any hope at this facility, try looking elsewhere. Just like you said, health is of the utmost importance. Not just for our patients but for ourselves. Best of luck finding a healthy environment to practice nursing! - Toddy
When I was a new grad I had the exact feeling. I stuck it out 6 months just to "make sure" I didn't like it. I was on a telemetry floor with very sick patients on night shift with no limit to my patient load. It was overwhelming as I was not yet confident in my skills and I didn't feel it was safe practice. Fortunately one HS I had to float to the SNF in the same hospital for a night. I liked it so much I transferred to that unit. Point is, there are other options. It's ok to start off at a more comfortable level. Nursing is great in that there are many opportunities before deciding to get out of it completely.
I have been a nurse for five years now and I tell you it does not get any easier. I truly can relate to you and how you are feeling. The stress level of a floor nurse is off the chart and that won't change. Every hospital that I have worked in never has enough nurses although it was not quite as bad as your floor appears to be with so many nurses quitting. My advice to you is to really think about the type of nursing you are interested in doing and the responsibilities that each carry. Than think about what one feels he or she can deal with. Many people do get into the field of nursing for money reasons. I myself got in because the of job security and decent pay but but being a nurse is something that I have always wanted to be. I strive to be the best I can be. In saying that maybe you may want to consider procedure work or clinic work. I myself am considering procedure work; you deal with one patient at a time so just think about it.
I would give it a year at least before you call it quits. It takes that long to learn how to get organized and "start" to feel comfortable with your skills. Nursing in a hospital environment is one of the toughest training grounds you'll encounter. However, once you've got hospital experience under your belt, you can go virtually anywhere. Long term care, surgical centers, home health, insurance companies, medical equipment sales, pharmaceuticals, etc.
Opportunities abound for experienced nurses. The trick is to stick it out and get the time you need under your belt. Look to your coworkers, find who you can ask questions, and for help without getting your head bitten off. They are out there on every unit.
Hope you'll stick it out, there is so much in nursing you'll miss career-wise if you pack it in so early.
Andrew Lopez, RN
Nursefriendly.com, A National Nursing & Consumer Health Directory
After 16 years as a nurse, I have to say I still love my job. I wish everyone could remember why we went into nursing in the first place, and forget all the hashing of the profession. We are here to take care of others, and if anyone went into nursing for the money, the hours or the glamour, "you" are in the wrong profession. I am a DON, and the best part of my day is spent out working on the floor with my patients and staff. I have really good days, and I have REALLY bad days, but at the end of the day if I have touched one person's life for the better, I have done my job. Good luck to you in your nursing career.
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