Hello,
I am sorta of a new nurse. I graduated in May of 07. Finally got my RN in Feb. 08. I started out on the post-parutm/nursery floor. After 5 weeks in nursery, the put me in post-partum for cross training. The first day on pp I folled another nurse. The second day they gave me one patient. At this time I am learning to chart for that floor and about different paper work that needs to be done. The 3rd night they give me 6 patients. When it is over, the charge nurse says I did well even though I was behind on the charting. The next work day, they put me in with couplet care (caring for both mom and baby) with a totally different nurse, again. The next day they call me in and terminated me saying people felt I didn’t fit in, or I complained about the work (totally a lie) and a few other things one of wiich “We thought you had more experience” even though I was a new nurse. Any way, I got another job at much smaller hospital, pp and womens surgeries. After 6 weeks, they let me go saying I just wasn’t getting it. The first week being oreintation and 3 days I was cancelled because they had no patients. Some days I would only have 2 patients. Now I work in renal/med surg and have been for a week. I totally hate it. I pray each day and night before going to the job for God to help me absorb the information and retain it and not be a burden on someone. I really don[t want to stay there, what do I do.
Catrina,
This seems an odd place to reach out to someone. The internet isn’t a good place for advice since we don’t know you. Go back to your school and clinical instructors and ask for their honest evaluation of your ability. You may not be suited for something as intense as floor nursing. Maybe home care, geriatric, or hospice may be more to your pace. In essence you said you were told you weren’t “getting it” in 3 different settings. Find someone who has experience and can be honest with you.
I’m sorry to hear about the unfortunate events that have happened to you with your work. First of all, congratulations for going as far as you have in your studies! That’s very admirable. I’m not a nurse myself, but I am responding to your message because there are a few nurses in my immediate family and a lot of my friends are nurses, and many of them have been through the same exact things you have been and still are going through. Since you’re a registered nurse, like many of the nurses I know personally, you have more options than an LPN or CRN. One thing I just wanted to mention to you is what a few of them have tried after the hassles they’ve been through with their previous and/or current job(s) – home health and public health nursing. With this, you travel to a few patient’s houses per day (its within reasonable distance from where you live, which is one plus for you, plus you get reimbursed very well for your mileage and gas – another plus) and you check on them and report your charting along with providing any care as you’re there if needed. Since you have only a few patients per day (it’s usually the same ones too, they don’t just throw you around to new people each day, and it’s less stressful because you pick up on everything and get to know your patients on a personal basis and because of this, a few of my friends/family that have done this work have said that it almost doesn’t feel like work because it feels more like a friendship and it’s more relaxing because as you’re at the patients’ homes and getting to see them on a regular basis, you get to know them personally and before you know it you’re exchanging stories and sharing laughs and you feel great about yourself because you know you did your job both personally and professionally and you received in return. Another plus to this work is that you are more free with time to do things such as eat and you pretty much set your own schedule (within a time period of usually 8-10 hours in a typical work day, and you also get days off just as you do with working in a nursing home or personal care home). If you’re interested on this type of nursing work, you can search online for jobs of course or I’d suggest (since I don’t know where you’re from) going to the yellow pages in your phone book for places in your area to apply for this job, or of course you can find out by word of mouth. Stick with it hun, you’re very ambitious and hard working, and even though it gets very discouraging, hang in there because the world needs great nurses that have the education and the will, such as yourself. I hope this helped 🙂
February 8th, 2008 at 8:15 am
ROFLMAO!!!! That is brilliant!
September 23rd, 2008 at 5:37 pm
Hello,
I am sorta of a new nurse. I graduated in May of 07. Finally got my RN in Feb. 08. I started out on the post-parutm/nursery floor. After 5 weeks in nursery, the put me in post-partum for cross training. The first day on pp I folled another nurse. The second day they gave me one patient. At this time I am learning to chart for that floor and about different paper work that needs to be done. The 3rd night they give me 6 patients. When it is over, the charge nurse says I did well even though I was behind on the charting. The next work day, they put me in with couplet care (caring for both mom and baby) with a totally different nurse, again. The next day they call me in and terminated me saying people felt I didn’t fit in, or I complained about the work (totally a lie) and a few other things one of wiich “We thought you had more experience” even though I was a new nurse. Any way, I got another job at much smaller hospital, pp and womens surgeries. After 6 weeks, they let me go saying I just wasn’t getting it. The first week being oreintation and 3 days I was cancelled because they had no patients. Some days I would only have 2 patients. Now I work in renal/med surg and have been for a week. I totally hate it. I pray each day and night before going to the job for God to help me absorb the information and retain it and not be a burden on someone. I really don[t want to stay there, what do I do.
December 29th, 2008 at 11:54 am
Catrina,
This seems an odd place to reach out to someone. The internet isn’t a good place for advice since we don’t know you. Go back to your school and clinical instructors and ask for their honest evaluation of your ability. You may not be suited for something as intense as floor nursing. Maybe home care, geriatric, or hospice may be more to your pace. In essence you said you were told you weren’t “getting it” in 3 different settings. Find someone who has experience and can be honest with you.
January 23rd, 2009 at 1:27 pm
Catrina,
I’m sorry to hear about the unfortunate events that have happened to you with your work. First of all, congratulations for going as far as you have in your studies! That’s very admirable. I’m not a nurse myself, but I am responding to your message because there are a few nurses in my immediate family and a lot of my friends are nurses, and many of them have been through the same exact things you have been and still are going through. Since you’re a registered nurse, like many of the nurses I know personally, you have more options than an LPN or CRN. One thing I just wanted to mention to you is what a few of them have tried after the hassles they’ve been through with their previous and/or current job(s) – home health and public health nursing. With this, you travel to a few patient’s houses per day (its within reasonable distance from where you live, which is one plus for you, plus you get reimbursed very well for your mileage and gas – another plus) and you check on them and report your charting along with providing any care as you’re there if needed. Since you have only a few patients per day (it’s usually the same ones too, they don’t just throw you around to new people each day, and it’s less stressful because you pick up on everything and get to know your patients on a personal basis and because of this, a few of my friends/family that have done this work have said that it almost doesn’t feel like work because it feels more like a friendship and it’s more relaxing because as you’re at the patients’ homes and getting to see them on a regular basis, you get to know them personally and before you know it you’re exchanging stories and sharing laughs and you feel great about yourself because you know you did your job both personally and professionally and you received in return. Another plus to this work is that you are more free with time to do things such as eat and you pretty much set your own schedule (within a time period of usually 8-10 hours in a typical work day, and you also get days off just as you do with working in a nursing home or personal care home). If you’re interested on this type of nursing work, you can search online for jobs of course or I’d suggest (since I don’t know where you’re from) going to the yellow pages in your phone book for places in your area to apply for this job, or of course you can find out by word of mouth. Stick with it hun, you’re very ambitious and hard working, and even though it gets very discouraging, hang in there because the world needs great nurses that have the education and the will, such as yourself. I hope this helped 🙂