*~*November*~* Nurses & Future Nurses! - Page 4

[amnesiac]

I hate, hate, hate hospital bedside nursing. So I discovered public health. Some of it's cool but some of it isn't. We don't do home visits & stuff like that but I do get to do well-child exams. I also do all the case mgt for our perinatal hep B prevention program & that is all a ginormous beating.

I'm going back to school in January in hopes of possibly expanding my opportunities. The thought of it makes me really nervous though. It's been 10 years now since I finished my ADN & this program is full-time for 2 semesters. Because I also work FT & have 3 kids I'm just anxious that I might not be able to hang. I did do it before with toddler twins & no help so maybe I can do this? It all seems to be going so fast - I just found out Thanksgiving that I was accepted & now I already have to register & then go for orientation Jan 5th. I feel very overwhelmed.

[marilynmama]

Originally Posted by amnesiac

I hate, hate, hate hospital bedside nursing. So I discovered public health. Some of it's cool but some of it isn't. We don't do home visits & stuff like that but I do get to do well-child exams. I also do all the case mgt for our perinatal hep B prevention program & that is all a ginormous beating.

I'm going back to school in January in hopes of possibly expanding my opportunities. The thought of it makes me really nervous though. It's been 10 years now since I finished my ADN & this program is full-time for 2 semesters. Because I also work FT & have 3 kids I'm just anxious that I might not be able to hang. I did do it before with toddler twins & no help so maybe I can do this? It all seems to be going so fast - I just found out Thanksgiving that I was accepted & now I already have to register & then go for orientation Jan 5th. I feel very overwhelmed.

I am REALLY getting sick of hospital nursing as well. Its making me depressed and angry! It's not my patients (love the kids) but it's just everything else--I feel like I am at my wits end. I am TOTALLY wanting to do public health but having a hard time finding a public health job.

You CAN do it girl! I know it has to be overwhelming, because it will be a change and change is sometimes hard, but you will adjust and just get through it. You can do it, just one day at a time and in no time you will be through with the 2 semesters!

[marilynmama]

Does anyone do home health? How much experience do you think someone needs for home health?? I'm a new RN, graduated in May but I work in a peds ICU and I feel my skills base is pretty good. I also worked as a tech a year before that (basic care, art lines, central lines, tube feeds, vent and trach care/sxn, etc).

I really think I need to get out of the hospital before I quit nursing all together...

[Turkish Kate]

I definitely don't want to go back to hospital nursing. I really feel like I've paid my dues there. I'm leaning more towards public health, home health, OB home health, and teaching.

Marilyn, my personal opinion is that you should have at least a year or two of basic nursing experience before going into home health. You don't have the supervision and technology in the home care setting, so having a really good base of assessment skills is crucial. You don't have the art lines, Swann lines, etc to give you information--you have to learn to find it on your own. Plus, you need lots of interpersonal experience because you find yourself in some really awkward situations at times. If all of your experience is in PICU, consider getting some Med Surg experience or basic cardiac experience, unless you want to stick with peds-only homecare. If you want to do peds, then PICU experience is great. There's lots of peds vents at home.

[amnesiac]

Originally Posted by Turkish Kate

Marilyn, my personal opinion is that you should have at least a year or two of basic nursing experience before going into home health... If all of your experience is in PICU, consider getting some Med Surg experience or basic cardiac experience, unless you want to stick with peds-only homecare. If you want to do peds, then PICU experience is great. There's lots of peds vents at home.

ITA. My first hospital experience was adult pulmonary & that really gave me a lot of confidence later on going into HH. I agree that you'd probably want to consider getting some other adult exp. unless you want to just do pedi HH. Much of the pedi HH available where I am is actually private duty shifts rather than visits & I've just not ever been interested in spending that much time in a family's home.

[marilynmama]

Thanks for the HH advice, I appreciate it!

I am interested in pedi home health and wouldn't mind private duty with a family I like. I guess it wouldn't hurt contacting a few of the local companies here and seeing what their experience has been with newer grads. I just can't take much more of the hospital.... I'm convinced now that there is not a nursing shortage, just nurses not wanting to put up with hospital nursing for long.

I also found 2 other places to work at outside the hospital, a home for chronic kids, I think I would enjoy that (trach and vent dependent kids, etc). I really enjoy children. That would give me some good experience for pedi HH too I think?

[amnesiac]

I've had that thought about the shortage as well.

[Turkish Kate]

Originally Posted by marilynmama

I'm convinced now that there is not a nursing shortage, just nurses not wanting to put up with hospital nursing for long.

Wow, I've never really thought of it that way, but I think you may be right. When I graduated, there was a huge nursing shortage. The two local nursing schools cranked out about 180 ASN grads a year, but that didn't seem to be enough to staff the local hospitals. It was a small town and a lot of them seemed to head out to the bigger cities where they could almost double their income, but that didn't seem to be where the majority went. Something to think about.

[Gator-mom]

Hello all!

I am doing pre-reqs right now for nursing. Still not sure if I am going for my BSN or Associates. I guess it just depends on who takes me. I already have a gen Associates now, but still need most of the core nursing pre-reqs. Since all of those are typically intense courses, I'm having to take it pretty slow in order to keep my GPA up. Though I totally feel like I'm going to be in school for the rest of my life!

Hoping to working in some kind of labor and delivery place (hospital, or birthing center).

I have an almost 2 yr old ds. Just taking one day at a time!

[MelW]

Originally Posted by amnesiac

I hate, hate, hate hospital bedside nursing. So I discovered public health. Some of it's cool but some of it isn't. We don't do home visits & stuff like that but I do get to do well-child exams. I also do all the case mgt for our perinatal hep B prevention program & that is all a ginormous beating.

amnesiac, I notice that you're the mod for vaccinations and a public health nurse. How do you deal with vaxes in your work? I assume that it's part of your hep B prevention role.

I'm also in public health, and have to say that doing vaccinations is by far my least favourite part of my job. And I'm not 100% anti-vax (my daughter is selectively/delayed vaxxed), but I really dislike "convincing" people to vaccinate. I'm pretty laid back about it- totally no pressure, I explain our "official" stance and support whatever decisions people make. But even as I read the information that I'm supposed to give clients it makes me shutter; it's so emotionally charged and kind of manipulative at times.

Other than that, I find that working in public health is generally more aligned with my personal beliefs than a lot of labour and delivery that I did over the years- though I get to deal with the breastfeeding fallout of crummy L&D policies in the early days at home I love the breastfeeding and transition to parenthood support, really like doing developmental assessments, facilitating a parent/baby group, etc. Public health is a great fit for me, and getting away from shiftwork has also been good

[BugMacGee]

I guess I'm an odd one. I love bedside nursing! I love the teaching and TLC involved. I got to help 32.5 week twins go to breast today! It was awesome!

[magnificentmama]

:

I'll come out from hiding for just a little bit. I'm K, single mommy to S. She's 6 and I've been an RN for only 6 short months and I'm sadly already tired.

I'm in total new grad, fish out of water, panic mode. I graduated with my BSN in May. I used to be a student nurse in OB, but since they didn't offer any full time employment, i had to find a job elsewhere. I kick myself everyday for not just taking the part time job they offered me. I miss OB so very much.

That being said, I'm already on nursing job #2. I picked job #1 specifically for the great pay and great benefits. Now I see why they pay their nurses so much. I had nightmares about going to work, it was affecting my personal life, and I knew it was time to goooo. I'm sooo happy I left!

I just started orientation on a Surgical/Ortho unit. I"m absolutely giddy that after 6 months of 'experience', i got a day position. It's 12 hours which is great b/c i only work 3 days a week, but it stinks in terms of childcare. I really want to know how Miss BugMacGee does this, because I can't afford not to work full time, but I feel like my personal life is falling apart because I work such long hours! I miss my kiddo constantly and I want to be with her all the time, but I just can't afford to cut down my hours right now.

So anyways, thats my sob story. I really am grateful I have a job, and you can't get any better job security, but I'm just wondering when the feeling of finally knowing that you're competent and you're not going to kill anyone- goes away.

[BugMacGee]

Magnificient mama-PM me and we'll chat. I couldn't keep doing 12 hour shifts as a single mom. I left a job I LOVED and have found my niche in a different unit. It has brought out a different side of the NICU nurse in me. Given me a more *big picture* view of the specialty.

As for the social life thing. Well....I wish I had a good solution there. It's a struggle. But working 8's is definitely more amenable to doing things in the evenings. I just have issues with childcare!


So many issues...sigh.

[Turkish Kate]

Originally Posted by magnificentmama

So anyways, thats my sob story. I really am grateful I have a job, and you can't get any better job security, but I'm just wondering when the feeling of finally knowing that you're competent and you're not going to kill anyone- goes away.

It goes away?

[magnificentmama]

Originally Posted by Turkish Kate

It goes away?

Oh hockey sticks!! Don't tell me that!!!!!! I was hoping that eventually this feeling of impending doom was going to go away soon!!!!

[wearbaby]

I found my place on MDC!!!!! YAY. I am currently in the "float pool" in a small town community hospital. I work everywhere in the hospital except OB. I really like pregnancy and birth and babies though and kind of wonder if OB is my thing. I think OB would be hard though with all the intervention that I don't really agree with. Anyway, just posted a big long post in this forum and am kind of at a crossroads. Float pool is big $$ so I can work less, but I am thinking I might need something mroe full time bc I need benefits. But the thought of working full time in a hospital is making me sick!

[Turkish Kate]

Originally Posted by magnificentmama

Oh hockey sticks!! Don't tell me that!!!!!! I was hoping that eventually this feeling of impending doom was going to go away soon!!!!

Ack, maybe it does for some. I dunno, it never totally went away for me. There was always too much to do, for too many people, with not enough time to get it done, and I was always worried that something/someone would get missed. The only time I ever felt completely "with-it" was when I did ICU dialysis. Just me, the patient, and a machine. I didn't do the bedside nursing care, just dealt with the dialysis needs and helped out if I could. That left me plenty of time to visit with the patient, if s/he was conscious. Lots of teaching time, lots of time to discuss diet and natural interventions, lots of time to visit. Of all the things I did, dialysis was probably my favorite.

Wanna hear something funny? Not funny ha-ha, but funny sad/scary? Those nightmares I mentioned? Well, it's always me with a full patient load (6-8) on a day shift telemetry floor with pre-CABGs, post-angios, and simple monitors. I look at my watch and it's 2:00, almost time for shift change, and I haven't had time to pass any meds or chart any assessments. That feeling of panic sets in and just as I start running down the hall, I wake up. Thank G*d. It's just a dream, but all too close to reality. And it's been *years* since I worked tele. *sigh*

[~threemoons~]

Hi- I'm Nina, been a RN for....5 years now? Yup, I guess its been 5 years. I've been SAH for the last year and worked very lightly the year before that. I've been attending HB's off and on for the last 1 1/2 years but the MW gave up her practice. assisting HBs was a welcomed change in pace after working 10 years (6 years as a CNA- 4 as a nurse) on a insanely busy surgical urology/medical floor. My nerves were frayed when I left that place. I feel so much more relaxed now........... and rusty, lol. I would really love to work in HH but I fear I have really let my skills go.

I do miss working as a nurse but the thought of floor nursing gives me chills, lol. I've had my fill of working every other holiday, every other weekend, night shifts, mandatory over time, etc. And I've had my fill of taking care of 5-7 acute pts at a time. But at the same time I really enjoy the fast pace, acute care stuff. I'm just not sure that I would be satisfied at a Dr's office or something.

nice meeting you all :-)

[annethcz]

I'm deciding to crawl out from under the rock I've been lurking under. I've read this thread and the WHOLE 3-year-long previous thread.

I've been contemplating going back to school for a nursing degree for a couple of years. I got my BS in psychology in 1997, started grad school (never finished) and then became a SAHM. I was intending to go the the local state university as a transfer student for their BSN program. Just today I got the transcript evaluation for my previous coursework, and I'm crestfallen. In addition to the nursing prereqs I'd need to take, I'm also missing a boatload of general ed requirements (mostly cultural diversity type of things) because my previous coursework wasn't deemed equivalent to the classes that are now offered. So basically, to get my BSN I'd need to start all over and it would take a full 4 years. I could try to argue that the classes I took 10+ years ago are equivalent to current classes, but I didn't keep my coursework or sylabii. This is not what I had planned. sigh.

So now I'm back to considering an ADN program. I know that this is the snob inside me coming out, but there's a part of me that cringes to think about going to a dinky community college rather than a university. Philosophically, I know that it's the experience that's most important, but I'm struggling with the thought that I could do better than that. Silly, I know. I also really wanted the BSN so that I'd have more options down the line- I could become a NP or CNM if I wanted to. (I do know there are RN to BSN programs out there, so that's an option)

So give me the scoop. How much does the type of degree matter- BSN vs. ADN. I know that I've seen a few want ads that specify that candidates with BSNs are preffered over ADNs. Will I be paid less with an ADN degree vs. BSN? Will I have a harder time finding a job? Is it stupid of me to be worried about this?

[Turkish Kate]

It's been a few years since I've been in the academic world, so someone please point out if my information is not current. The basic nursing education between ADN and BSN is negligible. Historically, diploma grads were best prepared for testing (NCLEX) and the actual world of nursing, followed by ADN grads, with BSNs bringing up the rear in terms of test success and initial integration into the work world. So in the short term, you're better off with an ADN.

Most places do pay a differential to someone with a BSN and some with any bachelor's degree. (My old hospitals paid 50cents an hour for a BS/BA. Wow.) Unless your state requires a BSN for initial RN practice (NE off the top of my head), most places only want a BSN for management positions--which you're not going to get as a new grad anyway. Having a BSN generally does not make a difference in hiring for your first nursing position (and some managers actually refuse new BSN grads because they haven't had the clinical experience).

If you want to continue your education into an advanced practice role, then there are many different ways to do that. There's RN-to-MSN, there's RN-to-BSN online, and there are programs that offer RN-to-MSN fast track for candidates who already hold a BS/BA in another field.

If you want to try to challenge their evaluation of your previous coursework, contact your school for copies of the syllabi. I challenged one after ten years and was able to get the syllabus easily, just a call to the registrar's office.

I understand the desire for a degree from a "good school," but you'll likely get more personal attention from a "dinky community college," which is really important in a heavy program like nursing. ADN isn't necessarily a terminal degree and can provide you with a stepping stone to further education. Or you may decide that you hate nursing and healthcare and you're not out six years of study!