Hi, I’m hoping I can find other RNs who have legally changed their name that can shoot me some advice

I started medically transitioning in the middle of Nursing school and had some issues with the paperwork with the legal system; so I had to apply to the BRN with my old name. I changed it before I sat for the test. I passed and started applying to jobs today, only for me to look up my license on the website all triumphant and see “previous legal name:___” under the current one for all public to see.

I’m in California, so there is a confidentiality agreement I submitted with the paperwork to change my name on the BRN website, I don’t know why it didn’t work but I’m guessing it had to be Snail mail not over breeze.

It looks like my options are

-drive to Sacramento and ask them to expedite the legal name confidentiality agreement for safety reasons (online websites say this will not go well)

- send priority mail to listed address

- send snail mail and focus on applying out of state

I have limited resources so I’m
Not sure what my best option is, but I don’t want my deadname to follow me. If anyone applied to multiple state licenses, did your old name follow you to the next state?

Thanks so much to anyone who can give advice 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🫡

So I’ve been thinking about getting my MSN. I have almost 4 years experience as an RN, currently working peds/picu for two years.

I sort of thought about pursuing a PNP at NYU but been second guessing if I’m actually smart enough/ will even make it in the program. So I applied to Nursing Informatics at CUNY and did get that. However now I’m second guessing whether to do that now… I like the technical side of things however I been hearing a lot how hard it is getting a job in that field / it’s not even necessary to have an MSN in informatics.

So essentially now I’m thinking of doing the PNP program anyway. But I’d have to ask for the same people for recommendations again ( my ANM and nurse educator) and I wonder if they will not want to/ wonder why I’m switching my mind so suddenly.

Job hunt advice

Well friends. Anyone who’s seen my other post can see that i was in a tele job that ran me into the ground.

Proud to say that at this morning I put in my resignation. I was initially going to just resign and stop showing up because this job physically makes me sick and I think it has permanently affected my relationship with nursing for the worse. But I am putting in my 2 weeks instead and if I feel like I need to I’ll just call off my remaining shifts or say I’m not coming in…. Burnt bridge be damned.

I was only in this job for 2 months (I’m right at the 3 month mark almost) but I wanted to know for future job applications, is this job appropriate to put on work experience?? I’m planning on telling my manager plainly I’m burnt out and cannot do this any longer and I need a permanent change of pace in the nursing I do, and asking if she’d be willing to help me find that. She either says yes or no. But while I hate this job it did teach me a lot of nursing skills that transfer over to other jobs I may want. So pls lmk if 2 months is something I should even put on work experience??

Hi everyone!

I’m currently a final-semester nursing student at a university in Amman, Jordan, that is accredited by ACEN. I’m also a U.S. citizen. I was born and raised in North Carolina but moved to Jordan during middle school, and my goal is to return to the U.S. after graduation to work as a registered nurse.

The main issue I’m facing is that my university doesn’t really know how to guide students in my situation, particularly American citizens who completed their nursing education abroad and want to return to the U.S. to work. I’m honestly quite confused about the entire process, including what steps I need to take after graduation, how to approach the NCLEX, and how to navigate the job application process.

I’ve noticed that some nursing students graduating in 2027 are already applying for jobs, and I’m wondering whether I should be doing something similar at this stage or if there are other things I should prioritize first. Since I’m a U.S. citizen, I understand that I won’t need visa sponsorship, but I’m unsure how the rest of the process works for someone who graduates from a nursing program outside the U.S.

I would genuinely appreciate any advice, resources, or personal experiences you could share. I’m eager to get started, but I feel a little lost trying to figure everything out without much guidance from my university.

Thank you so much!

I have only been a nurse for 2 1/2 years with one year in cardiac Tele and a little over a year in LTC. I am wanting to leave the bedside but not sure if I have enough experience to do something else. Any suggestions on what my next move should be? I have to commute over an hour to the hospitals in my area, so going remote would be a plus.

Why do I always stay hungry all day long post night shifts. Like literally I feel like a cow. I work on my diet the whole week then comes post night shifts I ruin everything in one day. I literally had 2 burgers, fries, lunch, a doner and I still feel hungry 😅😅

I work in quite a busy ER, and multiple charge nurses constantly (like basically every shift) assigns a new grad (less than a month off orientation) to float as a resource nurse instead of taking a section.
Don’t get me wrong, she’s extremely helpful, and I have absolutely nothing against her. I just feel like this does her a disservice because she should be gaining experience managing her own patients, prioritizing care, and developing time management skills, and critical thinking.
My other issue is that she’s nightshift and I’m midshift. Wouldn’t it make more sense for midshift to float so we can leave on time instead of waiting to give report??
Am I wrong for thinking this doesn’t make sense? How does your ER handle midshift vs. nightshift assignments?

Starting a 1099 role with 9AM health. Does anyone know if they usually keep any 1099 RNs after insurance enrollment surge season or do they usually let them go after? Thanks!

Hey guys,

Just recently had my interview at Stanford.
Does anyone here work in the ICU? Do you guys have a lot of overtime? Just wondering 😂

Does anyone know of any companies that hire individuals to UR/UM positions without prior UR/UM experience? I have 2 years of bedside experience and 1 year of hospice experience with 10 total years of healthcare experience. I’ve been involved in quality management projects and Joint Commission Readiness committees before and have appreciated the review side of the job. I’m having a difficult time breaking into the field. Any tips? I’ve optimized my resume to an ATS format, applied to many jobs that I meet the qualifications for, and have a difficult time hearing back from any recruiters.

I have an upcoming interview with Elara Caring for a Clinical Team Manager position in the Midwest. Looking for honest reviews of the company, position, pay, benefits, etc.

All of my experience has been hospital-based, and I’ve been a nurse for 14 years. Getting older is becoming hard on my body, and bedside nursing just isn’t feasible anymore.

Hi everyone! I’d love some advice from experienced nurses, as I’m feeling a bit nervous about my decision.
My placements include 3 weeks in general medicine and 13 weeks in a surgical ward (vascular, gastro and urology), all in the same ward.
Originally, I planned to choose surgical for my new grad year, as I already had experience there. However, I decided to take a chance and chose a small rural ED with around 5–6 beds for the full 12 months, with no rotation.
The problem is that I’ve never done an ED placement before, and I’m worried about the steep learning curve and whether I’ll be able to manage the responsibility as a new grad.
Would it be better to start in surgical, build my clinical skills and confidence, and then try to move into ED later? Or should I take this opportunity now, since getting into ED later might be more difficult?
For those who started in ED as new grads, especially in a rural ED, how was your experience? Would you recommend it?
Thanks so much for any advice! 🥰

Prove me wrong.

Hi everyone! would love some advice/guidance…

I have been a preop/OR/PACU nurse (yes i do all 3 equally) for 3 years now straight out of school and i work in an outpatient setting. It has slowly become a toxic work environment with my other coworkers and charge nurse. I also have been feeling like i’m outgrowing this specialty and want to learn more overall. I have asked my charge if I can be scrubbed into more cases to learn when the opportunity and time is appropriate and she said no.

I can’t tell if this specialty but in a hospital setting will fulfill my want for learning more or if i should completely switch specialties. I have been interested in ER but i feel like I am not smart enough to become one and I feel like my odds of switching ANYWHERE will be difficult.

Has anyone switched specialties? How did you guys do it? Any tips? Any advice or know anyone whose been through this?

I swear everyone says that the AC is the easiest but somehow I can get IVs anywhere else like the wrist or forearm but I can't get an IV in the AC

Okay so I’m new to ICU, and the last 2 shifts I’ve had I’ve unfortunately left the night nurse with one access. First one she came around 1700, which sucked lol. She was a hard stick and her husband was telling me she’s usually needs ultrasound. I tried but I was just unsuccessful. I asked one of my coworkers who can do ultrasound IVs but he ended up getting busy.

Today the patient I had, had a triple lumen picc but unfortunately patients fungal cultures came back positive and the MD ordered to remove it. The patient had +3 edema in both arms, skin was weepy, and both arms had wounds that made access extremely limiting. Vascular access came to put in a midline and I damn near begged for two midline’s but the nurse said no. The only other place he had for access was his upper arm and only vascular access can do that.

Moral of the story is I feel terrible for leaving them with only one access. And even when I try to explain why I couldn’t get another access, they look at me like I’m lying :(

Fuck ICE and this administration.
I realize this image is graphic, Mods can remove if they feel it necessary.

I work in skilled care. We just had a resident who was ACTIVELY dying. He has been like this for about two weeks. I came in yesterday and apparently he is eating and talking.

He was all of the things. How does this happen?! Am I losing it? Have you ever seen this and how was that like?

So I'm a new grad, about 4 months in as an RN, only a month off orientation. I got hired to a cardiac stepdown unit, which I actually like. 3 patients, sick enough that I'm learning a lot, and my long term goal is ICU (ideally CVICU).

Problem is things at my hospital are getting rough. I keep getting floated to a med surg tele floor with 5 patients, which I've never been oriented to. Our contract literally says nurses with under a year of experience won't be required to float in their first 6 months. I showed my manager that section, got floated the next day anyway, and got a counseling about an old call off instead of any response to what I raised. I'm dealing with that through my union, so I'm not really asking about that part. It's just why I want out.

The job search is where I'm losing my mind. I've applied to basically every adult ICU and residency program within half an hour of me and I'm not even getting interviews. New grad residencies keep telling me I don't qualify because I already have an RN job. The experienced RN postings want 1 to 2 years. I applied for a CVICU spot and didn't get it. I've got a residency application in at another system and I'm just kind of waiting.
Some background in case it matters: BSN, I was a Navy corpsman for a couple years before nursing, and I'm working on my MSN now. I'm not trying to skip steps. I just don't want to spend my first year getting floated to med surg when I wanted critical care experience.

Honestly… I’m just tired. And I don’t even know if I want to be a nurse anymore if this is how it is. I don’t even know what I’m looking for but any advise at this point helps.

Finding a nursing job in one of the toughest markets, especially here in NY, has been such a challenge. I graduated with my BSN in May, passed my NCLEX in July, and have been applying nonstop ever since. I applied to practically every hospital I could think of, including out of state positions and places far from home. And what did I get? Nothing but rejection emails day after day. Not a single interview for the longest time. I also worked as a tech for 2 yrs at a hospital assuming that it would be easier for me to get a job and that was not the case. I had 2 interviews at that hospital for med surg positions and rejected from both.

It was honestly so discouraging. There were so many moments when I wanted to give up because I genuinely didn’t know what else to do. I started questioning myself and wondering if I would ever find a place willing to give me a chance.

But after months of searching, I finally found something, and I START NEXT WEEK! 😭❤️ I honestly can’t wait to begin this next chapter of my nursing journey.

Throughout this entire process, I kept praying and trusting that God would put me where I’m meant to be, and I’m so grateful that things finally worked out. I know the job market is incredibly difficult right now, and so many new grads are going through the same thing. If you’re still searching, please don’t lose hope. I know how exhausting and heartbreaking it can be, especially when you feel like you’re doing everything right and still getting nowhere.

I have no idea what it is. I think going up to the nurse’s station while they give report is the best move, because my grandpa NEEDS a ginger ale and he needs it NOW. I thought I heard them talking about a “rapid response”? But nothing in this hospital is rapid. My grandpa ran out of his ginger ale .5 seconds ago and it’s DISTURBING that I can’t find a nurse in a timely manner. How else am I supposed to relay this extremely urgent request if I don’t physically enter the nurse’s station? /s

I know this is a tale as old as time but FFS why am I still giving you report at 8pm on these 4 patients who are all relatively stable bc you need to stop and flush the IV halfway through report or right before? Because I promise you even if it doesn't work I'm not staying to put another IV. I assessed them on my time, rotated if necessary, removed if necessary, so if for some reason it's not working by shift change that's not on me. And why are you asking me questions for things that are so inconsequential?

And if you're going to stop writing things down as I'm speaking bc you need to stop to do some random thing please don't expect me to stop speaking. I find myself staying late more often than not bc the people I'm giving handoff to are like this 9 times out of 10. I dread it.

THIS will be the reason I end up leaving bedside. Not patient acuity, not admin - it will be bc of the nursing staff.

I’ve been a nurse for 2.5 yrs so far, moved from Med surg to the ICU and been here for about 7 months thinking a change might help my mental .I love it so much ! But I realized that I’m still struggling. It doesn’t help that I rotate.
I’ve been struggling so badly that I am going to start IOP soon (intensive therapy) and currently on meds. I’m hoping that it helps, I love my job so much and I hate that it takes me so much to
do it. How do other depressed nurses do it?
Any tips?

I used to take it as a compliment when charge would say, "I'm giving you this patient because I know you can handle it."
Now I hear it and my stomach drops a little.
I'm not the smartest nurse on the unit and I'm definitely not some superhero. I'm just pretty calm when shit goes sideways, I don't disappear when somebody needs help and I can usually keep a rough assignment from turning into a complete disaster.
Apparently that's become my entire work personality.
Last shift I walked in and could tell immediately my assignment was heavier than everyone else's. Two high-acuity patients, one confused fall risk who needed constant redirection, plus an admission already on the way.
I asked about it and charge basically went, "I know it sucks, but I needed someone strong in that section."
That was it.
And honestly, she wasn't even being shitty about it. She was drowning too, which somehow made it harder to be mad. I got through the shift. Everyone got their meds. Nobody fell. Got the admission settled. Helped with somebody else's rapid when I had a minute and somehow even finished charting before sunrise.
Then I sat in my car for like ten minutes afterward because I just felt... used.
There are nurses on my unit who complain the second they get a rough assignment, refuse extra stuff, or make enough noise that everybody knows not to keep piling things on them. I've always hated doing that. I thought being dependable mattered. I wanted my coworkers to know I'd pull my weight.
But apparently if you quietly handle shitty assignments, people just learn that you'll quietly handle shitty assignments.
That's the part I'm struggling with. I still want to be somebody my coworkers can rely on. If a patient is crashing, I'm not gonna suddenly decide "not my problem." I actually like being useful and I'm proud that people trust me when things get messy.
I just don't want "she can handle it" to keep meaning "give it to her."
I think I need to get better at being dependable without making myself the easiest person on the unit to overload