Just wanted to share that I passed my NCLEX-RN.

I’ve only been an LPN for two years and my only experience is in LTC if you don’t count tech work on med-surg. I started my bridge program 2 weeks postpartum and struggled everyday with home stress, work stress, and trying to ensure childcare. 85 questions in 40 minutes. I prayed the test would go to 150 so I could prove that I knew something when I realized how quickly I had blown through the exam. I walked out of the testing center and cried before taking myself out to lunch because until I received my results at least it was over. Nobody knew I took the exam— Not my family, my friends, not even my fiancé. I had barely any time to study and felt so unsupported throughout the entire year and after graduation but I did it. This last year has felt so incredibly lonely but it’s over. Now on to my BSN and hopefully a job at my local hospital so I can finally obtain some of the clinical skills I lack.

Hi guys,

Little bit of back story: I currently live in Canada and have always wanted to move to the US. I have been applying to nurse residency programs over there which sponsor TN visas but have only heard back from a few. I graduate this December and am planning to write the NCLEX shortly after.

I got a job offer at Center point medical centre in Kansa City, Missouri on the PCU unit. I am so thrilled about this as they are sponsoring me for my EB3 green card through the hospital which is something I’ve always wanted. Even if I don’t stay at this hospital at least I will get my green card in a couple years and I can live anywhere in the states for extended periods of time. I also would love to move down to Florida eventually as that’s where my parents are and it’s been a while since we’ve lived in the same country, it’s time for me to be close to them.

I am only extremely worried about HCAs staffing.. I have been doing some reading up on and looking at the reviews of this hospital and it looks awful. I’m wondering if someone can give me some reassurance that I’m making the right decision or should I just wait for the next potential job offer in who knows how long that will be with the same opportunity. I just don’t want to miss out on an opportunity that may not come again for me to be able to move to the states. I need an environment that’s supportive and a culture that actually cares about their nurses. everything I’ve been reading does not sound like this at centerpoint or in regard to HCAs healthcare system.

I was wondering if anybody has any information on the unit/staffing/management or literally anything about Kansas city (independence, MO) in general I would love to hear about it. this would be a pretty big life changing decision for me so I really want to make sure I’m making the right one. I’m open to any feedback whatsoever.

thank you guys!!!

Those of you in CVOR, what does your after hours staffing plan look like? Do you have just one CST and one RN on call? Do you have back-up staff on call? If a dissection comes in, is there just one tech and one RN in the room? I feel like my facility doesn't have a good system in place compared to what I've experienced in trauma centers but I'm not sure how other CVORs do it..

I want to leave the daily clinical grind of dealing with others’ emotions and fears and constant demands. I want a job where lives are not directly in my hands. i still want to do something meaningful and helpful but not direct hands-on clinical work. has anyone done this? what steps did you take and did you have to get additional training?

I’m new to ICU and just got off orientation. I feel overwhelmed and like a new grad all over again but also love the new environment.

I made a med error today and can’t stop worrying about it now. My patient was on bivalirudin which I’ve never seen before and was told by night shift she is therapeutic. I checked her 7am aptt and somehow messed up the therapeutic range in my head and wrongly thought the result was therapeutic when it was below the therapeutic range. Based on that I didn’t recheck for 12 hours instead of the q4h that i should have. I realized this just before shift change and ran the next aptt stat, it was still subtherapeutic of course so I titrated up and let the night nurse know about my mistake. I also paged the doctor and got no reply. Night nurse said don’t worry she will handle it now so I clocked out and am just at home worrying.

What else should I do at this point?

As the title says. I am in Upstate NY. We are due for survey. No soap seems like a great way to get immediately shut down. It is a basic need. They say it is due to budget cuts. There is still hand soap in the residents rooms, in wall mounted dispensers.

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

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.

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.

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?

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 almost 10 years, always in oncology. 3 years inpatient experience and 7 years in outpatient chemotherapy infusion. Any ideas on what I could do next?

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

I found out I tore completely tore my ACL yesterday along with more minor strains to my MCL and PCL. This happened during a mountain biking crash last month. I wasn’t in much pain when it happened and was able to walk my bike out to my car walking gingerly as I knew I did something more than tweak it. I had figured MCL tear and possibly meniscus based on the pain being in that area and there was some slight swelling on the inner knee only. They had checked for joint laxity and I really didn’t have any but mentioned my knee felt unstable right after it happened. About 1 week later my stiffness had gone down and my range of motion had nearly fully returned. I was able to easily go up and downstairs and single leg balance no problem. It took me forever to get an MRI and see the doctor to talk about results. I had already gone back to work with no issues working 12 hour shifts in the ICU. I was pretty shocked to hear my ACL was fully ruptured. I have always kept up with working out and have very strong legs and good flexibility so maybe my quads and hamstrings just have compensated really well. They are saying it’s super risky to work bedside like this. I feel like I don’t agree. I completely agree that if I want to return to mountain biking surgery is the way to go. I feel pretty safe working bedside not even a month out from this injury and I haven’t even started PT yet. I am no financial position to be out of work for 3 months to heal from ACL reconstruction.

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 :(

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.

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! 🥰

Hey everyone.

I know this sub is usually for venting, so I promise I’m not here to drop any "toxic positivity" on you.

I work in healthcare in France (LTC, previously ER).

Reading your posts, it’s wild to see that despite the different countries, we all fight the exact same battles: understaffing, heavy ratios, and exhaustion.

In this field, we’re surrounded by chaos all day. Yet, it’s incredibly easy to feel totally isolated once we clock out, the adrenaline drops, and we’re back in our quiet living rooms..

I just wanted to offer a safe space tonight. If you're trying to decompress from a brutal shift, or if you just feel lonely and need to talk to someone who gets it without having to explain the jargon... my door is open.

Whether you want to vent about management, or just chat about absolutely nothing to take your mind off the call bells, feel free to drop me a message.

Take care of your backs tonight ☀️

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.

Used to be the occasional phone out during a code or a birth. Now it feels like every third visitor has the camera rolling before I even introduce myself. Not even stealthy about it. Had someone propped on a windowsill last week trying to get angle on a dressing change through the door glass.

The policy is fuzzy. Management says "discourage politely" but nobody wants the TikTok complaint. I find myself rehearsing sentences in my head before entering rooms, like I'm on stage.

This is not a post about HIPAA. I know what HIPAA is and is not. This is about the ambient pressure of being watched, and whether anyone has found ways to address it that do not turn every interaction into a negotiation with three people in the room: patient, family, and lens.

What actually works where you are? Or are we all just adapting around it in silence.

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 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🫡

Hi everyone! Just want to know if you guys like your job as a NICU nurse. I’ve always been interested and I’m taking a NICU position (I’m coming from background of adult tele unit so kinda nervous for the transition) any advice? Pros and cons of NICU? Thank you

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

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 😅😅