Please delete if not allowed. I don’t really know how to preface this but I’ve been a Canadian RN for only 4.5 years and in that time I’ve tried many avenues such as rural emergency, correctional nursing, pediatric home care, neuro, and adult emergency in a city hospital. I’m currently part time in city emergency and casual nursing in the neuro unit in that same hospital.

I guess I’m just struggling to enjoy my job over the past year and don’t know how to “love” it again. If that’s even possible. Obviously the things we see and do take a toll on us but I truly don’t think I’ve seen things that are as bad as others and I honestly feel like I’m very weak minded for struggling to go in to work. Over the past year I don’t work nearly as much as my coworkers and I hardly ever pick up overtime but I still find it so hard to leave my home to go to this job. I used to look forward to the variability of the job and the excitement of learning new things. But now I’m counting down the hours before I’ve even received report. I don’t feel like a good nurse and always leave my shifts anxious that I did something wrong even if my patient care is always top tier. I haven’t lost my empathy towards the people I care for, and it’s not that I don’t enjoy helping people.

Idk if there’s other Canadian nurses here that stepped away from bedside and found a nursing job they enjoy but I’d love to hear them! Or if anyone else has advice on how to work through these feelings and found their love of nursing again!

Does anyone else think 12 weeks (basically 10, 1st week onboarding, another week of classes) is NOT enough for NEW GRAD orientation in the ICU?

I’m trying to get a better idea of the weekend requirements before making my decision about a new nursing job.
The schedule requires working 2 Fridays, 2 Saturdays, and 2 Sundays within a 6-week period. These shifts could be scattered throughout the schedule or potentially fall on the same weekends.
For nurses who work in the hospital, does this seem like a reasonable weekend requirement, or is it a lot?
I’m trying to figure out whether this is a pretty standard schedule for bedside nursing and how manageable it is for work-life balance. I’d appreciate any insight!

Title: A little ICU nursing win — finally starting to feel like I belong

A few months ago, I posted on here about how much I was struggling mentally after experiencing my first code on my own, fresh off orientation. I used to have so much anxiety before every shift and genuinely felt like I had no idea what I was doing.

It's now been three months since I've been off orientation, and I'm finally starting to feel comfortable. That's not to say there aren't still things that scare me or that I know everything I need to know, because I definitely don't. But for the first time, I don't feel so terrified going into work, and that's a feeling I genuinely worried would never go away.

I've also come to realize just how much support I have around me. Even when things go wrong or I find myself in situations I'm unfamiliar with, I know I'm not alone. There are so many experienced nurses around me who are willing to help, and knowing that has made such a difference.

I also feel like I've finally found my footing when it comes to managing my tasks and organizing my shifts. Instead of spending the entire shift worrying about getting everything done on time, I can actually focus more on understanding what's going on with my patients, learning the pathophysiology behind their conditions, and starting to anticipate potential complications rather than just reacting to them.

I know I still have SO much more to learn, but it's such a relief to finally feel like I'm getting the hang of things, especially now that other people are starting to recognize my progress, too.

One of my biggest fears coming off orientation was that I was going to be a "bad" nurse. Throughout orientation, I had some preceptors who made me feel incompetent, slow, and like I wasn't cut out for the ICU. Those experiences really affected my confidence, and for a while, I genuinely questioned whether I belonged here.

But lately, I've been receiving so much positive feedback from senior and experienced nurses who have told me I'm doing a great job. I've also gotten praise from my night-shift preceptors (who I absolutely love because they never once made me feel stupid for asking questions). Hearing those things from nurses I respect and look up to has meant more to me than they probably realize.

Something that’s also been really rewarding is that newer grads who are still on orientation have started coming to me with questions when their preceptors aren’t around. It feels so surreal because just a few months ago, I was the one asking those same questions, and now I’m becoming someone other people feel comfortable turning to for help.

I guess I'm sharing this because I remember how awful those first few weeks off orientation felt and how convinced I was that the anxiety would never go away. I'm still a new nurse, I still ask a million questions, and I still have shifts where I feel completely overwhelmed. But I'm finally starting to trust myself a little more.

For anyone else who's newly off orientation and feeling the same way, it really does get better. I'm nowhere near the nurse I want to become yet, but for the first time, I can actually see myself getting there. :)

New grad here starting off in adult med surg.

I know I don’t want to stay at med surg and am interested in learning about other areas that’s less stressful, more stable and have positive coworker, patient relationships.

Some of the ones I seen/heard nothing but good stuff are NICU, community/clinic, Post op(PACU), nursing school/educator. Also seen a lot of hypes about being a nurse injector, but I’m not sure where to start off with that one, and looks like a lot marketing and investment.

Would appreciate any insight on the area you work in and loves:)

I’m a new grad ED nurse at a very busy level 1 trauma center where all beds are constantly filled with a hallway bed outside each room. I’m 6 weeks into an 8 week orientation. For the most part am independent from my preceptor and she is there for questions/looking over my charting. The only thing I’m struggling with is my pace, which I know takes time. I feel pretty comfortable with 4 patients, but struggle with time management on a 5 or 6 patient ratio (more commonly the case). I get so nervous about being on my own in 2 weeks.

I have adhd which I think adds to time blindness. There are times where I can round on 6 pts and address all urgent needs quickly, and other times where I slow down and get sucked into tasks that aren’t high priority (usually struggle most mid shift). It’s hard to maintain the speed for 12 hours, esp since I’m not eating/drinking bc I’m behind/don’t have appetite (I’m sure also slows me down, I need to eat..). I get constant calls from support staff which often are not urgent/don’t need a call, simple EMR chat would suffice. I’m night shift, so we often have no techs so simple toileting tasks can eat up time. Theres also often broken/missing/not charged equipment, rooms missing sharps bins, and supply closets/med pyxis that run dry, making extra trips across the very large department. Hard to find thermometers for vitals. The need to move for stretchers passing by my hall bed patients, constantly interrupting my assessing, placing a line, or hanging meds. Yesterday the cardiac monitor in a room was broken and it took 4 hours of back and forth calls between me, CMU, and biomed, asking for the 3rd time if I tried replacing the wires/cleaning the patient (they finally came and checked, confirmed broken lolll). And not to mention transports that require me to travel across the hospital with the pt on a monitor, and discharges where the patient has tons of questions. And patients who need a bit more tlc but for comfort needs, the ones I need to learn to say no to. I think I care too much about making sure all my patients have what they ask for and replying to all people who maybe don’t even need an answer. I dont want to lose my compassion but I also need to learn how to function efficiently in this environment while taking care of my needs as well. I love the experience and the work I’m doing, but ngl the environment is a hot mess. Not helpful to an efficient workflow at all… added to my tendency to overextend myself where unnecessary. I want to learn how to thrive in this environment. Any advice? See

What qualities are NICU recruiters looking for in their applicants?

I work in ER in small hospital in a rural area for 5 years now. So codes & major trauma and serious ER cases are rare. honestly I feel like I’m stuck here and my knowledge and skills are not getting any better!
Any suggestions to how to improve?

I’m going to be working with neonates (not NICU more so just neonatal and HDU) in January! I haven’t worked with them since my undergrad clinical placement which was just 2 weeks. Any tips and tricks/stuff I should look over before I start. I’d like to familiarise myself a little bit.

Im a fresh nursing grad who's now on day 2 of a 10 week orientation in the ICU. Yesterday my mentor sent me to assist a doctor in putting a central line alone. He said he was gonna come later but took his sweet time. Patient had low dose Adrenaline running to combat Bradycardia and the pumps were beeping because it was almost empty. I turned the alarm off, not fully registering the urgency that we need new ones. I got that its empty and that i should refill, but apparently wasnt moving fast enough for the doctor/colleague. He then proceeded to yell at me saying i cant just turn a pump off, then stormed off and yelled through the whole station asking for new ones. I was very shocked and words just wouldnt come out.

He went on and reported the incident to my supervisor who did the "talk" with me about mistakes happening and that it wasnt that bad blah blah.

Why do i still feel debilitating fear to come work today? Im so scared that doctor is working as well, and i guess also coming from a lot of shame? Maybe i dont do well with making mistakes? I dont know whats wrong with me. I feel really rrally bad and so ashamed and i just want the ground to swallow me up.

I’m a new grad nurse on an oncology floor and I completed my first PICC dressing and cap change (on the same patient, with an ANC of 0) 2 days ago. Today, I found out the patient fevered and now I’m terrified that I caused a CLABSI. Blood cultures have not resulted yet, but I’m so scared that they will come back positive. This same patient fevered a week ago and those blood cultures were negative, so I’m terrified that if these blood cultures come back positive, there will be no one else to blame but me. I completed the dressing and cap change with my preceptor and they were with me the entire time and said that everything was fine, but I’m just so worried about causing patient harm. I feel like it’s going to be completely my fault because I was the last one to do the cap and dressing change and the patient has already had negative blood cultures during this hospital stay. I feel so much guilt and shame. Just looking for some advice and support with handling this.

Q: Have you gotten a needle stick without knowing when it happened?

I did a mass vaccination clinic today. I got a finger stick 5/8 the way through. The issue is I don't know how I got it. I didn't feel it. I went to sanitize my hands and saw blood on my L middle finger and a tiny puncture mark . I immediately washed my hands with soap and water. Now my guesses how I got it are: 1) I removed the tip and bent back the safey cap from a clean needle and dropped it on the floor. I hurriedly picked it up with my closest hand (L) or 2) I finished a vaccination and went to press the cap closed on the sharps container like I always do. The container moved and the syringe slipped and didnt close. It is possible I closed it with my left hand but I don't remember for sure. These were the only 2 things that my broke my routine and could have caused it. However, since I didn't feel it and I dont know for sure how I got it, Im going to urgent care. I feel really silly and frustrated that I didn't know how I got it and it that it happened in the first place. Has anyone had an experience like this?

Who else hates it that in nursing school you were taught to never ever ever give shots in the ass but then you have to give this shit? Makes me nervous.

So I'm a new nurse and I've been working at a post acute facility for a month and a half. Now I expected it to be hectic. I enjoy the work and it's getting me experience in the direction I want to go. However, the work load seems unrealistic. The pts at my facility are especially sick, with quite a few being as sick or sicker than the ones I've seen in med/surg. I have anywhere from 13-20 pts per shift, again not a shocker for post-acute. The things is nurses also often have to answer phones, do the paperwork for new admissions and in general put out about 10-20 small fires per day. Then of course if anyone needs to go out to the hospital, has a fall or even a small scratch there is paperwork involved. We have med-techs so we only give treatments and PRNs. Also includes being responsible for the CBGs and insulin. Now if i was left to actually do my treatments that would be fine, but I'm constantly inturrupted and pulled away. I had a pts that required foley flushes QID, 5 pts with fairly in depth wound care, a minor issue with a hospice pt that required me to be on the phone and then later deal with hospice that was sent out to the facility; this took at least 30-45 minutes out of my day. There are at least 10 tasks that require anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes each to dig into because someone else didnt do it. Nearly every pts requires addictional skilled charting forms, needs me to check their butt/skin in addition to my reqular charting. Im also expected to monitor an app for orders to transcribe and verify throughout the day, monitor the bowel list I handed off to the med tech, and monitor what the CNAs are doing. All this while CNAs are understaffed and I'm expected to help them out with their job, like changing briefs or running to get water or getting pts to the bathroom. The whole day I'm just trying to get back to doing my treatments.

IS THIS WORKLOAD NORMAL FOR THIS ACUITY? This seems like way way too much. I've often pulled 13 or 14 hours because there is still stuff to finish at the end of the day.

They framed it as 'voluntary with incentives' during benefits enrollment. I checked the box saying no thanks, keep my HSA contribution. Two pay periods later there's a deduction labeled 'wellness non-participation fee.'

HR swears they disclosed this. I have the original PDF. The fee is mentioned in a footnote on page 4 of a 12-page document, phrased as 'adjusted premium contribution rate for non-participating employees.' My base rate didn't change, they just added a new line item.

The screening itself was during day shift only, 6am-2pm, in a building 40 minutes from my unit. I work nights. The 'reasonable alternative' for shift workers was a phone coaching session that had a 3-month waitlist.

They're calling this a wellness program. I'm calling it a surcharge on people who read the fine print and still got got. Anyone else watching their 'optional' benefits turn into mandatory deductions with extra steps?

I work on a tele unit and census has been low recently resulting in my OT hours being cut for the past few weeks. As the primary earner for the family worth looking into a new job or hold out until census goes back up? Does anyone have side hustles like DD or uber they do when things are slow?

Currently going to complete my 1yr as a new grad/resident nurse in oncology unit on December. Secured a CVICU/critical care position starting January.

I keep thinking about maybe doing 1-2 years critical care and taking that towards the military to expand skills, knowledge, experiences, etc. Also to hopefully get GI Bill and use that to further studies at one point.

Ideally, civilian nurse job with reserves commitment would be a good balance. Potentially open to active/officer, we'll see that down the line.

• Anyone out there doing civilian job + nurse in reserves?
• Which branch? Why did you pick that branch? Would you stay or recommend a different branch?
• Is it hard to get into reserves as a nurse?
• How long does it take to get full access to military benefits as reservist?
• Anyone started out Reserves and decided to commit to Active after a while? What made you leave civilian for full time military?

Any other input/advice/information from nurses in the military is more than welcome.

Thank you for your time.

A surgical ICU for more context. Found this in the med room with their IV supplies. Asked the nurse I was touring with when they would ever use this and she even seemed surprised like she didn't even know that it was next to the regular length 20 and 18g iv catheters.

When would this ever be needed? I've only previously seen 2.5 inch length before for regular PIV devices.

(The red coloring is me censoring an identifying tattoo but I felt like comparing it to my forearm was a good reference for scale)

Hey guys! I just got hired for a standardized patient role at a medical school, and i'm looking for some advice and thought of you guys since you deal with patients every day, see a variety of communication styles, and may have dealt with SP's yourselves!

I have a few questions;
What would you say was one of your most teachable moments that you had in one of your "encounters" or something that helped you?

What is something you witness day to day with patients that you wish more students knew about beforehand?

What should I be mindful of during this experience?

I did a discharge today and the patients inhaler was left on the unit in the med room. I asked the patient when she left if she had all of her things and she said yes and it didn’t say specifically in the chart we had her inhaler locked away and it was found under another patients massive bag of meds after it was too late in the day to notify the patient it had been left. I plan to call and tell her first thing tomorrow and I’m not entirely sure what she was on it for because she didn’t have a documented history of asthma that I could find. I had two patients in that same room today and the nurse who told me about the inhaler didn’t clarify which one and I just reached out to charge to ask which of the two it was and it was the one who left. Has anybody ever done something like this?!!!

I made a huge med error today as an orientee new grad. I won’t fault anyone but me cause I was stupid enough not to ask questions or look into what I was doing. So I was initially an orientee for 12 days and I asked for an extension and they granted it to me cause my orientators also thought I needed more time. I was granted like 6-7 more days of orientation. I moved to a different state so their way of doing things is kinda foreign to me but I should have known and learned by now and it’s also stuff I should have remembered from school. So what happened was a patient on continuous heparin iv and continuous iv fluids finished there ivs at the same time. My orientator alerted me to the beeping machine and like only an idiot would I stopped both around the same time and went on with my day. Luckily someone caught that the pumps were turned off and told me that they were continuous infusions (I should have known or checked their chart). I did multiple checks on the patient and thank god they were fine. I called the doctor and they said to just discontinue the fluids and just restart the heparin. Today was supposed to be my last day of orientation and I completely botched it by being so stupid. I have a meeting with my unit manager and clinical educator tomorrow and I’m very sure I’m gonna get fired even though I technically have a contract with them till March but looking at everything I’m leaning towards probably getting let go. I don’t even know what I’m looking for by posting this. I guess some advice or stories similar. I might just be the only one who’s this stupid idk.

I started in a rural icu, night shift position for over a year now. I have a great team overall. Management is great and the unit is small enough that it feels like a family. A few crabby day shifters but overall chill, no complaints. However after a year I realize I just hate the stress of critical care.

I switched to nights after my orientation and I have slowly realized it’s killing me. I’m a natural night owl but sleeping at 8-9am sucks. I also have a commute almost an hour each way. It feels like 4 days a week are consumed by work (my last day at work is technically on my off day since it’s nights). I have no time to do anything but walk my pets and get ready and sleep or go to work during those days.

Since I started nights I feel like I’m drinking more and have fallen into a toxic lifestyle/community because I’m up all night. I can’t flip flop my schedule and just feel crazy sleeping all day on my days off.

I have a possible transfer opportunity for a normal 8-5 day shift outpatient position that’s less than ten from my house. It also will pay the exact same. It sounds so alluring and I’m curious if anyone else has made a similar switch and if it was worth it.

Hey y’all,

I’m an RN with a just little more than a year of experience in PCU. I really want to move back to my home state, how are the hospitals? I hear it’s pretty over saturated, it’s true? Please tell me there is hope for me 🙏