But do we have any male nurses on TMB? I am not smart enough to be a medical doctor so I am currently in my first semester of nursing school and wondering what things to expect/helpful tips.
not a nurse but have worked with them closely for over 10 years. My advice is stick with it, once you get hired at a hospital, get the fuck off the patient floors and get into Surgery or Cath Lab
And develop a closer relationship with the patients and family members than anyone else in the hospital.
I got my RN last year. So far I have only really used it in a volunteer capacity. I like my job too much to actually change careers so I am trying to still utilize my RN so it wasn't a waste.
I know, the shit I've seen nurses do over the years to help patients and their families gets me all dusty
I found 2 people in my class that I really got along with and we studied together each semester. There were a lot of really dumb people in my class and staying away from them while studying definitely helped the 3 of us. Also don't be afraid to try things during clinical. The nurses on the floor and your instructors understand that you have no idea what you're doing. You'll be surprised how much confidence you build over the course of your time in clincals. Although it never really got any easier sticking tubes up peoples urethra's
Nah I haven't done anything really. Just took all my prerequisites and applied to nursing school. Thought about doing the CNA program over the summer but didn't have the spare money.
Why is that? And I only hear bad things about working at hospitals. How they are only worried about money and not so much patient care.
Patient care on the floors is pretty intensive stuff over the course of a 12 hour shift. I don't have a ton of experience but my Aunt has been a nurse for 30+ years and has this same sentiment. She enjoyed having to deal with 1 case and then moving right onto the next one. Less emotional attachment and interaction with families etc. You'll find your preference as you get through school I am sure. One of my classmate works in pediatric oncology. I don't think I would ever find myself in a unit like that.
Enjoy the many days off you will have, and then hook up with as many hot female nurses and nursing students as you can. The numbers are on your side more than most professions.
You're on a patient floor you've probably got 4-5 patients at a time, maybe an overworked CNA to help you...it can be pretty chaotic. In the OR or Cath Lab, you're circulating one patient at a time. The pay is better because you are a procedure nurse and depending on the hospital, a lot of OR Nurses get to scrub in and assist.
Not a nurse, but you will find dealing with the public sucks in your profession just like the rest of us. Med surg and er everyone thinks you are their butler at the hilton. Anyone a nurse practitioner?
Not exactly. Was sitting in class today having feelings that I should've shot a little higher (graduated from UNL but organic chemistry and a few other things that I fucked up on when I was too young to care kept me out of dental school) so hopefully those thoughts go away for the sake of being happy with my career. As of now I'm just wanting to continue school and be a family NP.
Yeah I've had thoughts about that as well. But after I'm done with this I think I am just going to try and get proficient with my skills and save up some money. Then see where that takes me and possibly go back. I have to say though, I was nervous as fuck for my first check off.
at least where I worked there's some crazy RN hivemind shit, avoid falling into the negative trappings of fellow employees that come with any job, but nurses seem especially prone to this I'd play my cards right, almost every nurse I know except for a few die hards can't work on the floor in a hospital past about age 40 just from stress/workload. Transition into a very specialized niche or go into admin/business. My Mom went from RN, to NP, to MBA, and now makes stupid money haggling with physicians/hospitals on contracting shit. Or just work your way up in a hospital, hospital execs make bank too and the work is cush when your body can't handle hauling Grandma's ass out of bed anymore.
The hospital you work at makes a difference and so does the type of unit. The $$ units are the best staffed.
Nursing school is like riding a bicycle. Except that bicycle is on fire...you're on fire and everything around you is on fire because you're in hell. I'm doing surgical school at the moment but all of my friends I worked with were in Nursing school and said it was really difficult. Make flashcards (seriously, it helps). It's hard balancing hanging out with friends and doing clinicals and homework. Just make sure you get the latter two done first. If you've never worked in a hospital environment before, it might be a little difficult seeing all the things you will see. Dead bodies, funky smells and more terds than you could ever imagine.
Thankfully there are plenty of respectful dr's. The thanks you get from patients and fams totally depends on which kind of patients you are dealing with; for example, Gen med patients and oncology patients treat you very differently.
burping a colostomy bag. C-Diff, patients ripping their foleys out and pissing blood. It's interesting for sure.