medicine

Has anyone told you “don’t do it” or regret that they became a nurse?

• Did you know that the national turnover rate currently is 8.8-37%, costing hospitals up to $56,000 per nurse according to NSI Nursing Solutions?
• Nursing is a very stressful job especially in inpatient settings, however nothing is more fulfilling than pursuing your calling. It is important to focus on the “why’s” of becoming a nurse and keeping a list of positive patient stories, in order to remain at the bedside.

How long are actual nursing shifts?

• Typically, 12 hour shifts. Actual times may vary, but most common is 7a-7p and 7p-7a. Actual clock in time is 6:45 a/pm and clock out is no earlier than 7:15 a/pm.
• We get two 15 minute breaks and one 30 minute breaks. In reality, we are lucky to get a full 30 minute lunch.
• My facility limits hours worked in a single shift to 16 hours.

Are raises common?

• Many hospitals promote annual raises based on a yearly appraisal score. This is a point-based system in which rates performance and quality and then based on your score, your hourly rate will raise by a percentage.
• Raises can also be given based on credentials. Oftentimes, a certification, higher degree, and more experience will pay more.

Do I have to be a bedside nurse?

• There are many many nursing jobs that do not involve direct patient care. A nursing license can allow you to work in case management/ discharge planning, nurse educator, Quality, clinical nurse instructor, insurance companies, law firms, office jobs, and so many more!

Do I have to start on a medical floor?

• I highly recommend beginning on a medical unit for your first year as a nurse. It is not required, but it is a great area to hone all of the skills you worked tirelessly for in nursing school. You also see a huge variety of different cases and learn time management skills.
• It is not required, but starting out on a mother baby unit for instance will not allow you to perform certain nursing skills and you can lose them if you don’t use them!

How do I prevent burnout?

• The most important way to prevent burnout and promote a healthy work-life balance is self-care. This can include exercise, a healthy diet, sleep, or any hobbies not medically related that you personally enjoy.
• Overtime is great to an extent, but it is not something that you want to do every single week if you can avoid it.
• If you notice you are overly anxious before a shift, connect with a mentor, your nurse educator, or even a licensed therapist to talk about your concerns. Sometimes, just talking to someone can do wonders!

What is something that surprised you about the hospital before clinical rotations?

• I never had clinical experience in a hospital setting besides volunteering before I started nursing school. I was very naive when it came to actual patient care.
• I was terrified to even take vital signs. I highly recommend a student nurse externship and tech position.
• I had never seen a naked man prior to nursing school.. You can only imagine lol.
• I didn’t realize people were placed in restraints if they became unruly.
• I didn’t know bed alarms were a thing to prevent falls.
• I didn’t even know we gave patients a bath in the hospital.. It makes sense, I just never though about it.

Do you have any patient stories that immediately stick out to you?

• My first ever shot I gave was to a screaming elderly man in a nursing home.
• I cared for a patient who had necrotic fingers.
• My oncology patients are the ones I connect with the most.. I followed one lady from the time of her diagnosis until her death from multiple myeloma. We brought her downstairs to play the piano one time and I still watch the video her daughter shared with me.
• The first hospice patient I ever cared for was also a man in his 50s with raging cancer. He was yellow and looked like a literal skeleton. He and his family were so kind. After he died, his daughters showed me what he looked like prior and he looked like a completely different person. I went home and cried that night.
• My worst Covid case was a 60 year old woman. She was maxed on optiflow plus a nonrebreather. She kept saying how she didn’t want to be intubated and wished she got the vaccine. She was also so lonely, so I sat and talked with her for awhile. Later that night, we had to transfer her to a step down unit, during the transfer she crashed and her O2 was in the 40s. She was placed on bipap and recovered then, but she eventually died in the unit while intubated.
• Most recently, I cared for a nurse in her 40s. She developed a psychosis after Covid and was a completely different person.. That one hit home.
• SO many more…

Until next shift,

Shania