[nursekat]

Has anybody seen the most recent issue of Reader's Digest? The magazine is doing a series on nursing - the most recent article showing a day in the life of an ICU nurse in today's shortage. Hurrah for Reader's Digest for bringing our daily struggle to so many people around the globe!

[Aaron C.]

No I haven't but I'll have to check it out. Hopefully, more and more focus in the media will get put on nursing.

Maybe if we can reach our (unreacheable) goal of getting ten thousand nurses online at one time then some of the media will take notice of that. That would be nice .

[TerriM]

Hello. I am new to this site and love it already. I read the Reader's Digest article you are talking about. I think it is extremely important for people to be educated on the nursing shortage and the nurse/patient ratio, and the long hours nurses are working. So many people are unfamiliar with the many changes in nursing and do not understand what is happening in their community hospitals. I am a recent BSN graduate and will be starting my first nursing job in 4 days. When I read that article, I began to wonder what I had gotten myself into. I have been told that my patient load after my orientation process will be 1/7. The hospital I will be working for has given me a great first impression, and most of the nurses on the Med/Surg floor I will be working with have been there for a long time. This is reassuring to me, since I am extremely nervous to actually be the one responsbile for my patients, not my nursing instructors or back up nurses like in nursing school. I have been reading some of the comments made by you great nurses, CNA's etc, and it is comforting to know I can come here and read about the same feelings and concerns I have. Does anyone have any advice for a new RN-BSN grad starting her first job on a Med/Surg floor? Thanks!

[redrosegal]

Hi Terri,
After nursing for over 30 years and half of that time in the hospital setting, I would recommend that you pick a nurse that you really admire who genuinely cares for her/his patients and is kind to her/his coworkers to be your mentor. You don't have to make it an official mentorship, but rather watch and listen and learn from that experienced nurse. Volunteer to go in with him/her to learn a new experience. That is the best way to learn. See how they organize their work -- organization is half the battle in getting things done. Of course, you always have to be prepared for your usual routine to go down the tubes at anytime! lol. Welcome to the wonderful, exciting, exhausting, rewarding, frustrating world of nursing. Best wishes. Rose