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Graduate Endorsed Enrolled Nurse Starting Agency Next Week - NO EXPERIENCE AND SCARED!!!

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Author Graduate Endorsed Enrolled Nurse Starting Agency Next Week - NO EXPERIENCE AND SCARED!!!

AnonNurseAgency

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  • Joined: Jul 2016
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  • Posts: 1

Fri Jul 15, 2016 10:07 am

I graduated from my diploma about 6 months ago now, I applied for (had my heart set on) a general EEN graduate year and was pushed back. 

I am currently studying my RN but because of jumping straight from the EEN to the RN, I felt that attaining a graduate year would give me a well-needed break from studies and a chance to gain experience. 

After being pushed back from the graduate year and being desperate for money to support myself, I decided to apply for agency and have just recently updated my availabilities for next weekend (PM and ND). 

The reason I haven't jumped right into it is because I am absolutely terrified now that I am completely on my own and wanted a chance to study and get prepared for my first shift and going from there. 

I have requested for aged care and rehabilitation shifts only to get me on my way before I decide to take on general/speciality wards. 

So my questions are: what do I need to know before my first shift? 

What questions should I be asking the NUM before commencing my shift?  

What does aged care entail? (yes, I did complete an aged care placement but that was 2 years ago now and we were starting off as PCA level)  

Do I do my regular assessments like on a ward? Or do I leave them be unless necessary as they are technically living their lives there and are not unwell like the people on general wards.

Thank you for your responses in advance! :)  

duaneconnell

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  • Joined: Oct 2013
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Jul 22, 2016, 05:51 am

Thank you for your discussion forum posting.  Congratulations on your accomplishments.  The things that you need to do before your first shift are the following:  

Get comfortable shoes

Get nursing supplies and scrubs

Ask your supervisor general questions that you have.

The questions that you could ask about the geriatric population are the following:

How many residents do you have on the unit and what is the nurse to resident ratio?  

How many CNA's ratio to nurse and what is that ratio?  

How are the units divided from other units when it comes to level of care?  

Yes, you do regular assessments and you also do your daily medications for the residents.  Most of the time, you can just look at them and know that they are the same as last time or things are changing and you need to assess more into it.

Here is some information regarding a healthy lifestyle:  

http://www.pacificmedicalacls.com/acls-online-library-staying-active-in-your-golden-years.html

It is actually an article talking about the important of exercise.  I hope this helps.  Good luck to you.  

duaneconnell

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  • Joined: Oct 2013
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  • Posts: 64

Aug 18, 2016, 06:32 am

Congratulations on starting a new job and also a new experience.  I think that is wonderful that you get a new adventure and a new journey into nursing.  The agency is a wonderful place to gain employment and to seek other opportunities in nursing as well.  I personally have worked in the geriatric populations before and I can tell you a few things about it:

1.  There is a routine set, but a nurse must be flexible because anything can happen.  

2.  As a nurse on the floor, you can do your usual assignments of assessments, medication times, and vital signs as well.  There might be a few things though that are not on the list that you might need to do like stocking the extra supplies and making beds sometimes.  

I wish you the best in your new adventure.  Here is something to read:

https://www.acls.net/study-guide-body-systems.htm

It is always good to have a review of the body systems and when you are working on the floor, you will need to do body system assessments.

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