Rural Nursing

ubcnme · Jul 25, 2001

What part of Kansas are you moving to and what hospital will you be working for? Just curious. Yes, rural nursing is all specialities rolled into one. I worked at a rural hospital here in Kansas for a while. The only thing is you are limited are personnel meaning if there's trouble there are very few people to go to and be careful not to get involved in the politics. Gossip gets around very fast so beware of that. Other than that, small towns can be very nice to live in esp if you have children. I'll be interested to see how you and your wife think about living in 'frontier Kansas'. Good luck!

CraigB-RN, MSN, RN · Jul 25, 2001

I'll be working in St Francis and across the border in NE. I've been rural before. I used to live in northern Maine. I've been a provider in places with no else besides me and my MD. My wife will be the PA and I'll be doing the nursing.

ubcnme · Jul 26, 2001

My goodness, you'll be way out West! But with Colorado just across the border you'll have access to all the fun stuff! I wish you and your wife good luck. You will certainly have your work cut out for you and be very busy....word gets around a small town fast when new health care providers arrive!

Ted · Jul 28, 2001

Originally posted by CraigB-RN
My wife and I just accepted positions in "Frontier Kansas". Nurses do it all, mix thier own meds, no unit dosing. Fee for service hospital. I'm getting a chance to be a nurse again and not just a glorified techician.

Taking a $25+/hr cut in pay, but am paying cash for a house. The don't lock their doors and leave the keys in the car incase someone needs to borrow it.

To those of you who are fed up the rat race you are in, don't forget the oportunities in rural nursing. It's not for everyone but for some, it is a God Send.

Have fun, Craig!

I work in a CCU/ICU for the second smallest hospital in Massachusetts. Although the community is not "frontier", it's small and intimate. As a nurse, I mix all meds, put in all nursing charges in the computer, do all ekg's, blood draws, IV starts . . . basically everything!! However, I have the luxury to spend lots of time with the patients (provided that they're awake . . . I work nights). The patient/nurse ratio is probably the best I'll ever experience. . . right now, I have one cardiac patient (very stable) and he's peacefully sleeping and healing. Prior to him going to sleep, we chatted (talked about politics . . . his choice), gave him a back rub, adjust his nitro gtt, talked some more. It was nice.

Of course, working in such a small facility (total potential bed occupency is about 30 with five beds in the CCU) has it's quirks. The gossip can run rampid around here which sometimes is not cool. However (at least during the night shifts) we all help each other out . . . and that's a real strength.

Of course, we're expected to cross train to other units. For me, that means cross-training to the E.R. What's cool, at least for me, is that I can care for a patient in the E. R. and then transfer that patient to the CCU and continue to provide care for the rest of the night . . . talk about continuity of care!!!

I love my job and will enjoy it while it lasts. I keep wondering how long this small, rural hospital can exist. They keep telling me that it services a large geographical region and will not close. However . . . did I mention that I'm caring for one patient . . . he's the only one in the unit!!! There's the little "worry-wart" in back of my head that wonders how long this charming small hospital can keep its doors open. But that's another subject and another topic thread.

Again, Craig . . . have fun!!

Ted Fiebke:)

P. S. You mentioned a $25/hr cut in pay for your new job?!?! Ouch!!!

CraigB-RN, MSN, RN · Jul 28, 2001

The $25/hr is more t the fact that as a full itme agency nurse I was grossly overpaid. :) not that I'm complaining mind you. One of the nice things with the move is that my wife and I will be able to meet our goal of Dept free living. The $$/hr is more than adaquate for the cost of living, and my wife will be getting paid very well as the PA.

It's not the $$ is the standard of living that I'm aiming for. After making $90K in the city, I"m going to be more than happy with the lesser amount of money and a great family life.

vicki444 · Jul 28, 2001

i grew up in kans-moved to the great state of oregon 28yrs ago,and love it. i'm 70mi east of portland,so i'd call it rural. we settled negotiations yesterday and i'm in 7th heaven--19% increase over the next 11months-so we may be rural but not paid rural!! starting goes from17.68 to 20.41 in jan to 21.22 jly---i'm at the top so mine sounds even better- we have steps up to 22yrs--top will be 28.54 in jly-- with noc diff @$4 (if one can stand nocs) that's a record increase- i'd be curious of other settlements--anyway,there's rural all over these states---talk again vicki;)