Introductions

rpbear · Aug 30, 2003

Hi everyone!

I am a nursing student finishing up my last semester in New York befoe me and my husband get transfered back to my home town, Albuquerque, in December. I am so excited to be moving home and to be starting my nursing career. I will have lots of questions for you all as I finish up school and get ready to take my board exam and start lookin for my first job.

Thanks,

Molly

Latino · Sep 13, 2003

Hi all, I'm so glad that I found this page.

I'm relocating in Deming NM, next month at this moment only have the job that is helping me with the relocation and hope that I will get to be a home health nurse, Can any body give an idea of the lpn pay per hr.? I have geropsych exp., vent care, IV and therapy and blood withdrawl certification.

I hope to hear from you guys.

Thank you

Cruz A. Ortiz

TIGRESS99 · Oct 14, 2003

I am an RN from Santa Fe, NM. I got my BSN from UNM, several years ago. I moved to Los Angeles in 1984 and I have been practicing here since 1985. I worked at Presbyterian Hosp. in Albuquerque and I also worked at UNMH for a little bit.

When I was finally able to land a full time job in Los Angeles, I worked at Cedars Sinai Medical Center for 13 years. I was a Clinical manager in Newborn Nursery. (7000 deliveries a year). Took care of lots of movie star and celeb babies but, alas, I got bored. I went back to school to work on my Master's degree. In the middle of all that, I changed hospitals and now I work at Children's Hospital of Los Angeles. Last November I became a member of the ECMO team here in the NICU. I also FINALLY finished my Master's degree this past June so... I am waiting to find a teaching job, on top of my NICU job. I love it!!

Nursing has been great for me. Yes there were times when I wanted to throw in the towel and run back home to Santa Fe but.. I perservered.

If anyone ever decides to come to LA and work, look me up!

By the way, I am now on my 22 year as an RN. I wouldn't change it for the world!!

Dolores

Rustyhammer · Oct 15, 2003

Welcome to the boards Dolores.

If you ever come back to SF, look me up.

-R

Azdream'nRN · Nov 14, 2003

Delores,

What is the ECMO Team?

Thanks in advance..

TIGRESS99 · Nov 15, 2003

ECMO stands for Extra Corporeal Membranous Oxygenation. It is basically a heart lung machine that we use for critically ill children who meet the criteria for this type of intervention. We are a team of nurses, perfusionists, surgeons, neonatologists and fellows who take care of these patients. Neonates usually have the best outcome. We do pediatric ECMO in the PICU and in the CTICU as well but the older the child is, the longer and harder the course.

The neonates who are candidates for ECMO are meconium aspiration, PPHN (Persistant pulmonary hypertension), sepsis, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, cardiac issues (depending on the issues). The infants have to be term, although we have cannulated a special circumstance premie at about 36 weeks gest. age. The candidates cannot have a cranial hemorrhage. there is a list of criteria but those are the basics.

Anyway, there are several centers throughout the world that do ECMO. We are the largest pediatric team around.

Hope that answered your question.

Dolores

jackieliz · Dec 1, 2003

Hi everyone, my name is Jackie and I work on a surgical unit in albq.

Rustyhammer · Dec 5, 2003

Welcome to the boards.

Sit down and join in.

-Russell

Katerina · Dec 6, 2003

Hi,

I plan on moving to NM.

I'd like some advice on what hospitals are good to work at there?

What do you think of Hobb's?

UNM Hospital?

I've heard to stay away from Lovelace.

Do you have any suggestions also on other hospitals?

jackieliz · Dec 8, 2003

Hi Katerina

jackieliz · Dec 8, 2003

Sorry, I pushed the wrong button on this stupid thing. Any way, I've never worked at UNMH before but have many friends that do--they say the pluses include 5-1 ratios and that if you have a confused patient, getting a sitter doesn't take an act of God. However the patient population there is definitely different than the other hospitals as this is our county hospital. I have worked at Lovelace and really enjoyed it, however that was before all this turmoil over the buy out. I think once all the transitions are made and the new changes become the norm, things will be ok.

Katerina · Dec 8, 2003

Hi Jackieliz .

pushing the wrong button..lol that's ok, sometimes I do that too.

It's nice to know I'm not the only one.

Thanks for the feedback! You're wonderful.

Yeah, I've taken care of alot of confused patients. I had one that kept on crawling over his bed rails and was at high risk for falls. It was too difficult to constantly check on him and help him (something anyone with no certification can do) so we had to get a 24hr attendant to sit in the room with him.

I read about UNMH only through their website. I left a message with Human Resources this weekend, so hopefully they'll call tomorrow (Monday) and answer my questions.

Temporary bummer for Lovelace.

Did any of your friends that work at UNM hospital take classes or online courses to get a BSN while working? I'm just wondering if the hospital pays for it and for anything else such as the NCLEX and if they give sign-on bonuses. Hopefully, I'll find out this week, but I just wanted to ask you anyway just incase I didn't.