Hey Goodywhyte...

goodywhyte · Apr 21, 2004

Wow Hoolahan! I was packing the kitchen and thinking about you so logged on to write you a note...and there you were! I have ze goosebumps :)

I finally resigned my position and am very happy with the decision. I enjoyed the work itself, though. So, I'm "looking". I interview for a clinical field supervisor next week at an agency that's kind of far from me. But I'd better go see. And, since I have the opportunity I have even looked on these boards to see if anything else appeals to me. I don't feel driven to go back to the ICU, and need regular hours. My mother is moving in with me and I have a 15 year old daughter so I need to be home in the evenings and on the weekends.

I am certified as a legal nurse consultant but haven't been able to pursue it because I've been so busy being a chaos magnet this year. Perhaps I'll give that a run.

One thing I'm stuck on is salary...despite salary.com. I'm not sure what I should be asking for when the ask me my range? Have you any ideas what a clinical supe is worth?

What are you doing now...and do you love it? I want to *love* what I do, because I invest alot of "meself" into it...I take full ownership of my positions. Unfortunately, that last one took advantage of that...turned into indentured servitude! :)

I'd thought about starting my *own* home health agency...and know a CNA, LVN, scheduler, and secretary who would come work with me....however, I've no earthly idea how to do it? Do you? Shall we start one?

Goody

hoolahan, ASN, RN · Apr 22, 2004

It is a lot of work to start your own agency, but check into the nurse entrepenuer forum and see what others have done, they have suceeded where I have failed.

I have really changed my priorities in the last year. I decided I really don't want the stress of management. It isn't an easy job. As for salary, in Texas, which I have been reading on these forums, I know you can't expect much as far as salary. In NJ, if I were going for a management job, I would ask for 60K min, considering I have experience, or the equivalent of $5 more per hour more (minimum) than I'd make as a staff nurse to give you an idea of what to shoot for. Good luck with it. Staff are getting burned out with the paperwork, and leaving my former agency in droves, leaving them scrambling, and managers spend their time doing staffing phone calls all day.

I have found my dream job I am happy to say. It is very unusual, and only pays 45K, but I supplement by doing HH on the weekends, Saturdays.

I am working for a managed care company that does authorization for State funded medication programs, such as PAAD, ADDP and a few other waivers. It is interesting and challenging, while being extremenly low-stress. There are 3 chiefs,and that is it, no opps for advancement, promotion, etc... but I log onto my puter at 8:30, work til 7p 4 days a week, and sit on my butt all day. I get to pee when I want, eat at my desk, and everyday I take a half hour walk on my lunch in the beautiful office park campus. I thought it would be hard getting home so late, but hubby gets home at 4p, and the kids have been good. This summer my son will be driving, so I can rely on him to chaffuer my dtr around. I am eating better, exercising, feel great and lost 5 lbs in a month! I work with nurses, we are all treated equally no matter if LPN or RN, and pharmacists, who are a wonderful group of people!! On the phone all day, I deal with pharmacists and very few doctors, if patient's call with complaints, I transfer them to customer service! No aggravation whatsoever! I am also allowed to surf on-line between calls. I feel like I have died and gone to Heaven. I never thought sitting on your butt for ten hours would be so hard, but literally, I am looking at buying a cushion, and you almost have to walk, when I go outside I feel like Forrest Gump, and I just want to start running! Sometimes I walk before work and at lunch for 30 min each. I love it. Oh! Did I mention that we get to wear JEANS???!!! We can't go barefoot in the office, but we can wear flip-flops or slippers if we want!!

This great job has left me with energy to do my HH and really enjoy it. I find I spend way more time with my pt's, I am happy to listen to them as long as they want to talk, and I still feel good about staying clinically up-to-speed, and this job has certainly benefitted my pt's as now I am so much more cognizant of drug interactions etc... I feel very happy for the first time in many years. I had an offer for a diff insur co to come back and work in disease mngmnt, for 56K, but I really don't want to go back to that back-stabbing environment, when I have such a great thing going, despite the lower pay. Sometimes being happy is just more important.

Well, I certainly have rambled. Bottom line Goody, do what makes you happy, I highly recommend it!!

goodywhyte · Apr 22, 2004

Your job sounds great! No one, unfortunately, will pay me for what I love to do! I love to read and research. I love to take a subject and delve into the depths of it from every aspect until I "know" it. And I love to "organize" things...order out of chaos...wonderful work for me. And troubleshoot...yes, that's fun for me. I like to fix things...anything, from a toaster to a medical problem. Ahhh, there's the research again. Had I to do it over again I would have gone to medical school and become a diagnostician.

However, research types are not good entrepenuers....nope, not at all. I think that's what puts me off the legal nurse consulting thing...having to market and *do* all that's required to get it up and running. Networking amongst my peers holds no charm for me. So, I'd be pretty sorry at it!

I have a month before poverty sets it. Hopefully I will have figured it out, pursued it, and gotten hired at it by then... :)

Nikki

It is a lot of work to start your own agency, but check into the nurse entrepenuer forum and see what others have done, they have suceeded where I have failed.
I have really changed my priorities in the last year. I decided I really don't want the stress of management. It isn't an easy job. As for salary, in Texas, which I have been reading on these forums, I know you can't expect much as far as salary. In NJ, if I were going for a management job, I would ask for 60K min, considering I have experience, or the equivalent of $5 more per hour more (minimum) than I'd make as a staff nurse to give you an idea of what to shoot for. Good luck with it. Staff are getting burned out with the paperwork, and leaving my former agency in droves, leaving them scrambling, and managers spend their time doing staffing phone calls all day.
I have found my dream job I am happy to say. It is very unusual, and only pays 45K, but I supplement by doing HH on the weekends, Saturdays.
I am working for a managed care company that does authorization for State funded medication programs, such as PAAD, ADDP and a few other waivers. It is interesting and challenging, while being extremenly low-stress. There are 3 chiefs,and that is it, no opps for advancement, promotion, etc... but I log onto my puter at 8:30, work til 7p 4 days a week, and sit on my butt all day. I get to pee when I want, eat at my desk, and everyday I take a half hour walk on my lunch in the beautiful office park campus. I thought it would be hard getting home so late, but hubby gets home at 4p, and the kids have been good. This summer my son will be driving, so I can rely on him to chaffuer my dtr around. I am eating better, exercising, feel great and lost 5 lbs in a month! I work with nurses, we are all treated equally no matter if LPN or RN, and pharmacists, who are a wonderful group of people!! On the phone all day, I deal with pharmacists and very few doctors, if patient's call with complaints, I transfer them to customer service! No aggravation whatsoever! I am also allowed to surf on-line between calls. I feel like I have died and gone to Heaven. I never thought sitting on your butt for ten hours would be so hard, but literally, I am looking at buying a cushion, and you almost have to walk, when I go outside I feel like Forrest Gump, and I just want to start running! Sometimes I walk before work and at lunch for 30 min each. I love it. Oh! Did I mention that we get to wear JEANS???!!! We can't go barefoot in the office, but we can wear flip-flops or slippers if we want!!
This great job has left me with energy to do my HH and really enjoy it. I find I spend way more time with my pt's, I am happy to listen to them as long as they want to talk, and I still feel good about staying clinically up-to-speed, and this job has certainly benefitted my pt's as now I am so much more cognizant of drug interactions etc... I feel very happy for the first time in many years. I had an offer for a diff insur co to come back and work in disease mngmnt, for 56K, but I really don't want to go back to that back-stabbing environment, when I have such a great thing going, despite the lower pay. Sometimes being happy is just more important.
Well, I certainly have rambled. Bottom line Goody, do what makes you happy, I highly recommend it!!

hoolahan, ASN, RN · Apr 23, 2004

Good Luck whatever you do Goody, wherever you go, they will be lucky to have you!

geekgolightly, BSN, RN · May 15, 2004

Wow Hoolahan! I was packing the kitchen and thinking about you so logged on to write you a note...and there you were! I have ze goosebumps :)
I finally resigned my position and am very happy with the decision. I enjoyed the work itself, though. So, I'm "looking". I interview for a clinical field supervisor next week at an agency that's kind of far from me. But I'd better go see. And, since I have the opportunity I have even looked on these boards to see if anything else appeals to me. I don't feel driven to go back to the ICU, and need regular hours. My mother is moving in with me and I have a 15 year old daughter so I need to be home in the evenings and on the weekends.
I am certified as a legal nurse consultant but haven't been able to pursue it because I've been so busy being a chaos magnet this year. Perhaps I'll give that a run.
One thing I'm stuck on is salary...despite salary.com. I'm not sure what I should be asking for when the ask me my range? Have you any ideas what a clinical supe is worth?
What are you doing now...and do you love it? I want to *love* what I do, because I invest alot of "meself" into it...I take full ownership of my positions. Unfortunately, that last one took advantage of that...turned into indentured servitude! :)
I'd thought about starting my *own* home health agency...and know a CNA, LVN, scheduler, and secretary who would come work with me....however, I've no earthly idea how to do it? Do you? Shall we start one?
Goody

In December, I'll be in the market for a HHC position in Houston. If you build it, we will come.