Losing your license in Nevada?

U.S.A. Nevada

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I recently informed my clinical instructor that upon graduation I planned on moving to NV and practicing there. Her mandible nearly hit the floor. She was concerned that because Nevada has the highest patient:nurse ratio, I'd be setting myself up for a situation wherein I'd lose my license.

I know that many responders to this thread will say things like 'well, if you're good, you shouldn't have to worry about it' or 'if you are afraid to practice, then you better not', but instead of saying those things, I'd like to get a feel for how it actually is day-to-day in the hospital setting.

Are you caring for more than, say 4 patients per shift on a med/surg floor? That seems to be the going rate at the clinical site this year.

I welcome Nevada nurses thoughts...is my instructor out of line?

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Specializes in NICU.

Just wondering - are you currently in California? They have safe staffing laws there that don't exist in almost any other state. To California nurses, the ratios the rest of us work with are unacceptable, but to us, it's a way of life. If this is the case - it's the same everywhere, so move where you want. California is the only place I know with very low ratio nursing.

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Just wondering - are you currently in California? They have safe staffing laws there that don't exist in almost any other state. To California nurses, the ratios the rest of us work with are unacceptable, but to us, it's a way of life. If this is the case - it's the same everywhere, so move where you want. California is the only place I know with very low ratio nursing.

I'm actually in the midwest. Are you in CA or NV?

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Specializes in NICU.
I'm actually in the midwest. Are you in CA or NV?

Neither, I'm in the Midwest as well. I just responded because 4:1 nursing ratios are pretty good for med-surg, so I wondered if you were in California.

Just go where you want to move - don't believe everything you hear. Good luck!

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Specializes in Psych.

Hi. I'm currently a prenursing student (set to enter an accelerated program in Fall of 06) living in LV. I'm 32 and my career up until this point has been social services. I have a Masters in psychology but as you know this field is really underpaid and I thought it time for a career change. Well, I've heard from RN's here in LV that it is the same as everywhere else. You have facilities that work you to death with high patient ratios and mand. overtime while there are others that are considered great places to work. I've heard really good things about St. Rose in particular (located in Henderson which is like a suburb of LV). I've also heard to steer clear of UMC (but as it is a teaching institution affiliated with the state university you might want to work there just for the intensive clinical experience - I hear they have a great burn unit post grad training program for example). Maybe you want to be close to LV but not necessarily live or work in it so you might look into Boulder City which is like a 45min drive away. In my opinion its all a matter of what speciality you want, career plans, etc. Here's a good website to check out all of the hospitals in NV http://www.theagapecenter.com/Hospitals/Nevada.htm Wages are pretty good here ranging from $25 and up with full benefits, sign on bonuses, relocation, tuition reimbursement, etc. I would recommend picking a few hospitals and contacting them, then fly out and take a look. I'm sure at least one of them would be willing to foot the bill for the airline ticket. Hope some of this info helps. :)

DEE

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I am so sorry this happened to you, some instructors are idiots. I have heard a lot of negative comments regarding nursing in Nv. I do think there are issues that need attention, but you have time to investigate facilities, search the web, contact the board, and maybe even make a little trip out there. No one call predict your failure unless you are truly an incometent student, if that were so, the school would be doing all in its power to get rid of you, so do not let this instructor's remark stop you from at least seeking answers to your goal.

Some instructors say the meanest things to students, some just really don't think how it sounds, others are sort of jealous of the young nurse with the light in their eyes, seeking their first jobs. Some instructors are real burnouts, and these are the ones who do damage to the students.

I wish you good luck in your quest. I have a daughter out there now, she says it is an awsome place. She doesn't gamble, isn't really interested in the shows, but did go see the Monet on exhibit, has gone to some canyons to see the wild horses, and plans trips to several spots that interest her before she heads back up north. (Just threw that in because people to go to Nv for reasons other than gambling ) Oh yes, there is a large Morman population in NV, seems that was an early church missionary area. The area is growing every month by several thousand people. Rent is high, but not like California, water is a concern and there are strict laws on water usuage. The traffic is horrible at rush hours but that is everywhere. Schools are not keeping up with the influx of students. It is becoming a multicultural area quicker than any other city its size. The opportunity for work is everywhere and age is not as much of an issue as it is other places. I have written you all of this because I found all of this out online. So I know someone committed to a move there will do a better search that I did just fooling around. Good luck again and let us know how it goes. :balloons:

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I am so sorry this happened to you, some instructors are idiots. I have heard a lot of negative comments regarding nursing in Nv. I do think there are issues that need attention, but you have time to investigate facilities, search the web, contact the board, and maybe even make a little trip out there. No one call predict your failure unless you are truly an incometent student, if that were so, the school would be doing all in its power to get rid of you, so do not let this instructor's remark stop you from at least seeking answers to your goal.

Some instructors say the meanest things to students, some just really don't think how it sounds, others are sort of jealous of the young nurse with the light in their eyes, seeking their first jobs. Some instructors are real burnouts, and these are the ones who do damage to the students.

I wish you good luck in your quest. I have a daughter out there now, she says it is an awsome place. She doesn't gamble, isn't really interested in the shows, but did go see the Monet on exhibit, has gone to some canyons to see the wild horses, and plans trips to several spots that interest her before she heads back up north. (Just threw that in because people to go to Nv for reasons other than gambling ) Oh yes, there is a large Morman population in NV, seems that was an early church missionary area. The area is growing every month by several thousand people. Rent is high, but not like California, water is a concern and there are strict laws on water usuage. The traffic is horrible at rush hours but that is everywhere. Schools are not keeping up with the influx of students. It is becoming a multicultural area quicker than any other city its size. The opportunity for work is everywhere and age is not as much of an issue as it is other places. I have written you all of this because I found all of this out online. So I know someone committed to a move there will do a better search that I did just fooling around. Good luck again and let us know how it goes. :balloons:

Oh, it looks like I gave the wrong impression about my instructor. This instructor has 18yrs of experience, was a travel nurse for 9 of those years and *highly encourages* me to travel as well - as I'm young, have no attachments here in the midwest aside from immediate family, and she also points out the pay and benefits are great. So she isn't the problem.

She was genuinely concerned about the state of NV healthcare, and with such high ratios, she doesn't want to see me set up for failure. So in short, this instructor is rock solid, and I absolutely couldn't ask for a better mentor.

So, with that said, are there any NV nurses reading this thread that can comment?

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Hi. I'm currently a prenursing student (set to enter an accelerated program in Fall of 06) living in LV. I'm 32 and my career up until this point has been social services. I have a Masters in psychology but as you know this field is really underpaid and I thought it time for a career change. Well, I've heard from RN's here in LV that it is the same as everywhere else. You have facilities that work you to death with high patient ratios and mand. overtime while there are others that are considered great places to work. I've heard really good things about St. Rose in particular (located in Henderson which is like a suburb of LV). I've also heard to steer clear of UMC (but as it is a teaching institution affiliated with the state university you might want to work there just for the intensive clinical experience - I hear they have a great burn unit post grad training program for example). Maybe you want to be close to LV but not necessarily live or work in it so you might look into Boulder City which is like a 45min drive away. In my opinion its all a matter of what speciality you want, career plans, etc. Here's a good website to check out all of the hospitals in NV http://www.theagapecenter.com/Hospitals/Nevada.htm Wages are pretty good here ranging from $25 and up with full benefits, sign on bonuses, relocation, tuition reimbursement, etc. I would recommend picking a few hospitals and contacting them, then fly out and take a look. I'm sure at least one of them would be willing to foot the bill for the airline ticket. Hope some of this info helps. :)

DEE

Dee - thanks for the link and information. I'm 33 and a career-changer as well - I'm actually leaving technology and will be taking a significant pay cut to start at $25/hr if that's the case in LV. I guess it's true what they say - money can't buy happiness, because if it did, I wouldn't be changing careers. But then again, the right amount of money in the right situation may just be what the doctor ordered. haha

Anyway, thanks again.

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this is my last night shift as a traveller in Las Vegas. I got 1 dayshift of orientation, which included all the med tests, computerized charting etc. Then my orientation nightshift was horrible. We were short, that meant we had 12 patients apiece. That would not have been so bad, but, we only had 8 patients, so guess who got all the admits. Trust me, they don't go easy on you because you are short-staffed. I told my recruiter, I felt my license was in jepordy that first night. I have been a nurse for about 15 years and am glad of that experience because I think I would have panicked and walked right out their doors after that night. Unfortunately there have been many more like it, more than I care to remember. Maybe they have a new grad orientation and you could try that. go in with your eyes wide open.

good luck

shearernurse

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I am so sorry this happened to you, some instructors are idiots.

Sorry but, why does warning students about employers with high patient ratios make instructors idiots? As this poster pointed out ...

this is my last night shift as a traveller in Las Vegas. I got 1 dayshift of orientation, which included all the med tests, computerized charting etc. Then my orientation nightshift was horrible. We were short, that meant we had 12 patients apiece. That would not have been so bad, but, we only had 8 patients, so guess who got all the admits. Trust me, they don't go easy on you because you are short-staffed. I told my recruiter, I felt my license was in jepordy that first night.

High ratios do put your license at risk. And this isn't the first time that high ratios in Nevada have been posted on this board.

So what's the problem with telling students to look out for that?

:confused:

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shearernurse -

Thanks for posting the information. I wonder if 12 pt's/nurse is common in LV. Any other LV nurses care to share what it's like on their unit?

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Specializes in ICU, psych, corrections.

I work in Reno, NV (northern NV) and in my current, and final rotation on a Med-Nephrology floor, I have seen ratios during the day as high as 7:1, with a couple of RN's taking 8 patients. I'm appalled. I've been working at this facility for the past 1 1/2 years, but in a critical care area. We don't see this where we are at. I never realized there were staffing issues in the hospital until this rotation. This floor is notorious for this, I guess. It's a running joke around there.

My friend is an Apprentice Nurse in the GSU (General Surgical Unit) and she would take up to 9 patients at noc. Crazy to me.

Nevada is last in the nation with licensed RN's and has the highest shortage. It doesn't help that property is skyrocketing here (you can't TOUCH a house for under $325k and to find a decent one, you had better get closer to $400k) and gas is around $2.50/gallon for the cheapest stuff at the cheapest gas station. It's getting expensive to live here and I don't think the pay is increasing enough to keep up. I will be starting my new position in a critical care area for $26.35/hour, including my shift diff. (I will be working nocs). The hospital that is closest to my house (5 minutes away as opposed to the one I work at now, which is 30 min. away) pays about $2 more an hour, but their insurance rates are insane....$278 per paycheck for a family...that's over $500 a month!!! I also don't care for the hospital itself and love where I currently work. We are the only trauma hospital in the area and that's where my true love is at.

I love living here, enjoy the weather, the surroundings...just wish they would get more nurses!!!!

Melanie = )

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