I'm new to California and thought I would look in to my options as far as Travel/Contract nursing. I interviewed for a position today and was told to be prepared to float multiple times per shift. That just doesn't sound safe to me.. has anyone had experience with this?
I talked a recruiter who said that an assignment in Monterey is 26 per hour plus a housing stipend. I was in a hurry when she called so did get a figure for stipends. To me that seems low but again I have no idea what the stipend in this area may be.
I was quoted 20/hr for San Jose plus a housing stipend. I am new to travel nursing and California as well. I am wanting to work in Monterey.. if you feel comfortable with it, would you mind telling me which company you talked to that had offers in that town?
I want to bump this back up there... I just responded to an offer from this company I found online too. I can't really find any reviews. Anyone have any experience with Strategic Healthcare or know of any good agencies on the Central Coast in CA?
I am an RN from Texas with about 2 years experience in acute care (Tele & Progressive Care). My significant other is going to school out there and I'm looking to see what I can find for myself. I am thinking about going agency/travel. I would be fine with another Tele type job but I am open to trying new things as well.
I would love any info about good agencies/places to work in the area.. as well as any advice on good locations to live, things to do, and people to connect with. Thanks!
Has anyone ever done Travel nursing in or near Monterey, CA? I would love any info. Right now I have Tele and Intermediate Care experience but I'm open to other options.
I was one of those delusional people that didn't realize that my feelings wouldn't stop when I got my RN. I never thought about how much I might *not* like some of them. After working for years doing front desk customer service type things I should have been prepared that people would drive me crazy. I felt really guilty about it until I realized I was only human and that I treat everyone with respect and the best care I can give regardless of how kind or rude they are. I also felt even more guilty about getting annoyed by patients who really can't help it. We can't help having feelings. I think so far I have learned to grow a thicker skin and not take some people's behavior personally. Sometimes I have to remind myself but I'm working on it all the time
Yeah I think it's very unsafe to have a picc line when there is nobody to care for it... if it hasn't been touched in two days it's going to clot off! I don't know how the chain of command works in your hospital but if I were in that situation I would def. be trying to get this resolved. Good for you for being the patient's advocate!
I was scared to do it too, I always would ask my preceptor to come make sure I did it right, lol. I use Alaris pumps too and once you get the hang of them it's pretty easy. Your hospital probably has a clinical nurse educator that would be more than happy to do a one on one with you on the pumps, that's what they are there for! I went to a small group session on changing central line dressings and now I feel much better about it. Trust me though, before you know it you'll be hanging IV's left and right all shift long hardly thinking about it.
I grew up in Centennial/Englewood... very pretty, close enough to the mountains to easily take lots of weekend trips, and the schools were great. There was always a ton of community stuff going on too. Although I moved 10 years ago, I think it's grown a lot. I want to move back some day, I miss it!
I love Grey's Anatomy but not in any work related way. Doctors taking vitals and starting IV's? Although I have never worked in a teaching facility, so maybe interns or med students have to do those things.
I love Scrubs too, and they show nurses doing plenty of normal nursing things... except for all the extra time to go running around the hospital getting coffee and taking lunches together and singing in musicals... too bad there's no musicals at my work.
In general though TV could do a lot more justice to the nurse focused shows... I remember seeing hawthorne and seeing something about a nurse knowing the dose of insulin (I think, it was a long time ago) was too high and calling the doctor about it, having the doctor yell at him and tell him he was wrong and him giving it anyway knowing it was wrong.... I don't see why someone would do that! And then they showed a nurse having sex with a patient. Ew. But in all honesty that's just TV, if they showed what nursing was really like while trying to have a drama/comedy/action show most people wouldn't be all that interested in skin integrity and chart checks and shift assessments. I'm sure being a CSI person isn't at all like the show either. Not to mention the lifestyle of the people on friends when they are jobless actors, waitresses etc.... it's just for entertainment!
Flag the drugs in your book that you most commonly see used at the hospital... for example, if it were me I would flag things like lopressor, lisinopril, darvocet, lovenox, rocephin, etc.. so it's quicker when you go to look them up. And be sure to get to the floor early, maybe you can look up labs and history while waiting for report?
Ask the pharmacy to put it on the mar so you can scan it? I have seen them put a bag of saline on there specifically labeled "for carrier". And also "for blood". I think it's just a matter of remembering to put it on there rather than just pulling it out when needed. It also depends on how your hospital's system works, I'm talking about a system with an electronic mar and an omnicell.
The lowest infection rate were seen in Africa- the continent with the most third world countries where it is not uncommon to reuse needles and other medical supplies?
Uh yeah I was a little confused about that one too, but then again we don't know which hospitals were in the study.
What perfect timing for this post... i saw an order this am that went something along the lines of protonix 40mg....blah blah d/c prevacid....pt on plavix now. I wasn't sure what the correlation was. makes sooo much more sense now Thanks! Ivanna
Edit to add: everyone where I work is on protonix 40 IV generally. We anticoagulate with arixtra, lovenox or wt based heparin. As for plavix, only the vascular/cath/stent folks get it.
Our pt's are all on protonix too. But it's still a proton pump inhibitor so maybe it still blocks the effect of plavix? D:
I completely agree... they just want to get a reaction and they get really amused when it's anger and they push and push. I have only been a nurse for 4 months but I experienced a lot of harassment while working in customer service type jobs. I usually try to brush it off and not acknowledge it at all (unless someone actually made a real pass or threat at me) because then they don't get their goal of making you upset and they have no point in doing it.
It is hard too, to watch what you say when you are trying to be casually friendly and lighten the mood a little with your patients. Sometimes even having that attitude opens the door for them to walk all over you with requests and could be taken out of context.
I'm new to California and thought I would look in to my options as far as Travel/Contract nursing. I interviewed for a position today and was told to be prepared to float multiple times per shift. That just doesn't sound safe to me.. has anyone had experience with this?
I want to bump this back up there... I just responded to an offer from this company I found online too. I can't really find any reviews. Anyone have any experience with Strategic Healthcare or know of any good agencies on the Central Coast in CA?
Greetings CA nurses
I am an RN from Texas with about 2 years experience in acute care (Tele & Progressive Care). My significant other is going to school out there and I'm looking to see what I can find for myself. I am thinking about going agency/travel. I would be fine with another Tele type job but I am open to trying new things as well.
I would love any info about good agencies/places to work in the area.. as well as any advice on good locations to live, things to do, and people to connect with. Thanks!
Has anyone ever done Travel nursing in or near Monterey, CA? I would love any info. Right now I have Tele and Intermediate Care experience but I'm open to other options.
I was one of those delusional people that didn't realize that my feelings wouldn't stop when I got my RN. I never thought about how much I might *not* like some of them. After working for years doing front desk customer service type things I should have been prepared that people would drive me crazy. I felt really guilty about it until I realized I was only human and that I treat everyone with respect and the best care I can give regardless of how kind or rude they are. I also felt even more guilty about getting annoyed by patients who really can't help it. We can't help having feelings. I think so far I have learned to grow a thicker skin and not take some people's behavior personally. Sometimes I have to remind myself but I'm working on it all the time
Yeah I think it's very unsafe to have a picc line when there is nobody to care for it... if it hasn't been touched in two days it's going to clot off! I don't know how the chain of command works in your hospital but if I were in that situation I would def. be trying to get this resolved. Good for you for being the patient's advocate!
I was scared to do it too, I always would ask my preceptor to come make sure I did it right, lol. I use Alaris pumps too and once you get the hang of them it's pretty easy. Your hospital probably has a clinical nurse educator that would be more than happy to do a one on one with you on the pumps, that's what they are there for! I went to a small group session on changing central line dressings and now I feel much better about it. Trust me though, before you know it you'll be hanging IV's left and right all shift long hardly thinking about it.
I grew up in Centennial/Englewood... very pretty, close enough to the mountains to easily take lots of weekend trips, and the schools were great. There was always a ton of community stuff going on too. Although I moved 10 years ago, I think it's grown a lot. I want to move back some day, I miss it!
I love Grey's Anatomy but not in any work related way. Doctors taking vitals and starting IV's? Although I have never worked in a teaching facility, so maybe interns or med students have to do those things.
I love Scrubs too, and they show nurses doing plenty of normal nursing things... except for all the extra time to go running around the hospital getting coffee and taking lunches together and singing in musicals... too bad there's no musicals at my work.
In general though TV could do a lot more justice to the nurse focused shows... I remember seeing hawthorne and seeing something about a nurse knowing the dose of insulin (I think, it was a long time ago) was too high and calling the doctor about it, having the doctor yell at him and tell him he was wrong and him giving it anyway knowing it was wrong.... I don't see why someone would do that! And then they showed a nurse having sex with a patient. Ew. But in all honesty that's just TV, if they showed what nursing was really like while trying to have a drama/comedy/action show most people wouldn't be all that interested in skin integrity and chart checks and shift assessments. I'm sure being a CSI person isn't at all like the show either. Not to mention the lifestyle of the people on friends when they are jobless actors, waitresses etc.... it's just for entertainment!
Flag the drugs in your book that you most commonly see used at the hospital... for example, if it were me I would flag things like lopressor, lisinopril, darvocet, lovenox, rocephin, etc.. so it's quicker when you go to look them up. And be sure to get to the floor early, maybe you can look up labs and history while waiting for report?
Ask the pharmacy to put it on the mar so you can scan it? I have seen them put a bag of saline on there specifically labeled "for carrier". And also "for blood". I think it's just a matter of remembering to put it on there rather than just pulling it out when needed. It also depends on how your hospital's system works, I'm talking about a system with an electronic mar and an omnicell.
I completely agree... they just want to get a reaction and they get really amused when it's anger and they push and push. I have only been a nurse for 4 months but I experienced a lot of harassment while working in customer service type jobs. I usually try to brush it off and not acknowledge it at all (unless someone actually made a real pass or threat at me) because then they don't get their goal of making you upset and they have no point in doing it.
It is hard too, to watch what you say when you are trying to be casually friendly and lighten the mood a little with your patients. Sometimes even having that attitude opens the door for them to walk all over you with requests and could be taken out of context.