NurseStephen ASN, BSN, MSN, RN

NurseStephen has 15 years experience as a ASN, BSN, MSN, RN and specializes in MICU, CCU, CVICU, Medical/Surgical, Nursing Admin.

Latest Activity

1. 

   MBA vs MHA vs MSN

   NurseStephen replied to Kemarie97's topic in Management

   I think this is dependent on what you see yourself doing in the future. If you see yourself staying in nursing management, then a MSN in Leadership is fine. You will learn a lot about leadership, nursing budgeting, and policy. If you want to move to ...
2. 

   How to Write VA Nurse Proficiency

   NurseStephen replied to Arr-tistRN's topic in Government

   The VA Nurse Qualification Standards changed in January 2024. There are no longer 9 dimensions to write to (now down to 5 woo hoo!) and no longer any nurse professional standards board. During the actual onboarding process, HR will send you a workshe...
3. 

   Veterans affairs.. time to call the union?

   NurseStephen replied to Residentmaid2410's topic in Government

   Thanks for sharing. The extra workload seems to be the biggest concern. If you haven't already, I would recommend just sharing your concerns about the workload and your current situation to your supervisor. If you feel you need union support, by all ...
4. 

   Advice, kind words please..

   NurseStephen replied to rn3052's topic in Doctoral

   Honestly, I felt the same way my first semester. Talked with others and discovered that the imposter syndrome is real and affects a lot of returning students. You got this. Just breathe and push through it.
5. 

   Does TJC report to the board?

   NurseStephen replied to Nurselady85's topic in HIPAA

   No. The Joint Commission would not report a violation to the Board of Nursing. They would defer to the facility to make the reporting.
6. 

   MBA after MSN

   NurseStephen replied to AUSTINCBR1's topic in Management

   I obtained a MBA after my MSN. I wanted a broader knowledge on financial management and organization-wide perspectives. The program was beneficial and I believe will open more doors to executive-level opportunities.
7. 

   VA Nurse Pay Scales

   NurseStephen replied to kristykat's topic in Government

   @BJPMH & @Mergirlc - Yes, a MSN from a Bridge Program with No RN experience would be a Nurse 1 Level 3. If there was at least 1 year experience, then probable entry to a Nurse 2.
8. 

   VA Nurse Professional Standards Boards

   NurseStephen replied to DomJo8's topic in Government

   The best thing I can tell you is that your examples need to be focused on how your actions affected the service (Nursing Department) or the organization as a whole. For Research, if you did a literature review and changed your practice with your pati...
9. 

   VA Nurse II Proficiency Assistance

   NurseStephen replied to mignon405's topic in Government

   Helpful hints: You have 9 dimensions of nursing practice you must discuss. Make sure that you put in an example of how you affected the unit on each 9 dimensions. If you talk about what you did for your patient only, that only meets a Nurse 1. This g...
10. 

    Competitive or Excepted position with VA?

    NurseStephen replied to finallyRN7's topic in Government

    Most VA nursing positions are in the Excepted Service. If you compare the benefit, leave, and promotion capabilities, you want to stick with the Excepted service.
11. 

    VA San Diego

    NurseStephen replied to Ambererose89's topic in Government

    Yes, fingerprinting, as well as multiple proof of US citizenship, is required for employment at the VA.
12. 

    Calendar sharing

    NurseStephen replied to special1rn's topic in Management

    I am not quite sure of your new position, but it is very common at my facility to share full detail calendars with supervisors and co-workers. For me, it is an easy glance to see when my supervisor is available to meet and the same vice versa. Let's ...
13. 

    Pay rate in Hot Springs

    NurseStephen replied to nursejllrn's topic in Arkansas

    Just remember: PRN nurses do make more money, but they are not offered benefits (hence why they are paid more).
14. 

    Pay rate in Hot Springs

    NurseStephen replied to nursejllrn's topic in Arkansas

    While there are a couple of hospitals in Hot Springs you could attempt to work at, I would recommend looking at hospitals in Little Rock. Hot Springs Village is about an hour from Little Rock and the average pay, that I have heard from friends, is hi...
15. 

    Can LPNs give meds/IVs in Arkansas?

    NurseStephen replied to 1Luv_xo's topic in Arkansas

    Yes. In most hospitals in Arkansas, LPNs can administer *limited* types of IV medications. Check with your hospital's policy.