I recently graduated from a Medic-RN transition program and our instructors (2 Masters, 1 PhD) told us that working in a nursing home, at least in this area, in career suicide. They basically said that nurses around here work in nursing homes because they either A. Are druggies or B. Can't get a job anywhere else. Part of me believes that is quite unfair to say, but the other part has run calls at these nursing homes and the caliber of people they had as well as the care they provided was ATROCIOUS. I've responded to numerous calls where the nurses on staff were clueless. I got called out one night for a lethargic pt at the local nursing home, when we get there they have her on a simple mask at 2 (yes they did) and the lady was deader than a hammer. And that's one of the least insane stories about these nursing homes.
Now on the flip side, when I responded to Katrina and Rita I saw some nursing homes that were outstanding. Hell, I wanted to move in! But around here being a nursing home nurse is largely associated with being bottom of the barrel.
I know that's not true everywhere but its exceptionally hard to get on anywhere here after you've worked at a nursing home. I've been told that lots of nurses just leave it off their apps.
Do you think you should be paying a "door man" in NYC $55.00 an hour to open the door for you but not a least that much to a nurse for cleaning your a$$ and for potentially saving your life? remember nurses are at the bedside "vigilant" looking out for you life... I'm just saying this to illustrate a point because my cousin is a door man in NYC making mega dinero, and all he does is greets you every time you enter in or out of your building and hold the door for you. In Christmas time (holiday season), his tips alone can allow him to live rent free for a couple of months, but us nurses not even a bonus from the health institution! what is wrong with this picture!!!!!!! LOL
Don't torture yourself with that logic. It can be applied everywhere in life. Should a guy who can dribble a basketball be making 20 mil a year while the surgeon who cuts you open and saves your life makes a very small fraction of that?
That just tells me you were grossly underpaid before, not that nurses are overpaid. Where I live paramedics get paid $20-25 an hour and nurses start at $30 an hour.
True, I was merely stating that perhaps people should realize that it could be worse.......a lot worse
Man I really don't mean to offend anyone, but I've worked as a medic for a long time and as bad as it sounds, at least here, the nursing homes don't exactly employ the cream of the crop. This kind of treatment isn't acceptable but it happens frequently in nursing homes. I'd venture to say that if you stuck a camera in any of these nursing homes in southeastern oklahoma, you'd find some of the most atrocious treatment you would see anywhere.
I have a phobia of ******, catty, gossipy women. The constant exposure has helped me learn to tune them out. When they start complaining about something at work it's like a switch gets flipped and as their mouths move all I hear is that song "Raindrops keep fallin' on my head......"
dang! now i gotta go back and find that post that i liked so much so that i can copy/paste it onto a document to keep in my datebook along with the other stuff in there that i reference on a bad day to make me laugh.
tattoos all over my neck,
i have tattoos on my neck. so what? to me its far more offensive and, frankly, downright disgusting to have some fat slob walking around in their crocs huffing and puffing through their next bag of cheetos while they're on shift.
Go talk to a paramedic about their salaries and tell me a nurse is underpaid. No offense, I'm an RN as well, but RN's have it pretty good. I know some that work really hard and some that sit on their butts and do next to nothing all day for gobs of cash. Ironically, it seems the busier an EMS station is, the less they get paid. I worked 48 shifts and would run anywhere from 15-25 calls in that time (rural, each call is probably gonna take you an hour or so to complete) and I made 11.33 an hour and I had the same degree then as the one i have now as a nurse, so as much as I wish we got paid more as nurses, I think back to just very short time ago, the things I had to do, the things I had to see, the responsibilities i had, the dangers we faced, the horrible lifestyle, and the fact that it was just me and my partner out there for 11.33 an hour and I don't think my new nursing gig is such a bad deal.
You know, they both sound very promising. I think if you're willing to roll the dice on yourself and do a really good job, Hospital 2 would probably find a way to get you on full time pretty quick.
Hey guys, I'm a recently licensed RN and I just got a job at a pretty large regional center in the ICU. Interview went well, everyone seemed really nice, but I'm still nervous as all get out to do a good job. I've been a Paramedic for 6 years and did my RN preceptorship in a very large regional burn unit so I'm praying that everything isn't completely alien to me. I'm currently enrolled in a BSN program and my ultimate goal is to get accepted to CRNA school. I told the unit manager during my interview and she told me that they will require me to have my CCRN and they will help me do it and even pay for the test. (This may not seem like a big deal to y'all but coming from EMS where every company does nothing but try to screw you around every corner, it means alot to me.)
Basically I'm just asking for any advice about what pitfalls to avoid at this new venture. Any medics out there, or people as unsure of themselves in this arena as I am?
again, I agree. But what am I supposed to do? I mean, one question isn't going to pass or fail anybody but what if there are more like that? Shoot man, i can show you in the book where it says it. Its in the ATI Maternal-Newborn book page 290- Critical Thinking Exercises. If its an ATI test and the ATI book says so, then I guess I have to answer that way. Idk, this is all pretty ridiculous. "you have a pregnant female who's exhibiting tachycardia, hypertension, and swelling of the hands and face; What phase of coping is her partner likely to be in?" I'm sorry, maybe its the paramedic in me, but WHO CARES? Wouldn't your first priority be to make sure homegirl doesn't scramble her brains seizing from eclampsia first??? And then, ya know, maybe we can give whoever a little pep talk later? I just don't understand any of these questions. Its like they could care less how to treat patients, its all about how their "social support group" is feeling. Again, way too touchy feely with little emphasis on actual care. I just dont get it.
and i understand the logic behind that. But unfortunately ATI disagrees and that's the test I'm taking. I answered that she should have a full bladder and I was wrong. ATI says it should be empty to prevent puncturing it. Again, that's not my answer, that's ATI's
hey guys, I'm 27 years old and a Paramedic transitioning to RN. So I go in the other day to take this ATI transition test, Fundamentals- fine, Child-no problem, Maternal newborn- BOMB. Jeez louise, despite not having a uterus or kids I managed to do fine on the interventions, foundation and all that. I did terrible on the Comfort portion during labor. They had questions about rhythmic stroking of the lower back for pain and there was one i was particularly confounded by:
Which statement shows that your client understands the amnio procedure
1. bs
2. bs
3. I understand i will have to drink 3-5 glasses of water prior to the procedure......hmmmm
4. I understand my bladder will need to be empty for this procedure
I know that most places prefer their bladder to be full while doing the ultrasound to find the bladder but then want it to be empty during the actual amnio to prevent puncture. So what do they want to hear? It didn't specify at what point the client was making these statements.
Beyond that I had trouble with the episiotomy care, etc. I went in thinking that i was going to receive questions about how to manage emclampsia, breech presentations, etc and instead it was waaaaaay more touchy feely than I had expected. Anyone else ever have this problem? How did you resolve it?
I recently graduated from a Medic-RN transition program and our instructors (2 Masters, 1 PhD) told us that working in a nursing home, at least in this area, in career suicide. They basically said that nurses around here work in nursing homes because they either A. Are druggies or B. Can't get a job anywhere else. Part of me believes that is quite unfair to say, but the other part has run calls at these nursing homes and the caliber of people they had as well as the care they provided was ATROCIOUS. I've responded to numerous calls where the nurses on staff were clueless. I got called out one night for a lethargic pt at the local nursing home, when we get there they have her on a simple mask at 2 (yes they did) and the lady was deader than a hammer. And that's one of the least insane stories about these nursing homes.
Now on the flip side, when I responded to Katrina and Rita I saw some nursing homes that were outstanding. Hell, I wanted to move in! But around here being a nursing home nurse is largely associated with being bottom of the barrel.
I know that's not true everywhere but its exceptionally hard to get on anywhere here after you've worked at a nursing home. I've been told that lots of nurses just leave it off their apps.
Thank you so much! I am excited, just nervous. I guess that's to be expected
Man I really don't mean to offend anyone, but I've worked as a medic for a long time and as bad as it sounds, at least here, the nursing homes don't exactly employ the cream of the crop. This kind of treatment isn't acceptable but it happens frequently in nursing homes. I'd venture to say that if you stuck a camera in any of these nursing homes in southeastern oklahoma, you'd find some of the most atrocious treatment you would see anywhere.
I have a phobia of ******, catty, gossipy women. The constant exposure has helped me learn to tune them out. When they start complaining about something at work it's like a switch gets flipped and as their mouths move all I hear is that song "Raindrops keep fallin' on my head......"
Big smile, biiiiig smile
funny post though
Go talk to a paramedic about their salaries and tell me a nurse is underpaid. No offense, I'm an RN as well, but RN's have it pretty good. I know some that work really hard and some that sit on their butts and do next to nothing all day for gobs of cash. Ironically, it seems the busier an EMS station is, the less they get paid. I worked 48 shifts and would run anywhere from 15-25 calls in that time (rural, each call is probably gonna take you an hour or so to complete) and I made 11.33 an hour and I had the same degree then as the one i have now as a nurse, so as much as I wish we got paid more as nurses, I think back to just very short time ago, the things I had to do, the things I had to see, the responsibilities i had, the dangers we faced, the horrible lifestyle, and the fact that it was just me and my partner out there for 11.33 an hour and I don't think my new nursing gig is such a bad deal.
You know, they both sound very promising. I think if you're willing to roll the dice on yourself and do a really good job, Hospital 2 would probably find a way to get you on full time pretty quick.
Hey guys, I'm a recently licensed RN and I just got a job at a pretty large regional center in the ICU. Interview went well, everyone seemed really nice, but I'm still nervous as all get out to do a good job. I've been a Paramedic for 6 years and did my RN preceptorship in a very large regional burn unit so I'm praying that everything isn't completely alien to me. I'm currently enrolled in a BSN program and my ultimate goal is to get accepted to CRNA school. I told the unit manager during my interview and she told me that they will require me to have my CCRN and they will help me do it and even pay for the test. (This may not seem like a big deal to y'all but coming from EMS where every company does nothing but try to screw you around every corner, it means alot to me.)
Basically I'm just asking for any advice about what pitfalls to avoid at this new venture. Any medics out there, or people as unsure of themselves in this arena as I am?
again, I agree. But what am I supposed to do? I mean, one question isn't going to pass or fail anybody but what if there are more like that? Shoot man, i can show you in the book where it says it. Its in the ATI Maternal-Newborn book page 290- Critical Thinking Exercises. If its an ATI test and the ATI book says so, then I guess I have to answer that way. Idk, this is all pretty ridiculous. "you have a pregnant female who's exhibiting tachycardia, hypertension, and swelling of the hands and face; What phase of coping is her partner likely to be in?" I'm sorry, maybe its the paramedic in me, but WHO CARES? Wouldn't your first priority be to make sure homegirl doesn't scramble her brains seizing from eclampsia first??? And then, ya know, maybe we can give whoever a little pep talk later? I just don't understand any of these questions. Its like they could care less how to treat patients, its all about how their "social support group" is feeling. Again, way too touchy feely with little emphasis on actual care. I just dont get it.
and i understand the logic behind that. But unfortunately ATI disagrees and that's the test I'm taking. I answered that she should have a full bladder and I was wrong. ATI says it should be empty to prevent puncturing it. Again, that's not my answer, that's ATI's
hey guys, I'm 27 years old and a Paramedic transitioning to RN. So I go in the other day to take this ATI transition test, Fundamentals- fine, Child-no problem, Maternal newborn- BOMB. Jeez louise, despite not having a uterus or kids I managed to do fine on the interventions, foundation and all that. I did terrible on the Comfort portion during labor. They had questions about rhythmic stroking of the lower back for pain and there was one i was particularly confounded by:
Which statement shows that your client understands the amnio procedure
1. bs
2. bs
3. I understand i will have to drink 3-5 glasses of water prior to the procedure......hmmmm
4. I understand my bladder will need to be empty for this procedure
I know that most places prefer their bladder to be full while doing the ultrasound to find the bladder but then want it to be empty during the actual amnio to prevent puncture. So what do they want to hear? It didn't specify at what point the client was making these statements.
Beyond that I had trouble with the episiotomy care, etc. I went in thinking that i was going to receive questions about how to manage emclampsia, breech presentations, etc and instead it was waaaaaay more touchy feely than I had expected. Anyone else ever have this problem? How did you resolve it?