ShaBBy23

hi colleagues, i've been doing contact hours since graduating from nursing school because i find it a great way to stay current with my practice. the problem i have is, i'm not sure how exactly sure how to get credit for them? can reaching a certain amount of contact hours help you obtain a higher salary? while i know certain states have different requirements, i must research what the state of ny requires. everytime i've completed a test, at the end there is a listing of states that accept the credits, but new york is never on that list. appreciate any answers given. thanks.:)

unfortunately that isn't an option. stinks right?

i am in the same predicament except the hospital where i work at has been canceling me for an entire month now. this might not be an issue for an rn who does per diem as a second source of income, however for me right now it's the only source of income. needless to say my pile of bills are reaching my ceiling. to the original writer of this post, i wouldn't get rid of my permanent job. they are a dime-a-dozen in our present economic state.

again, per diem nursing does seem like it's working for you and thats great. as far as the poll goes, i simply want to utilize the features of this website. obviously others did reply.

aww thanks for the help.:hug:

Thats wonderful that it works for you but unfortunately that's not the case with everyone.

hello everyone, i have a question. is it just me? or, is there more per diem positions than permanent ones? frankly speaking, i'm not happy about having to be a per diem rn because: 1. i'm always floating around. i like consistency with my surroundings. 2. i'm only called to come in when needed. the hospital i work at (and i'm sure most hospitals) utilize the float team for coverage because they are on a permanent basis. once the nursing office has depleted that source then they will give me a call. 3. because the job is not consistent, neither is money. the entire month of may and june i have not made one cent. this is unacceptable. therefore, i find myself aggressively looking for employment elsewhere, however, most hospitals are looking for per diem as well. i never thought the market for rns would be so difficult. 4. god forbid any of us get sick because per diem nurses are not offered any health insurance. with kids at home this is not an option. being the sole provider, i need a miracle right now because the creditors are not sympathetic. i live in brooklyn, ny and if anyone knows of a descent place to work that are hiring permanent rns please let me know. my particular area of interest is l&d and i guess med/surg since it is what i'm currently doing. thanks.

hello everyone, i am a med/surg rn and have been in this particular field for 2 1/2 years. while its been a very rewarding side of nursing, i find that i am more attracted to labor & delivery. my question to you all is, how can i make a transition into l & d when opened positions usually require prior experience in the field? the way i see it is how can i gain experience if you won't give me a chance?

@HollyHobby, I completely agree with you. I too feel guilty about prolonging someones suffering. This hits so close to home for me. Four years ago my dad was diagnosed a terminal illness. The family all saw how he was declining everyday. Ironically, my dad had a DNR/DNI in place, however when people see a loved one suffering for that gasp of air they seem to panic, at least in our case we did. So we revoked the DNR/DNI that awful night and had him intubated to help him breath better. At the time we certainly didn't feel we were harming him. As the first day passed on, we were dismayed about our decision because we only saw that it was more detrimental than beneficial. Who were we kidding? The only thing we managed to do was make the last 3 days on earth miserable. The moral of this true story is to honor the living their wish while they are still of sound mind. We should have never caved in because in the end the hospital where he died is still a business making money which ever way they can and if that means prolonging the inevitable then so be it. So in agreement with my colleagues although we requested hospice for my dad, we did not get it in time for him. I still have issues about our last minute decision but by the same token I've learned so much. Today, I make sure I educate all my patients about the importance of having advance directives in place and the benefits of hospice should the patients situation's warrant such care.

since becoming an rn at the ripe old age of 46, i feel like i've been put through a meat grinder. i now have a torn miniscus on my left knee, 3 herniated disks, probably some type of arthritis because there are times when my joints are so tender and hurt, and finally osteopenia to the lumbar section as well as to my left humerus. what can i do other than taking painkillers to deal with my pain? i was diagnosed with fibromyalgia but i don't know if this is considered a new condition made up by doctors to mask something unknown. if you throw depression and menopause into the mix, well then i have those conditions as well. any suggestion from my experienced colleagues out there?

omg!!!!!!! you've been to hell and back. i'm so sorry that the industry has treated you in such a manner. it's a shame that there wasn't any type of support for you, especially after all that you've given of yourself to your employer. shame shame on them!

[color=sienna]hang in there honey. i can totally relate with the same issues. i'm currently on effexor 225mg. the dose was increased because i kept finding myself crying in the linen closet at work for what i felt at the time was no reason. whenever i do have to go to work, i think by the grace of god i'm able to peel my body out of bed. it's not before i throw-up in the morning before i find myself ready to work; but it's either that or i wouldn't be able to pay my bills or support my teenagers. in addition, my husband has been unemployed for the longest time now, therefore, i don't have a choice in the matter. :snowflake:

i'm also feeling the same way. my body just feel like i'm broken into a lot of pieces. i'm in a situation where i only have 2 years exp. and if i go anywhere else, that is barely enough experience in an acute care setting. in addition, i have quite a few sick calls to my record which is why i know i'm definitely burned out. what should i do or consider?

another thing to remember is to never let the patient see the fear in your face about inserting an iv because to me, piercing someones skin and vein is invasive. as an rn the last thing you want to do is hurt your patient. if they are able to see the confidence on your face then, they'll also feel less apprehensive too. in addition, like all my other colleagues have mentioned, practice makes perfect or close to it. even the best of nurses with years of experience can still have unsuccessful attempts with certain patients. many patients are simply hard sticks. if thats the case, don't hesitate to ask the md for a picc line consult especially if the pt. will be needing long term antibiotics. so don't be hard on yourself. it's a skill that will come eventually.

how can someone in the profession of having empathy and compassion be so selfish and callous? the don should have allowed the cna to go home and given her the time needed to grieve with family members. shame on this person!!!!

:reindeer: It's one thing to let someone know about this situation in a thoughtful manner and another doing so directly. Why does one have to be harsh about subject. Decorum should be used. After all, we're suppose to be professionals here.

since i too have a hard time remembering my labs, i walk around with a pocket version of my lab values. i have a complete listing of all labs from a-z and their ranges and abnormal numbers and signs/symptoms of the implications of low or high values. you can find these mini pocket versions at any barnes & nobles.

Amen! 7ccbc09d-f64b-9206-3d30-ac92418ca2d7 1.03.01

the funniest was trying to dodge feces from a demented patient. ironically not too funny at the time! 7ccbc09d-f64b-9206-3d30-ac92418ca2d7 1.03.01

the worst i've experienced was being pinched and stabbed with finger nails by an elderly demented female patient. ouch! 7ccbc09d-f64b-9206-3d30-ac92418ca2d7 1.03.01