gowiththeflow_RN

Hi all, I am a nurse who was arrested for a first time offense DUI (no aggravating factors) that was reduced to a reckless driving. In some states this is a misdemeanor, but in the state I am in, reckless it is NOT a criminal offense, it is a major traffic violation. My plea invovled no probation period, no drug/alcohol program. I just simply pled guilty to reckless driving, paid fines and suspended my license for a period of time. I'm currnetly travel nursing doing local contracts and have had no issues. I was advised by both my DUI attorney and nurse attorney that I did not need to report if applications only ask about misdemeamor convictions. I would like to apply to the state of Alaska, and their application asks about convictions and suspended imposition of sentence. So, should I report this? I don't want it to come back and bite me if it turns out I should have reported. I also don't want to open myself up to anything that is not neccesary. Thanks!

Anyone have any experience with first time offense DUI (no aggravating factors). Im up for renewal of my RN license and was arrested recently. Maybe could gey reduced to a reckless driving. In some states this is still a misdemeanor, but in this state it is NOT a criminal offense, it is a major traffic offense. Hoping to get not guilty verdict all together, but it will just depend on how things go. I'm up for renewal before this case will be resolved, the renewal packet only asks if I've been convicted of a misdemeanor and also asks if I've been in an Alcohol or drug program. At this point both of those answers are no. I will be getting evaluated by a counselor to determine if I have an alcohol problem (which I do not feel I do, I made a bad judgememt call) if she deems that I do not, I won't have to participate in a program. Shall I renew and answer no to all. Or should I renew, answer no, and also send documentation of my arrest with a letter of explanation etc. I just don't know the proper way to proceed and want to do the correct thing. The way that I approach this will obviously effect how it is received by the board.... Obviously if I end up getting fully convicted I will have to self report but, anyone have any experience with this ? I'm so lost.

Thank you! That's super helpful to be able to view the skills checklist. It's a level 3 trauma center that serves a pretty large and sick population. We don't see things like open hearts, ECMO, IABP, impella, new transplants or CRRT. We get an occasional IABP but you need to benhere a year to even be trained on it let alone be the nurse assigned to them.The hospital I came from initially I managed CRRT in tandem with a dialysis RN on call (IE they access and set up new filters we manage I&O changing dialysate and effluent bags etc and trouble shooting and can call them in if needed etc). I just worry from what I read that ill either be in over my head with patients requiring skills I havent learned, or ill be floated to pcu and med surg all the time and be drowning with the work flow of 4 to 7 patients without the experience, even if I can handle all their acuity. LOL, appreciate your insight, I think ultimately I will go for the per diem!

I mean, I would've notified the MD and wouldn't have even bothered with the charge RN. the MD probably would've ordered some benadryl for the patient and continued the transfusion. sounds like it was pretty benign, but better safe than sorry. that nurse shouldn't have treated you that way.

Hi all! So, I've been a nurse for 1.5 years. I would like to travel in a about 1 to 1.5 years from now. so heres my background: Prior to being an RN I worked as a nursing assistant for 6 years in rehab, a step down, and in the ER. I started out as a new graduate in the ICU, completing a 6 month residency, worked several months then I left for several reasons that I feel are irrelevant to this topic (though if you feel it might be, I'm happy to elaborate). I took a position in the ICU at the hospital I came from as a tech. I've completed 3 months orientation and have been on my own for about two months now, I love it and it's going well. Unfortunately in the year and half as a nurse, 9 of those months have been spent on orientation, 9 independent. Although I'm grateful for the amount of education and guidance I've received as a new RN, it doesn't truly equate to 1.5 years as an independent RN. Generally I'm pretty happy where I am now; I like the ICU environment, I feel I'm getting good experience and developing skills and confidence over time. But I feel I may have shot myself in the foot jumping into ICU, knowing I wanted to spend a year or so doing travel contracts before I want to settle down, have a family, and longterm job/career. Even though I love ICU, I'm hesitant to travel in one year to a year and a half (which would equate to 21-27 months of independent ICU RN experience). Especially given that there are much more acute ICU's than the one I currently work in. I don't want to put any patients at risk or my license at risk. I worked damn hard to be where I am. So, I've toyed with the idea of getting a per diem job on a step-down to get a better feel for that work flow as an RN. I know it is a totally different environment than ICU, but I feel if I can get time management with a larger patient load down (and brush up on my discharging LOL), then I hopefully would be comfortable traveling in that area of nursing more than ICU. Plus, I feel it could broaden my nursing skills in general. Perhaps this is naive though. I'm just not sure.. So I ask you travelers and more experienced nurses than I, what are your thoughts? Get the per diem job and let go of ICU for a bit, or just hone in my ICU skills and try to get assignments in lower acuity ICU's (how possible is that to gauge with travel assignments??) I can't find any topics on going from ICU to step down, its always the other way around..Thank you in advance!! I appreciate any thoughts on this.