CarolineRn

If I had spent so much time earning the above degrees, I think I would want people to know about them. Yeah, LPN or RN is sufficient, but I think those who have earned advanced degrees deserve to wear them proudly.

ita!!! i just moved to michigan from a lifetime spent in fl, and since we are expected to get snow tomorrow and i'll be driving to work, i have read this thread with interest. i am in healthcare.. when i decided to move here, i accepted the fact that i am an rn and that i must get to work no matter what, plain and simple. my pt's need me. am i going to be terrified driving in conditions i am not used to? you betcha. am i going to forge ahead and accept this challenge and make the best of it? absolutely. i knew all about michigan winters before i moved here from florida. i will do my best to prepare my vehicle for them, and i will always find a way to get to work. hey, if a mailman can be dedicated to make it through "rain, sleet, snow and ice"-- so can a nurse. now a blizzard is something else entirely....

I agree. I wouldn't waste money on prep classes with a 3.5 GPA. Just get the Kaplan review books and do some of their questions so you'll be familiar with the test layout, which you most likely already are since most nursing programs utilize testing questions based on the NCLEX standard. Also, take the NCLEX as soon as you can. Best of luck to you, congrats, and welcome to the wonderful, wacky world of nursing! :balloons: :balloons: :balloons: :balloons:

Hey Erin! I have heard back from several units I forwarded my resume too at both hospitals I applied to-- The U and St Joes-Mercy (Both in Ann Arbor). In both cases, a nurse recruiter contacted me the following day, we discussed the areas I would be interested in, and one day later I have offers from both hospitals! The U is interested in putting me in their CTICU-- which is pretty close to what I have been doing, and St Joe's wants me in their step-down. Also, I put a resume on rnwanted.com's website, and have had nurse recruiters calling me for all kinds of places. (I have OR expericence too). And I am a fairly new RN, so I'm a little suprised by all the responses I've gotten. I just got a call from St Joes' as I am typing this-- they are interested in speaking to me for a Hospice position! (I've always been intrested in that, too!) My advice to you Erin, just apply for all the units you're interested in-- they may be willing to train you, and this move may turn out to be a real-career booster. So far, it's looking that way for me, and I couldnt be happier! You are right though, Ann Arbor's property taxes arereally high! We're considering renting for awhile, and then maybe get something outside the city, maybe Chelsea or Dexter, or even Ypsilanti. (for some reason, my hubby doesn't like Ypsi, but it's a little more affordable there) One bad thing about moving to Michigan from Florida is that in FL, we have no state taxes. I think it's 3.5% in Michigan, maybe that's why the pay is better. Anyway, best of luck to you, Erin!

Hey Erin! Congrats to your husband and family on his retirement from the military!! I'm getting ready to move to the Ann Arbor area myself, and have been doing alot of online research, maybe I can help you with some links I've found re the "U". If you looked carefully at the contact of wages that Kris posted, you'll see that was from the last (I don't think current) contract that began in 2001. That link goes into detail about the clinical ladder, and gives a pretty good idea of how they advance nurses. Here's another link-- more simplified, from Aug '04. http://www.med.umich.edu/nursing/benefits.htm As you see, it looks like they pay those with more experience at high end--28.35/hr. BUT here's a link to the salary/wage contract they are currently (or just finished) working on. Actually, it's still listed as "tentative" so who knows if it's just not been updated yet, or if the university and the union are at a standstill? I beleive someone (maybe Kris-- not sure) told me yesterday on another thread that the contract has been agreed upon, so there could as yet be changes to this union website-- Anyway, take a look down the contract, they certainly are planning on taking care of the nurses who advance along the clinical ladder, much better than Florida, at least! I just hope the clinical ladder is realistic and achievable. http://www.umpnc.org/summary.htm I was just going to say that the benefits are awesome, but I'll bet with your husband being military, you're pretty well set in that dept. I have had nothing but time on my hands the past few days. LOL! But I am doing as much research on the area as I can. And Kris wasn't joking when she told you about the high cost of living up there. But there are some really, really pretty suburban and country areas that wouldnt be too much of a commute for me. I'm willing to sacrifice a little to get the change of seasons, though! For a city-to city comparison try this website: http://www.homefair.com/homefair/calc/salcalc.html Best of luck to you, Erin!

Kris, my husband's grandfather (90 years old) has lived there his whole life, and my husband used to spend all his summers up in Alpena. We were just there last week, drove up US 23 along Lake Huron-- OMG, it was soooooo beautiful! I fell in love with E. Tawas-- and all points north. We didn't go across to Rogers' City, but I would venture a guess that it's probably beautiful also. I'm pretty excited about the prospect of driving up that way in the Fall, I'm sure to fall in love with the area all over again. On our trip back, we stopped in gaylord-- long story-- but that place was so nice, DH and I found ourselves sitting at a Elias' Bros Big boy, sipping steaming hot soup from a cup, looking out over a beautiful snowy afternoon, and all I could think was "I wanna LIVE here!" It must be so nice to have a change of seasons like that. I know FL seems ideal to many people, and I guess I can kind of understand why some people would be attracted to the idea of living here, but I'm not one of them anymore. I'm starting a savings for a couple of snowmobiles too--For that day in the not too distant future when we are free to move way upstate! My hair will look like $hit, but at least I'll be having fun!!!

hey everyone! Well, so far St Joes AND U if M has called me back! I'm really excited-- I hope it doesnt take too long for my RN endorsment to go through. Both hospitals want me to come up and and look around their units. I'll know more next week once my husband's financial ducks are all in a row. And there are other depts at the "U" that are looking over my resume, according to the Nurse recruiter I spoke with. At this point, the unit in the U that wants me is willing to give me that hours that I want too. An impossibilty here in FL. Here, those with senority get their choice of shifts first. And I guess there's not as much of a shortage in FL as in MI, because I know of people here who have a hard time finding a job (can you believe it!?) All I did was forward a resume online to the MI hospitals I wanted to work for, and they contacted me before the end of the week! (before the end of the hour in the case of St Joe's!) I really think Michigan is going to be a great fit for my family-- the schools are better, the pay is better, and the people are better! Thanks to all of you who have responded, and best of luck to everyone else who is going to be relocating. Maybe some of us will get to work together!

Hello all! Can anyone tell me about the Trinity hospitals? I'm considering employment with St Joseph-Mercy in Ann Arbor, and am also considering the U of M-- but I hear the U of M is more of a "transient" hospital-- people coming and going--higher turnover and worst of all-- I hear they utilize "mandatory overtime" quite often! (U of M, that is..) On the flipside, I heard that trinity avoids that as much as possible, and the Nurse Manager for the unit I am considering told me that she has not had to use mandatory OT in over 3 years. Pay seems comparable between the two hospitals, and U of M is unionized, which on the surface seems like a good thing, but as far as I can tell, the Union and university are currently working on ratifying their contract, and who knows what could happen in the near future? Being from FL, I've never been part of a union, but I've always supported the idea of collective bargaining. Can anyone offer any insight? Thanks!

Well, we just got back this week from a trip up there, and it looks like Ann Arbor (outskirts) is the area we'll be going to. We drove all OVER the state. Went as far north as Tahqumenon Falls (breathtaking in the winter!) and back downriver. We have a lot of family around Detroit, and after seeing just how long of a drive it is to Alpena and the UP (areas we were considering) we decided on Ann Arbor-- I applied at U of M, and St Joseph's Mercy. I know the area is crowded, and yeah-- I expericenced some of you potholes and even learned about making a "michigan left," and I STILL would rather live up there than down here! We've contacted a realtor, and hopefully we'll be moving in the next six weeks! I really liked Saline, and Dexter, so we're looking there for now. PS, I *LOVE* the snow, and can't wait to spend my first autumn up there! To finally see the leaves change again--WOW! Can you tell I am excited?

I cannot wait to move up north to Michigan!!! This may come as a surprise, but I live in "beautiful, sunny Florida." I've lived here almost thirty years. Now I know the following may seem offensive to some, but this is coming from an almost native who has even raised her children in the sunshine state. Take it from someone who's grown up and raised her kids here... Florida SUCKS! Forget what you've heard about retirees and this being an "old persons" state. FL is now peopled with everyone who hates the cold-- and that's a considerable amount of people. We have people from all over the world here now, and most of them are *not* retirees. They bring with them their driving skills (Oh--My--GAWD) and their reluctance and /or dislike for the neighborly hospitality I grew up with. (when FL was still small-time) They bring with them the attitude that nothing in FL can ever compare to their way of living "Up North." They bring with them the notion that people from the south are all "Slower" and that Floridians are so backwards and in needing of northern help that we don't know what the hell a "pop" is. (You may find one or two, but dont count on laughing too much) The thing that those people looking to move to FL need to know is that nowadays about 95% of the people they will encounter in this state are from other states, and when I grew up here-- making forts in the woods that held palmetto brush and palms but now hold high-rises and apartment complexes, most people were natives. But now, don't expect small-town values for your kids. And don't expect any form of southern hopsitality from your probable New York City/LA intoverted neighbors. This state (FL) has changed so much, and has developed so much, that I cannot wait to return to the state in which I was born. I know that the whole "fast-paced" life exists everywhere these days, but I suspect that in MIchigan, I'll deal with people who have a certain way of life in which I can quickly adapt to-- not a mismash of people who all bring their own way of life and expect everyone else to adapt to, or else ostrasize them. I guess this post is kind of my swan-sing to Florida--- the once beautiful place where I grew up, because despite what anyone tells you, living here sucks. Fl is now a "Great place to visit, but I wouldn't wanna live there" state. The traffic here alone makes one nuts. I would much rather drive 15 miles in the snow and ice than drive 15 minutes of stop and go inner city traffic with a "Q-tip" (Come visit, you'll know whar I mean) leading the way any day. Plus, during season a drive that normally takes 5 mins is increased to 15. NO LIE! I live it. The roads are simply not equipped. Screw it all. I'll vacation in Fl, but at least in MI, I know my neighbors (for the most part) have common sense, compassion, and still know their neighb ors. Where I am now, I could be screaming in pain and nobody would respond. That's how neighborly people here in FL are. But man, FL used to be so nice.

LOL Stevieray! I've been out of the OR for awhile, and am honestly considering going back. Thanks for the heads up! I guess saying "wheatie" is inappropriate also? :chuckle Thanks though, things like that bug me, so I will definately remember this one.

Sorry Bets, if it seems like I keep responding to all your posts--Actually I agreed with most, but I have to disagree with this one on a technicality. (spell check, please!?) :) Anyway, I just wanted to remind you that if one passes the NCLEX, one has proven to have demonstrated a "minimum level of competancy expected to practice as an entry level RN." The wording is probably different, but my point is that the boards do make it clear that you must prove at least a minimum competancy level in order to pass. If you'd said that passing a test (for any other test beside the NCLEX) doesn't make one competant, I could not take exception. But-- *supposedly* if you pass NCLEX (ADN or BSN-- same test) you have proven to the experts to have at least the minimum amount of competency to practice as an RN at a beginning level. So anyone who has passed the NCLEX needs to be given props for that. It goes without saying that the true test of competancy starts on the unit or the floor, but even the brand new RN should have enough competance to access ABC's, and be instrumental as a team member from day one. If you were strictly speaking of skill levels and critical thinking abilities, then as before, we are in agreement. We all know these things take time and experience. I'm not trying to create a "duh" moment here, just as I know that your post wasn't meant to belittle new RN's. Just taking a minute to remind our new RN's that they are valuable, possess competence and are very much needed!

Ugh. I am guilty of this too. And you know what is worse? I used to pride myself on my grammar and spelling-- wanted to be a writer. In fact it's still a long-term goal of mine (Have a WIP that I've been playing with for years now), but I've noticed my spelling and grammar going down the tubes lately. It actually began in nursing school. I wonder if it has anything to do with the whole left brained/right brained thinking process? Spelling and grammar used to come naturally to me, but ever since I began nursing, I've noticed a big difference! (I almost had to spell-check that word!) :chuckle Nevertheless, to this day I notice errors in everything I read-- and I'm never looking for them! I would make an excellent proofreader-- unfortunately minimum wage is just a tad bit less than needed to repay my student loans! :chuckle I have to agree with you and other posters who say that when another Nurse misuses a word like prostrate for prostate, I secretly question their intelligence. But many times these same people run circles around others in nursing skills and in the end, unless we're writers, editors, or poorly compensated proofreaders--it doesn't amount to squat in nursing. :rotfl:

LOL!! Absolutely, this is my BIGGEST pet peeve! I don't even mind answering call lights for others when I have a chance, in fact I would rather pass the time actually *working* than reading cosmo or some other such nonsense that some enjoy. Real work kills time, and the faster my shift goes, the better. But it is soo very difficult for me when I am doing something important and I get family in my face demanding I acquiesce to their demands for pillow fluffs like a hotel concierge or something. And I agree with you, I know it's important to the family member/pt at the time, and they cannot possibly understand that I am involved in something more urgent when it looks like I am just playing with a computer or reading a chart, but it really takes every single reserve of my patience to cordially smile at them and say, "I'll get to it in just a moment," when I want to just scream because there are ten more emergent things I need to deal with! The public is horribly misinformed about what nurses actually do. And although nine out of ten times I genuinely like my patients and their families, and always enjoy providing comfort to all of them, they just do NOT get priorities, and who can expect them to-- unless they are nurses also? So I suppose this will continue to be my main pet peeve, because there is nothing to be done about it. Were I in the family member's shoes, even being a nurse, I'd consider my loved one the biggest priority. And man, don't you guys all just treasure those family members who help out in any way they can? Getting ice from the machine themselves for their dad instead of hitting the call light every three seconds? Fluffing pillows, and yes-- even going to the linen cart and getting a blanket instead of calling me? And I pray that despite my irritation at some of the seemingly silly requests, I never lose sight of the fact that these people are only doing these things out of love. Annoying as it is, I always try to remember that that irritating family member could be me, just as I always try to remember that pt could be my husband or child. I wonder how many nurses end up needing psych help before retirement? :chuckle

Very valuable advice!! Thanks so much for the tips! After all, the most any of us (regardless of degree, experience, or education) can do is quickly triage the situation for ABC's, and wait for the Pro's! (EMS) As to the poster who declined to remove a fishing hook-- I'm with you. I would not have done it either. How big was the hook? What if it were lodged in the brachial artery and the second you remove it this guy starts to bleed out or develops a hematoma later-- and what are the chances this guy would bother to go to the ER after you removed the hook and gets a tetorifice shot? You were correct not to remove the hook, IMO-- even if the guy never knew your name and there was no risk of a lawsuit had you removed it, you should rest easier knowing that he pretty much *had* to go to a hospital or clinic to get it removed, and received the care that you--off-duty, were simply not equipped to provide.

Triage, you won't hear any groans or gutteral utterings from me! :chuckle In fact, I intend to start calling some agencies tomorrow. Thanks!! :) :)

I want to thank each and everyone of you for taking the time to read my post, and for helping me to know that I'm not alone. Thanks 11:11, for your advice about writing down my strengths and weaknesses, and my main weakness is a biggie--- Inexperience!!! :chuckle I'm also trying to write a list of questions to ask a new employer, such as nurse pt ratios, conflict resolution (got that idea from another thread on this board) training/preceptors, etc.. Begalli, My hospital's orientation is much like yours, 3 months training with a preceptor, and then they use a "buddy system" where you choose another nurse who will be your mentor.. Unfortunately, that doesnt always work due to scheduling differences, and sometimes (as in the other night) she's just not available. (too busy--what RN isn't anymore?) Anyway, I just wanted to thank you all for your support. Your words all help me much more than you could know. :)

Yep! You are 100 percent correct, and I don't give a damn who disagrees with me. One of the first things our "president" signed into law was this bogus "Patriot Law" that will cause no end of grief to this country. Do you realize that banks and credit companies now use this "law" to deny you a checking account if your credit is not stellar? This entire patriot law is designed to control the masses, and harkens back to the days of the priviledged hoarding all the wealth as the "Surfs" were denied all access to anything that could further their families? Yeah you deep seated Bush worshipers, bring it on--- There are many of us who see it, and suffer it daily. BUsh's Loss of privacy in America makes me think we are heading towards as totalitarial government. Don;t beleive me? Look up a previous post online here in which people can pay to get medical staff's name, address and even social security numbers. I'm about to contact a lawyer and see if this invasion of privacy can be stopped-- although under this "Patriot law" needs to be stopped )gives basicaly anyone acess to my social security info and eables insurance companies of all things the right to deny us. What the hell good is confindentaly issues? Sure, patients get it. But what about us care-givers who may have less than stellar credit--- suddenly we are loser bums who's constitual rights are taken away because back 5 years ago we were unable to pay a bill-- no freakin banks will even touch us. Makes me sick. I never voted for the "fortunate son" anyway. But people with business interets and Christian Coalition, dumb assed uninformed people who think the Bush daughters are hot, and without a doubt the big corporations wanted him here. We get what we get when we allow shows like Jerry Springer and programming crap like the nasty, nasty biased Fox New Network (Rupert is soo replubican it's sick) to be our main source of entertainment. You say you are a "religious nut," and that tells me that the clinton administration disgusted you. Understandable. BUsh's secretivity discusts and scares me. AT least Clinton never scared me. OH wow-- a BJ. Nothing compared to BUsh's greed for oil. And that, my dear is a fact. Bush does NOT hav the best interests of the common working man. You'd have to br blind (nmo attack on you intended, just want you to see how almost 50 percent of Amercians think) I do respect that you tink the BUsh family is the answer to the countries problems- based on his supposed moral record alone. In all honsety, milions and millions disagree-- just never shut your mind. We ain;t all stupid, and I'll bet that if we combine out thougts, we'll see that the very best leader is yet to come But Bush is not it-- he is in bed with big business and oil companies. be optimistic, we'll oust all them soon anf real people will yake over. Anyway, fun to debate with you, and even though we are oppsite sides, we will make a differece. Never let go.

At 34, you think you are having a "mid-life confusion"? I do not mean to belittle your choice of words here, but you are too young to be going through any type of "mid-life" anything! Wait til you hit 39, believe it or not,you will see a true difference! You are simply going through the normal doubt that any sane person who has spent years in one profession (and yes, a SAHM counts as a profession!-- plus your teaching background will leave you leaps and bounds above the rest) As for science and math, you'd be suprised at how much easier it is once you have devoted yourself to furthering your education. I cannot speak for everyone, but it was my experience that I actually enjoyed the science/math component of returning to school as an adult student. Give it a chance, if you really want to succeed, you will. If I could do it and come out with a 4.0 as a high school dropout who got a GED, you certainly can! Develop the "I refuse to fail" attitude, and you will be just fine. After the first test, and you discover how much easier it is as an adult and having a genuine interest in your future, you'll see what I mean. Just don't give up if you're heart is in it-- you will do fine. :)

Greetings all! My family is considering a move to another state, and unfortunately that leaves me in the unfamiliar position of applying for a new job as an RN. :stone As a relatively new RN, I somehow lucked into a desirable position as a cardiac critical care nurse,with a years experience in the OR prior to that. But there are times when I am not certain if critical care is the right fit for me. Many times I walk off at the end of my shift feeling very satisfied-- as if I had made a difference, and am learning new things every night. Other nights, I feel completely inept, and question myself-- and those times make me feel that I am doing more harm than good to the people I am caring for. (This feeling is usually exacerbated by my more knowledgeable co-workers who seem to be at their wits end with my inexperience, and who can blame them!? They need experienced people who know their stuff during emergent situations, and I am just learning!) Since it seems I am forced to look for employment in another state, I am expanding my areas of search to include hospice, OR (which I absolutley loved every single day) and out-patient surgery. I am not 100 percent certain if critical care is the best choice for me, although I *know* that given time I could be a valuable asset to the team, I have failed to prove that at this point, and while my director bends over backwards to make me feel comfortable, my co-workers at times ostracize me, and I have discovered that that hurts me to the point that I dread going back to work with them, sometimes as often as two days before my next shift!) Therefore, I am thinking that perhaps I would fit much better in a hospice setting, where it seems to me, the stress level is much lower. I am aware of being called out of a sound sleep for an emergent situation, and that doesnt bother me at all. In fact, I honestly feel that I am more of the personality type who would derive great satisfaction from assisting not only the patient's comfort, but the emotional comfort of their families, and easing the transistion for all. constantly being on your toes and the aweful stress that goes along with critical--where patients are full code, and you know that their death is imminent, and you have to stand by and continue to carry out these invasive, planful orders on the same pts day in and out, knowing their chance of survival is very low anyway, looking at their painful expressions of fear, while they are intubated and cannot say a word to carry out their wishes. I have already had callbacks from several hospitals who know my limitations, and my strengths, looking to hire me on the spot for cardiac critical care, but I have this nagging suspicion that I simply do not fit there. (My co-workers are a special breed that I am starting to believe would much rather see me fail or (best case) go back to med-surg-- which I have never done) So now you know my background, but I should add that I was precepted for three months by the most competent, knowledgeable critical care RN imaginable, who has since left the hospital -- not even close to the amount of time one needs to be a competant CC nurse, but damn, she was good!) So I am asking those of you who have been in similar situations what kinds of questions should I now be asking my perspective employers? Can anyone provide sage advice were I to go to a hospice environment or a outpatinet surgical center? I know and have provided care for vented CVVHD pts, baloon pump pts, post CABG pts, and cath lab patients, but working with some of my co-workers, and taking their sometimes cold-shoulder makes me want to quit nursing alltogeter, but I have invested too much, and have never been a loser/quiter. You have a fellow nurse here with limited experience, who is reaching outside of her co-workers who may be biased against newbies-- yet I have spent over a year in this high stress environment, and I honestly doesnt think this is the correct fit. I guess I may have given more info than you all need, but I beleive that basically, at heart-- anyone who goes into nursing in the first place, has compassion not only for their pts, but for newer nurses like me, and that whole "nurses eat their young" cannot possibly apply across the board. What questions should I ask potential employers in order to find the best fit in my next employment situation? As always, your replies are very valuable to me, and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your valuable insights. :)

Blinks, LOL at the drama!! I can relate, and I'm a woman! Sometimes I want to tell some of my co-workers, "I hope you don't choke on that hairball, you catty thing!"

The nurses I work with who are over 50, are my favorite nurses to work with. I don't know what happens when we get there (Still have a little over a decade til then) but I've noticed that the nurses over 50 are a lot calmer, and seem much more secure in themselves than many of us younger ones. I do think someone hit the nail on the head when they said that those who are still nursing at 50 and beyond (and also the ones who decide to go back to school!) probably really love nursing, and maybe that has something to do with the better attitude-- just speculating here, because I am aware that there are some nurses of all ages who are miserable no matter what, but the ones I work with who are over 50, are really my favorites to work with.

I apologize for offending anyone. But, it *was* all over the news-- evn as far south as here in Florida, and I did follow the story, so I don't believe I had no knowlege of the situation. And like it or not, it's human nature to try to make judgements on things-- to take one side or another on an issue, but I think you know that. And since I am in such as great mood, I'll just pretend your post wasn't intended to be as condescending as it came across.

Incentive spirometer, cough & deep breathe every hour. Whoops! Should have known somene already answered! Sorry!

roflmao!!!! i have thought the very same thing!!!! what is up with that???