rosieseattle

I've had the same problem. I have had a New Mexico license for a long time and actually walked into the board of nursing, got a receipt for my renewal and was told that they only post online for renewals. No longer do they send you anything through the mail. My license expires on the 31st. of July and I'm getting really nervous. I've heard from another nurse that she didn't get her renewal for weeks after her license expired and nearly lost her job. If I can help you in any way, I will. I'm on vacation right now and will be back in Albuquerque before Friday. You can message me your info and I will pass it along to the lady at the Board of Nursing. Hopefully things will get better!

If you google around long enough, you will see the the CEO of Kalispell Hospital has a salary of almost half a million dollars a year. Does that answer your question? She makes more than most of the doctors. A lot of the admin that is on staff is from her neck of the woods, being East Texas. I read somewhere in this thread that they are now using agency. That was unheard of when I was working there, and that wasn't too awfully long ago. It's the "good old-boy" system there and unfortunately you get paid for who you know, not what you know. Good luck with finding a good income there, I do know that the staffing agencies pay "fair" and there are usually shifts in Polson and surrounding areas that you can pick up. Hope all works out for you.

I would say, "I'll leave you alone, but I'd like to grab my lunch and try to find a place to sit down and eat.....space is tight and my lunchbreak time is ticking".

I worked in the ER at St. Clare's in 2004. I had a 12 week summer assignment there through an agency. It's a very busy ER with your normal stuff coming through. Of all the emergency rooms I've worked in my entire nursing career, I enjoyed this one the most. Most of the staff was fabulous. Something very important to consider is the traffic getting to the hospital. For this reason, I was late 3 times after working about 8 weeks. Someone in administration keeps themselves busy keeping track of your tardiness. I was told I needed to either move closer or perhaps work at one of the other Franciscan hospitals closer to my apartment. I lived in Issaquah and would leave 2 hours early for work. Sometimes I would arrive to work an hour early, and sometimes I would be as much as 20 minutes late. It would all depend on the I-5 traffic. The ER director that I worked under has since left. She was an excellent manager and kept a good hand at communicating with her staff. I cannot say enough about the wonderful world of ER nursing at St. Claire's. Good luck!

Not totally defending the travel agencies, but you need to understand that it would benefit you to learn the truth about the pay the way that the agencies explain it. First off, any time that you take a travel contract that is over 50 miles from your home address, you will receive a per-diem rate. Per-diem rates are all different, depending on what state and county you are going to work in. For example, right now, I am working on contract in Alaska. The per-diem rate here is $90 per day. That means that $90 per day is not taxed on my paycheck. So, that adds to your paycheck. The agency might pay me a lower hourly rate and compensate it with per-diem. It may appear that I'm not making much money, but when I actually receive my take home pay, I'm actually bringing in about $40 per hour. Again, it all depends on where you go, what the per-diem rates are. You can go to google.com and type in travel nurse per-diem rates and somewhere on one site is a calculator that figures it out for you. Bingo!

How many years have you been an RN? You will find as you gain years of experience, what is valuable/not valuable for morale....especially in the ER. Sometimes the most qualified charge nurses do not set priorities for themselves, much less the rest of the staff. Identify the strengths and weaknesses of the staff, make assignments that are fair and stay clear of choosing favorites.

Hi, I'm sending you a PM......be sure to check!

You bet it's over. Take it from someone who has almost died twice in the ER, primarily by being blown off by the RN in the ER.

Julie, A mistake was made, there is not need for continued shame and guilt. Everything is going to work out with time. Be kind to yourself, forgive yourself and with each day that goes by, find something to be thankful for. Things could have been worse...that's the first thing to be thankful for today. Prayers your way--------

I think perhaps we should also remember that if it were not for our patients, we wouldn't have a job. I also think that some of you might feel somewhat different if you ended up being the patient in the ER. Sometimes, it is only a "gut feeling" of a parent that convinces them to rush to the ER with their child. Everybody...yes everybody that checks into the emergency room has an unmet need or they wouldn't be there. It's YOUR job to suck it up and do your job without whining and judging the human being that is there for care. If you don't like it,...then YOU go somewhere else. The hospital doesn't belong to just you, it belongs to the people...the homeless, the poor...the ignorant and the drug abuser and the alcoholic...the repeat offender...whatever.

I got mine at ARMC (Albuquerque Regional Hospital) formerly St. Joe's. They hold classes frequently and are quick to get you in and out! Good luck.

Go to work when you're ill and think that you'll be able to leave early if you get really sick. Never put your job before your faith/family. Never connect a contaminted IV tubing connector to the patient. Never think you're indespensible. Never take on every battle that comes your way....pick your battles wisely

If you have to work with her, and you have to keep your job, try saying this the next time she yells: "It does not matter who you think you are, but nothing warrants you verbally abusing me". Then, tell her to "stop it immediately". Say that over and over until she gets the message, or until you finally believe it yourself and build up your strength to get over some of your shyness.

One thing you might learn first and foremost in nursing is that your value does not revolve around being overweight, unkept or with a child from a loser. That may be your circumstances at this time, but that is not WHO YOU ARE. Comparing yourself to another person is self-defeating. Program your mind with the positive things about yourself, and write your goals down to what your goals are. (example: lose weight by walking three times per week and cutting back to 1000 calories per day...or whatever) What I'm trying to say is: WRITE YOUR GOALS DOWN. WRITE WRITE WRITE. Once you continue writing your goals down, you will see your confidence rise and begin to build yourself up rather than tear yourself down. No matter how wonderful this other nurse is, there are still others out there that can do things better than she. This will always be the case. Your value also doesn't revolve around being an LPN or a Diploma RN. That is not WHO YOU ARE either. Look forward into your future with enthusiasm and excitement. Love that child no matter who the daddy is. Your life is a gift and you are probably most gifted in areas that you don't even realize. You will one day have an adoring husband, and you are already successful. Appreciate and be thankful at how far you have traveled and look forward to the future. Forget the past as much as you can by letting all the negative energy pass through you. Refuse to give in to mediocrity. You will accomplish your goals.

thank you all for your concern and advice. I ended up writing the whole mess up and giving it to the DON, under the direction of the OB nurse manager. Come to find out, *Amy has said even more stuff, and also went to the OB/GYN doctor complaining about me. There is only one OB doc in this hospital and town. The DON was professional about everything and asked me to meet with her and "other nurses" on Monday. I don't know if this is a set-up for "hospital keeping afloat" and find a sacrifice or if this is genuine and sincere for problem resolution. We all know how unfair the justice system can be. My agency is aware of the problem, however there is minimal assistance they can offer. I don't know if I will consent to meet with everyone on Monday or not. My gut instinct is to reschedule the meeting a few weeks from now and let the heat cool off some. I'm not schedule to work there again until the end of the month. By that time, there will be other issues with *Amy...I'm sure of that. Will keep you all posted....thank you again!