IckuRN

Do you use your real name? What made you decide to or not to? Thank you! IckU

Wow, I'm sorry! I can't say my introduction to nursing was rosy either and I won't lie and tell you how rewarding it is now. Many things you mention are common, more so in certain hospitals/regions. ER will never ever ever stop giving you the 630 admit, so just expect and prepare for that every day so you get out on time. If you go work ER, you will understand why. You don't even know how to be a nurse yet, much less decide you hate it. You won't feel lost, dreadful, and frustrated every day forever. Your job is streamlined and task oriented. Nursing is 100% responsibility, 0% authority. You are smart for worrying about being sued, and you should already have malpractice insurance and keep it for a few years after you quit/retire. There are tips, classes and seminars about how to write your notes to protect yourself as well. GL and Congrats! :)

O....M....G. Reminds me so much of a few places (GA and CA)! Yes, I believe the grass has to be greener. In the meantime, perhaps you can change your wording when you page the MD's. I usually start with (if I know I'm calling a turd) "I am notifying you of Mr X's PTT of a zillion PER HOSPITAL POLICY, would you like to order anything?". All nursing units are suppose to have parameters for when to call the docs. If they blew me off after, "notifying you of Mr X's BP of 30/5 PER YOUR ORDER PARAMETERS" I would have said, "and what notification BP would you like to change your previous order to?". I have actually had to explain hospital policy and order parameters to MD's before, and had less friction after doing so. No matter what, always call with a smile on your face, thank them, document "notified dr x of this and no new orders", and let it roll on off your shoulder. I would not work for a manager like that for one second (if i had the choice). I have had the crap manager, the lazy cna's, the indifferent or incompetent co-workers, and the families in my face before, but never all at once, every day!! No, it's not like this everywhere, but everywhere has at least one of those "qualities". I think if you can handle all of that on a daily basis, then you will be a rock star anywhere else. You have enough experience to travel also, go get yourself a better environment and a raise! PM me if you want any more of my 2 cents! Good Luck to you!

I'm glad you asked, because I have been wondering the same thing, but I think it's engulfing nursing as a whole. It didn't use to be run in circles, chart, more running, chart...and by the end of the shift 1 patient got 1/2 of the attention they needed, at most. I wish I could go back to 10 years ago, I actually took care of people then! You are not alone. I recently changed hospitals and have been blessed with lower patient ratios; maybe you could scope out your area? You have experience now, so they will likely pay you more elsewhere. Also, changing shifts can sometimes help you by having a more sensible flow. Day shifts can be more hectic at the start of shift, and if the day is steady, you just feel like you are drowning for 12 hours. Night shifts have sporadic intense drama and predictable busy times, so you have to be ready for anything. The 11am, 3pm, and 11pm shifts can be awesome or the worst, just depends on your unit tends to dump on the odd shift person. It sounds like you enjoy having some sort or rapport or relationship with the patient/family, so I believe Med/Surg is great for that, but a step-down unit may suit you as well. You'll have 1 or 2 less charts to mess with, and more frequent assessments/care, etc. I think you should explore a bit before you ditch the profession completely. If you do seek out another unit or employer, ask around and avoid the toxic nurses! As for the complaints, that is interesting. Perhaps there is a way you are doing or not doing something? You should have been given constructive feedback on your performance or offered advice for moving forward. I hope I have helped a bit! Good Luck to you!

Do you have any links to these studies?! Thank you!!

THANK YOU!!!

I have never heard of D5W /c CHI. I guess I have never given water boluses OG while the ICP was still an issue either. And I am a bit shocked anyone but NeuroSx is allowed to come near the chart, much less change IVF's! I orient this week into a new facility, so I will see if they are any different. TY for sharing!

I am sorry to hear of your misery. It sounds like you would be a great candidate for a float pool position. It will not let you escape the baby boomers, but it does free you from the hell of middle management...and from unit politics, for that matter. Please post back and let the rest of us know what works!

I have been allergic to one of the preservatives (dunno which) for some time, and I have dealt with them because I don't know if getting an annual CXR is better for my health than a SC injection of a substance my body clearly recognizes as toxic? Phenol and chinosol are the preservatives, btw. I buy benadryl ointment to celebrate my annual WEEK OF ITCHY ARM, woohoo!!

So what have you decided to do?

Who pays the highest? I'm not sure I can swing cutting my income in half! I know, I know...the cost of living is lower...but unless heat and groceries are free....!

Anyone with more promising quotes? This sounds worse than Alabama! How about for agency RN's? Thank you!

I was quoted terrible rates (even with the stipend) and had little luck in finding a PRN position near where the bf moved...so I bailed and stayed home. Wish I could be more help! GL!!

My boyfriend has his OB/Peds rotations there for medicine, I'm just along for the ride! I nosed around valuemd.com this week, you can look there to see if anyone has posted in the area you need, but it's a little time consuming. I asked because I have emailed several agencies, but no responses yet :/ I completed by BSN online last year (YAY!) which was wonderful and I only wish I had committed myself to it sooner! TY! GL to you as well!

Sweet, we can suffer this together! I have a friend that starts his Brooklyn medicine rotations before we do, and I'm waiting to hear about his 2BR apartment/details. Since we will only be there 5 months, I looked about sublet.com, and there was quite a bit to offer short term. Perhaps one of those could give you a chance to research areas for yourself. If you are interested in Brooklyn, I will be happy to send you what I find out! When I looked in Baltimore, I saved my top 10 favorites on rent.com, then cross referenced those with apartmentratings.com to rule out the roaches and thugs Are you using an agency for supplemental shifts as well? TY for the reply, and GL!

How is NY going? I plan to move there in Aug.

I saw several "if you work there, then they pay..." posts, other hospitals have to pay more to get you in and some of them also pay 100% tuition. JHU and UMMC are the lowest paying facilities in the city, correct me if I'm wrong!

If tuition is your only concern, then you probably don't know enough about the programs you're considering. Talk to MSN's and PA's, mainly those who considered or were the other first. Consider that your state, and even facility, has different expectations than others could, should you relocate. Despite deeply appreciating the holistic approach of nursing, the medical model will always handle medicine better (IMHO). However, 30 seconds on the PA forum instantly turned me away from that option...sadly. In addition to the thought process, I was considering PA because of level of responsibility, length of program, and salary as compared to NP's in the same environment.

I've been pondering my future education as well.... The CCRN is just proof that you know what you're doing. I don't think much matters if your GPA smokes everyone else's, but having the CCRN is certainly not going to hurt your application. NP and CNS both fall under the MSN category. So far in my research, the cost and credit hour requirement has been the same for both program tracks. CA sounds a lot like MD, where every ICU has a CNS, or two...but the roles can vary vastly by facility, so I'm sure by state as well. The same can be said for NP's and PA's. Perhaps researching the career's future growth/demand in your area may help you make your decision?

Anyone know the changes that have been issued? I can't find them online.

I didn't live close enough to work in ATL myself. I also hear that Northside is good, but if they don't want to hire you they won't talk t you after they make their decision. All About Staffing and Wellstar have internal agencies that pay great.

AMC is an awesome place to learn and their residency programs are great. They are the diversion of choice, rumor has it, when Grady has too much trauma. Piedmont is also awesome, and their nurse residency is "right on". I have heard that as far north as Kennestone are jammed with new grads, and I think being open to other areas may benefit you.

According to friends, Piedmont has what you said are looking for. Atlanta is not East GA though, and if you're living on the coast, then you want St Mary's in Athens, or St Joe's in Savannah. GL!!

Starting pay at two local hospitals in NW GA is around $20.50/hr for new grads with a shift differential. The closer you are to ATL, the more you should make. Coming from OK, you may want to stay on the outskirts and shoot for Macon or Kennesaw, and maybe even Athens...if you have a choice. It's a much better commute and life in general and the pay is about the same. If you have experience, perhaps you should go local agency first, and internal agencies pay the most. It has been a few years since I quizzed my friends, but HCA and Wellstar are the big ones, which offer up to $48/hr. PRN or Flex staff, per various facilities, offers $28 to $38 and no benefits. Staff at Grady is in the 30's. Most of our agency work for Ehealth and they have many hospitals. Welcome to GA and GL!!