DelanaRN

I think you should also see that it says net collections, not gross...if that makes sense....which might be the figure you've been given

At my last job I had zero admin hours

I got zero PTO and zero sick days this year and will only get 10 days PTO beginning January 1, 2020.

You are amazing!

Someone above mentioned a pay grid, and that is what I have seen in most hospitals and large organizations. Where I currently work, RN’s get paid based on the number of years they’ve been a nurse. There is no negotiation. As an example (not actually salaries) RN with no experience might get 24.00 am hour, one year of experience 24.10, 2 years, 24.25, etc. There is a table HR is required to follow. There are annual across the board raises only...for instance, every nurse might get 1%, 2% or 3% increase. We also get small extras for precepting or being charge nurse, such as an extra dollar an hour to precept or an extra dollar an hour to be charge, etc. I don’t recall the exact numbers because I’m not eligible for any annual raises or hourly bonuses for doing these things because I’ve been a float pool nurse for 3.5 years and my pay is a flat rate based on number of years of experience, <5 years, 5-10 years, 10+ years. For instance, I recently finished my MSN and make the same as float pool nurses with an Associates degree. I believe this is the same principle for floor nurses. You can also get extra pay for joining committees by coming into work on your days off to participate in monthly or quarterly meetings, depending on the committee. In my career, I’ve found more pay flexibility at smaller companies and corporations, but benefits aren’t as good. Is the job something you enjoy? Was the pay rate acceptable when you were offered it? How are the benefits? Do you like the environment you will be working in? Is the commute manageable? There is so much more to consider than simply an hourly rate. With 2 years nursing experience, it is not surprising your pay is close to those with less experience as both are considered to be fairly new nurses. Chin up. Work the job for a couple of years and do the best you can. Be a great co-worker. Go to work with a positive attitude. Join committees and network. Learn to be a preceptor and/or charge nurse. (Extra CBT’s or classes where I work.) Gather all the free or low cost education you can. Get certified in your area of practice. Alternatively, take your time to figure out areas in the field of nursing that you really enjoy and make a lateral move within the hospital in the next few years, then do all the above. That’s one of the best possible perks of working in a large hospital. Work in one area for a few years, then try a different area if you feel you will like it better. (IE: Telemetry to ICU, Surgery, or OB) Job satisfaction can go a long way in bringing you joy.

I declined the position, which in hindsight, was stupid on my part. Those kind of positions don't come around very long. Totally messed up by letting that opportunity pass me by. UGH.

Livtek, where do you work? Are they hiring?

Hello! I passed my CCM exam recently and am hoping that will open up some doors to train for a company on site, and then work from home as a case manager. Ideally something with a little flexibility. My current credentials are RN, BSN, CCM, CHPN. I have a home office with high speed cable internet. Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas on where to begin my job search? Thank you.

Suggestions? Thoughts? I hope to do well at the interview although I'm not thrilled at the idea of part time and 4 six hour shifts weekly. Prefer two or three 12 hour shifts but am excited at this entry level opportunity into PACU and hope the interview goes well. There seem to be very few position in PACU that open up at the hospital so it must be a good place to work. My experiences are in quite a few areas of nursing. Hospice and Palliative Care (Certified), Case Management (Sit for certification this April), Med/Surg Telemetry, and for the past year Corrections Nursing... I think my favorite was Med-Surg Telemetry simply because of the pace. The days would seem to pass quickly and there was always something to do. I have my BSN, BLS, ACLS. PALS is required in this position within a year. My husband is a BSN RN in the ER and has his PALS. He can help me through. Any helpful ideas for how to ace the interview would be greatly appreciated. I'm ready to be back in the hospital environment. (Except for the parking...lol)

Interviewed twice for newly created ER RN Case Manager and was called today and offered the job. Requires 3 twelve hour shifts weekly from 11A - 11P with every other weekend. This is a very, very busy ER. Not quite sure what day to day would look like or what expectations would be. Left message with HR today to find out rate of pay but haven't heard back. I'm honored and excited about this opportunity but am not thrilled about every other weekend since hubby works every third and nervous about a newly created position and the unknown. I desire to settle into a position and stay there for a very long time. Currently I work as a nursing program supervisor at a juvenile correctional facility and I love the job but am not happy with the hypercritical nurse administrator who does not like me and strives to make my life miserable and tear me down, despite a recent 100% exemplary audit, which is a first in my facilities history. I have to let them know tomorrow if I accept the position and am so afraid I'll make a bad choice. Any ideas on what this position might entail? Thanks in advance for your time and attention.

I used "Study Guide for the Generalist Hospice and Palliative Nurse" - HPNA.org and "Core Curriculum for the Generalist Hospice and Palliative Nurse" HPNA.org I took the exam today and passed. It was a hard exam and I didn't pass by much, but it's over with for 4 years. Praise the Lord!!

I am a Mom and a wife. I had 4 kids at home when I went to an accelerated LPN program. The program was very intense and only 17 graduated, but I was proud to be one of them. I went straight into an accelerated LPN-RN program after LPN School and I DID work full time as an LPN while in RN school and of course, still had 4 kids at home. I did have a very supportive husband who picked up the slack so I could succeed. I would never have made it through without his help with the house and the kids. Is it easy to work full time while going to school full time (I had 21-23 credit hours a semester)?? NO...not at all easy. Can it be done? Yes Will you remain sane? Maybe You will sacrifice sleep, time with your husband and kids. It can be worthwhile though.

I will be watching this thread also. Would love some ideas on where to look.

Our standard E-kit has an order for Roxanol 10-20 mg/ml SL/PO q1h PRN. It makes it much easier to control the pain/soa in a crisis without having to call the doctor. I always educate my families to try 0.50 ml initially and to see how that effects the patient. Sometimes they need to go up to 1.0 but we re-evaluate in 30 minutes to see the results of that initial dose.

I can't imagine not having an Emergency Kit (aka Comfort Kit). I find it frustrating enough that we have to wait until the next day to have our E-kit delivered after an admission when often times, patients are discharged from the hospital with no meds and no prescriptions and they have uncontrolled symptoms on Hospice Admission. It's very aggravating when having to drive all over town and sometimes to the Medical Directors home to get a signed script, drop if off at the pharmacy, and wait. Many times the Medical Director does not have his RX pad on him and a verbal order to a pharmacy will not work either. It burns my biscuits to have a patient suffer over red tape!

Wow. So amazing. I would be astounded, and indeed, comforted by such a revelation. Truly wish I could have witnessed that, if only to increase my conviction and testimony as a Christian so that when I comfort patients who are fearful of death and are Christian, I can relay to them the stories I myself have witnessed. Nothing that verbally clear before though. Thanks for sharing.

I work for Odyssey and have for a year. I get paid my overtime without a problem. I also have no issue getting my patients Phenergan or Zofran if it is needed. I do usually try Haldol first, then Phenergan, then Zofran. Sometimes I have patients on all of that AND transdermal gel for Nausea and I have had patients go to the hospital GIP a few days for pain, N/V, etc and come home on IV Zofran or IV Dilaudid or PCA pump Morphine for symptoms we were unable to control in the home. I think the Hospice I work for is ethical and fair for the most part, especially when it comes to our patients.

Dear Rod, I am so sorry that you are going through another loss so suddenly after the passing of your father. I can't even imagine the grief you must be feeling. I certainly imagine your heart and mind flit back and forth between all the stages of grief (Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance) and I don't doubt you will continue to feel and experience all of these emotions as you move towards final acceptance. Hopefully, your brother is already signed onto Hospice and as a family you have accepted Social Work, Spiritual Care, Bereavement Care, etc as the psychosocial aspect will be a very big component for all of you. Verbalizing your wishes, thoughts, and fears to your Hospice Nurse Case Manager will help to alleviate your concerns and put both your mind and the mind of your brother at ease. For instance, I have a patient with Lung Cancer who is not as fearful of actual death as he is of the dying process. He has expressed that he wishes to feel no pain and that when his time comes, he be kept as comfortable and comatose as possible until he passes. I will do my best to accomodate his wishes and have made our medical director aware of his concerns. We have discussed palliative sedation, but I don't feel that will be necessary. Additionally, he and his wife get regular visits from our bereavement care coordinator and spiritual care. His biggest ailment at this time is depression and anxiety, and we work through it together, as a team. Try to enjoy the time you have with your brother, albeit, a potentially short amount of time. If possible, act as a care provider and be there as often as possible during his nursing visits so that your questions can be addressed and you can be taught different aspects of palliative care. This precious time at the end of life is so very special, and it can not be regained once it is lost. You will likely treasure the coming days, weeks, and months greatly. Do things with your brother he enjoys. Talk, reconnect...engrain the lines of his smile into your memory. Hold his hand and tell him you love him. Reminesce. Most of all, remember that your separation is temporary, his suffering will cease, and one day, you will be reunited. It is not "goodbye" but "until we meet again". God bless.

I truly am sorry for the mis-information with regards to Nurse Corp Officers that were killed in the line of duty. It is a disservice to the soldiers the families that were not represented. I am sure there were many more medics than nurses KIA and also likely fewer PA's and MD's than RN's. However, I would also venture to guess that many more than 36 ANC Officers were killed stateside during that same time frame (the era since Vietnam) from other things such as car accidents, illness and disease, etc. My point was simply this: If you are going into the Armed Forces, the Army Nurse Corp is probably one of the "safest" specialties you can go into. (If there is such a thing as a safe place in a war zone.) From a wife's perspective, my husband ANC soldier is over there now and I worry every second, every minute, every hour, every day, every week, and every month he is gone. When I don't hear from him for a day or two or three, the hairs on my neck stand up, my pulse increases, my BP elevates, and I feel like I am holding my breath until I hear from him and know without a doubt he is safe. I think for every month he is away, I age a year. It's the way this type of lifestyle is.

I can't tell you what it is like to be an Army Nurse Corp Officer but I am married to one. My husband Chris has been in the Army Nurse Corp and Commissioned as an Officer in 1999. Prior to that time he was enlisted in Armor as a Tanker, enlisting at the tender age of 17 in 1987. He left Active Duty and went National Guard to obtain his BSN. Upon completion of his BSN he re-joined Active Duty. He has always been Active Duty during the time I have known him. We met in 2000, right after he returned to full time service and we married in 2001. Our 10 year Anniversary is coming up this September. During our 10 years together, we have lived in 4 states and he has deployed 3 times. Iraq, Afghanistan, and currently he is in Iraq again. The "good" think about Army Nurse Corp is that you are generally Profis'd and since new regulations were passed a few years ago, the vast majority of Profis deployments are 6 months (boots in sand time - gone about 7 months total as you need pre/post deployment briefings/trainings and travel time). His first deployment of our marriage was two back to back deployments and he was gone for a total of 13 months. I was 4 months pregnant with our son Noah when he left for Iraq. He was in Iraq 5 months, came home after the baby was born for 10 days R&R, went back to Iraq only to "Jump" to Afghanistan for 6 months for a back to back deployment. He left this time in February and was supposed to be home in September although there is an excellent chance he will be home in early August. The only good thing about deployments is a bit of extra income and the homecoming. The homecoming is usually pretty great. (Think "honeymoon") He has been on a Forward Surgical Team twice and is the OIC of the ICU and ICW at a CSH this deployment. He said living conditions are much better at the CSH then on the FST because he has his own CHU with a personal shower and internet access. He works ALOT of hours during this deployment and he works ALOT of hours when he is stateside. I will say though, that my husband goes above and beyond his senior officers expectations and doesn't quit until he feels the job is done. Fortunately we instant message almost every day, occasionally going a few days between interaction (which I abhore) and we usually video chat (skype) about twice a week. PROS 1. He makes great money with Base Pay and BAH, BAS, etc - after 11 years in Active Duty as a Major and with his current deployment reducing his taxes, I think it would be rude to say how much he makes on the forum, but it is double what I make as a civilian RN. 2. We have lived in some nice places. Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio was a great post. We live in Georgia now, in the Augusta region as he is stationed at Fort Gordon, and I like it here also. We also lived at Fort Knox (which is where he was stationed when we met as KY is the home state for both of us) and he did 2 years of recruiting duty in Kansas City (which had some definite positives) and he did 2 years at Fort Leavenworth as the OIC of on post clinic. 3. He looks HOT in his uniform. (That's something I like...lol) 4. The retirement benefits will hopefully be worth his last 20+ years of service. 5. You won't deploy if you are pregnant and immediately post partum. In fact, my husband was slotted for this deployment in place of a mother who had her baby a year ago. Although, I have seen women deploy with a baby under a year of age. 6. Most of your deployments will be 6 months and when you are gone you will likely have regular contact with your family and you will be "Safe" for the most part. Very, very, VERY few nurses are ever KIA. (Maybe 1 in the past 50+ years) 7. You will get management responsibilities and training you might never get in the civilian sector and see/do things you would never have the opportunity to do without having been in the service. 8. Your time in service looks great on a resume. 9. Student loan repayment. 10. As a single woman, you will work with alot of very attractive, very polite, very educated men. NEGS 1. Deployments stink no matter how short or long you're gone. 2. Being far from family is sometimes hard for me to deal with. I don't go "home" when my husband deploys. I feel it's more important for the kids to stay in one place and have stability plus I can't quit jobs at the drop of a hat but it's damn hard to have no support system. 3. This is not an easy life. 4. You will work alot of hours as your responsibilities increase. Initially though, you will work about 3 12 hour shifts a week in most instances, although as an OR Nurse you might do 5 8's. 5. This lifestyle is not easy on families. The spouse and children must be or become very independent whether they want to or not. I'm sure there are more than this but I am too tired to think straight. I don't think any area of the military is better or worse than another. It is what it is. Good luck in your decision making process.

Hospice has nutty long hours too. I have done 24-30 hours straight before when doing a full day then on call with actively dying people plus admissions. This Wednesday I went into the office at 7 am for an IDG meeting before starting to see patients, then had an admission, went to office to compete admission paperwork, and didn't get home until almost 10 that night then did call until midnight before crashing out. One holiday weekend I did call from Wednesday night until the following Monday morning. Unfortunately, I had one death after another and it easily turned into being up 36 hours going from one patient to another until I demanded some time to sleep as I was exhausted quite literally to tears. Got some sleep then right back at it. Such is life.

My last patient with Terminal Agitation and vocalizations responded very well to Haldol.

...but just make sure that dietary documents correctly, and I certainly wouldn't sign my name under their documentation. Additionally, I might add in my notes "patient is stable and enjoying their lightly toasted bread with scrambled eggs - hold the butter!"

Just politely explain you will be happy to make the toast while dietary takes ABG's, titrate IV drips, pass medications, and analyze recent vital signs.

My husband is a 41 year old male nurse and he gets asked if he's the doctor fairly often.