777RNThatsMe

Ding ding ding ding! BIngo!!! LOL Sigh....I left Calif over 10 years ago swore I'd never go back - to expensive to live; too many crowds of rude people I thought. Guess what. Just as many in the rest of the world! HA (as far as uncaring).... I miss the weather and having things to do. B ut...now my situation has changed and it will be more difficult for me to go back. I sort of wish I hadn't left. But...... then again the road I took was one that changed me for the better...so I'm glad I left. Makes clear as mudd huh? HA I think I may want to go back,too...but will have to wait and see.

Well if just thinking about it makes you tired...wait until you run your rear off nonstop for 12 hours straight....for 3 in a row and then rethink you idea of doing 5, 6 12's..... b/c it's tougher than you think -- and med error risks are high. I have seen very good nurses begin to make more mistakes after the end of 2 12's....let alone 3. We work very hard here...depending on ratios and you cant' forget that - alot of hospitals have very high ratios. Even specialty units. The work is hard. And the hours are long - and you loose time with your family that you CANNOT get back. Think it over. Your personal decison but I recommend you think it over. And basically, here is the thing ... you need to call different hospitals and ask what jobs they have; what shifts they have; how much if any OT is required or when weekends are required etc.... ask about benefits (health) and cost thereof.... Then explore the cost of living by looking at the DATA not asking people...the net has tons of data (not all correct though Insofar as you being the only income...I have 2 kids and am a single parent......and I pay our way. And i drive a new car. yeah we dont have alot left over. And I work 3 12's a week. And it's ENOUGH. Especially when it's every other weekend and it turns into a situation where .....you can't go do things with your church group or your friends.... b/c your schedule changes weekly...etc. It's hard to make plans. Some people are on call...you have to consider that. etc...so research hospitals and jobs. Not jus t pay. But what it comes down to is.... depending on how you spend/live....you CAN make it on 3 12's....or 4. Or whatever. As the only earner. I do it. You can as well. Now if you want fancy vacations and lots of money then no, it's hard on single income. So....look the data bases but know that it CAN be done if one lives w/out alot of outside debt such as new car etc. Good luck. I'd rethink the six 12's if I were you. It's not a good thing for patients or family and that is my opinion - to which I have a right. I would never ever ever want any nurse taking care of me that had done even 5 in a row let alone 4....... 3 is pushing...especially depending on acuity of patients and ratios.....its too much. Those who say they are never affected by it ....... (by working too long in a row) are kidding themselves. Best of luck.

I second that!!!

5 and 6 12's is insane people! I do 3 12s and let me tell you I get tired enough that, I have nothing left in energy for my kids let alone any more! and sometimes my 3 12s are in a row; or, if they fall on a weekend it's 4 in a row - and it kills my family. DON'T do it. To your wife; or your child.

That isn't very much to live off of, in Calif - no. Not on a single income family. Doubtful you'd get by well.....rent is very expensive there as is trying to buy homes.

I didn't attend my pinning (neither did some other classmates)..and I didnt miss a thing. You can buy a pin for 5 bucks My class got way too political and narrow minded...i wanted nothing to do w/it. Just be glad you made it . i asked other nurses 20plus years experience and they could not even remember their ceremony. The only thing that you do miss (which stinks) is receiving the degree from the administrator.... the thing is it all depends on your ceremony - are they doing something you will miss. Our ceremony was very small, and highly political and designed to please a few members of the class. I passed. I received another degree in the past in front of the whole school, gown robe, etc...and that was cool - I think nursing needs to just do the same thing. Make it professional and part of the main school; it is a degree after all. But....every school does something different so examine what your class is doing...and see how important it is to you. You have to answer that one for yourself! Congrats on finishing by the way!

To the OP...if you have real estate and are cashing out of Calif you can certainly afford to buy all over the US and there are a LOT of places a LOT nicer/more desirable than Spokane. TRUST ME! :)

DUh YA!! You are missin' something!:monkeydance: Check out the 100's of posts on Calif and you will see...or better yet get on the phone....and call the HR depts and you will see....that Calif is I believe THE or close to THE most expensive place to live .... the commute is horrific....people are generally not very friendly (and if you freak out b/c nobody answered you..you will HATE calif).... Anyway call them and you will see the START WAGE for a new grad in Calif is NOT in the 30 per hour range. It is about 5 to 6 an hour more than say, spokane which you mentioned. You get smog; you get rude; you get crowds that you cannot get away from..you get a home you can't afford...and all that to live in good weather! Hey I considered it myself and then I realized I could not afford to live there. WHY do people go to OTHEr places...b/c it's TOO MUCH MONEY to live there...b/c they don't like folks not talking to them....b/c they dont like everyone being caught up in facitious gunk...b/c they don't like the drive...or the smog...who knows. Lots of reasons. But dollar for dollar...you just need to call the HR depts and then look up the cost of living...and figure out for yourself how much you'd struggle financially...etc....instead of asking everyone else b/c they don't know...they can't know... each situation is different. Do you wish to live with 4 roomates? Then fine you may make in Calif. Do you mind a long bumper to bump commute? Do you mind crowds? Do you need everyone to be friendly? Then you will NOT like it there. All depends what you want/need. But reality check here....Calif is all that above. Even San Diego and it is VERY VERY expensive to live dollar for dollar you get far more bang for your buck in other areas of the US. I grew up in Calif. I know. I also lived in Spokane for 10 years and it stinks. But...for 10 years I liked it better than calif. Now I'm not sure where I'll go...but don't fool yourself about Calif. It ain't "all that" ..and unless you know people there...i t can be very tough to find true friends....it can be a very lonely place. AGain all depends....on where you go....etc. Meaning where you place yourself in your daily life. No place is perfect

Oh boy you can say THAT again! :)

First, you don't have to be an A student to be a good nurse like the other poster noted. Second...critical thinking in my opinion means you study your basic information...your basic facts...and then as you think it through you begin, based on your base book knowledge....to put together a picture of each patient. You are a detective..you look for what could happen....and what has happened .... you treat what has..(you figure it out by the "clues"...) and you prevent, hopefuly what could. So you learn to look at them as a whole system as you go on in school...with each level you think of more systems as you learn more...and so on. You will come by this as you go alone and you put more and more practice at it. Get some books on prioritization and delegation as at some point you will need those and the nclex is BIG on those. i.e who would you see first...etc. Now, you have to be able to break down what is going on with each person and then decide who takes first/second priority..but again...that comes later as you learn more and more. There isn't a key per say..you just sort of come by it, or you don't. :) In my opinion you don't want to try to pass a test based on what that instructor "wants." Don't try to figure them out; waste of time, instead learn the basics that you need to know and then...use that knowledge during your tests to figure out what is going on/what may go on....in a patient. Remember your ABC yes....but maslow never helped me. Maybe I'm odd!

I am SHOCKED the wages are that low. Central WA where it's cheaper to live pays just as much. And, Spokane, on the east side, just as cheap almost to live as Central WA pays just slightly less. Seems to me they should pay better than that on the west side what with it being so expensive to live there. I was just considering a move to the west side myself but...not for less money!

Spokane is a hick town compared to anywhere in calif. Don't expect a lot of culture. Everybody smokes...almost. Forget the new law that states they can't smoke within 25 feet or 50 feet of a public builidng...it holds no water. They still keep ashtrays outside the doors and people are ALWAYS smoking in front of the public doors which is REALLY annoying all over WA state...I have not yet been west..but am considering going west. No natural foods markets etc. Traffic is getting alot worse, and alot of gang activity/theft just like bigger cities. Within 2 hours you have lovely camping. BE CAREFUL on that bike trail many women get raped (and murdered) every year on "that" known walking/biking trail. No joke. There are lots of hiding places on that trail, do NOT go alone enough said. Also you may be interested in knowing that apparently data shows Spokane WA to have the HIGHEST M.S. rate in the nation and second highest in the WORLD ...go figure. Additionally the Spokane river not only has many dead bodies in it each year ...bodies murdered/found there but also people killed messing around in it...but it's one of the most POLUTED rivers in the nation. Likewise nearby Lake CoeurD'alene Idaho which has a well known lake has very high lead numbers in it. Sooo....make your decisions carefully. Thing are not always as they appear. If I were you I'd research it a bit more. Wages STINK for nurses even with experience there, and jobs are not easy to find there..unless you want graveyard. I lived there for over 10 years and will not return. But, each to his/her own. Also re central wa....not as hurting for nurses as before. I can't speak for trie cities but when I graduated in May they had no more new grad jobs. It's my experience in job hunting that the pac nw in GENERAL is NOT hurting for nurses. However, maybe with a ton of experience. I was quite disappointed to find out today that according to some wages on the west side (seattle) are not even any higher than central (which is only somewhat higher than spokane)....and it's alot more expensive to live west. The ONLY benefit you have in living central or eastern WA is that its a bit less expensive to live than west. However - you have tons of cold..9 months of it to be exact..... lots and lots of snow in spokane many years . some snow in central. Mind you central wa is like the desert...a valley plunked into the desert. Not fun. Small town in every way, too..depending on where you refer to in central wa. Another thing you may wish to investigate is the quality of medical care should YOU need help. I will not say more than that!

Men..well...not sure I'd want to go the military men route again But thanks for the information anyway! I'll look into the jobs etc from Sequim as, I keep hearing the name of that town over and over and over again for some reason....people keep speaking it into my life. Maybe it's a sign. Who knows. I'm wondering how bad a drive/how long etc it would be from Sequim? thanks

Where did she do her clinics??? ALL I got were uncirumsized!!!! Ive seen so many uncirc's I practically forgot what circs look like!

And no..you never hand off charting to another nurse for what happened during YOUR shift as they were not there. You never want to do someone elses charting as a nurse unless you did it yourself and thereby its' your own charting.