UWSRN

yes you need a car if you live in Jersey city.... unless you don't want to go many places on your days off.

Go to med school! Part of being an NP is being the "nurse" in Nurse Practitioner. NPs have a different mentality than MDs and different responsibilities. If you have no desire for nursing that's fine... but it's telling you to go into medicine instead. NP education without the understanding and use of the RN license does not make for a good NP as many of us in my hospital and NP classes have been seeing in the past few years.

It really depends on hospital protocol with most of these as to what sort of precautions are needed for each of those and it depends on where they have MRSA, VRE, etc (blood?, CSF?). I have never heard of closing doors for contact precautions. For contact isolation you should wear a gown and gloves. Not only are you protecting yourself, but you are also protecting other patients. Technically NO, you're not supposed to reuse contact gowns... but many places do for the lack of supplies. If a patient has C-Diff... don't use purell... you MUST wash your hands b/c purell does not kill C-Diff. Being that many bacteria can not live in the acidic environment of the stomach, you're not going to find the ones you talked about. But if the aide meant stool, then you should definately wear a gown and gloves, even if you're not changing a diaper.

I currently work in a NYC hospital.... our pay is appriximately $32/hr for full time, $44 for per diem. There are slight differences with full time pay based on your years of experience and education. You have to remember that approximately 38% is taken out in taxes, especially if you live in NYC. If you live in any of the 5 boroughs, you get city tax taken out of each check as well as your state and federal. Rent varies depending on the size of the apt, area you are living with, and if you are living alone. But if you don't want rats or roaches, want to live on your own in a neighborhood you feel safe walking in at midnight... then you are definately looking at $1500 -$2500 a month, not including utilities, a doorman, or an elevator. As far as pension plans... that's sort of a laugh at most hospitals in NYC. You need to work in my hospital for 5 years before you're even vested. Even if you live in NJ or CT to save money on rent, you need a car and the cost of gas and tolls to get into the city make up the difference. Plus, you have to deal with the morning commute and traffic. Don't get me wrong... I love NYC and my hospital.... but if you're looking to move b/c of the higher salaries, don't.

They must be students. Even if someone graduated high school at 16 they could not get a BSN in Nursing in 2 years b/c the clinicals that are needed alone are at least 2 years. 18 is too young to carry the responsibilty of being a nurse. They are still getting used to the responsibility that comes along with driving.

Definately DRY weight. We do all our medications, gtts, and electrolyte replacement by dry weight.

ruthiebaby.... could you tell me how you worked in Australia. Did you set everything up by yourself? Did you go through an agency? Did you find you were able to travel to other places from there?

PeddiER.... as far as language, dutch is the official language of Aruba. Though many Arubans speak more than one language such as Papiamento (a mixture of dutch, spanish, and african), Spanish, or English.

Good to know. Thanks.

I would go to Hunter... it's relatively cheap, has a decent reputation and relationship with a good number of the big hospitals in NYC.

I tend to like www.scrubsandbeyond.com I like their prices and selection.

Can you travel throughout Sydney without a car, using only public transportation? Also, can anyone tell me approximate prices in A$ for travelling to other parts of Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, or other islands from Sydney? Does anyone know of any nursing discount on airfares?

lavarn... being that you are from the US... do you know anything about these travel nurse companies that I have been seeing websites and ads for? They say they help with relocation information, finding you a job, and that many pay for housing. Since I'm on the other side of the world... I'm a little hesitant to use one of these services.... but if true, would be of great assistance in making the transition over to Oz. Also, I make $70-80,000 here in the US but my cost of living is extremely high. Basically 1 of my 2 paychecks a month goes towards rent. Is it similar in Oz or do u think I would be able to save some money each month?

Can you name some areas that are better to live in than others in Sydney... to help direct my apt. search.

I thought that an agency would set up free housing for you.... am I wrong in my understanding? Does anyone have an idea of what a 1 bedroom apt. in Melbourne or Syndey runs in A$?

Does anyone know of any good travel nursing agencies for Australia for US RNs? Are PICU nurses needed? Are there any agencies/hospitals in Sydney or Melbourne that pay for or give you a stipend for housing?

I'm with you Cali. I am thinking of moving there in my summer of 2007, their winter. I feel clueless as to where to start, housing, and how soon I would be able to start working. Thanks for starting the discussion.