journey_bound

Hi AussieRN, not sure if you're still searching for post-bsn options, if you are, here's one given in Canada: http://www.mtroyal.ca/ProgramsCourses/FacultiesSchoolsCentres/HealthCommunityStudies/Programs/AdvancedStudiesinCriticalCareNursingCertificate/index.htm I think I'm enrolling in the spring, looks like a good program! best of luck ; )

My interest in relocating is purely for enjoyment and experience in a different culture, preferrably one with perks like beaches etc... I'm 29 and would like to do these things before settling down and having kids, which I don't want to wait too long on. A large factor in my deciding to get into nursing was to live and work anywhere I desired; of course, having debts to pay off certainly makes that a bit more challenging. Thanks for the information, you've been quite helpful : )

Good to know nurses work similar rotations there! Makes the guess work a little easier... I am reading information from queensland, and it must pertain to something other than what I'm thinking... Wage rates listed for queensland on the QLD government site list Registered Nurses as Grade 5 and Undergrad student nurses as Grade 2. Funny how things so familiar to you guys would seem so complex to an outsider... I guess knowing where to find the information, and what information specifically to find would make it easier If I convert from Canadian to Australian, I make approx. $3484+ a month australian. I'm thinking I'll end up taking a pay cut of nearly 1k a month if I relocate to australia. That saddens me because I have a fair amount of debt from school with the intention of fast-tracking my payments and clearing it asap. Certainly makes relocating seem less desireable. Our start wage here (not including shift penalties) is around $34 an hr, for 1st yr nurses, and up to $44 after 9 years. I sort of assumed nurses were paid quite well everywhere... That coupled with the cost of living, especially somewhere like Melbourne, might be enough to have me change my mind on this idea....

Thanks, ceridwyn : ) I think I'm grade 5 (registered nurse), 1st year (or 2nd year if my previous Canadian experience will be recognized). I'm trying to figure out if it's feasible financially for me to relocate. What rotations do nurses typically work? We work half of our shifts on days, the other half nights and do two weekends a month. For taxes and union dues, pension, medical etc... deductions are approx. $2000 a month, leaving us to net around $3400/mth. Is there any way for me to work out an estimate based on a typical acute rotation including differentials? sorry, it seems to complicated to me.

So, if I were an RN with one year experience, working in acute care, how much could I expect to take home bi-weekly or monthly, on average? Take home here is approx. $3400 a month for someone in my position.

oops, that was originally in a table...

I'm making plans to relocate to Melbourne and find work as an RN but somehow thought the pay was better than it appears to be in Australia. I'm looking at a scale and the wage is listed as this: Nursing Level Hourly Rate Fortnightly Salary Annual Base Salary 1styear $23.13 $1,758 $45,708 2ndyear $24.02 $1,826 $47,746 3rdyear $24.92 $1,894 $49,244 4thyear $25.00 $1,962 $51,012 5thyear $25.88 $2,031 $52,806 6thyear $26.75 $2,098 $54,548 7thyear $27.61 $2,166 $56,316 8thyear $28.29 $2,220 $57,720 9thyear $28.98 $2,274 $59,124 10thyear $29.65 $2,326 $60,476 In Alberta, Canada, as a new grad RN, I make approx. $35 an hr not including shift differentials and take home is around $3300-3500 a month. How much is typical take home for an Australian RN with only 1 yr experience? Is there much off set with salary packaging etc... and shift differentials? I'm worried that I'll be moving and taking a huge pay cute when I'm still paying off a large amount of debt from being in school. For those of you who work in Australia, what does a typical nurse take home after all is said and done, per month or bi-weekly? Thanks!! : )

I would imagine that both your manager and pharmacy would have to investigate to determine who opened the bottle, to whom it was given, how much, and when. You've already spoken to your manager. Has it been cleared up? I'd submit an incident report regarding it to your manager, if you do, the responsibility is on the manager to follow-up.

I think your decision to approach only a select one or two nurses is a wise idea. It's really quite sad that you can't freely approach any given nurse and seek advice or information when required. Nursing should be a team effort with understanding and insight info the lack of knowledge a new grad nurse has. It's ludicris to expect you to know something if you haven't already done it, and in my opinion, text book knowledge only goes so far... Having read and understood the process of something doesn't make an individual competent and capable to perform it without guidance and assistance, chastising you for asking questions isn't productive nor professional. My only suggestion would be to make sure you understand/are aware of what is being said about your practice, get it in writing if you can, also - very important, document ALL meetings with your manager, stating what you were told, what you'd said, etc... keep it non-biased and objective. That way, if you need to defend yourself in any situation, you have a leg to stand on and look professional in maintaining documentation of this. Just do the best you can, ensure you are always doing safe practice, review at home, talk to your manager and a selected nurse or two on things you can work on/feedback, and be prudent on who you go to. Don't let any of what others are thinking seep into your functioning on the floor because that stress is going to produce less efficient and more "unfocused" work. It's better to work slower and maintain patient safety and have your coworker complain about you. You can't have your license revoked for that. Good luck! : )

I've only ever seen and written "writer," as in: "Pt was talking to self when writer entered room" Referring to yourself as the writer is the most grammatical (and logical in my opinion). I wanted to add as an edit, reading "this nurse" has the potential to be taken wrong, in that you are might be referring to another nurse who was involved in the care somehow... It's ambiguous.

Hi there, if you're interested in volunteering, I know of a place that is in desperate need of nurse volunteers... Casa Guatemala. It's an orphanage that cares for an average 250 kids and is located in Guatemala near livingston. I have plans on volunteering my time in the future and had a chance to visit the orphanage last summer.. The volunteer stays in the clinic and sees children throughout the day for typical conditions like ear, nose, throat, skin, digestive etc... It's absolutely beautiful there and the place is run by almost all volunteers. If you're interested in it, their website is casa-guatemala.org : )

In Alberta, Canada: BSN new grad $34/hr base pay with $5 evening differential and $3.25 weekend diff, ceiling as per our schedule right now: $44/hr not including differentials.

As a previous poster mentioned, get some pre-hospital paramedic books... They get right to the point in those and offer step-by-step for trauma's and emergencies like acute asthmatic attacks, heart attack, etc... So you feel prepared for the major things - tho the majority of emerg nursing (as per my experience) has been much more medical clinic type presentations as compared to true emergent or critical situations. Also, get an older but recent copy of advanced medical life support and ACLS and trauma nurse core course from somewhere like abebooks.com. I am orientating to emerg and am a new grad and what I've done that helps me also is to make case studies out of patients I've had, and go back and review everything that was done, why they were done, if things could have been done differently and why, and review related lab work and body systems. I've found that it helps me to consolidate my theoretical knowledge with applied practice and to identify gaps in my learning. Ask lots of questions on the floor and you'll do fine! Good luck!

Thanks so much for your clear and concise response : ) I don't have the position yet; I have an offer but have not made my mind up about it. It concerns me that you mention lay off's in the spring... If I were to accept a position in a small hospital wear people aren't looking to work, is there still a possibility of me getting laid off? I assumed that taking a position in a hospital where people aren't applying and where they need more people would help me to avoid that situation. If I take this position, I will be relocating to another province (obviously) and don't want to find myself with an apartment and no job in AB... thanks again

thanks for your response : ) If you take a look on Alberta Health Services job postings, you'll see that there are a (very) few postings that are open to the public, some casual and others are way in the middle of no where are are part-time... So, what you're saying is that instead of getting a temporary interim license like I would here in BC, I simply work as a certified graduate nurse under the license of the RN on the floor? I am registered to write the Feb '10 CRNE and will satisfy all my degree requirements in 4 weeks. Obtaining certified graduate status, you said that all I need is proof of my degree from my university and that's it? I don't have to do any tests (SEC)? I see that according to your link, CARNA will recognize a registered nurse from BC, but if i've yet to write the CRNE, do i have to do an SEC assessment? My concern is time... I'd like to ideally be working by mid Jan, after submitting my application to CARNA by the 20th of Dec...

Hi guys, I tried finding my answer by searching posts but haven't come across it... I am completing all my degree requirements in 4 weeks. I'm a BC resident but have been offered a job to work in Alberta. I know with BC, you simply submit proof of your satisfied degree requirements, and register for the CRNE, and you can obtain a temporary license to work. Has anyone gone through the process of graduating in BC and starting work in AB under a temporary license as a new grad? I'm concerned the process is going to take so long that I'll loose this opportunity... Thanks : )

OMG I haven't heard anything like this before... I don't have much experience as I'm just completing my degree in nursing but 50:1 even with LTC is ridiculous and UNSAFE! I would say that 4 nurses would be more appropriate - which would be a ratio of 12.5:1... For an evening shift with them being in bed, and assuming none are acute, I suppose that you could probably pull it off with 2 - where one is managing medications and the other is assessing, and sharing the other work you mentioned. If someone is under LTC it is because they cannot take care of themselves at home... with that said, having only 1 nurse to 2 floors is very dangerous! you can't possibly know if one is up and has fallen and bleeding from a hemorrhage etc... I'm Canadian and we have unions here... Do you have a union? If so, I'd talk to your rep... because I would think you are placing your patients at risk by working 50:1 on two floors... Wouldn't your license be in jeopardy for a judgement call like staying in that environment without demanding something be done about this? sorry to hear about your situation

this gives a really good explanation on landmarking IM's: http://hubpages.com/hub/Ventrogluteal-Injection

bump : )

What did you use to study? I don't want to recommend stuff you've already done

Are you in your last practicum placement right now? If you feel concerned that you aren't getting enough experience with certain skills talk to the nurses on the floor and tell them that you'd like to try this, to come get you when it comes up... And, if this isn't an option, practice with someone in lab. At least you'll have the theory of it down... When it comes to working as an LPN, observe other nurses doing procedures when you have a moment, and have someone accompany you when you do yours. Someone will walk you through it. I will be graduating as an RN this May and am feeling nervous myself about what I have done and not done... I'm getting a lot more in fortunately in this last placement I'm doing.. If you are unable to get experience with these skills you talk about then spend your time getting down the other part of nursing - that is knowing what's going on with your patients at all times... Follow-up on lab work, talk to the physicians when they make rounds to get a feel for talking to them cause you'll need to when you're working, talk to other nurses about the process. I know it probably feels intimidating that you don't have as much experience as you'd expected at this point but if you can get what being an LPN is all about, the skills are secondary. Obviously they're essential but they are simply a means to an end if that makes sense. For instance, patient A needs a catheter.. why does he need a cather? does he have urinary retention? why? what are the risks of putting in a catheter, what is the patient teaching to go along with that? Patient B is getting a CT scan, does he need prep, what is it for? what happens when he gets back up on the floor? Try to think of the bigger picture. If you understand the process of nursing you'll feel more comfortable tackling skills you have little experience with later. Not sure if that helps or not.. hope it does! and good luck!!! :)

I am planning a trip to Guatemala soon after I write the CRNE. Once I'm successfully licensed as a registered nurse do I need anything additional to volunteer as a nurse in another country? Thanks! : )

Nedrager, AnonymousCanadian gave a pretty good description for the CRNE as far as I know. I have not yet written it but I've heard that the NCLEX in comparison is more medical based while the CRNE is related more to critical thinking in relation to practice standards and psychosocial needs of the client. Good luck and thanks for the info!!

Thanks for the info and link!! If I decide I'd like to work in Hawaii, is it absolutely necessary for me to write the CGFNS exam? Is there any way around it? The cost and time restriction it puts on me may make it difficult to write the exam.

I dug up some good info after posting my original post.. It appears as tho I would need to first get licensed here in Canada as a Registered Nurse, then I would have to write an exam with CGFNS (formerly the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools) in order to be eligible to sit the NCLEX. Then, I can apply to sit the HI NCLEX. Do I have this right? One more q, if I sit the NCLEX for HI is it recognized in other states? thanks