aberrn

Check out Medhunters.com Good luck.

Re the Dilaudid dose,this seems like a small dose for pain control in a Ca patient. In the ER we usually give 1-2 mg. Sometimes more..

I have also driven cross country several time and always try to stay in a Motel 6.Pet friendly,no pet fee,they don't seem to care about the dogs size either.[i have a 70lb lab mix].They are a no frills chain,but usually you just need somewhere to sleep and shower. Although this won't affect you they also give a 10-15% discount for AARP members. :) Happy travels.

Agree with the driving part,I just got back from CA [also live in Atlanta ],my 1997 Firebird has 116,000 miles on it and never had a problem.I always have it serviced before a long trip,have my mechanic check hoses and belts etc. I will leave for CA in a couple of weeks and will be driving a 1999 Coachmen camper van I bought in Dec. I will then drive back in Aug for the last time taking about 3 weeks and do it slowly. Love road trips,loads to see and do.

Why not just sign on with a CA hospital rather than using an agency?.Basically cut out the middle man.. I did a travel assignment initially to scope out the area. Once it was over I got a job at another local hospital. $57/hr for 3-11 shift + full benefits and accrued vacation time. The 1.5 after 8hrs and double time after 12hrs applies. But didn't on my travel assignment.. Also have a friend who did the same,he works 6x12hr shifts,then 8 days off. He then flys home for the 8 days. Maybe this kind of arrangement could work for you. Remember,agencies are interested in making money for THEMSELVES.

I got pulled over while in CA as my licence plate light was out.He also informed me that the plastic plate covers are illegal in CA He was very nice about it,no ticket.He asked if I was moving to CA,I explained I was a travel nurse and would be working periodically in CA. Fixed the light the next day,removed the cover this month when I got my new tag,as I will be driving back to CA Jan 2nd. As always being polite and professional sometimes helps.

All ER's have at least one Doc like that. It's called C.Y.A...

Totally agree with other posters...You need at LEAST one year,preferably two years experience before thinking about travel. As a traveler you will be expected to jump right in with minimal orientation. And be expected to know what you are doing,which now....you don't. So for your own sake,get some experience before you travel. You'll be glad you did....

As one ER Doc I worked with said,"There's never any bones outside the ER" They always find a ride..

You sound totally "wishy-washy"...ICU is to 'boring' you have to be too "focused'.. In the ER,you'd better be bloody "focused' if you have a crashing patient. Don't run off and read about it,follow orders from experienced nurses and see how they do it...Ask questions CONSTANTLY.. Agree with previous thread re seeing a therapist You "slave"over your patients???...I see time management being a big problem for you. In a busy ER you do what needs to be done and move on to the next pt. Sounds like you want the excitement and recognition without the actual knowledge.. Which comes with experience..

I had looked into this at one point. Recieved a letter from the French Nursing Board,you are acceptable if you are fluent in French.

My favourite is the CN saying "I don't know who's going to take that pt". Why not?. Lets see,4 empty beds,at shift start CN says,Nurse A you get first admission,Nurse B,2nd etc,etc..Not rocket science.. ER nurses wouldn't have to call at shift change if,when bed was requested at 4pm,the floors didn't wait until 1830 to give bed # to house super. Who in my opinion should know whats available anyway.

Told my recruiter about the bounced check. Most apologetic,husband forgot to transfer funds etc.. Just recieved another check + my $10 bank charge. Taking advice from a friend who came to CA and started job hunting.Took her a month. She suggested doing a travel assignment,use the housing,search for a job. This I am doing,dealing with hospitals directly,cutting out the middle man.. Financially advantageous to me!!!!.

:madface::madface:The personal check my recruiter sent me for travel expenses BOUNCED!!!!!. My bank charged me $10. My health ins was finally cancelled. Stay away from this company.They apparently cannot get it togeather. They are not taking CA taxes out,but continue to take GA witholding taxes. I am about to call the IRS for info.

DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY. THEY ARE TURNING OUT TO BE A BAIT AND SWITCH OPERATION. Need to vent a little. If you had gone to Travel Nurse Depot.com and put in your company requirements,which for me included a 3% 401k match Axis popped up with links to either Benefits or website.If you went to benefits it would have shown paid housing,insurance,travel. I am now paying $70 week health ins,when I e-mailed the company OWNER, she had the benefits part of the TND info removed. My last e-mail to her last week has been ignored. I told her to cancel the ins and she has not done it. Now 6 weeks into my contract I finally have a 401k deduction,[didn't send me paperwork with my original package],and they are telling me the matching will not show up on a paystub. It ALWAYS is shown on a paystub with any hospital/company.ALWAYS. If you do not take the Tax Ad programme then they pay your housing/ins.But of course you get paid peanuts. They are not taking CA state tax out???.but they are taking GA witholding. ??? When I initially asked for my travel allowance as stated on the website.I was informed "It isn't on our website" They removed the "Airfare or travel allowance" from the website front page but forgot to remove it from the FAQ section. Which of course I printed and faxed to them... After multiple,multiple e-mails regarding Travel Allowance,my recruiter is trying to tell me it's included in the TA programme. Although they have already paid another nurse I work with the standard $500. So out of the 6 weeks I have been here in CA on assignment I have been e-mailing this company for 5 weeks trying to get them to get there s--- togeather and do their jobs.. Worked Memorial Day,not showing up on paystub,another problem to solve. I am enjoying the housing [340/wk I pay],hospital and general area. But all in all this company is not performing well at all.And I do not recommend them. And will not use them again!!!!!!

DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY. THEY ARE TURNING OUT TO BE A BAIT AND SWITCH OPERATION. Need to vent a little. If you had gone to Travel Nurse Depot.com and put in your company requirements,which for me included a 3% 401k match Axis popped up with links to either Benefits or website.If you went to benefits it would have shown paid housing,insurance,travel. I am now paying $70 week health ins,when I e-mailed the company OWNER, she had the benefits part of the TND info removed. My last e-mail to her last week has been ignored. I told her to cancel the ins and she has not done it. Now 6 weeks into my contract I finally have a 401k deduction,[didn't send me paperwork with my original package],and they are telling me the matching will not show up on a paystub. It ALWAYS is shown on a paystub with any hospital/company.ALWAYS. If you do not take the Tax Ad programme then they pay your housing/ins.But of course you get paid peanuts. They are not taking CA state tax out???.but they are taking GA witholding. ??? When I initially asked for my travel allowance as stated on the website.I was informed "It isn't on our website" They removed the "Airfare or travel allowance" from the website front page but forgot to remove it from the FAQ section. Which of course I printed and faxed to them... After multiple,multiple e-mails regarding Travel Allowance,my recruiter is trying to tell me it's included in the TA programme. Although they have already paid another nurse I work with the standard $500. So out of the 6 weeks I have been here in CA on assignment I have been e-mailing this company for 5 weeks trying to get them to get there s--- togeather and do their jobs.. Worked Memorial Day,not showing up on paystub,another problem to solve.

I drove from Atlanta to Monterey at the beginning of May.It took me 6 days,that included a 2 night stay in Santa Fe. Agree with other poster,keep plenty of water in the car,I freeze several 2L soda bottles before the drive. My dog also drinks it. Charged cell phone. I also text a friend when I stop for the night,so someone knows where I am. Atlas. Service your car before the drive,I went in for an oil change and check,and my mechanic found a 'small' oil leak. "Small" can get "big" on a 2300 mile trip.So that was taken care of before I left. I drove the I-40 route to CA,but will go up PCH and across the Northern states on the return trip. Safe journey and enjoy....

Wish I'd thought of this but it was an RT idea.... "Non compliant patients should be an automatic DNR"

Thanks for all the comments and input.The company I have taken an assignment with does the TA.. It will only be for 13 weeks,so you can believe I will be keeping ALL reciepts and paperwork [i usually do anyway for tax time] And I only intend to do the one assignment.

Hollister,about 40 miles East of Monteray.It's a 9 bed ER that sees approx 50 pts/day. Kinda looking forward to the rest as where I am now we see approx 200/day. Where were you?.

How long have you been with Axis?. I have just accepted an assignment with them in CA.Did you have any problems at all?.

I am in the process of finding a travel job and two recruiters rave about this. Of course they talk like used car salesmen at 90mph,so it's hard to keep up!! Do I have this right?. Say you make $30/hr,you are only taxed on the first $10,not taxed on the remaining $20. So at the end of the year your W2 shows you made only $20,000 and not the $60,000 you really earned. I talked to another recruiter[who I trust] who said "Absolutely stay away from this,it's a red flag to the IRS and I've had nurses who have been audited" As I am sure the IRS wouldn't believe a nurse working full time only made $20000.. Any thoughts,comments.

Where I am now is the only ER I"ve EVER worked that will take sick floor pts when ICU is full. Sometimes PACU will take them,depending on their census.But if they feel too BUSY! they will refuse!!!. This is where the house sup should step in and make an executive decision.But they don"t want to UPSET PACU!! Apparently pissing off ER staff is OK.. Luckily we now have a Director with actual ER experience[for a change],so she is trying to change that. And if we get 3 ICU holds they have to send us an ICU nurse..YEAH.. But generally speaking the ER is the dumping ground for everything!! They don"t seem to realise we can"t say "We"re full,can"t take any more pt"s". Don"t I wish!!!

Thanks for the info. I've nixed the NMC job as they wanted someone who would float to ICU and Med Surg..

I am going to take a CA travel assignment. Has anyone worked ER at Natividad Hospital in Salinas or Sierra Med Center in Grass Valley?. These are the first two hospital choices I"ve been given so far. Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks