rnanm

Wow! Looks like there are many of us with the same issues. Wait until you hit 60! I have a world of acute care, cardiac, trauma and general nursing experience and am in good health. Can I find a job? No way! Ageism is alive and well even with laws to protect us. Good luck in your efforts and keep in touch.

yes, i was an lvn for 14 years then finally returned to complete my rn. the pre requisites were never ending but i finally finished and have never been sorry. i am about to finish my bsn and am thinking about an msn degree as well. time passes and what we do with it makes it worthwhile. good luck in your future education goals.

interesting and definitely doable. on our unit there have been 5 rn's who thought they would like to leave bedside nursing and try management. all 5 returned to the bedside after varying times and never looked back. each says they are happier now and they don't have to take the job home with them. one returned to management with an understanding she could still schedule herself weekly for bedside nursing as desired. maybe that would help? good luck in your quest

hi hemaravin, i am located on the beautiful central coast of california. there are 4 hospitals within a 40 mile range. 3 are owned by chw and one by another company. i am a registered nurse and assistant nurse manager at marian medical center in santa maria ca. we are in the process of training many nurses from india and i have made some wonderful new friends. the way the indian nurses practice is very different from our way as you probably know. we have designed a special program to meet their individual needs. if you would like, i can talk with our recruiter and she may be of help to you. chw has many hospitals throughout california with the same orientation opportunities. please stay in touch and again, welcome

welcome to the world of california nursing yes, there are jobs out there. can you tell me a bit more about yourself? experience in what area? what type of unit are you interested in? what part of california are you living? i may be able to point you in the right direction. good luck rn/anm

i am a professional and conduct myself in a manner that exudes confidence for my patients, regardless of my uniform color. i do however choose to wear white on occasion as our unit patients have said they prefer knowing who they can seek advice from. mandatory white? nobody likes being told what they have to wear and perhaps there was a better way to enforce a "professional standard" than via no choice emails. good luck and happy nursing:w00t:

i understand the stress and dissapointment you are feeling right now, but please don't take this on as a failure on your part. i have known many fantastic nurses who failed their nclex exam and went on to be teachers and leaders within their units. try to relax and stay focused on each question keeping in mind which answer is "safest for the patient" good luck and stay strong. rnanm

brava my dear we need more nurses who will speak up for our patients and each other. i too have seen many who complain to each other but are not willing to get involved to make a meaningful change. i work on a step down unit that is supposed to be 4:1 but is almost always at least 5:1 and up to 7:1. we have mandates in place regulating the ratio, but the hospital laughs at our written protests. yes, it is all about the budget now and patient satisfaction. we are pegs in the hole of the game board with no real power to make things change without a 100% group effort. i feel sad for all of us. our standards have dropped to an all time low and expectations are at an all time high. no aids to help with patient needs is certainly showing in my unit. perhaps this is why they are having to import nurses from far away lands? good luck to you in your future nursing goals. perhaps it is time for a change? i will keep us all in my prayers.:balloons:

hi everyone i have been busy with finals but want to ask how many of you are reverting back to bedside report at the change of shift? with jcaho confidentiality laws in place how do we manage this very private information being passed from one nurse to another without others hearing everything? also i find it difficult because the patients start asking for help to the bathroom, a drink of water or something for pain. it is also very time consuming which results in ot pay for the off going nurses. i would appreciate input from any of you that are going through this type of report in 2007. love and laughs rnanm

when I work 12 hour shifts the rule of thumb is 2 30 minute breaks. One paid and one unpaid. However, I rarely get one 30 minute break uniterupted, much less even dream of the second one. I work days 7a-7p. We must frist take care of ourself before we can care for others I guess. Good luck

Our pets are a member of the family and I would not hesitate to put one of them first if the need were there. I do however have a network of pet loving colleagues and we provide vacation care, medical care and emeregent care as needed. We cover each others shifts and find this service is invaluable. Might I suggest you look around your unit and see if you could initiate one for yourself. Hope your Kitty improves.:smilecoffeecup:

thanks selke! i will do that. i heard from a travel nurse currently on 2north who is anything but happy:nono: and will post on the travel section. i did try the delphi.com site but had no luck finding information. just information about prospero? hope your assignment is going well.

LBMMC is a fantastic place to work and believe me the two years will fly and you will be well served to stick it out and gain the valuable experience and accreditation. If I were in the Long Beach area that would be my first choice. Don't worry about sign on bonus and contracts at this point. That can happen later. Good luck with your career

i am thinking about taking a travel assignment in santa maria, california. anyone ever worked or taken a travel assignment at marian medical center? thanks:monkeydance:

I live in the Central region of California. The cost of living is extremely high and houses start around $350,000 and up. Condos go for $300,000 minimum. The salaries of nurses have not kept up with the cost of living. Currently new grads are starting around $23/hr. All hospitals are owned by the same company so there is little hope of competition. Good luck in your search.