barneyrn

There's an old rule in carpentry.."measure twice as you can only cut once." This might be adjusted for us Nurses to read," think twice before speaking once". Why is it that an assertive man is just assertive, but an assertive woman is a *****? Work place bullys and gossips are only empowered if you empower them. I agree with the Nurse that says, just do your work, find your social life in a social setting. BarneyRN

I used to do a lot of 'Resource ' work in ICU and ER. Basically, the Peceptor's job is to have a (usually med surg RN or other RN) new Nurse shadow you through your shift, or parts of your shift, to learn how all the credentialling they've been put through, really plays out in the 'real world'. So, you get to see, first hand how ACLS works out for the coding patient. You get your hands in to give you a feel for the work. I remember as a Paramedic in Nsg School in the 80's I was grateful for the bright, motivated RN's who guided me along. take advantage of their expertise, it'll help you save lives down the road. And they'll teach you the things you never learned in Nursing School!!Good luck. BarneyRN

Yes it's true that Nurses eat their young. But it is up to you to make the nightmare into a positive learning experience. If you think these Nurses are tough, wait til you're on your own and see just how kind and forgiving the general public is! Perhaps that is what you're being prepared for, whether they mean it to be that way or not. My Granddaddy always said that there were more horses asses than there were horses. Next time some jerk is being mean, 1) Picture them in their underwear and 2) Smile sweetly and say, "Thank you for sharing that with me"...say nothing else...use the silence to your advantage, and walk away. Don't let their bad day and attitude ruin yours. BarneyRN

Per diem means "by the day"...some institutions call this status "occasional". Ususally the institution wants you to cover shifts they have difficulty covering. Also, (usually) Per diem work means no benefits or accruals of sick leave time or vacation time. Also no reitirement. The big upside of working per diem, is you generally get to pick when and where you'll work. If you accept even a .2 FTE job, that allows the institution to assign you days (shifts) to cover and you are at their mercy (and they have none). Usually at this rate, you still get no benefits, retirement or accruals of sick leave or vacation time. It's a good way to manage as a second job, find a primary job you like with benefits and then do per diem somewhere else as a second job. Good luck. BarneyRN

At the last Woodstaock fiasco, I had to take care of a 14 yo girl from NJ, pregnant and high on Ketamine and Ecstacy. I called her Mother and got an earful about this 'ungrateful' child. We did not call the cops, just the social worker...so somebody would hold he rhand til Mom drove up from NJ to collect her. Lovely people! Barneyrn

I'm a man. I've been an RN for 16 years. Most of the comments I have heard over the years from my female counterparts have been positive as relates to pay raises and muscles. As for the backstabbing, well...everybody is entitled to a bad day, but that bad day should not turn into a life-style choice. Barneyrn