nightbychoice

Usually the people that make comments like that are people that have very limited experience. In my experience, a smaller hospital forces you to master many different areas of expertise thus differentiating you from most large hospital nurses. In our critical access hospital we draw our own labs, start our own IV's, do our own EKG's, do our own respiratory treatments, set up oxygen and CPAP's, admit/discharge our own patients, act as a resource for a nursing home attached and a local Vets home, go to pharmacy and obtain medications and mix antibiotics, we enter a lot of our own orders and run codes until our mid-level providers arrive. We may have a chest tube today in a teenager and have another patient with a trach. We do post partum, med/surg, ortho, ICU and ER. We care for neonates through geriatrics. We may rehab patients for months. Our national certifications rival those of nurses in large hospitals but in most cases we possess more certifications as we will most likely care for a more diverse population. If a person were to try to call myself or my coworkers "less of a nurse" I would challenge them to walk a night in our shoes. Our teamwork rivals that of a professional athletic team and I wouldn't have it any other way.

When God closes a door he opens a window! I hope your next job makes you deliriously happy and wondering why you ever stayed so long with the haters. Best wishes!!!:w00t:

Hi, I am currently employed as a float pool RN and would like to gather as much information as I can to take to a committee regarding pay for floats. The hospital I am at now does not offer any more pay to be a float nurse,unless you are a prn float with no benefits. We do however, only work every 4th weekend, 1 major and 1 minor holiday and we self schedule. If you could include your hospital size,the state you are in and the pay your floats receive that would be invaluable to my research.:redpinkhe Thanks for your help, Jennifer

Gotta laugh at the idea of a nurse that won't wipe butts.......:smackingf ahhhh the energy this woman will spend trying to find someone else to do this will be enormous. I agree with the time will tell posts......she won't get out of wiping butts for long.....she will either quit the profession or be so exhausted from walking around searching for someone to do something that is "not her job" that she will give in and become "one of us"!!! :yeahthat: Life is short eat dessert first....live right,eat well and exercise die anyway!

The "debate"...the way I understand it is whether or not a person should be subject to possibly losing their license if they are convicted of drinking or driving. I have to laugh at the vagueness of the accusations made by one poster with regard to statements made by other posters that he doesn't agree with. It is my opinion he attacks comments made....just to draw ire.Just my observation. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.....Isn't America great?? I stand by my statement...be responsible for your choices....period. Have a great day!!

Hi, I have been in the float pool at a regional facility for 7 months and I am finally getting comfortable. My previous experience was in 2 smaller hospitals so we were jack of all trades. Currently I am oriented to EVERY possible place we could be floated to...ICU's,NICU,ER,Postpartum,Med-Surg,Tele...everywhere. My current regional facility offers NO $ incentive to be in the float pool. The main advantage as far as scheduling goes is that we only have to work every 4th weekend.Most if not all floors in this facility require every other weekend. We are still required to work nights and days however we are afforded a lot of flexibility with regards to scheduling. We can basically pick our work days and times (8's or 12's). Here is my question....could you give me an idea of what the pay differences are at the facilities you work at for float pool? Thanks for your help. Have a great day....don't forget to smile...it makes 'em wonder what you're up to!!:chuckle

Ummm just a thought but last time I checked being overweight and smoking are NOT illegal. Drunk driving besides being illegal usually affects the other victims much more harshly than the offender. What it comes down to...is being responsible for your actions...both on and off the job. If that is too difficult for people to grasp perhaps being a professional of any sort is not for a person. Have a great day! Life is short.... I have yet to take care of a dying patient who says they wish they would have had fewer children or worked more.

Ahhhh the age old dilemma regarding ALL of the human race. Don't let one bad experience spoil the job....always going to be that "kind" of person in EVERY job. Sometimes it does help to try and think maybe they have serious issues in their life.I had a House Coordinator threaten to write me up the other day for not moving a patient room to room...fast enough. Come to find out her Dad has CA,is dying and her mother has STM issues and is living with her. Doesn't excuse it but sure helped me to feel empathy, instead of the other not so nice things I felt. I try to avoid the back stabbing.I hope I am successful. Grandma used to say," If you can't say something nice....don't say anything at all." Pretty good advice,I think. Life is short,play hard,eat dessert FIRST and live like you were dyin! Jennifer:monkeydance:

Hmmmmm I read this thread and went from laughing to crying.....and mostly agreeing the whole way. I believe after being in 3 different states and landing in the float pool now.. that nurses everywhere are stressed to the max.Most of us got into this profession because we are the "helper" type personality.HOWEVER, thanks to JCAHO and the state certifications....we now have mountains of paperwork to lessen our already short time with our patients.Add this to the ever increasing amounts of meds we need to give patients and I myself find myself sitting in front of a computer A LOT. I hate that....if I wanted to bond with my computer I would have gone to Tech school NOT nursing school. The hospital I am at now....seniority on the M/S floor=3 years!! Helloooo will someone wake up and smell the coffee.... Not sure what the answer is here...so many factors of causation...I am seriously considering going to work at Subway and here is why: #1--I can be around hot buns all day. #2--I can play with meat all day. #3--I get my choice of 6 inch or 12 inch. #4--They will call me a "Sandwich Artist". XANAX LICKS AT NURSE'S STATIONS SHOULD BE MANDITORY!

Ahhhhh Triage.....you and I are a kindred spirit!! Alas that whole being HUMAN thing puts a monkey wrench in the whole super Mom/Nurse ideation!!:monkeydance: Every nurse if they have been one long enough has had similiar thoughts....mine usually occur with the frequent flyers of ALL types. It is very hard to take care of a young CA patient in one room fighting for their life and then go into the flyer room and be sympathetic.Note I said hard but not impossible. I really appreciate the alternative views posted by everyone else...... "things that make you go hmmmmmmmm". Thanks again Triage for the smile and the laugh!! Jennifer

I loved this story!Thanks for the laugh! As far as your comment about the aerosol Prozac....I see your Aerosol and raise you a: -------------Xanax lick for the nurse's station!!!! Have a great day! Jennifer