jennbn

I am actually leaving in a few days to drive out there from the East Coast. I will be working a 10 week contract at West LA Medical Center...

Thanks again. What are the ratios like? Are you floating to other units frequently? I would love to talk more. Please email me at jenn_bn at hotmail . com . I should be out there somewhere in a few weeks. It would be great to have a friend when I get there:)

lilmeg....thanks so much for your info. I am applying for a position there in ICU/CCU with Talemed (Kaiser not USC). I would love to get the low down before I accept. Have people been friendly? What are the uniform requirements? What computer charting system do they use? How many pts in ICU vs. Stepdown? Did you have to take multiple test? How long is the orientation? I know this is overwhelming but sometimes the best info comes from a fellow nurse. Any info you would share would be great. I have a ton more questions but don't want to be to cumbersome....jenn

OK I was going to ignore this topic because it is very tired but I had to interject. I graduate next week with an ADN, HOWEVER, I am perfectly capable of obtaining a BSN but the opportunity to do so was not there. I am 30 years old, I do not have parents paying my tuition, and fiscally it was not responsible for me to pursure a BSN initially. That being said, I enter a RN-BSN-MSN accelerated program in January (now that scholarships are kicking in) I hope when I graduate I don't consider myself suddenly better than an ADN. We all wipe the same butts and deal with the same stuff. If you want more money pursue your masters, leave floor nursing or take a job in administration. Until then quit frowning on ADNs....we are your help in the hall. There is not always a BSN standing there when you need one...

Now that I am calmer than my original post please allow me to clarify:) I understand that in the workforce team work is a neccessity, I also understand that there are many nurses that are not happy in the workplace and it shows in their attitudes. However, The R.N. on the floor during clinicals does not get paid anymore an hour because I have to follow her. In some cases they are lovely people but when they already have 9 pt's on a M/S floor and they see students coming they are not happy. The instructor should ask the pt as well as the R.N. if it is OK. If you just dump me on this poor overworked soul, who do you think she takes it out on. I spend the day feeling responsible for her being over burdened or I spend the day hearing "This is not my problem I have work to do, you are in my way." How is that productive. I know with the shortage this is impossible to fix, but when the nurse get's down right nasty, the instructor should step in. Now as far as I will learn when I hit the floor, I apologize but that is not sarcasm. I can memorize a book, and I can ace a N-CLEX test but true learning will take place when I enter the work place. RN school is fundamentals that are neccessary, but no one can say that every new grad is not green when they start. If RN school taught you everything then experience would mean nothing. I would guess that many seasoned nurses can not recite an anatomy or nursing text but are still great nurses. I believe that RN school is years of how to pass the boards. I will gather my greatest knowledge from those who have nursed for 20 years before me and grace me with their wisdom as I work along side them. Sorry it is long winded, but I wanted to clarify, hopefully this is not offenxsive to some of you instructors.

OH wow this is probably the wrong day for me to post as I just had a horrible day at school but here goes: 1. Course Coordinators. What is this?! One instructor coordinates 3 other instructors, none of which bother to sit down together and discuss the routine of the course or what is acceptable and what is not. Too many chiefs and not enough indians you know? 2. Instructors need to read the material BEFORE they lecture. Nothing is more frustrating than coming to class and realizing that the instructor completely contadicts the text and N-Clex. 3. Unless an instructor has previous teaching experience (eg. Grad School) don't try to teach without a Masters in Education. You may be an exceptional nurse but that does not mean public speaking and test writing are your forte's as well. 4. If the RN we follow at the hospital is abusive, PULL US OFF THAT PATIENT!, the last thing impressionable students nedd is to be poisoned by the horrible attitudes of crappy rude RN's. We are there to learn, if the RN we follow is not OK with that the clinical instructor should step up. 5. Lat but by far not least. Disorganization is unaccpetable. Book learning is not the key for a RN time management and organization trump that everytime. If you want us to be good nurses set a good example. Sorry if I seem bitter but accountability should be important on instructors parts as well...All I need is to pass my N-Clex. I will "learn" Nursing when I hit the floor for work...

OH and yes I worked M/S just transfering over to critical care now...spent 6 months on the floor....

I currently work as a CNA (it is actually a PCA here but essentially the same thing). Unfortunately my experience with Med Surg has been pretty bad. The nurses are usually forced to take care of 7+ patients (on days when we aren't short handed), pt care is nonexistence and RN responsibilities are almost limited to passing out meds because of the overload. My main concern with Med Surg is the acuity tends to be getting worse and worse and the patient ratio remains the same. I am fearful Med Surg may cost me my license because I worry about pushing so many meds while under the strain of overwork and a devastating mistake being made or that I can't answer a phone call about v-fib etc. Also, and I do not know if this is always the case, but where I work the nurses with troubled licenses' or poor work history get pushed on to M/S because it is there only way back in at my hospital. Most importantly RN's are just miserable there. Not just peeved with their jobs but truly miserable and I don't want to have gone through school only to find myself unhappy. I hear from everyone YOU MUST DO A YEAR in M/S but I really don't want to... jenn

I am a soon to be new grad interested in doing travel nursing in 3-5 years. However, I am currently working in critical care (CNA) and plan on doing so as a RN. Do I need to switch every year and do a year of ICU, a year of M/S, a year of L&D etc? Or do I need to stick with one for the full 3-5 years. I abhor M/S and really do not want to do it when I travel anyway, but if I have to float when I travel I don't want to switch from 1-2 pt's a shift to 7 without some experience in time management. I just need to know what experience I can gather to make me well rounded enough to travel without risking my license. jenn