Critterpuss

I worked last year in the Virgin Islands, in the ER with Cross Country staffing. The psych unit at the hospital is very small and the staff there seems very nice. It is a locked down unit with cameras etc. The island has a huge problem with indigent people with psych disorders who are homeless and just wander around. The psych unit has limited beds, there are limited psych drs. The nurses on the psych unit seem nice enough. I would stress to your recruiter the need for safe housing, Sea Cliff is the premier place to stay, costs the agencies more and they are reluctant to put you there but it is the best. Quiet, ocean front with two pools and a great beach, clean and safe parking. Closest to the hospital also. Like I said though, it costs the agencies more. Most agencies try to send you to Sapphire Beach, which is nice, but they have had problems with breakins and loud parties. If you are at sapphire you can usually bum a ride from another nurse going into work, they usually meet at the bottom of the hill in the morning and car pool in. I would buy a car locally and sell it to another rn when you leave. There is a bulletin board on the ground florr of the hospital at the time clock where everyone posts cars for sale. Its usually traveler to traveler. I would recommend Community motors which is a block away from the air port if you want to buy a second hand car. Ask for Hawley. Tell him your a travler nurse and he'll get you a discount. Car insurance, if you buy just the minimum is cheap and required.

Do what is best for your career. Take the position in med surg. Get as much experience as you can for that, at least two years. This will be a firm foundation for your career. I did this twenty three years ago and they were the best years of my career. I now work in critical care and get paid well. I noticed that the nurses with a firm med surg experience always excelled and were confident where the nurses who got shuffled into a specialty area burned out.

Be really wary of both Sarasota and of Naples. I have recently completed travel assignment at both of these hospitals. There is a LOT of tension among the nursing staff. Apparently the management teams of these institutions have decided that to remain solvent and show a profit they must short staff the nurses. The nurse / pt ratio is horrible in all units. including specialty areas. Naples nurses are currently in process of bringing in the Unions. I would anticipate that Sarasota is well on its way to becoming unionized. I would assume that both of these hospitals will have a huge need for travelers this fall due to their core staff leaving. I would strongly advise any nurse looking at these hospitals to ask many questions before accepting an assignment at either Sarasota Memorial or at Naples Community Hospital. A nice area for those looking for decent nurse/ pt ratio are either Lee Memorial Hospital in Lee county or at any of the Charlotte County hospitals. Hospitals in Miami are always looking for Nurses and pay well, however Spanish is almost a requirement to feel comfortable on the job.

In the majority of ER's there is little time to sit down, your usually running for twelve hours straight, its very unusual to get a "real lunch break" where you can sit and peacefully eat. In general its Gulping something down between tasks. "No contol over who walks in" is a nice way of saying that most ER nurses are involved in a physical struggle with a pt at least once a week. My latest was with a 22 year old man, strung out on PCP who had his throat slit in an altercation. As he was punching and biting our staff nurses blood was spurting all over from his neck. The police had to stand by because this was a medical problem, our security guards are older than most grandparents and basicly useless.

Most of the staff at hospitals that you go to are going to be highly critical of your level of expertise. The more experience that you have prior to traveling the better. The staff can make your assignment a living torture assignment if you are dependent on them for guidance.

I've worked both of these facilities. If you will be working Peds I would highly recommend Healthpark, which is affiliated with Lee memorial. Great work environment and they really CARE about sick children. They treat their employees well. Lee memorial, main campus, has its problems as far as staffing issues. Many nurses at this facility aren't really that happy. Gulf Coast in Ft Myers, another one owned by Lee Memorial, is a sweet hospital, pays well and treats its employees well. Many nurses there have been there for decades and plan to retire from there. Says a LOT to me, and rare these days. Google "Gulf Coast Hospital, Ft Myers Fl for more info Naples community hospital is going thru some changes lately, laying off nurses even though they are adding more wings to their hospitals. It's one of those red flags of an unstable hospital. Most of the nursing staff is tense due to the staffing changes. The Dr's are unhappy because of the decrease in hands on personel (RN's) to take care of their pts. Used to one of the better hospitals in the area but.......

Charlotte county pays higher and the cost of living is lower there. Collier county pays about the same as Lee county however the cost of living there is VERY high. As with most hospitals in Florida the nurse pt / ratio is beyond most nurses comfort levels. In other words, you'll be very tired at the end of your shift.

It appears a few of the hospitals in the Southwest Florida areas are making an effort to get rid of the older, experienced nurses who are at the top of their pay scale, and top of vacation benefits> They are looking for newer nurses with little experience who will accept lower wages and hardly any vacation time. Some of the senior staff members at Naples hospital are being asked to take early retirement. Early retirement is starting to look attractive, since the nurse - pt ratio is going up and the acuity is very high. (older population) Excellent patient care will be sacrificed so that the hospital can turn a profit.

You need to be experienced enough to be up and running on your unit within three days of orientation. If your one of those who need a few months to feel comfortable I'd suggest that you work a while longer and try local agencies to gain experience before signing up for a travel assignment.

I am also from Canada and travel to the US (Florida and California) for work each Winter. Tax laws have recently changed regarding maintaining a tax home. I would suggest you consult a good tax preparer for guidance. Some nurses have been called on the carpet by the government for not being exactly truthful. Yes, Canada is starting to look at Nurses who travel to the US much more closely.

There are many nurses currently working who are pursuing higher degrees. Not many nurses have the luxury of not working during school.

Nursing is a twenty four hour job. Things dont flow according to the rhythms of the unit. No one is plotting to find the most inconvenient time to send a pt to the floor for an admit. The nurse needs to anticipate this WILL happen. It isnt going to change. Welcome to Nursing.

ER techs are some of the most over worked and underappreciated people in a hospital. If you are interested in going to the ER to work, present to the ER with a bit more than just wide eyes and eagerness. Sign up and complete a phlebotomy course, EKG course, CPR course etc. This will show the ER manager that you posess more than just a curiosity about the dept and that you have something to offer. Most ER's dont have the time to teach tech's. The person arriving with courses under their belt will be considered first over those without. Also, grow a thick skin. You will bear the brunt of frustrations voiced by patients, Dr's, nurses, secretaries etc. It's NOT like on tv

#1. Not that they are more busy, but the types of cases can be bizarre. Many people who may have a bit of a "personality disorder" may become very active during a full moon. #10, Not always, assess your pt.

In each hospital you work put up a flyer to hsopital employees needing tech support for their home computers. Make sure he charges a professional wage. He will get plenty of work.