JaneQ

Tiny Nurse: ("I'm also on my 1st travel assignment") Just curious, where are you in Texas? (what hospital, specialty area, and who is your travel company? Is there a lot of need for travelers in Texas (I hear differing comments) I'm currently researching, before I start traveling; possibly in the spring... Thanks!

I just want to know where in the He?? do they have "custom" chairs for circulators? Was it in a private surgery office for a group of High Powered Plastic Surgeon's in New York maybe on Fifth Ave?? Just Curious.............. Maybe I could have a job like that someday!

I am so sorry you had to go through this. I have had a similiar experience. I totally agree with the others, talk with your co-workers, spouse or whoever your close to. It took months for me to finally come to some sort of acceptance regarding my situation. I prayed a lot every day for my patient's family. I had an especially hard time because management was "indifferent" to the situation. They told me "you need to prepare yourself , because "you will lose patients." Little did she know that I lost every pediatric patient I took care of at M.D. Anderson Cancer Ctr and later many stillborns, and demise's in my L&D career. Unfortunately, this is the very human side of being a nurse. Sometimes you feel like a Vietnam Vet, with the experiences you go through. Take Care, and be gentle with yourself. P.S. Just curious where are you in Ohio? I was at Grant from '98-2000.

To answer your question, I guess I'm regretful, because I know that I am intelligent in the area of medicine, yet my timing and opportunity to pursue further education (like Med School) was very off! If I had things to do over, I would have: 1. Been a total nerd in school, I too LOVE Books! 2. Gone to Med School. Probably gone into a women's health area like Breast Cancer and specialized in Radiology or Ultrasound/ Interventional Radiology. 3. Tried to get my childbearing over at an earlier age. 4. Lived more like men do without regret, and pursued what I was interested in. Thanks for the insightfulness!

Hi! First of all, I'm just curious...your 30 and starting a new career? I almost went to med school (after nursing) when I was 31. I decided not to because at the time, I was a single mom, without a lot of support, and thought it would be too hard. I could kick myself now. Oh well, eventually I'll do something I really love. What kind of work do you do now or did before nursing school? My advice would be if you really think you want to go to med school, research all the fields, and pick one that you really, really love. Because.....the medical field is changing rapidly, and is a huge systemic problem. The insurance companies are dictating what MD's can and can't do and how much they will pay for them. Also throw in the lawyer's, med malpractice, and sue hungry consumers (also known as patients) and the future of health care looks pretty bleak. Being a nurse for 10 years, and having a mother as an invalid half my life, I've "been in the sh-t". I wouldn't choose nursing if I were to do it all over again. Here are the things I don't like about it: 1. education to salary correlation (we know too much to not be paid like a professional. 2. work hours (your being compensated for the hospital's 24/7 schedule, and anyway, its not enough) 3. lack of respect as a professional. 4. your family life will suffer because of your mandatory schedule. These are just a few digs, and just my opinon. Hope this helps! P.S. the RN salaries sound pretty on target, at least for baptist, but watch out, they are not paying any kind of sign on bonuses.

Has anyone ever heard of this? The last hospital I worked at had a program where they trained RN's in surgery for 3 months. Then if you worked for them for two years you "worked off" the cost of the training ($2,000.00). I left this facility after three and a half months of working there because of politics ("lifer" tech's sabataging the new RN), very bad working conditions, and an anesthesiologist who basically killed my patient. The management knew of this anesthesiologist history, and nothing has ever been done about it. By, the way he's still working....... I have received a letter from said hospital requesting that I contact them, because I owe them $2000.00 for a "sign-on bonus" I never received a sign-on bonus, and the recruiter originally told me they were not giving sign-on bonuses. What I want to know is: Is it illegal for them to charge an employee for training? and that is why there are trying to pass it off as a sign-on bonus? Frankly, my credit is not that great, they will be lucky to get $10 a month out of me. I just feel like they really didn't give me "circulator training" since I already had 3 years of circulating c-sections and gyn surgeries. Just Curious...

I am a surgery nurse currently working in the Shawnee area. I used to work L&D in OKC. I have worked in a lot of areas with the exception of ICU and ER. I too have noticed that a lot of nurses don't respond to this site from Oklahoma. That is sad, because it is a very good resource for information. If you want to just chat, respond by e-mail. I would be happy to start up a conversation. Oh, I forgot to let you know, I have been an RN for 9 years. I have also worked in other states. Hope other nurses respond.