Liz520

Thanks for the insight. The organization seems great I just wonder if "nonprofit" also means "low pay" Argo, are you headed to another hospital in CO? I could easily see $11 more per hour in another state

Anyone have any insight on Centura? I know they are a large nonprofit faith based hospital system. What's the working environment like? Starting pay? How do they compare to other area hospitals? Thanks for any info!

Thanks for all the info everyone! We wnat better quality of life and think we can get that in CO even with the paycut. I knew it woudl be less, hoping it all washes out with lower costs of living. I have a phone interview with an ER in CO today, wish me luck!

Are there other advantages to living in CO but workign in WY such as tax breaks or anything?

Thanks for the info! Any smaller towns you recommend?

Is there a pay difference between Denver, CO Springs, or Ft Collins? We are selling our house and wanting to relocate to CO, but………I am really surprised by the pay, its much lower than I expected. I am coming from southern California and know I will have a decrease in pay in CO but my friend who has the same number of years experience makes exactly half of what I do in Denver. I would expect maybe a 30% decrease, but half, wow! I just can’t see that even with the cost of living lower that is equivalent to the pay difference. Any insight on pay in other CO cities would be much appreciated!!!

Good luck with your nursing career! My second degree is my BSN and I love that I made the sacrifice to go for nursing I hope you will too. In my experience I have heard that most managers like to hire people with a BSN but I think those people that are able to get as much time on the floor such as with an externship transition better. The BSN might look good on paper but IMHO I think there is too much emphasis on theory and research, but it is a great avenue to get started in nursing if you already have a degree. (I don't mind being too critical of the accelerated BSN since that is where I got mine. It's not all bad, but in hind sight I wish I would have done a traditional 4 year BSN). My first degree actually did help me land my job in the ER. My manager told me one of the reasons he did hire me was because of my degree and experience in Social Work. It has been helpful in the ER Good luck to you!

Congratulations! I am a pregnant ER nurse now on leave; I’m due in 6 days! I planned on taking the last 4 weeks off, but ended up going out at 5 weeks before my EDD, it was getting pretty wearing on my body, back pain and fatigue. Towards the end it’s hard to sleep thru the night and getting off a 12 and trying to get a good night’s rest before my next 12 was getting tough. Up until I went out, I felt great. I’ve always tried to stay active so make sure you do that, snack on healthy stuff often, alternate often between sitting and standing, and get help lifting. In addition to what was stated earlier about staying away from patients with meningitis and X-rays, stay away from combative patients too! Good luck!

really? i called hr kaiser colorado a while back and they told me that members can get care at the affiliated hospitals but they did not hire kaiser nurses at the hospitals. i’d like to follow up on your information…..thanks!

I am looking to relocate to Denver area and currently work at a Kaiser ER in another state. Does CO have a Kaiser hospital? It would be nice to transfer within Kaiser. When I looked to the Kaiser CO website it looked like there were just clinics...??? If there isn't a Kaiser ER in Denver, any recommendations for other hospitals? I have 2 years experience in ER, love it, and want to stay in the ER. Thanks!

Absolutely not, everyone coming to the ER complaining of pain is not considered a drug seeker, its quite the opposite. If that were the case then 99% of the people arriving to the ER would be labeled “drug seekers.” When patients arrive, pain is addressed right away. The “drug seekers” and or “frequent flyers” at my hospital have lots of documentation about their drug seeking behaviors, interventions, and help (i.e. pain management clinic, dependence programs). Wtrbcrna is right about chronic pain not belonging in the ER but that’s where the addicts go in hopes for a quick fix.

Thanks for the insight and advice! In order to prepare for the CEN exam is it similar to preparing for the NCLEX……self study and optional review sessions with private companies? Any book recommendations?

I'm about 9 months into my ED job and am making attempts to keep learning and increasing skills and knowledge. I've attended a few day long seminars/workshops but think my next goals should CEN, CCRN, or TNCC. Any advice on best ways to prepare for CEN or if I should go straight for CCRN? I want to stay in the ED and someday work trauma; my hospital is not a trauma center. I know I could learn a lot in the ICU but I just don't have a desire to work ICU. Will the CCRN still be just as helpful to me?

Great! Thanks for the reply. I would like to got, not sure if I can make this year though. I really like going to these types of things and even though they are tax write-offs they are a bit pricey. I think next year it will be in my city...San Diego.....Yippee!

It is Texas this year