ChristopherB BSN, RN

Some parts of the country have low demand for nurses while other parts of the country still have a higher demand for nurses. If you are willing to move out of your current area to a different area, then I wouldn't worry too much about finding a job.

I interviewed at a few hospitals in NC last year and this year and they all told me the cost of living is so much lower than where I live in PA that its not really a pay cut. However, when I looked at the actual difference in cost of living, it was ...

Their orientation program for new nurses is great, or was when I went through it a few years back. On most units, its a 3 to 6 month orientation depending on the type of unit. Critical care internship/orientation periods usually are closer to 6 mon...

I want to be a nursing school class and clinical instructor, but I can't afford the pay cut. I really enjoyed teaching new nurses at work and also teaching the students that would come for clinical to the units I worked on. Just as others have sai...

If I were you I'd apply as early as possible for the critical care internship at LVH. I applied about a year before I graduated. Some of my classmates applied in their last semester and were told it was full.

Chances depend on how many applicants there are and what unit it is. If you have questions about different units, send me a PM. I worked there for 5 years and have many friends that still work there.

I sent you a PM about my experiences working in that area.

I ended up making my fingerprint appointment at a location much further away in NJ than I would like so that I could get it done within a week. The location I went to was in an office building about 30 minutes north of Trenton.

I've been interested in becoming a CRNA for a few years now. I really enjoy biology, chemistry, pharmacology, and working with some independence. However, at least half of the CRNA's I've talked with say that their job gets to be boring and repetit...

In my past two travel assignments there were travel nurses who are grandmothers and over 50 years old. I see no reason not to travel.

I have an issue with my current agency and my assignment. I took a 13 week ICU with occasional float to tele position. One of the nursing supervisors asked if I wanted to stay after my current assignment is over and take an assignment working on th...

If you go to their web page, you can search for postings for external applicants http://www.lvhn.org/nursing I'm amazed there aren't more external postings lsited because some of the jobs for internal candidates go for months without being filled. ...

I recently had interviews at UNC, Rex and Duke. Duke offered me about $4/hr less than UNC and Rex offered me more than UNC did. UNC also had much better night and weekend shift differentials than Duke. Duke tried to pull the, "Cost of living is soooo...

In reality, it seems that Magnet is more for marketing than for actual improvement for nurses. My employer is a Magnet hospital. They only raise tuition reimbursement when they need to do it to retain magnet status. Many of our committees never me...

I agree with most of what TheCommuter said above. One thing not mentioned was how many nurses are goign to be at retirement age int he next 10 years. The oldest baby boomers are areound age 65 now. Soem many delay retirement a few eyars because of th...

If they have time the charge nurse calls the staff members working that night and asks if anyone wants to be on call. We also have a voulintary call list where we can put our names and dates we will take call. If there are no voulinteers or if there ...

I'm planning to move to North Carolina soon for several reasons. I want to be closer to Family, get away from the northern winters, and also have lower in state tuition costs. I've spent some time in various parts of the state and seemed to enjoy it ...

In my area, nurses' salaries aren't nearly as high as many of the larger cities in the north. I live in an area with quite a few nursing schools and the hospital keep salaries low and view the staff as easily replacable. From what I've read here, I...

The progressive unit worked on did not have intubated patients or 24 hour a day BiPap/CPAP. Our staffing was typically 4:1 during day shift or 5:1 at night shift. At times when there was a shortage fo staff 6:1 was not uncommon.

Our ratio is typically 2 patients per RN in the ICU. However, if we have two patients who are stable enough to be transferred out the next morning, we sometimes start out with those two and get an admission or transfer later that shift.

I've found it rare that a patient was a "healthy" weight for their height unless they are over 70 years old. Even then most of our older patients are overweight. I use to think that a 300 lb batient was big, but sadly, I've been getting use to 300 ...

Our hospital installed lifts in the ceilings of many rooms in the past few years. The lifts have a 500 lb weight limit. Fortunately, someone was wise enough to install some lifts with a 1,000 lb weight limit in some of the rooms so we can use the l...

If this is more of a computer issue due to how orders are done in the computer and problems with entering orders for PRN boluses that the doctors want you to give, then you need to take it up with management and get your informatics/computer departme...

When I was in nursing school, I applied for a job as a nurses aide at a local hospital. It was one where I wanted to work after I graduated. When I started working there as a RN, my time as an aide counted toward my seniority. I started out with m...

We get annual reviews(both peer and management) and if our overall performance exceeds a certain level, we get a raise. Occasionally we get a cost of living adjustment too. The hospital also gives small bonuses to nurses with additional certificati...