CannondaleRN

Unfortunately being overweight or obese is more common than being "normal" weight. So patients are likely to be overweight themselves so would not ever mention a nurse's weight to her face. I feel so fortunate that I am slender. But on the minus side I have type 2 diabetes. It would be so difficult to lose 100 lbs. And to keep it off would take a lifestyle change that you would need to maintain for the rest of your life. I know very few people who are able to do that. Even people who have had gastric bypass & lost over 100 lbs have gained it all back. It is all so depressing!

It kills me that nobody wants to go home after a shift. The characters just stay at the hospital for hours, I guess, not being paid. The physicians sit with the pt all night long in case there a change in condition.

No, I do not take the flu vaccine yearly. I have taken it a few times but mostly not. I think it is a violation of my civil liberties. I also think it is better not to have unnecessary chemicals in one's body. It is mandatory at my company but staff can sign a waiver. I do not have face to face contact with patients so I don't have to wear a mask.

Yes, I have had a similar injury. Eleven years ago I had a motorcycle accident and fractured my humerus very badly. So the head of my humerus is titanium with several screws. My ROM is limited in my left arm. The pain was so bad the first year but it is just chronic now. I still do ROM exercises & swim so my shoulder doesn't freeze up. I continued bedside nursing for a few years after the accident. For me, it was about the position of my arm when I had to lift a patient up the bed. I never lifted alone anyway. Now I am a phone RN & work in an office which suits me very well! :)

I am a hospice RN and do a fair amount of teaching concerning the dying process and the lack of need for food, drink and iv fluids. Often the family member becomes angry and disbelieving about this. I guess it is easier to be angry than to accept your loved one is really going to die and soon. 😥

I don't miss face to face that much. It is such a relief not to deal with body fluids or trying to lift heavy human beings.

We get no overtime at all for working on a holiday or any other time. In fact when we work extra shifts the hourly rate is less than our regular pay. But still a great deal better than retail & that service industry.

I think the whole point of having a speciality certificate is to show that the nurse has both the knowledge and the experience to earn those letters after her name. There are no shortcuts. I took the CHPN exam after 12 years in hospice. It was a very difficult exam. My employer did not reimburse me for the expense even though I passed. So work in the field first then think about taking the exam.

My company has a annual skills which takes a couple of hours or so that everybody has to do. The day shift gets paid because they are on duty anyway but night shift doesn't get paid because we are staying over on our own time. The company justifies this by saying you are on a salary. ?

I have been with my present company for seven years. I like having an office job with RN wages. The only down side is I have to commute 60-90 minutes each way. I plan to stay until I reach full retirement age which is four & half years away.

Of course! Any one committing a moving violation can expect a ticket. Often the cop will give a warning but I don't think nurses should expect that every time. I heard sometimes the deputy will give a warning to teachers too.

You certainly have a future in nursing! Being fired is not uncommon & nurses obtain another position afterwards all of the time.

As rebnelsonh mentioned the prerequisite classes can easily add two years to any degree or diploma. It all seems a way for the colleges & universities to make as much money as possible from students. Unfortunately common sense & empathy can be not taught & is so important for most professionals. I consider myself so blessed that I got my diploma in Australia in 1991. Then I went back in 1997 & got my bachelors in nursing in one semester at the University of Sydney.

Since nursing school I make my bed with hospital corners.

I never ever post anything about work on Facebook. It gives me the shudders when I hear about people who get fired for posting stuff about their job on fb. That can happen to anyone not just nurses.