dorie43rn

ALWAYS check for a blood consent and order before giving blood, trust no one when they say the order is in and the consent is signed, go look yourself! If the lab says the blood is ready does not mean there is an order to transfuse! I caught this very near miss on someone.

It is not unreasonable when you are on a "Epic" conversion. The pay is the best. I have a tax home, so Im covered. I still say finding your own housing is the best way

I like the money to much to have my agency find me housing. Heres what I do, I put an add on craigs list stating who I am,what I'm looking for, and how much I can afford. Also a little about myself and the possibly of facebooking. Depending the location, I get plenty of responsed that I can pick and choose. If I cant drive to view place, I insist on facebooking or sending of pictures. It is done very saftely. Right now I get a stipend of 756 dollars a week for housing. I found a great furnished garage apt for 200 a week. Thats 500 + added to my paycheck weekly! Only in a quick situation would I let them find me housing. Some nurses say they are to lazy to do what I do. Are you kidding me?? They probably spend alot of time on the pc doing other stuff, why not make the most money you can make on an assignment? Don't be lazy, it can mean 1600 extra in you pay a month.

Don't waste your money. I downloaded two of them and never used them once.

Policy and Procedures? What Policy and Procedures? LOL I don't worry about those one bit. I do ask on certain procedures what the policy is, and I expect someone to tell me the right way, but I do patient care and thats all I strive to do and do it well. Charting comes second and anything else comes after. Traveling is great, I don't have to go to meetings or anything! Less stress I think......

I'm at a Hospital in Baltimore Maryland that pays decent and the people are great. Its a ICU unit. Cost of living is cheap, and there are alot of things to do and see. Come East!

After 38 years of marriage, travel nursing is what keeps us together! He stays home and takes care of the pets and house, I fulfill my dream. Of course if it is somewhere interesting, he visits, but it is working for us. I say go for it while you are young.

I have been asked to re sign at the hospital I'm at. I like it here alot, and its a short drive to home. My question, do they usually pay you more money to stay? Should I use that as a bargaining tool? My recruiter is balking at me asking for more money, although if I didn't stay, I was going to look for a better paying travel assignment anyway? Thoughts?

I'm a travel nurse and the hospital I'm at uses meditech. I like it, but I do not like the "nursing note" aspect as I think it is double charting. If we work 12 hours, we chart a full assessment twice. As stated before, there are the q2hr and q1hr vitals, ect, or any changes.

I use Craigslist in the city, or near the city I'm going. I basically put in that I'm a travel nurse looking for a home. I put my needs, and what I'm willing to pay. Of course you have to be careful, there are scammers, but I found both my places in great homes for only 500 a month and pocket the rest. It may be harder with a husband and pets, but someone will give you what you need., I am a nurse practitioner who is seriously considering doing locum tenens work. My experience is four years as an RN and 1+ year as an NP. I would like to utilize a housing stipend to find my own living arrangements in lieu of company provided housing from the locum tenens companies as I have a husband and three pets (two cats and a dog) who will travel with me. One company basically told me if I do not use their housing they will not otherwise pay for living expenses. Any travel nurses or NPs out there willing to share their experience in finding their own housing or how they negotiated a housing stipend? Better yet anyone know a locum tenens company that offers this option? Thanks in advance!

I had to take one for the hospital I'm at, and missed 3rd degree block somehow. I was shaking in my boots! I went home and studied the blocks, went back the next day and passed. Hint, if you can't figure out between blocks, call them all third degree. You can miss a few points, but they fail you on the lethal ones. A few people in my class did that, and passed the first time. I didn't and had to retake it. But no, theres nothing funky on them, just basic and lethal. Hope this helps.

I waited until I had 6 years experience before I traveled. You really don't need that much time, but please be sure you are comfortable with ICU skills before you go. Nurses don't have time to teach you as a traveler, you are EXPECTED to know what you're doing and hit the floor running after a very short orientation. You don't get the 12 weeks most new nurses do, its at the most 2 12 hour shifts with a nurse, thats it.

If you go to a company and add up what it costs to train a new nurse, pay her insurance, disability ect, you will find that hiring travel nurses is cheaper.

Please get your recruiter to explain it better to you. I'm being taxed on 10 dollars an hour, but with all the extras, I'm really making 43 and hour. So you are probably being taxed on the 21 but will really make 41 with all the added extras that are nontaxable.

I'm on my second travel assignment. I work in the ICU and have found all the patients are bad, so I don't feel dumped on! LOL I have not felt "singled out" because I'm a traveler at all. At both places the only attitude I got was from young lazy nurses aides. The nurses have been wonderful. Take care of your patients well, help out, be friendly, ask questions and you will be fine. I did however wait till I had 6 years of ICU experience before I traveled and I'm glad I did. I'm in a Level one trauma unit right now and it is nerve wracking. Always ask a travel nurse travel questions to get the true story, not what floor/hospital nurses hear. :) Big FYI; what ever your company supplies; car, housing ect, it comes out of your pay, they GIVE you nothing! I find my housing therefore I get more money. If I let them find my housing, >300 a week would come out of my pay. Same for cars or medical insurance. Research and ask around about hospitals in the great places you want to visit. I had a friend who went to Hawaii and was treated so bad she is being sued for breach of contract or something. I am in Madison WI on assignment visiting a grandson, and its a great place with tons of things to do! Who knew? The hospital is A+ and I'm learning alot. Hope this helps.