dayflower

I didn't take a review class, flat out couldn't afford one. Back then hospitals didn't pay the fees for you. I just studied a couple review books in the areas I know I was weaker in. Passed the first time. I have always believed, alot of the people who don't pass know the info but were just too nervous. I say take 10 deep breaths and don't let your nerves get the best of you on test day. You got though school so do review what your rusty on then few days before your test. do something to relax, not party , but relax away from studying. I know thats hard when you feel like your whole life/future depends on that one test. That mys advice..........

I worked Banner Desert for 12 years before moving out of the heat. I liked it and thought the place to be progressive in it thoughts. They were trying to get magnet hospital status when I left. My only c/o is that when they gave raises for increased area salary's , they didn't go across the salary range and give every RN an raise. It seemsed only the ones with say less than 5 years experience got the raises. I have 20+ years so I felt I lost salary ground every time. I like the physical layout of the rooms and nursing stations...

A doctor with an oriental accent came up to the nursing desk and asked for something. I wasn't sure what ,I thought he wanted a patients chart. So I repeated what I thought he said "Robert Bean?" He says no and makes circular motion around a stack of papers he was holding. Then repeats again his request. I finally figured out hewanted a rubber band NOT Robert Bean. We all laughed together!!!!:lol2:

I have been a medical/surg RN for over 20 years. I too like the variety of patients DX. I've done mostly the medical side of med/surg with simple surg(GB,appys etc). I have consitered going to like ICU several times but never have. I do Tele also now but only because I went to a hospital in a small city that the medical floor also included Tele and PEDs(that schooling has been more than 20 yrs ago) all on the same unit. I think that new RN's don't like Med/Surg because the like the action in ER, ICU etc. They are ready(they think ) to SAVE the world. But few have the skills straight out of school to do that. I too believe a year on a med/surg area will make you so... much better prepared for the speciality units. I seen so many Rn's who say go staight to Tele units, who after a few years only know how ti deal with the heart stuff. Give them another medical DX, and they are lost. We all worked hard to learn in school. I think it's good to keep all that info on a working base. I for one will stay medical or medical tele , there I get to use a more variety of skills technical and people skills.

Flagstaff medical center has travelers. They need all year around but more so in the winter(being at 6,000-7,000ft)not as many want the winter weather. Many Phoenix area Rn's come up in the summer to get away from the heat. Check out the hospitals oun "seasonal" program. The site lists the pay and benifits. Look under available positions all seasonal positions have the same $/benifits. Be sure to take the studio offered not the money for housing. $800 doesn't get much here. I'm in a seasonal position now, it's been good. Tele RN 4 to 1 ratio. Some traverlers say the seasonal pays better than their agencys. Good luck....

I also let my chemo expire. quite frequently I was the only chemo RN on too, also not extra pay or perks, also same # pts as everyone else, I didn't care for the pts family's, I found too many of the familys request care a certain way then got stabbed in the back for doing as the had requested, now I just stay away from the whole chemo thing.....

I worked Banner Desert Med.Center, Mesa for 13 years, Prescott(only has 1 hospital) for 3 years, and a 13 week seasonal position at Flagstaff. I have a son going to U of A in Tucson.

I have to agree with CraigB-RN, a new grad is not ready to hit the floor and work without a lot of support help. Even the common orientation 6-weeks verses say 2 weeks for experienced RN. After having oriented alot of new grads only one would of been able to "hit the floor running". This isn't to put down new grads, heavens knows we were all there once but the patients really are alot sicker on the floors now then before. It doesn't matter of your a BSN or AD, or what your grade point was. Working is a matter of applying what you have learned. Being organized is a be key and that just takes time. One doesn't have 20-30 minutes to do and assessment, be only 5 minutes, it takes some time to learn whats important and what can wait till later. Hang in there...we do need all you new nurses!!!!!!!!!

I'm interested in Denver Health also. I'm 23 years experience mostly med-surg with last 3 years , med-tele. I was told by their nurse recuiter thay they didn't have relocation or sign-on bonus's. Does andy one know anything different? How about any hospitals that do have re-locations or sign-on bonus? I really need $$ to help move my family from Arizona to Denver area. Information on the suburgs hospitals would be welcomed also. Thanks

I recommend to pull up the web sites of all the hospitals in the cities your interested in. Some will have salaries, most don't. I have been looking at the Denver area. I will share the salary ranges given to me. I suppose a new grad would start at the lowest. But when it comes to money must consiter other things that can add to hourly wage, ie. shift diff., and extra for working week-ends at the 2 I know of. 1st hospital - $23.54 to $33.20, 2nd hospital - $23.00-33.00, 3rd hospital-$24.00-$38.00. I'm not familiar with Denver too much but I believe these are all inner city hospitals, which means alot of minorities and spanish speaking only, probably other languages too other than English.

I forgot to say on ctiy-data look for the forums listed towards the data on each city. That's the best place to find info from answers written in much like this forum. You can ask your our specific questions too. I ans RN looking at moving to Denver so I have been on both these site alot lately.

SpiritRN for info on cities and housing, try web site city-data.com it's mostly people looking for a new place to move to. It has lots of info on any city or state. Good luck. I'm interested too.

Thank-you coreO :rotfl:

oh , I forgot having mores days OFF than your work. Yea!! work 3- 12 hour shifts and off 4 days, your never want to work 8 hrs / 5 days a week again!!!!:balloons::balloons:

:welcome: I have worked Med-Surg in hospitals for more than 20years. I have worked 2nd jobs as home health RN, correctional RN, teacher for RN students clinical for a semester. Many different area one can work. I haven't been able to find any thing I like better than med-surg. I enjoy the variety of diagnosis I get to work with. Do I like my work everyday, no, it's a job and their good days and bad days. Too busy days and very slow days. But over all I have been very happy with being a nurse. Some patients are good to help , others are treating you like you're their personal slave. I have always found the lower income patients appreachate (sorry,spelling was never my good subject) my help more. The wealthy are so used to having people "wait" on them, that that's the way they view nurses. I have never had to hire a babysitter when my kids were young. Icould always change shifts if I needed to. I have always been able to support my husband and 2 children on my salary. Yes would been nicer if my husband would of helped more but he's still trying to find/decide what he wants to do when he grows up( he's 60 now). You'll find lot of us nurses are enableors. The flexablity is hard to find in any other field. I can go Any where and get a job we can live on. I can move any time we want , without worring about finding a job. Can't say that about many other careers. Oh another advange is uniforms, working clothes are cheap in comparison to to having to wear street clothes and keep up with the styles. Some hospital even provide scrubs!!!! and wash them too!!! Find that benifit in another job, not many... Yes after > 20years I still like nursing. It's not a glory job but behind the scenes. It's self rewarding. Good luck in your future!!!:balloons: