roxannekkb

Hi Everyone, I am an American nurse turned journalist, and am writing an article for the Washinton Post about Florence Nightingale and her influence on contemporary nursing. In 1999, Unison, called for the ditching of Florence Nightingale as the symb...

Her initial post only said that she was thrown out of the program, as she was unable to study at that time. She didn't say that it was a permanent thing, ie, that she would never be able to study again. I offered those suggestions, letting her know t...

There are many careers in healthcare. How about pharmacist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, physician's assistant or physician? If you want to get into something faster, you can be a radiology tech, an ultrasound tech, a respiratory thera...

I know that there are agencies which place nurses overseas, but to work in France, you need to speak French. Saying that you want to work in a hospital with "limited French" or "enough to get by" is the same as saying that you think it's okay for a n...

I actually have quit nursing, and now work as a health/medical writer. I could never imagine working in a hospital again. I'd go work at Starbucks if my writing career ever foiled. Other careers of ex-nurses I know--librarian, dental hygienist, nursi...

One of my instructors tried to talk me out of it. It was my last semester, and she told me to apply to grad school, medical school, law school--or switch my major. She told me that I would be very unhappy as a nurse. She herself, was going to go to m...

On problem with "new" nurses is that many may be entering nursing because they've seen the glitzy ads that make nursing seem almost glamorous. They're told that it's stable, they can always get a job, they have flexibility, they can "go places," and ...

That's why state BRNs have been so resistant to having one license for the US. It is totally idiotic to have separate state licenses, since the licensing exam is the same nationwide. Some states have joined in a coalition, where the license is recogn...

Do what you love. There really isn't any reason to get a BSN if you don't plan on "climbing the nursing ladder." You can always change your mind and go back for it. Right now, do what you really want to be doing. Take photography, take Spanish, go wi...

I went straight to NICU after nursing school, and never worked one day on med/surg in my entire nursing career. Don't let anyone tell you that you have to "put in your dues" in med/surg. It's nonsense. I wouldn't have lasted 10 minutes as a floor nur...

This is an interesting article from Deutsche Welle, about how Europeans see the Terri Schiavo case. We tend to think of Western Europe as a very liberal place when it comes to end-of-life issues (ie, euthanasia), but in reality, they have very strict...

I am interested in learning why UK nurses are seeking employment overseas--it can be anywhere, although I am especially interested in those coming to the US. It is for an article I am writing, and I do not need to use your names. But I would like to ...

I worked for Kaiser and I have to say, it was one of the best places that I have ever worked at. I worked at both Kaiser Oakland and San Francisco. The pay was great, staffing was better than other facilities in the area, and I thought the patients r...

As others have noted, there is something a bit "off" about your dilemma, Huladancer. According to the profile, you are 25 years old so have been living as an adult in the US for 7 years, illegally. Sorry, can't blame your parents for that. Why have y...

So now, what is the difference between given someone a fatal dose of morphine (to dying or vegetative patient) or removing a feeding tube, as in the case of Terri Schiavo? It's not like the patient is going to live if you stop feeding them, so it har...

Patient. When I was in nursing school, I irritated the heck out of my instructors because I refused to use the word client. I told one of my teachers that when I hang out my own shingle, and people come to me for whatever it is I'm selling/offering, ...

Dubya supported the nurse reinvestment act, but like all of the other projects that he "supports," no money was allocated for it.

The only way to control healthcare costs is to have a comprehensive package. As I have said, along with others who posted, simply putting a cap on settlements is not going to automatically make insurers lower their rates. As I see it, putting a cap o...

Definitely not, for all the reasons given already. I worked long and hard to get out of nursing, and as far as I can see, the situation is worsening and not getting better. I don't have any kids, but I certainly would never encourage either my niece ...

You will find out that you will have to forget most of what nursing school teaches you, if you hope to function in the real world of healthcare. That is, unless you plan to spend your entire career in academia, which is the only place you will need n...

It sounds nice to wrap up our healthcare problems in one neat little package, and put the blame on one group of people. Trial lawyers are at fault and if we just cap settlements, all of our other problems will go away. Supporters of tort reform often...

Everyone should enjoy what they do for a living, not just nurses. But unfortunately, I find more of the opposite to be true. Many people dislike, hate, or are bored with their work. It is sad that we spend such a big chunk of our lives doing somethin...

So then perhaps nurses should work for free? Or just accept a pittance, and maybe some bread and water to live on? Does being a nurse mean one should not have a decent standard of living, or does being a nurse mean that you must be a self-sacrificing...

yes, they should be concerned about how much they will paid--and so should you. why should caring and being paid well be contradictory terms? why shouldn't people who work in a profession like nursing, where the work can be hard and dirty, and you ar...

What about people who are disabled and can no longer work? If they are injured at work, like a lot of nurses. Or get sick with a debilitating illness? Many disabled people can do some kind of work, but often find it extremely difficult to get hired. ...