dontknowanewid

Before Thanksgiving 2007 a woman came in by squad right before shift change. She was crying and heaving and acting all stupid. Her reason for calling the ambulance? "I ran out of tampons and don't have the money to get more. Im bleeding everywhere!" Unfortunately in my city, the ambulance services are required to bring everyoen who calls 911 to the ER if it is requested.

I left burn nursing because we had a new manager who was ignorant not only about all aspects of nursing but had no desire to learn from her seasoned staff. Prior to leaving I had been in Burn nursing for 2 years and I loved it. I miss burns every day I work and am waiting until this manager leaves (shouldn't be long now) to go back to it. I will take a huge pay cut to be back in burn nursing -- it is where I belong. I wish I had gone into it immediately instead of working several years as tele first. Burns nursing is the most intense care one can give and is so labor intensive but ultimately, is the only position where I felt I truly made a difference in someone's life -- more than ER, more than CVICU. Its a area that people love or hate and there really is no in between. Those who hate it though, have the greatest respect for those of us who love it.

I am really surprised by the low hourly rates. I make 47-57 as an ICU floatpool nurse (night shifts) in the Midwest. I would love to travel for at least one 13 week contract, but don't think I could make what I am making right now. Of course, I do have to pay for my own apartment and utilities, but it doesn't seem that I could make comparable rates. At this point, I dont care where I would even go -- I'd just like a change of scenery.