dopaminequeenRN

I hope you are the one who gets to train the new-hires on your floor! After one shift with you, they would know how to do the job right. You Rock!!!!!

My Iguana scrubs are the ONLY scrubs out of my 9 yrs of working in healthcare that shrank!! :angryfire The fabric wrinkled very easily. I love Dickies Workwear scrubs and urbane pants. Urbane has finally started making tops with a pocket on each side. Woo hoo!

I am also horizontally and vertically challenged! I buy Urbane XX small pants (regular length) and I like the x-small unisex Landau tops. They are both made by the same company so the colors match. The problem is, XXsmall urbane pants only come in two or three colors. Navy is one of them.

OMG! I'm not the only one with an IV phobia!? Starting IV's is one of the major concerns I have regarding traveling because in the ICU, my patients usually have central lines and if I need an IV, I grab one of the old veterans! I have not taken a travel assignment yet, and I'm glad to know there will be IV teams out there!

I hope to start sometime this spring. I haven't contacted any agencies yet. I've just been doing some research before I actually start the process. There are so many places that I want to see and I can't decide where to go first! The sad thing is, I really like my current job and all of my co-workers, but I've been wanting to travel for a long time. I will definitely let you guys know when I get an assignment--hopefully some of you will be close by and you can show me all the "must sees!" I'm thinking about Oregon or Washington and I would love to go to New England! Decisions, decisions.....

Thanks baglady and neurorachel!! You guys sound like really fun people! I'm so glad you shared your stories with me. I feel much less nervous now about traveling and way more excited to jump in there!

After reading hundreds of posts (all were very helpful), I've found that I'm not the only one out there with lots of fears/concerns about traveling. I wanted to start a thread for folks to share some of their positive experiences. I'm hoping your stories will calm some nerves. Thanks!!!!

I was a CNA for 6 years before becoming an RN. My CNA experience is what convinced me to become a nurse. (I was pursuing a different degree while working as a CNA and went back to school to become a nurse.) It was such a tough job but It was very rewarding. In fact, I got a job in the ICU after graduation because the nurses do more total care with those patients and I didn't want to give that part of the job up. That sounds gross...no one likes wiping butts, but I enjoy being involved in all aspects of my patients' care---not just passing meds. Good luck! :heartbeat

Been reading some posts about travel agencies/hospitals cancelling nurses due to bogus allegations of "clinical errors" just to save money, etc. Does this really happen? What can you do to prevent it? I really want to travel but don't want to be cancelled because I forgot to chart a bowel movement on a flow sheet. Please share your experiences. Any advice/insight would be greatly appreciated!

Please don't be discouraged. My dream is travel, also. I had the same concerns as you but after talking to some co-workers who have traveled a lot, I feel relieved. They told me that most of the time, the nurses are glad to have you and are willing to help. My co-workers have only done ICU and ER, so I don't know if that made a difference. I have two yrs. ICU experience and am finally ready to bite the bullet!

Flightline is right about all of the above. My best advice is to concentrate on the present for now--make the grades, get good scholarships, etc. Five years from now, you may have no desire to be in the medical field, but that's OK because if you get a good education, many doors will open up to you. As a nursing student, I was lucky enough to observe several surgeries. The OR was awesome but there were negatives....It's cold and you are on your feet for several hours depending on the type of surgery. Check into shadowing someone in the OR. You may not be able to do that at age 14, but it never hurts to ask!

That must be nice! I wish we had a unit like that! Do those nurses get hazard pay? LOL!!!

I was a tech before being a nurse, so I know how demanding that job can be. I can share with you some experiences from the ICU I work in and the things we nurses do and do not like about our techs. Please don't: Tell the nurse how to do her job. Harrass the nurse about trivial things when her patient is crashing Roll your eyes or cop an attitude if she asks you for help Constantly be on your cell phone (my personal pet-peeve) Please do: Take initiative and be proactive Be gentle with the patient's tubes, IV's, etc. Show interest and ask questions--most of us love to explain things if we have the time! If you have a genuine desire to help people and be good at your job, then you will be fine. It's obvious which techs/nurses are burned out and they are usually the ones who have problems at work. I'm sure you will do great, because if you didn't care about your job, you wouldn't be asking for advice. Good luck and have fun!!

I was nauseated before every shift I worked for the first year!! I've heard that from several of our new grads right now, too. I tell them to keep on truckin'! It gets better, I promise. At least you admit that you are overwhelmed. It's the nurses that won't ask for help or think they already know it all who make major mistakes and nearly kill people...I could tell ya some stories.... Anyway, after only two years in the ICU I find myself being the "veteran" many nights, surrounded by newbies and they are relying on me to help them. I never thought I'd be anyone's resource! Soon, you'll be the one giving advice and calming the nerves of those new nurses. Hang in there, the unit needs good nurses like you!!