dopaminequeenRN

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 st...

OK, I know I'm not the only nurse who has encountered the "VIP" patient. You know the story...you get report on the new admit coming to your unit and you are told to take extra special care of this patient. This infuriates me to no end. It implies th...

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...

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 t...

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 tra...

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 ...

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!

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 rew...

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 canc...

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 t...

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...

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. Har...

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 th...

I love ICU! I worked at an ortho/stroke rehab facility for a few years before going to ICU as a new grad RN--so I can relate to your story. Making the transition was hard at first because the two environments were so different. Thankfully, my co-work...

Wow! This sounds interesting....Have you gotten most of the labs back and if so, did they point to a more specific diagnosis? Athena55 sounds like she knows her stuff! I wish I had something to contribute here, but I'm flabbergasted. Please keep us p...

Any comments about Faststaff?

I work at a 315 bed hospital with 32 ICU beds. It is the largest facility in the area and has the busiest ER in the state. We have SICU, CVICU, MICU, and CCU. They are all under one manager and we float to each one. I bet 95% of our ICU applicants ar...

I am sorry to hear that you are having a rough time. On a positive note: the paramedic experience you have can open a lot of doors. I don't know how experienced you are, but you might look into trauma nursing (either a trauma ER or ICU). Your first-r...

I feel your pain! I've had this same problem. My OT, shift diff, on-call pay, etc. is all lumped together in one catagory and I still haven't been given a straight answer as to when my night shift diff kicks in. I've been told 3pm, 7pm, and 11pm. Who...

omg! are there really such things as vip floors? and do you get a major pay increase for working on them...lol. please tell me more, i'm curious!

Maybe this little story will give you some encouragement.....Picture it, southern Arkansas, 1982. My little two-year old sister in the tiny county hospital with pneumonia. My scared parents who are in their early 20's at her side. My sister is, of co...

This too shall pass.... Talk to the staff that has been at your facility for 10+ years. I promise you they will tell you that the bad and good times cycle over and over again. Don't bail yet. You loved your job six months ago and six months from now,...