zimsaint

Thanks hudno........your reply was very helpful. I was contemplating it but have decided to NOT enroll in EC again. I finished my ADN through them and passed the CPNE on first attempt but it nearly caused me a stroke. The stress was just unreal. They are so unrealistic with the requirements and more and more states are not even offering license endorsement to EC grads In addition many hospital systems are not even hiring EC grads. They seriously need to just start doing regular clinicals so they can solidify their reputation and the graduates can have more nursing opportunities.

Reports that I have read say the nurses are planning to strike for one day???? I can't see how this is going to benefit the nurses in bargaining for better benefits and work conditions. The only way to make the powers that be buckle is to walk out and not return until reasonable demands are met. Nurses can easily be replaced for one or two days so the strike really will not have a significant impact. Thus the powers that be have no reasons to compromise. If this backfires it will seriously weaken your union.

If the sister has true cause and concern for the child then she should report it. However she needs to realize that the child may be taken out of the home and placed in foster care, some of which are even worst with abusers and pedophiles. The family will then have to go through the rigid screening processes required of everyone to determine if they too are fit to be guardians of the same child that they care for already. Sounds like the sister is mad at the other for being what she consider to be a bad parent. But if the child is not in any danger then she should just compensate by supporting, providing and caring for the child where mom lacks,.......just my 2cts.

This is not necessarily true. Many hospitals give credit for LPN exp: Depending on the chain it is as little as 2:1 but most don't go over 3:1. Meaning for every 2 years you were a LPN you get one year exp credit. this is definitely the case for hospitals is the metropolitan Atlanta area. I was an LPN for approximately 13 years prior to getting my RN. And EVERYONE that offered me a position (even ones I did not accept) gave me at least 6 years exp credit. So I really beg to differ with you Jo.

I have a friend that started as a new RN in dialysis @ 28/hr but that was in GA. I understand that nurses up there make more because of the higher cost in living so it is hard to say. Why don't you investigate what hospitals are paying first. Many have dialysis units. Then you can determine how to negotiate your pay. If you don't like what your employer ise offering. Ask to go PRN and start looking for other employment while you still keep opportunity to continue working in dialysis. As a new grad RN, I would recommend that you do at least a year in a hospital doing med surg if you can. It is very important to establish that basic foundation before you branch off into specialties.

I have though long and hard about this and I have decided that although I do not agree that nurses should strike, I WILL NOT cross a picket line. I am sure that the hospitals will see the nurses point of view VERY soon. If you strike, they will have absolutely no choice but to meet your REASONABLE demands. They can not afford to staff their hospitals with agency nurses that are making $5K a week plus ALL expenses paid; and that is just what the agency is paying the nurses. They must be profiting another 1-2k a week on top of that. That will really cut into their profit margins. It is time lawmakers take heed at a federal level and make mandatory nurse:patient staffing ratios for every facility that participates in federally funded medicare and medicaid programs. I wish you all much success and I think it is time GA nurses woke up and smelled the coffee.

I wonder if nurses realizes that some patients will DIE as a result of this strike?! Do YOU even care?

I understand the nurses frustrations, I really do. But it seems so hypocritical to me to tell patients that you are fighting to protect their safety and well being yet you walk out and abandon them at the same time. Many are critically ill, elderly, children. I just feel there is a better way to get what you need. What about suing and petitioning lawmakers? Striking will cause the patients to suffer even more. I just can never agree with the idea of nurses striking. Personally I think it should be illegal, just like air traffic controllers.

Thank you for the reply 1214RN. I'm am so torn with deciding whether to go or not. On the one hand I just believe nurses should not strike as patients are ill and really depend on us. On the other hand I do realizes that sometimes hospitals seem to have blatant disregards for safe staffing levels and I myself have had to stand my ground and refuse to work in a facility that routinely attempted to give nurse 8 and 9 med surg patients; it was really overwhelming and dangerous for both the patient and my career. I think the hospital better take heed and realize that they need to be more reasonable even if it means decreasing profit margins. They can not run a hospital without nurses: and nurses are tired of being overworked and underpaid.

I recently got an email from an agency out of CA that is recruiting 2000 RN for what they say will be a nurse strike in MN June 2010. Has anyone heard of this yet? They are offering almost $5000 week plus all airfare and hotel expenses.

I am not sure where you live but some states are more forgiving than others. In Florida you would not have been able to get a license due to a new law they have banning all applicants with felonies and convictions for drug or fraud in the last 15 years. I just saw expose where FL BON were heard telling applicants to " go to GA" and warning the applicants to withdraw applications before they are forced to deny them and making it reportable to other BONs. I feel for you though and do understand where you are coming from. I caught hell with a misdemeanor simple battery conviction for years as an LPN; but as soon as I became an RN most (all) of the companies I applied to ignored it. My own is 20 years old this year now, but it was only 5 years old when I began nursing. It is because LTC centers have stricter regulations than other healthcare entities because of the elder abuse legislations. Also new medicare and medicaid laws forbid the hiring of people with felony convictions in a lot of instances. Although you may have gotten a "first offender" type treatment and have no criminal record. Your employers could not play ignorant to the fact that they know you are a convicted felon if they were audited. You will need to somehow see if you can plead to the BON. Call your local legal aid or volunteer lawyer service and see if you can get some assistance filing for an administrative hearing with the BON. Plead your case and explain how this is affecting your life. You can even consider moving to a state that has actual rehabilitation statues like Washington and Minnesota. They are good for second chances, MN especially. Definitely seek to get your RN somehow if you can. That definitely changed the rules for me. Good Luck, and don't give up.

I was told by the Nephrologist at a local hospital that in order to open an independent center than at least one of the owners had to be a MD specializing in the field. So if you are not a Nephrologist or have one to partner with you forget it too.

Yes most companys pay 2 to 1; for every 2 yrs you have been a LPN/LVN you will get 1 yrs credit for eperience.

I beg to differ with you as to what is suspicion vs proof. You don't have to see a nurse literally shoot up to have PROOF that they are diverting narcs. This nurse she said routinely took out narcotics for other nurses patients some of whom were alert and said they got no pain med. Others have no IVs and had even left the hospital discharged. DENIAL is contagious. As for FBI or DEA's "lurking" around the internet. They have divisions and employees who's sole purpose is to do just that. BELIEVE IT OR NOT!! W

ARE you a new RN or LPN?