TinyNurse

it's weird, but I feel like the "teamwork" in the ED has fell to the wayside in the last few years.

I agree.

I agree with Suzanne and Elkpark. Get EVERYTHING in writing. You will learn from this assignment, and your next one will be better.

I agree 100% with this.

I always work with at least 3 agencies ( meaning that they have ALL of my paperwork, and I can be submitted in a moments notice). Sometimes I know the exact hospital that I want to go to, so i'll call the HR or staffing office for the hospital and ask what agencies they work with. Then i'll contact that agency and send them my things to get submitted. I've found that large companies do have access to more assignments, but their pay is lower because of the high overhead. Some states have hospital associations, so the company must be a part of the association in order to access the assignments. Best of luck to you.

My best advice is to have AT LEAST your temp license in hand before you head off to the assignment. Best of luck to you in Washington!!

Travel nursing is great! I will honestly tell you that I had higher visions of it when I was still a nursing student though. I do travel nursing to see the USA, see how healthcare is different across the country, and to learn new things. I do not do it for the pay. The pay is not much different considering as a staff nurse you get pto and other benefits. I'd say it all equals out. I've had more good assignments than bad. I've always had spectacular housing. I always meet interesting people. Follow your heart!

I'm in Houston at the moment and haven't heard about any organizing here. Let me know if you find out anything!!! On the other hand, cyfair aka cypress fairbanks is a great ER to work in. I worked agency there a few years ago. I've heard that alot of their staff left because of a new hospital that was built, paying big money a few years ago.

I probably should tell you that my experience in UCSD's ER was fantastic as a travel nurse!!! I was a bit let down though because the trauma patients go directly to the ICU for rescutation, and completely bypass the ER. The only trauma patients that stop in the ER is if "airway needs secured".

I work with a new grad nurse that is very bossy, and she even thinks she's in charge when she isn't. I mostly steer clear of her, but when she takes a tone with me I either ignore her, or laugh.

The most effective way i've seen a headache treated was reglan 10mg ivp, benadryl 25mg ivp, and 1 liter .9ns wide open. I'd say within 10 minutes just about all of my patients with headaches were thanking me because their pain was relieved.

If the charge nurse brings up the BAC while you are talking to her, it's a definite hippa violation, because she had no business in your chart. Also, BAC are not done on any "accident" that I have seen in my experience. They are mostly done if a significant BAC will change the plan of care.

The way it was explained to me is that each year medicare changes what exactly it will pay/reimburse for. This year it just happens to be start and stop times on IV infusions. It's weird because as a travel nurse I see the push for the changes at each facility I visit. One facility I worked at had computer documentation and wouldn't allow you to close the chart unless you charted a stop time on an infusion (or noted that it continued to infuse at admission or transfer). I agree, the more time charting means less time with the patient. makes me mad.

I'll go with you. I'm in Houston until the end of October. I've worked in San Diego before and definitely look forward to going back. I travel with my 8 year old son.

I started traveling after just one year of ER experience. I also felt like a fraud, but as the weeks went on I realized I was learning MORE, just by being a traveler. Always fill out your checklists honestly.

completely unacceptable. I would have definitely gotten a hotel for that first night and had the company reimburse me.

USnursing is probably your best bet if you are looking to staff strikes. Their site posts current as well as prospective strikes. Just make sure they have all of your info/credentials so that you are ready to go at a moments notice.

I'm working as a traveler in Houston, and haven't gotten the information. Also my ER is not doing anything special to prepare.

I got pell grants, and I'm still paying off my student loans..

As an ED nurse I've seen this done a number of ways. The most effective was when the entire hospital was "on board" with an understanding of ED holds, and overcrowding. The floor nurse had no choice but to take report. At a rare time when the primary nurse could not take report the floor charge nurse took report. Faxed report was also very effective. However I felt as though my report wasn't very complete because it was a "fill in the blank" fax report sheet. Then a MR on the floor would verify that the report was received on the floor fax machine. If I had a dollar for every time i've heard "the nurse is busy", "the nurse can't take report", "the charge nurse is busy", "the nurse is at lunch, "we have a patient seizing", I'd be rich. When one nurse is busy in the ER, chances are the entire ER is busy, but we still make time for the incoming ambulances, the seizing patient, and time for the nurse to urinate. I will never understand why the ER is the only department that is expected to burst at the seams to accomodate patients. Teamwork between ER and floor nurses will go a long way to do the best thing for our patients.

just apply! good luck!

I've been an ER RN for just over 4 years now and I still have this feeling the night before and on my way to work. I can't quite put my finger on it. I love my job. I really like the people I work with. I'm also a traveler, but I can remember feeling this way as a staff nurse also. I don't have alot of advice for you..........I TRY really hard to sleep before my first night on. Then I definitely make time for starbucks or smoothie king before going to work. I try to listen to my favorite music on the way to work.

once again................it depends on the state you are working in and the nurse practice act for that state. i've been in both types of states................

ED RNs normally place them in a cidex solution so that they never leave the department............i'm sure this is for cost effectiveness......I work in a 58 bed ED.

have you ever worked in the ER??? The ER often has wait times of over 8 hours, and are holding admitted patients up to 3 days......................not to mention ambulances arriving left and right................. That is why 6pm no longer matters.............. if the patient can go upstairs to a more comfortable area then they can ............gand this is in the patient's best interest............. it's all about the patient,remember................