WarmBlanket

Hi dragonfly ! The post from JDPBSN was excellent. I worked for an Oral and Maxillofacial group as a surgical technician and then became a Registered Nurse. My Oral Surgery position was the foundation of my 25+ years in nursing. The work taught me the importance of professionalism and communication. Some patients required numerous visits , the opportunity to make a positive difference is wonderful. I enjoyed my work - Good Luck !

I've always loved animals and worked at horse stables and dog kennels (yuck) when I was young. I started working with Veterinarians after high school and then became an operating room technician. I worked for a fantastic orthopedic veterinary surgeon for 1 year and then went to hospital work. Twenty-five years later - now a registered nurse. Last year I spent my vacation watching my sisters yellow lab who had a hip revision. Bless the beasts ! : )

Ok folks ! To break the tension heres a FUNNY story about a patient that spoke no english ; Many years ago I did a travel assignment in a very small southern town (that will remain unnamed). A patient came from surgery, and I spoke a few words in spanish to her. My co-worker said to me "I didn't know you spoke Mexican". I told her the patient was from the island of Puerto Rico - a commonwealth of the US. My co-worker insisted that the United States IS NOT ALLOWED to own any islands ! Then to prove her point she mentioned Cuba and .... Hawaii ! Apparently Japan owns Hawaii but we are allowed to travel there without a passport. True story.

I lived my whole life in a state that has been taken over by "those Foreigners " and have heard this same tired argument many times. Your comment about "entitled attitude" amazes me. Let me get this straight ; a sick 78 year-old hospitalized patient has an entitled attitude and you feel insulted because they don't speak english ???? How do you think she feels when her family leaves at night and she can't communicate with her nurse ? Do you think she might be scared ? She might not understand english but a smile is universal. Maybe you could make a difference - isn't that what nurses are supposed to do ?

Of course Klone was joking ! The adult toys are kept in a box marked DO NOT TOUCH. The kids are so busy playing Lawn Darts and shooting BB guns they don't have time to get into trouble.

Congrats Klamari ! For your ring how about "Today's the Day!". It sums up your accomplishments thus far and faith in the future. These words came from Mel Fisher, a treasure hunter who spent 16 years looking for the Nuestra Senora de Atocha a Spanish ship that went down in a hurricane off Key West in 1620. Every day Mel would say Today's the Day ! on July 20 1985 his words came true when they found the ship and 40 tons of gold, silver and emeralds. He cared about his employees, the environment and always kept the faith.

This is an oldie but goodie : Many patients choose to wear socks from home during their hospital stay. Quite often we remove one sock for surgery, x-rays etc. and the sock is never seen again. My tip is Sock on Sock : removed and placed on the non affected foot it can't get lost. Also a tip for putting anti embolism stockings on your patients : They usually come in a plastic bag, use the bag to slip over front of the foot. This helps the stockings slide on much easier.

wifeandmother : I will give you a quick congrats on your graduation and upcoming plans for more school. Now onto the business at hand ...... getting any job is extremely difficult these days. You need to step back from the immediacy of your situation and consider where you will be next year, or in five years . It's hard to do when the money is running low but lets look at what you have accomplished : raising a family, running a daycare, going to school. Getting this job WILL happen. Have you prevailed before ? Did you succeed and march on ? It sure looks to me like you did. Why should things be different now ? The job hunt IS your job right now. Look on the internet, talk to friends that have jobs, if you see someone in the supermarket in scrubs ask them where they work ...... : Most important - keep the faith !!!! I know that good wishes don't pay the bills but you've got a great foundation and the tools for success. Take care : )

After reading this post and the replies I started thinking about all the innovations i've witnessed . I started as a surgical technician in 1984. At that time the only doctors using scopes were urologists who would look directly into the lens. In 1986 the development of the video computer chip enabled surgeons to project images onto a television screen using a camera system mounted on the eyepiece of the scope. These first surgeries in our operating room were mostly cholecystectomies and they lasted for hours ! I remember 4 to 6 hour surgeries , when an open procedure could be done in one hour. But the patients were no longer subjected to large incisions and weeks of healing time from cutting through muscle. Two years ago I had my gallbladder removed ; the total time from incision to closure was 37 minutes, and I left the hospital the next morning. I can hardly see the tiny incisions. I have limited robotic experience but remember the first prostatectomy took hours to set up. Sure - they are complicated monsters but so are the new OR tables with 100 different attachments. The robotic systems are incredibly expensive at this time but to put things in perspective : in 1989 I paid $3000 dollars for a cell phone. Yes $3000 !!!!! (I was young, dumb and wanted to look cool). So as JoPACURN says "lets give it 5 years". And you know for a million dollars they do look cool !!

Any day that I can make a difference is a good day, but there is one experience that cannot be topped : Occasionally when I'm leaving work I will see a mother with her newborn baby preparing to exit the hospital. It's just so incredible that I am witnessing the first time this little baby is outside, breathing fresh air and going home. With so many bad things in the world, this gives me hope.

There have been excellent strategies and tips posted . I have one more : The majority of applications we submit are over the internet. When HR or a department manager looks at your application it is formatted on the hospital system. The resume you sent might not be easy to read or contain distracting information. When preparing , I print 2 extra copies of my resume and place them in a manila folder. I use a label maker and put my name on the folder tab. This folder goes inside one of those 13" x 10" brown mailing envelopes along with a pad of paper to take notes. After introducing myself , I ask if they would like a copy of my resume. ( most likely they have only glanced at the initial submitted application). When the interview is complete, I leave the manila folder with my name. They can use it, throw it away or think - WOW ! this nurse is organized and has initiative. Good luck to all .......

Hey landesmummy , congrats on the job ! You did not give much information regarding the position, one of my first nursing jobs was charge / float nurse with the ARC, working for them was not great but it gave me confidence and new skills. First - the pay was ridicules, I have no idea how they keep staff.... everyone is underpaid , working in crappy conditions but not once did I see anyone cut corners, they have very dedicated workers. If you are in charge of a collection center ,the experience will help in the future with documentation skills, assessments, multitasking etc. Working with the public gives you a different perspective - the donors are not being paid, they come in for many reasons so you get little lessons and insights every day. As for leading to other fields - who knows? Learning about platelet donation or doing apheresis could open the door some very interesting and well compensated positions. Good luck.

SoundofMusic : Let me get this straight : you think 3 years of training,dedication, competency and hard work makes you special ? Here is the truth : YOU ARE SPECIAL. ..... and they know it. Some might want to see you leave because your work outshines them , some people are just nasty and some are cowards. Go forward and keep up the good work - as for being insulted , it is a reflection on them. What goes around etc .............. Just super glue your locker shut and wave goodbye. : )

Sparkle, I feel very qualified to give you my perspective about the new job. Congratulations !!!! Let's cover the good points : this position can be a foundation to develop your skills and confidence. Working for a plastic surgeon is a fantastic opportunity - I started as a surgical tech working plastics and oral surgery, now a registered nurse with almost 20 years of operating room circulating experience. Just keep your eyes open, check his credentials. Be safe, keep your patients safe - whether or not you have recovery room experience make sure you are never left alone with a post surgical patient. There are no shortcuts - no "simple procedures". I am not trying to scare you but when things go wrong in an ambulatory setting, they go wrong fast. Are you still "super excited " ???? You should be ! The job is a good one and I wish you the best. : )

goingCoastal, I read a few of your previous posts , they were informative and well written. On this subject you might want to reconsider a few points : Uniforms are worn in every spectrum of society, used to identify, to protect workers and quite often to indicate professionalism and authority. Our military, police officers, firefighters and judges proudly put on their uniforms everyday, as I do. What most of them understand is the uniform might show what they are but not who they are. My scrubs allow me to concentrate on caring for patients without worrying that my "professional attire" will be ruined. Integrity and competency can't be repressed by a pair of pajamas. As for power : I would like the power to leave early for a doctors appointment, or the power to go to the bathroom without asking. These are issues maybe we can all agree on.