rwright15

I work at BRH and absolutely love it. That pay is average around here. One thing about Brandon, for as long as I've been there, you can work 5 days/week. That really adds up. There are many places that will not let you have ot at all.

I work with nurses who think a 20 is sufficient for everything and state they just don't understand nurses who put 16 or 18's everyone. I never put less than an 18 unless it's physically impossible, and I only come to that conclusion after I've tried with an 18 at least twice. Whether they're sick or not. I think if anyone is "sick" enough to come to the ER, they should be stuck big. If not to save their life, then to get them out of my room quicker!

WBC would be high after a trauma without the presence of infection (FYI). Most md's do not want a pt with a head injury to receive narcotics. It's just simply unsafe to give right away. I would think the initial dose of Toradol would be fine. It's the multi doses that I would question.

Something else... If you find yourself with some downtime and it's not your lunch, look for another nurse who looks overwhelmed and offer to help them in some way. You will gain the respect of your coworkers as a team player and not one who is just out for yourself or worse, lazy. It will go a long way when you need help...

These feelings will pass. It might take 6+ months, but they will if you just stick to it. One thing's for sure, you either love or hate the ED, but you don't need to make that decision until you've worked it (as a nurse) for at least a year. Every new grad finds themself in this situation. Just prioritize and when a dr gives you that look, don't be afraid to tell him you have other pts, or in graphic detail what you've been doing for the last hour. Just don't tell him that if you're sitting on your rump and your stuff isn't done. Most ED's you'll find that you can go ahead and start your line once your pt gets to the room and keep that NS close by so that you can hang in in a flash. Put 95% of your pts on the monitor so you have a record of their vs you can go back and record if you have too do it late. You will learn these and many more little tricks that will help you along the way. Don't be afraid to ask for help. I never mind helping someone, especially if they are new either to the dept or nursing altogether. I was told to "be a sponge" and learn from everyone around me. Most nurses don't mind sharing their knowledge with someone who is eager to learn. It's the ones who think they've got it down and know more than the seasoned nurses that become irritating. Oh, and being a new grad to the ED is not as uncommon as you would think. I did it and don't regret one second of it. I had an ICU nurse that had to float to our dept and take pts b/c of a lack of beds the other night, after being next to him for 12 hours, I was so proud to be an ER Nurse! Good luck!

The hospital I worked in when I lived in TN would not let us. It may be a facility policy, but I was always under the impression it was not in our scope. It had to be done by MD, NP, or PA. Same thing at my hospital now in Florida.

You could try school nursing though you would still have patients... You could do a Dr office, surgery center, forensic nursing, legal nursing where you review charts and testify in lawsuit cases. You could also be a nurse manager somewhere that you wouldn't take pts just manage the nursing staff. You can do that with a BSN.

When you do become a nurse, you will learn that we need a way to vent.... Usually this is talking about the cases that we deal with. I talk about my experiences all of the time. However, I don't approve of her divulging the pt name. That's ludicrous with all of the HIPAA laws in place and the way kids talk. Most facilities have compliance hotline that anyone can call in anonymously and report someone.

I am wondering with all the millions of ambulatory care clinics and walk in clinics, why she can't get an appt. Most of them are "no appt necessary"....

I have to remind dr's and pa's all the time of tests they should order, allergies that the pt has they forgot and wrote a script for, and so forth. Their ego's get in the way of them a lot of the time. When asked who my pcp is, it is always a NP. NP's rock in my book. They are more caring, usually don't mind getting in there and getting dirty. I've had more than one NP start an IV for me when I was slammed, splint an arm, bandage a lac, so on and so on... Like I said, NP's ROCK :)

I just went through this exact same thing. My husband transferred From TN to FL less than 3 weeks ago. Being a graduate in May 2009, I have 9 months ER experience. I looked at all the hospitals around here, and found a position that required 6 mo experience, applied, followed up and I start April 5. Everyone told me the same thing about not being marketable. The definition of a clinical nurse II is someone with at least 6 mo experience. You just have to be proactive and sell yourself. You may have to work somewhere you don't want to first, but if you really try you will be okay. I have read on here in the FL forum where ppl have tried for months and not gotten a job. I don't understand that. There are so many places looking for RNs. You just have to be assertive without being desperate. Good luck to you!

I was a hairstylist and needed a dependable form of income... No glamour there. I did however, fall in love with it once I started. I feel now that it is my true calling. My love for it is what drives me to excel at it!

I wear my band, but not my ring with the stand up diamonds. I am always afraid that a glove will catch it, rip out the diamond, and it will be hours before I noticed.....

I would say yes... I had an interview last week. I wore some black slacks and shoes that I had, and bought a new neutral khaki colored button down shirt. I only spent $15. I ironed it crisply and went for the interview. I got the job! Good luck to you.

I'm going to say KOI again.... They have some of the longest shirts I've wore. My friend that I mentioned earlier is 6'2" and they are long enough for her. Try them sometime... I am an apple shape, and my favorite pant is the cherokee work wear flare pants. They are short waisted, have elastic in the back and a drawstring in the front. The tops are okay, but I usually have to buy different sizes in top and bottom. I like Koi tops and I have finally lost enough nursing school weight that I can wear them . I want to try iguana scrubs, but haven't tried any on since the weight loss. I am starting a new job where all the RNs have to wear a solid royal/galaxy blue color all the time, which means I have to go buy at least 3 new sets.....