imanedrn

Mass Gen depends on the unit. In the ER, travelers are put in 1 of 2 areas, and both are insane, to say the least. When I spoke to their rep, she echoed the same information a fellow traveler told me. I've learned very quickly, though, that ERs run and are staffed quite different from other units in a hospital.

I just saw this acronym somewhere recently and had no idea what it was. (What is it?)

If you don't go to a tax professional (like traveltax.com), use something like TurboTax. It helps walk you through the majority of the deductions for which we qualify.

Ooh, I'm curious where you work there! You're still in ED? Vegas is my home. I started in ER at North Vista. I won't comment on it, as I still have many friends there. I will say, though, that I think I got a decent foundation from NVH, and that every ED in Vegas is bloody miserable. Some are far worse than others, but none of them seem to be in a good spot. Those never-ending holds make it almost unbearable at times.

Vegas is my home, and I can't agree with you more. I started in m/s, and I don't remember it being horrible. I'm in ER now, and they're pretty awful. All of them are ridiculously overburdened. The pay is great, but I'd be happy if I never work there again.

Oh, this makes me excited to read! I'm not sure what your specialty is, but I just spent 6 months in their ED. It was my first assignment, and I extended because I loved it so much. Their ratios are dependent upon acuity (3, 4, or 5:1), they'll work with you if you have a tanking patient, they have float nurses, you get breaks and lunches, and the staff are amazing. (I'm still friends with many of them and received a glowing recommendation from a shift supervisor.) I took the housing stipend because I actually wanted to go for Seattle and most definitely didn't want to be stuck outside of it on my days off. I spent my first contract living in Seattle proper (a 25 mile drive that was easy to do for day shift). For the second part, I moved in with a co-worker who lived in Mt Lake Terrace (about half way between Seattle and Everett). I saved a ton of money, but I didn't like being out of the city, so I wouldn't do that again. (I care more about the city experience than proximity to work.) Weather is important to consider. I went for the cold, gloomy rain. Of course, I didn't realize it'd be warm and sunny in the summer, which is part of why I'm happy I extended. That weather isn't ideal for a lot of people though. Seasonal Affective Disorder is very real, so keep that in mind. Overall, it was an amazing place, and I'm looking forward to going back! Feel free to PM me, if you have any other questions.

This always makes me giggle when I read it. I'm an ER nurse, and I love floating to a different assignment (within the ER) every 4 hours. But, of course, we don't have to know our patients in exhausting details, so that makes it easier :)

This made me so teary-eyed! I started travel nursing last year because I want to explore the country through these "working vacations." I've been in love with Seattle for many years and ended up in Everett for my very first assignment, last year. I actually went for the rain (I moved to Las Vegas at age 10 from Hawaii and desperately missed it!), and I was so sad when I arrived in the summer, and it was so warm and sunny! I ended up extending and loved when it got gloomy and rainy (and even snowed one day!) before I left. I'm in Houston TX now. I came here instead of Austin for the pay. I like it fine, but damn do I miss the west coast! I miss the wildly progressive culture - and even the recycling bins and coffee shops on every corner! I hate the way the tap water smells here. People just feel different. I can't explain it, there's just a different feeling to them. Part of why I wanted to travel was to find a place at which I'd like to settle down. I want to live and work in every big city in the USA. But I think the PNW might be my home!

I've worked in other units, but I stick with ER now. My first travel assignment was last summer. I have 5 years of ER and 7 years of nursing total. It took me 6 months to get my first assignment. I'd taken 2 years to finally commit to traveling, and the waiting was so discouraging. But then my first assignment was a gift! Super busy regional ER/trauma level II. (They see 300-350/day). When I interviewed, the interviewer asked how much travel experience I'd had. I told her none. She said the manager wanted people with at least 6 months. I emphasized that I'd worked on many different units and even in different hospitals/cities, and that must have sold me. My first location was Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett WA. It's fantastic! Their ratios are dependent upon acuity (3, 4, or 5:1), they'll work with you if you have a tanking patient, they have float nurses, you get breaks and lunches, and the staff are amazing. I fully intend to go back. I'm currently in Houston. Just started last week. Got FIVE days of orientation! Makes me feel like a staff nurse again! So far, decent place.

So much of it will come with time :) If you end up with two critical patients, always ask for help. I've been doing ER/trauma for 5 years, and learning to ask for help has been one of the hardest things for me, but it's so vital! If none is available, notify your charge nurse, as it's ultimately his/her responsibility.

I concur with the others. I just started travel nursing in hopes of seeing that the grass can truly be greener -- and it is! It sounds as thought you went from lush gardens to the desert -- the opposite of my current situation. It's hard to know what standards of care are and have your facility completely disregard them. For the sake of your license and sanity, look elsewhere!

I just started traveling, and this is one of the reasons I love it: I don't have to stay around for the BS. The above suggestions about tactfully talking to this tech are great (and I wish I could take them to heart, as I tend to be less tactful and rock the boat more often than I'd like). If that fails, always escalate (by email initially), if for no other reason than you have documentation to back your case.

-What length of orientation did you have? 3 months -Were there specific ER classroom time or general nursing classes? How many hours would you estimate? I had a 2-hr critical care class once every other week or so. -What is your experience? (10 years med-surg or new grad) Prior to ER, I'd worked med/surg for 1.5 yrs. Now, I have 6.5 yrs experience total. During my last 5 yrs in the ER, I also did 6 months in PICU. - How long ago was your orientation period? (like was it 33 years ago or just last year?) 5 yrs ago -What is your current patient to nurse ratio? At present, it ranges from 5:1 (in fast track), 4:1 (for level 3's), or 3:1 (for level 1 or 2). At my last hospital, it was all 4:1, regardless of acuity. - What type of ancillary help do you have if any? At present, tons! Each pod (10-15 pts) has 1 ED tech. The entire ER has tons of resources too -- social workers, discharge planners, transportation coordinators, phlebotomy in the ER, IV team. I feel spoiled when compared to my last hospital which had almost nothing. We RNs (and a couple LPNs) did almost everything ourselves. - Can you send squads to triage? What is this? - Do you have protocols? Yes, and I love them! Again, my current hospital (I'm a traveler now) is fantastic. They expect you to put protocol orders in. I love that the doctors don't second-guess you for doing it. There is an expectation and then an appreciation for having done it.

Sadly, a lot of hospitals don't care about safety (patient or nurse) until a sentinel event occurs. This is the sort of thing worth calling administration about though.

Like you, I remember a few bigger injuries. A few were pretty gnarly abrasions, one of which got infected for a bit, but my mom always tended to them at home. Another, I had a pretty bad radius fracture. My mom took me to a quick care for it. They ended up sending me to an ER because it was beyond their ability to cast. The other day, I had a mom get annoyed that it was taking me so long to bring Tylenol/Motrin to her febrile kiddo. Temp > 103. And she's annoyed at me. Go to the dollar store and then read up on how to parent your child properly! No way in hello my mom would have taken me to the ER for a fever!