nursemanon

this is the site of the philippine general hospital apcn training. once you complete this training, it would be easy for you to apply to pgh or any hospital of your choice. if your visa could arrive in less than a year, you could just do the us refresher. good luck! :redbeathe http://www.pgh.gov.ph/v2/?fid=nursing

Great news! The Director who couldn't hire me before wanted to meet to talk again about a position in his ER! I didn't expect this! And the county hospital hired me! :chuckle So, guys, it is possible to go back, even if you don't have a refresher course (better if u do). Just go out there and start applying! Good luck! :redbeathe

It is my first time to work in the US, and since I am a re entry RN who couldn't get into a hospital ("you have to have 1 yr acute care experience before we could accept you" or "try working in a nursing home first so you could get used to patient care again") decided to try working in a SNF despite the many horror stories that I have heard from friends. It has always been my principle to get a first hand experience before I draw conclusions. I initially applied for a NS position, then discovered that I have to cover 54 beds, average of 8 daily chartings, 4 weekly chartings, and mandatory charting for those with changes in condition (i.e., unlimited, but at the time there were 10 who have UTIs, pneumonia, falls..) I turned down the shift and wanted to resign, but was later on convinced to continue when one of my bosses told me that I could just be an AM or PM med nurse and later on do the AM or PM shift (max 26 patients, and depending which side, you will have a med nurse for four hours).. I decided to focus on the positives, and tried to ignore the fact that nurses DON'T have time to check (or re-check/re-validate) the accuracy of the MAR. WE (my batchmate and other medication nurses) talked and concluded that the average time we consume in giving meds is 2.5hrs for every turn (for 8am meds, we finish at 1030am, sometimes 1015am). They say management knows about this, but the updating of the MAR has been delegated to Medical Records personnel because it is too expensive to hire more nurses. The biggest thing that bothers me is that a co-worker discovered that we have been giving Metformin to a certain resident 2 months beyond the date it was discontinued. I only worked 3 times on that side, and I was an orientee, but still I was a part of the error. And honestly, I think about this a lot now that my DON wants me to be oriented on the more acute side of the NH. I am funding my nephew's nursing education, but other than that, my finances are ok because my hubby works. I want to resign, should I? But I'm worried as to how this will reflect on my future job interviews, should I tell my interviewee these issues? Honestly right now, I am thinking of going back to the Phils and just be a clinical instructor. It seems there's no real nursing shortage here. Do you have any other issues with nursing home staffing / patient safety? Pls do tell.

u can start applying at agencies once u r done w/ at least a yr of employment.. then take ur nclex & ielts-- d agency will help u w/ this.. but if u r being petitioned as well, u can just take ur nclex in the US..once u have ur US license, take a refresher course or just apply at a nursing home.. and later transfer to a hosp.. =)

I hope that nurse mngr's not d one I talked to this morning! Kidding! Well, if it is, hope we fill 2 of d 3 vacancies! Yay! =) Good luck to us!

"...since I only stopped for 3 years, she doesn't think I don't need it. " -- I should have written "she didn't think I need it" Haha! Sowee.. yojzar_2000, where r u at? r u fr d phils? if needed, activ8 ur license -enroll in a review ctr & retake d boards (inquire at PRC) if u still have ur license, enroll in a trng program offered by hospitals. the philippine general hospital's advancement program for clinical nursing is excellent (6mos duration, u have to pay for it though, but totally worth every cent! m a grad of it myself) or u cld try applying 4 a job at asian hospital in alabang, I heard their new employee orientation is very good, & it's also 6mos.. hope this helps! =)

Here's my experience: I worked for 4 years at a Philippine ER and took a break for 3 years. There was no refresher course in my area and up to now, I couldn't find a hospital who would take me in if I pursue the RN online resfresher course from Mount Carmel College of Nursing (I compared all that was listed in rn.ca.gov and what my searches have produced and so far,this is the best in terms of price and curriculum). I applied for an ER position in one of the hospitals here. The Nurse Recruiter didn't even schedule me for an interview. I was able to get one through friends that work in the ER (they talked to the Director). Unfortunately, the Director said "that though you have potential, but since you stopped working for 3 years and have no US experience, I couldn't afford to re-train you." I applied at a Nursing Home and got accepted (they are literally desperate for RNs). The NH experience made me want to go back to the hospital more. I then applied to our county hospital, I didn't get a reply. I decided then to take this hospital's ACLS and talked to the instructor which happened to be its Nsg Education Director. She told me that they could probably host the clinical component of my refresher course but since I only stopped for 3 years, she doesn't think I don't need it. She advised me to apply. I did, and the HR said there's no vacancy as of the moment. After 2 wks, I followed up and decided to name-drop (hehe) and mentioned the conversation I had with the ACLS instructor. The HR asst called me the following morning and told me I don't need the refresher course and offered me a Per Diem Float Pool nursing interview. I initially accepted, but changed my mind. FLoat nursing is stressful and is not right for me at this time. I would seriously reconsider if it were a Full Time Position, but it is not. Since this county hospital is a teaching hospital, I would think that they would accept me in their New Grad / Re-entry RN program (yes, they accept re-entry RNs) but I was wrong. I told the HR asst that if there was no vacancy for that, I am still interested in doing the online refresher, and if they could allow me to do the clinicals there. I'm still waiting for a reply. I am thinking of applying to a versant program in SoCal, even if it is for New Grads. I would update you if it works for me. Best of luck to everyone! :redbeathe

Hello everyone! I am about to be interviewed for a per diem float pool position this Friday and I badly need your advice. I have 4yrs of ER experience in the Philippines, then I stopped working for 3 years. I am now employed (2mos) in a nursing home (US). I applied for a re-entry position in this hospital, but the recruiter set me up for this float pool interview. I was aiming for a full time MedSurg position so I would have an easier transition (first US hospital work), but since I am desperate to get out of the NH, I said I am willing to be interviewed. But now, I am having doubts. I am afraid that because it is a Per Diem position, they won't train me enough. Should I go through with this? What are the questions that I should ask the interviewer? PLs help!

I applied at a long term care facility as a medication nurse (4-8PM). Two months later, the DON interviewed me and after seeing that I have acute care experience (i stopped for 3 years), she offered me a Per Diem RN Charge position. She told me wonderful things about how the orientation was effective, that only 1 out of 10 didn't continue on with the job. The first day of classroom orientation was all about HR stuff. On the second day, our Director for Staff Devt was absent; so we were ushered to the medical records section who literally read to us the numerous forms with comments like, "I'm not sure how this is done. The nurses do this." After lunch, I was asked to shadow an RN Charge who showed symptoms of BURN OUT (I don't know why this is so hard. There's just too much to do. Can you do the CBGs?). In short, I didn't learn anything new, I know how to do the CBGs already. One incident that struck me during this duty was a CNA reported to this RN that resident XX fell. She went to the CNA and as I was about to follow her, she told me to wait at the station. As soon as she left, I followed and saw her and the CNA assisting a resident to her wheelchair (she said, "You didn't have to walk to the bathroom. You have a catheter already.") When she got back, I asked her what happened (pretended I didn't follow). She told me, "She's fine. I wouldn't report it because she's fine. You just keep quiet.") I was stunned. On my next duty, I shadowed a pretty excellent RN (bilingual, compassionate to patients and taught me the ideal way to do things). Unfortunately, she couldn't cover everything-- forms, protocols, procedures-- in one duty. Because during the AM shift (the shift with the most meds) the facility doesn't have a Med nurse. I was then oriented to the Med nurse position, and on my first 4hr duty with the preceptor, she left after 2.5hrs, a fact that wasn't reflected on the master schedule. She has been doing 2.5hrs medpass for a while now because she has another job. Guess what, I was told to finish the passing of meds and I went home an hour late. I then talked to my DON and told her about the fall incident and gave her the name of the nurse. I told her about my frustration because I felt like I was always being taught to do the easy-wrong-way {"I'll show you later what we do when the State (surveyor/inspector) is here. But since they are not here, we do this (clean vs. sterile a.k.a. wrong vs. right)" } She cut me off and told me to tell my concerns to the aDON. I talked to the aDON and requested that I shadow the excellent RN for 2 more days and an orientation with the Treatment Nurse. She agreed, but after my 1st duty with the excellent RN, she told me to just talk to my DON. By the way, when the Director for Staff Development reported for work she didn't even ask us how we are. As I understand, it is her job to make sure our orientation is effective. I didn't ask her for anything anymore because she's always in a meeting and.. AND.. when I was scheduled for a physical exam, she had the nerve to FAKE my Vital Signs in my face! SHe even instructed my batchmate not to tell anyone that she's letting her go to work without a CXR (we both have a positive PPD result, I refused to go to work without a CXR). SO much for resident safety, huh? And so one crappy duties after another (the "preceptors" don't teach anything, and when asked, they give answers that they can't validate.. they can't tell me the source of the information). So, after my first night (first duty alone, no more shadowing, i have half of the patients) wherein my partner didn't help me chart (told me to do all, even her wkly!!) nor give meds. SHe slept because she's always on overtime-- because, they don't have enough RNs, and they have so many sick calls. I told my DON that I'm quitting. She persuaded me not to give up, encouraged me and all. I expressed all my concerns. She seemed very symphatetic. She said she knows the culture in the area and she's just desperate for RNs. I felt bad for not being able to help her, and told her that I will do duties for April and if she could find a replacement for me. So, I reported for work only to be slapped in the face by remarks from RNs (outgoing and incoming). When I told my DON abt my concerns, I never mentioned names (except for that RN who didn't report the fall). During my duty, I heard comments like, "Why did u sleep again Nurse X? Hah, your orientee will tell on you again that you are not helping her." Oh my! I talked to my batchmate and she told me there were talks in the breakroom and station, and RNs are angry and they said, "Why are we being rotated to other wings? When we know our patients already in our respective areas? Just because of what the NEW RN said?!" At first she considered that it was me, or her, but when they said, "She's like that because she wants another position." It was scary! Because during my last duty, I was told by an RN that, "You want the MDS? Don't worry, if you can't handle patient care you can ask them to train you in the MDS." I said, "MDS? What's that?" I didn't know that I WANT THAT! These RNs before me, have been signing the treatment record WITHOUT doing the treatment (I know because on the last hour of my PM shift, they told me to JUST SIGN IT-- when I told them, I don't know these residents and I didn't do the TX.) ALL these shortcuts, they do it because of low nurse:patient ratio. They do it because nobody had the guts to tell management that they can't finish all those assigned tasks in a shift. They do it because "the state doesn't care if you do it or not, what they care about is that you document it." GOODNESS! LTC is not safe for me. Now, to end this narrative.. I told my aDON that I won't continue with my orientation anymore. And I'm set to submit a resignation letter tomorrow. Can you please help me regarding what to say? Should I write to the aDON or the DON? Thank you for your time..