emetcal1

Ummm where is this and are they hiring? Lol

Well I didn't consider it much because I wanted to become an NP to be happier at my job. The money isn't what is driving me although I don't think I know of anyone who wants to find a new job making less than what they make now. Have you found an NP job yet? Even if I make less I know I will be happier as a provider. Thank you for the feedback.

I am about to graduate in November as an FNP. Money is definitely not everything, however, I work for Kaiser in San Diego and my hourly wage is pretty good. I fear working as a NP is just going to give me a huge pay cut. I've thought about relocating and I am pretty open to anything. My goal is to have a decent house that doesn't break the bank. Are there any kaiser NPs that know the hourly wages for San Diego, Seattle, Portland, or even Hawaii?

Well four hour ekg times is a bit of an exaggeration. It's definitely not always 10 minutes. It's frustrating to have the nurse behind a window. I feel like I can't get anything accomplished and sometimes can't even hear the patient. Ekgs are done in another room away from the lobby. I feel like if registration happened at the door and the first nurse would triage down the line instead of at a window, we can detect needed ekgs faster and we could have needed patient information to log into the ekg machine. Jbudd I haven't looked at those yet but j will do that for sure! I've been trying to look them up under my school's library (I'm in NP school now) but nothing is standing out. Our ER can have up to 94 beds with hallways included but we lack a lot of resources (no cath lab!! No trauma services ) so I've found working at a hospital that sees so many patient and few resources has been difficult because so many immediate transfers and done and that takes time.

Well, we all know how frustrating triage can be. In fact, I try my hardest to never be up there because it stresses me out having people in the waiting room for hours with chest pain. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to have someone with chest pain in the waiting for for 4 hours then bring them to a room and put them on a heart monitor. Okay, anyhow, what are any new ideas out there today to improve the triage process? I was a traveling nurse briefly and saw a few different ways triage functioned. My current job has a process where patients get in a line and there is a "first nurse" that lays eyes on everyone and can decide if someone needs seen immediately. The patient will then sit and get vital signs and wait in line again to go to one of the two triage windows. There, the patient will explain their complaints through a window to a triage nurse, receive a wrist band, then get directed to the registration window to update information. During peak hours, nurses or a triage doctor at the window will place protocol orders and the primary nurse will fill out a little ticket with patient information to receive an EKG if they complained of "chest pain". Of course, however, if a patient is diaphoretic with crushing chest pain, we do the EKG immediately. Our EKG times are still really terrible for STEMIs and it is just frustrating because it shouldn't be that way. Another pet peeve I have about this place is nurses will allow their patients to wait in their rooms after being discharged if they are waiting for a ride and received a narcotic. I feel like other places have a designated discharge area for patients with that issue. I am trying to throw out ideas to management because I am frustrated with the flow of the department. Thanks all!

Thanks for the feedback! I have been a nurse for 3 1/2 years. I am not too picky about exactly where I go, so I will probably stick to the one company to see how everything plays out and seek other companies if I am looking for a specific location/benefits or if I am poorly treated. One other question I have. When I request a fingerprint card, I don't have to pay anything then. I didn't get any verification that it is processing so I am just patiently waiting at my mailbox every day. I got the impression payments are made once fingerprints are completed and applications are sent with everything done. I am just making sure I am not waiting around for nothing. Thanks!

Hey all! I am looking into first time traveling and have a few questions. What's the difference with getting a temporary or permanent license. I was applying for California, and didn't even see an option to pay for a permanent license, so I just checked temporary on the application and figured I could figure out a permanent license if I want to stay there past 6 months. Also, are traveling agencies pretty straight forward about what they cover for traveling. I heard they given stipens, but is it the same amount for every traveling nurse? I am applying with Intelistaf because I have talked to several nurses that work at my hospital who have absolutely loved working for them, however I don't work with them anymore to ask them all these questions. Also, anyone have a favorite California city/hospital they worked for. Thanks nurses! :) Erin

What have you read/seen that has discouraged you? Nursing is really tough sometimes...in fact, I have only been a nurse for 6 months and I am still always learning new things at work and getting stressed out, but I just walk into work telling myself, "as long as I keep my patients alive," then anything else can come over time through asking others and using my resources. It truly is a profession of giving your time and energy to help others (sometimes 7 patients...depending on the floor you are on) to some of the most noncompliant, chronicly sick people that will never understand how to care for themselves (pretty much the floor I am on), but I am still driven to do my best and make my patients truly understand what is best for them. I think I needed to write all that to encourage myself actually lol. I am not sure exactly what is discouraging you but maybe I can help if you elaborate. Speaking of nursing, I am off to work the weekend. It is only once every third weekend so I shouldn't complain ) God bless, Erin

Do you have an e-mail. I made a flowsheet and I LOVE it! I am an organizing freak. If my flowsheet isn't organized, I will forget something. I just recently started nursing too, so I know how difficult it is to remember to do everything and what you have done and all the information about all your patients. I hope my flowsheet helps. PM me and I will reply with my email address and send a link of my flowsheet attatched. I'm not sure how to post attatchments on here. Erin

I have the same issue with about half of the techs...especially the ones that have been techs for years and plan on doing it the rest of their lives. I think they see me as a new nurse and maybe a threat...I don't know. But the fact is, I am new and I need extra help with almost anything and everything and if that means I need a second to sit down and relax and/or chart, then I will hit the call button and get the tech. I don't think they really see the stress nurses go through, especially new ones goin through that dreaded first year.

Thank you! I am still in orientation and can really use your experiences to motivate me everyday, especially when I start on my own. I am glad you finally stick up for yourself. I am already starting to do that lol because I believe new nurses are common for any unit or facility and it isn't like they don't know how hard it is for us. I always tell people to slow down when giving report on the phone, ask doctors to repeat telephone orders and spell their names for me, and I always find someone to ask a question to even if I should know it. I know the next year will be a rollercoaster but nurses like you really encourage me. Thank you!

I went into HR in Riverside and I am not really sure if that is what got me the job, but it somehow seemed to open up the door for me. After I got the job, they said we were all lucky that we were expanding the unit and had 5 or 6 spots open. All I can suggest is just to keep trying. Columbus can't be on a hire freeze forever.

Congrats! Well when you're down south we'll be wishin we took that career route come winter time.

It is actually really great to hear that everyone has their own rough experiences their first year, because when it comes down to it, if our first impression of nursing through our first year was easy, we would have the wrong idea of our career. Hang in there everyone! If it makes anyone feel better, I haven't even started on the floor yet. I'm only on my second day of orientation in a lecture. For advice for anyone who hasn't interviewed yet for a job, one thing this thread really reminded me to do is interview the manager when you are being interviewed yourself. As I was trying to sell myself, I also came back with the questions of, "If I don't know something or do something well, will I be told how to correct my actions instead of just being told I am wrong?" or "I know I will not do things as fast as a veteran nurse and I know I have a lot to get used to my first year, but how will I know I won't walk in here after the first week feeling too overwhelmed?" He was very impressed with my concern about these issues and came back with great responses like, "We work as a team here and that is very important to us," and "You can ask ANYone whatever you need. We have all been in the same position as you." That's when I knew I picked the right floor.

There are jobs don't worry. I created this thread and I was worried about finding a job, but I was offered one at Grand Med Center for Ohio Health. Just don't waste your time applying online. I went into the hospital and basically demanded a job and also tried selling myself because I was dressed nice and I brought a copy of my degree and license. I got a call the next day. Good luck!