strange_jayne

Thanks for your replies; taking a CEN refresher course is a GREAT idea! I checked out a few links on google - it looks like the courses are for one day - that doesn't seem like a whole lot of time. I am not too keen on the per diem/agency stuff. I have seen agency and per diem get too many "patient dump" assignments while regular staff sits at the nurses station - not that they really have time to do that, they just do. I do try very hard NOT to get involved in politics. I DID work agency at hospital #2 on their telemetry floor - since I was an "RN" they had me signing off an LPN's work and being responsible for her assessments - ME - first time there and sight unseen. At another hospital I was working ER through agency - first time there too - taking care of my patients and giving "dinner" breaks to their staff - I never got a "break" - not that I expected one - I DID get to go pee ONCE. At the end of my 3-11 shift I thought I was getting caught up when I was pulled aside and told, "we have two patients en route; the medics are intubating one now, and the other is having an MI - don't worry, you won't get BOTH...". Gosh, golly, gee, thanks! I already had a psych patient try to escape on me that night which caused some havoc - he got stopped by security. It was a weird night; I went back once more and decided they were short staffed (and hence needed agency help) for a reason.

I worked as an ER nurse for over 10 years; I have been "out" of nursing for 7 years. Before I left nursing, I got divorced, moved, and had a few per diem/part time jobs of which only one was a really good fit. I worked at four local hospitals after getting divorced/moving. At the first hospital my preceptor really didn't like me, and I wasn't even there long enough to complete my orientation, so I resigned...a school mate's suggestion - she thought they were going to ASK for my resigination and that I'd better resign on my own first...BUT...I am the "outspoken" type and sent copies of my very nasty resignation to everyone - the CEO, Head Nurse, Human Resources, etc. The hospital was into "mandatory overtime" - they called it an on-call sign-up sheet. They were also into "salaried" positions for some of their nurses - so if you worked beyond whatever you'd consider "full-time", oh well, you weren't getting any extra pay. At the second job another nurse with less experience than me, with NO current CPR, and NO current ACLS was getting $8.00 an hour more per hour than I. I asked around and found out EVERYONE who worked there was being paid at vastly different rates. I was on "orientation" and turned in my "immediate" resignation the next day - and of course, hand-carried my nasty resignation letter to every department, including the CEO's office. Hospital #3 worked out while they had per diem work. Everyone seemed to get along, I did my holidays as required, no one complained about me, I did not complain about them - they just ran out of ER per diem work after taking on more full-time staff: newbies fresh out of school for the ER. So I got a non-nursing job as an office temp - until THAT job ended. Hospital #4: Per diem in the ER once again. Nice people; nice little community hospital. I got along with EVERYONE - even the doctors other nurses complained about...UNTIL one doc said the "F" word to me. I kept working that day, even though I KNEW NO ONE deserved that kind of abuse. I was trying to help another nurse and got yelled at because I didn't drop my pen in the middle of signing out an ER patient AMA. The next day, the hospital cancelled ME. On the third day, I got called into the head nurse's office where I told "my side" of the story. Bottom line is I sent a very nasty letter to the CEO and everyone concerned about what happened and made it clear I would not return to work until they did something about it. My head nurse resigned and got replaced by the "little snitch" who made sure she told the head nurse and anyone else who mattered about what happened regarding the "F" word incident - even though the snitch wasn't a witness. Oh yes, the doc HAD done that sort of thing before - my Head Nurse made sure to tell me that in her office. Poetic justice won out in the end - the snitch lost her "Head Nurse" position to the hospital's nurse recruiter! So why am I thinking of returning to nursing???? Steady work and decent pay. I am tired of looking for work and getting jobs that end when the work runs out. I am wondering just how difficult it will be to get back in; the refresher course stuff just doesn't make sense - I worked at a number of places that hired fresh grads for ER & ICU positions. Sometimes I'm paranoid that my name is on some kind of do not hire "blacklist". I honestly wouldn't mind trying to get back into hospital #1 - they do have postings for ER right now. Unfortunately my CPR & ACLS ran out long ago. Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated; otherwise I may have practice saying, "welcome to Walmart", or "would you like fries with that"?