angels1933

I work in a NICU. And its a toss up between what is worse....the younger nurses texting or the older nurses using the phone line to make personal calls and/or extended breaks!! I'm not just talking about quick phone calls to check on the kids/family, but multiple phone calls to have arguments with their sister or talking about what to do about little Jimmy's biting problem with their husband! Also the break issue....in our unit we have rooms and usually its 3-4 nurses depending on acuity per room. Often we stagger breaks so for 20 minute periods there is only 1 nurse in the room, usually when its a 3 nurse room. The other day I had an awful time working with a senior nurse who took a 45 minute breakfast break, a 45 minute lunch break, was in & out of the room constantly so that when I needed to go find a resident or get supplies, I couldn't; AND took a break at 5pm for over an hour!!!! I will take a texting nurse over an absent nurse anyday although I find it unprofessional to be glued to your phone all day. Oh and not to mention we have nursing assistants who are useless, and often walk around talking on their headsets on while "stocking" and other unknown tasks! The lack of work ethic really blows me away...so frustrating! Thanks for the opportunity to vent! :angryfire

Hi! I'm a new graduate nurse staring a job 9/8/08 in a NICU in northern NJ. HOWEVER, I sent my application in to the NJ Board of nursing, paid me fees and registered for the boards...oh...way back on May 21st. The NJ Board still has not processed my application and now its mid July and I'm freaking out because I'm just waiting for them to get there act together. When I call I can't talk to a person directly....the "zero" I press to "speak to an operator" just rings & rings & rings. With another option....I leave a message and they say they're going to get back to you....but don't! Most of my classmates have a test date or have taken their boards. And I even know someone in CA who graduated a month after I did...has her test date next week. Any one else have this problem??? Do I have to physically go to the board at this point to get them to "get with it"??? Thanks! Frustrated in NJ.

Hi everyone! I just finished nursing school and am graduating officially in a few short weeks. I have a NICU job lined up in North NJ, but I also have been plagued with the question of How much Am I Worth Now?? First of all I asked to negotiate and was refused flat out. Apparently we just take what is given as new grads, but no one ever told me that and I certainly don't feel bad for asking! Live & learn! But anyone who is a new grad and job hunting, I found a salary survey done by the North Carolina Center for Nursing from 2004. So it might be a little behind but it really helps to give you a better picture of what we're facing. It ranks all the states from Best to Worst pay but then....and this is the great part....it re-ranks them AFTER the cost of living is factored in. So yea....California & Hawaii pay the best but their cost of living is higher so it makes them drop drastically in their ranks. So check it out here: http://www.ga.unc.edu/NCCN/research/quickfacts/Salary%20adjustment%20table.pdf Anyway, don't forget to factor in for yourself Quality of Life factors because we all know that if you're miserable in your personal life, chances are it won't matter how much you make at work. Best of luck to all new grads out there!