Tomskatt

:::bump::::: does anyone else have any stories to share?

Wow. Thanks for the info. I am currently 5 courses out from completing my BSN with University of Phoenix. I am curious if it would be wrthwhile for me to go through ECU for my Masters. Anyone else have experience with this school? Or any other in the area? Thanks for all the info I find here!

Our ECMO team is made up of mostly RNs and some RTs. Experience and training necessary. I am at CMC, Charlotte, NC.

I am attending U of P for my BSN. I started when I lived in NY and had some reimbursement. Now I get $1500, and that's a bit more than one class. Not too helpful. Anyway, I didn't qualify for assistance except for a student loan. I can't do it any other way. Good luck to you. It is nice to read this encouraging thread. With U of P being so large it is easy to find negative thoughts from people. Not many people say anything if they don't have a complaint, KWIM? BTW, so far, 7 classes into this, I have had a positive experience.

I love to weqr colors, but in the last 2 hospitals I have worked (one in NY and one in NC) they have made it a hospital policy to wear white pants. I hate it!

Thanks for your advice. I am hoping to find a way to do this that is WAY less expensive. $1300 (give or take) is just crazy for us right now.

I started at U of P 3 years ago this fall and had to stop when my daughter was diagnosed with Leukemia. Since then I have read so much pro and con (mostly con) regarding their program and the cost involved. I was wondering if anyone here has any success or experience with transferring any of their credits over to another school. I have about 5 or 6 classes under my belt and hate to walk away from them. Anyone?

In my 12 yrs and 5 hospitals, this is the first hospital I have ever seen that puts brown bags on the TPN and Lipids (or Triple Mix, as they use here). We change our setup like everyone else here, every 24 hours. Nothing on our clear tubing.

Just curious if you all see a trend? I have noticed that most of our gastroschesis and omphalacele kids come from young mom's. An unofficial poll in my present unit was that most (not all) gastros come from teenage potsmoking mothers. Has anyone else seen this? Please don't take offense, I am just interested to see what is happening in other parts of the country.

I have worked in places where it is called N"eye"cue, Nicku, NICN, Neonatal Intensive, you name it. I think each hospital has a culture of it's own............

I like the sound of that stapleing method, but until that gets approval we go with plain old tegaderm on the cheek and tube....

Hello. I believe we "met"on another forum, unrelated to nursing. Small world.Anyway, I can only speak from my very limited NC experience, as I have only recently moved down from NY(:chuckle ). Anyway, I have almost 12 years of NICU experience with a little cardiac and med/surg thrown in and am looking for employment in the Charlotte area. It seems the rate of pay (from what I have been told by recruiters) is from $19.00- 29.50/hr. No they are not unionized down here. I honestly don't know if that is good or bad. I have worked in unionized hospitals that were awesome and some that were horrible. I guess it depends on the Union. I'm sorry I don't have a lot to tell you, but there is another thread here that has other's pay experiences. Good luck to you. As for the lifestyle here, I have to say it has only been 3 months, but I am loving life down here. The people are unbelievably warm and friendly and the weather is terrific! My kids are fitting in okay, with a few little "growing pains" along the way and I just love that each morning I watch the sunrise from my porch and the sunset from my back deck. No place is perfect, but this was a great move for my family! Good luck to you!

I have recently been interviewing in the Charlotte area and have been offered everywhere from a laughable $20.00/hr. to a fairly decent $29.50/hr. It seems the closer to the city the higher the salaries and of course there are differentials for weekends and nights that brought up to an extra $7.00/hr. I have 11 years experience in NICU, but some nurses in other in specialties with less experience have been quoted pretty similar #'s. Good luck to you!!!

Thanks! Ive read enough on the SC board to know I will stay away. What a shame there is a facility that could employ so many nurses and no one will go near them.

Well, thanks all! I was researching my employment options when I came upon this thread. Yikes!

Anyone here ever work for Piedmont Medical Center in Rock Hill? I see a lot of job openings for them. Certainly makes me suspicious, yet I will need a job when I move down to NC.

Hmmm, this seems to be the popular concensus. I was wondering why they have a ton of job openings posted all over.

Jan, thank you, thank you, thank you! I can only hope that I will be able to get the same orientation that you were given. Heck I'd be satisfied with 1/4 of that! I am not sure what to expect as I am relocating to a new area and am not familiar with their hospital systems yet. Anyone out there from the Charlotte, NC area?

So much of what you say Jan is true, but I am terrified of the change! Did you get adequate training and orientation to your new position or was it learn as you go? How were your first 6 months? Sorry for the drill, just trying to know what to expect.

I am sorry to doublepost but I originally posted on Peds, when I meant this for PICU.....now I see there is a current discussion, so here goes. Okay gang.... here's one you may have dealt with before, but I would love to get your expertise and opinions. I have been a NICU nurse for almost 11 years (YIKES! How did that happen?). Most of that time was as P/T or per diem. I am now going to go back to work F/T and am thinking about making the jump to another specialty... most likely to PICU. I love what I do, but to be honest it is very limiting and I really can't see myself as a staff nurse for the next 20 years. Have any of you made the switch to/from any specialties and how did you find the experience. Is it overwhelming? Rewarding? Impossible? Please, don't hold back! I really believe Peds nurses are some of the most well rounded nurses in the hospital. Dealing with a paient anywhere from newborn to young adult really gives you some great experience. What do you all think?

Okay gang.... here's one you may have dealt with before, but I would love to get your expertise and opinions. I have been a NICU nurse for almost 11 years (YIKES! How did that happen?). Most of that time was as P/T or per diem. I am now going to go back to work F/T and am thinking about making the jump to another specialty... most likely to PICU. I love what I do, but to be honest it is very limiting and I really can't see myself as a staff nurse for the next 20 years. Have any of you made the switch to/from any specialties and how did you find the experience. Is it overwhelming? Rewarding? Impossible? Please, don't hold back! :) I really believe Peds nurses are some of the most well rounded nurses in the hospital. Dealing with a paient anywhere from newborn to young adult really gives you some great experience. What do you all think?

This sounds like the set up at UoP online. We do some group powerpoints, but really, for me, that seems the easiest part. Online message boards and papers are the thrust of our grades.

I think I have posted this before, but does anyone knw if it is possible to transfer out of UoP once you have begun? $1243 a class plus $70 resource plus books per class is just a little to pricey for me. I will call around, but know from experience I get my best info here on these boards!

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: The thought of my dh with the kids 24/7 is enough to make me.... well let's just say it would be a disaster! :chuckle Seriously, I would like to go the au pair or nanny route, but it makes me nervous due to the fact I would be at work while they are sleeping.... I am looking for 12 hour nights. I am not big on leaving my kids in general, so this would be a major deal for me. Anyone out there have any tips? Thanks as usual for the great support and advice on this board! Kathy

If there is anyone who can share with me the name of their recruiter at OA or maybe someone else AWESOME with another AWESOME company, with contracts in North Carolina, I would gladly use you as a referral... PM me please?!