Becster

Hi Kimmie. I have not been on allnurses in awhile and didn't see your post. I moved to NH in December and love it. I am not working yet but have a phone interview with DHMC tomorrow and had an interview at a small hospital in the area today. Funny, I am originally from NC! I have not been up to Maine yet so I cannot speak to that state. Vermont and NH have similar topography but the politics vary quite a bit. Vermont appears to be more liberal where I would say that NH is more conservative in the sense of self reliance and personal liberties area. Upstate NY is beautiful but seems to be heavily influenced by the decisions made in the NYC area. If you want to message me I can answer more questions for you. Of course it's been so long since you posted, you might already have moved!

I found that my best interviews were when I went in with the attitude of interviewing the employer rather than them interviewing me. It sounds llke you have some solid skills and are aware of your capabilities. I would ask them questions about staffing ratios, staff turnover, reasons for employees leaving, etc. I think it is very appropriate to say that you left your previous employer because you felt as if you were not able to provide the care that the patients needed due to the nurse/patient ratio and that it was not a good learning environment for a new nurse. I went into my first nursing job with this attitude. I made it very clear that I was building the foundation of my career and that the first job I took would be a very important part of that. I was looking for a place that supported its new grads and had a commitment to continuing education. I think when you go in confident in your ability to learn and use the interview time as an opportunity to ensure that this employer is a good fit for you, it comes across to the employer that you are capable and prepared. This method worked well for me - I was offered every job that I interviewed for and all but one even came back and offered me a day shift position as a new grad even though they originally said that only nights were available. Good luck. You sound like you have plenty of skills. Too many nurses in the hospital get too focused on tasking when the assessment of the patient is the part that really saves lives.

If you're studying for CCRN, I would know all the norms from your PA cath and what the implications are.

I currently worked in a mixed ICU in Washington state. My husband and I are planning on relocating to New Hampshire to be closer to family - but not too close. I am very interest in Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon. Would you please give me the inside scoop on working there? I recently read articles about the recent layoffs and attempts to unionize so I am a little nervous about the current hospital climate. The article specifically noted a termination of DHMC's patient transport program and I am curious how that is working out. It appears that DHMC has 3 critical care units. I really love the variety in my current workplace. One day I can recover a post-open heart and the next take care of a septic patient. Is there opportunity to rotate between units? Also, job postings note shift rotation requirements. I'm not a huge fan of night shift. How much of a rotation is required? Finally, I would love to get some feedback on the best areas to live in the Dartmouth area. We would like to purchase some property without going underwater trying to do this. I would like to keep my commute under 30 minutes each way. It's hard to get a good feel for a community via the internet. Anyone have the skinny on Lyme, Orford or Enfield? It looks like Canaan has a flooding issue. Any information would be very much appreciated. Thanks!