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And for you to say "I'm not really a union guy," what's that based off of? Obviously never working as a nurse. Unions are GREAT when they fight for the benefit of the nurse and not for the healthcare system.

Riverside and Grant are part of Ohio health.... Worked for them for 2 years and enjoyed my experience. Don't work at Mt Carmel unless you're desperate.... They're known to seasoned nurses as a dangerous place to work...

I'm not sure how much they pay for new grads, but in 2012, they offered me a position in ICU for a little over $25/hr with a 4.75 night diff and 4.75 weekend diff. I had a year and a half of experience at the time. Thing is, OSU is a tough place to work right now, that's why I turned the offer down. They are mandating overtime, forcing RNs to work 16 hour shifts... You also have to pay out the nose for parking... I think I remember it being like $35 a month and you have to park far away in an uncovered lot and take a shuttle! You also have to pay union dues which aren't cheap, and obviously don't have an RN's best interest in mind if they're mandating left and right. I've worked all over Columbus and the best places for new grads in my opinion are Riverside, Grant, and Children's.

I've been a nurse in CA, it's a pain to get licensure there but it's so nice to feel safe delivering care as a nurse. What is it like being an RN in Hawaii?

ShoeGal, can I ask what region of California you are traveling? (Aka SF Bay Area, LA area, SD area)

I would love to learn more about traveling to Hawaii!! I've filled out applications with several travel agencies and would love to go ASAP, but I'm worried about my current job. I want to ask to do a LOA as well but seeing as I've only been with them six months, I'm not sure if they'll grant me that... I'm strongly considering Hawaii and California. Which state were you a nurse before? What is your specialty? Which company are you traveling with? Feel free to PM me anytime!! -Lauren

Ned, thanks so much for the advice! Maybe I need some remediation in Travelers 101, haha... Let me see if I understand what you said: if I travel and live in say, California... I will still be paying for my house (and taxes) in Ohio. When I rent a place while I travel, I can't be taxed twice, so the agency will give me tax-free money to pay for my rent? Please correct me if I'm wrong, I won't be offended... How will that look when I go to do my taxes, still claiming myself as an Ohio resident? I still have a lot to learn!! Good thing I haven't quit my day job!

I've been an ICU nurse for over 3 years now and I'm looking to travel in a couple months... I've done my fair share of research so I think I'm past the Traveling 101 stage... Now I'm wanting to know specifics! I keep reading about compensation being better if you have a "tax home" but I'm not a numbers person and I need someone to explain this to me better... My husband owns a house in California and it's in his name (we haven't gotten around to adding me to the mortgage yet). We rent out our house and have downsized to a small rental in Ohio where we live now. I'll be traveling alone for at least the first assignment. My ultimate goal is to make enough money to pay off debt and to get away from the horrendous Ohio winters. I'm looking at getting back to California, or considering Texas, Florida, or even Hawaii as back-ups. Can you all give me some tips of the trade and perhaps a reality check? I've spoken to recruiters from Aya, Travel Nurses Across America, and Flexcare. Thanks in advance for your help! :)

Janfrn, thanks immensely for the list of other posts... I guess it's a fairly common question. I feel better about making the transition now... Can anyone tell me what kind of orientation I should ask for? Not just weeks, but experiences? I was on another forum asking about NICU nursing and one of the nurses got to rotate through labor and delivery and postpartum to get her mind back into the groove of performing newborn assessments and whatnot. I would love something out of the box like that. The PICU I would be working in is a large unit with level I everything lol... Basically, they take the sickest of the sick and other hospitals around the state and bordering states send their really sick patients here...

Hi all!! I've been an adult ICU nurse for about 3 years and I'm looking for a change. I'm bored of the same old same with adults. I've always seen myself as a pediatric RN and I miss caring for kids! Just something about them that makes your job worthwhile!! Just wondering if anyone could provide insight on the transition from adult critical care to PICU. I am well aware I will be getting into an entirely different field!

Hi all!! I've been an adult ICU nurse for about 3 years and I'm looking for a change. Just wondering if anyone could provide insight on the transition from adult critical care to care of our youngest patients.

I found myself back home to Ohio after a 1 1/2 year stent in California as an RN (and I was a regular FTE, not a traveler). The ICU I came from was a well-oiled machine and staff morale seemed to be pretty high. I lived in an area of California where the cost of living was VERY comparable to Ohio, yet nurses were paid upwards of $30/hr and staffing ratios were mandated. If our unit was short a nurse, they were required to fill the hole instead of having the nurses pick up the slack for 4+ hours until a replacement could be found. If we missed any or all of our breaks during the day, and the charge RN was aware, we filled out a form and got paid extra for missing a break/lunch. If we were made to work more than 12 hours in one shift, every hour over that was paid doubletime. In a nutshell, our union had everything to do with this and I was so happy to feel that someone had our backs. Now that I'm back to Ohio, staffing can be downright unsafe!! Nurses are frequently asked to stay an extra 4 hours because they couldn't find a nurse to fill a hole in staffing. Overtime for us is anything over 80 hours in a pay period.... Meaning, if I have to work an extra four hours each week, I get NO overtime. Basically, if I work one extra day a pay period, it is worthless.... I would only get overtime if I worked two or more shifts. I asked one of the nurses about how unfair this is, and she shrugged her shoulders and said they just "suck it up." Our management has hired tons of new grads to save money and seem to have their hands tied behind their backs most of the time, that they can't always do what's right for the nurses or our patients. We have nursing assistants, but we only get 1-2 to cover 30-something beds, so they're NEVER available when you need them. Not to mention, the pay difference is about 25-30% less in Ohio. There is no nurse's union to have my back and it feels like a nurse's destiny lies in the greedy hands of hospital administrators. Nurses here basically get crapped on and no one has the balls to stand up and fight back!! California has its problems, but my quality of work environment was the best I've seen, and I've worked for several hospitals in Ohio before moving out to CA.... but isn't there anything that can be done to make the work environment more healthy? Why hasn't anyone stood up and addressed this problem? Feedback??

Man, this has been a rough week... Not with thinking, just with writing. To say that the classes are writing intensive may be an understatement! Except I didn't get either book for Transitions or Health Assessment. Do you think I'll need them? -Lauren

I don't agree with anyone who says that LTC and SNFs are for new grads without connections. I graduated from Ohio in February, moved to California in May, and with persistence and patience, found my dream job in a busy ICU (biggest and most reputable in the county) without knowing a SINGLE SOUL. I was told over 200 people applied for that job and I was the one chosen for it. Pretty humbling for being the new girl in town. I applied to all sorts of positions, LTC and SNF included, but those weren't my passion. The best thing you can do is apply to as many jobs as you can, even if they say that a year or so of experience is "preferred." Secondly, write a great cover letter for each position you apply to and follow it up with a friendly phone call or visit. Also, be creative in finding ways to get the names of the nurse recruiter or nurse manager of the department you want. Find ways to make yourself stand out. I put together a portfolio, you can do this by hand or even put yours online. Maybe go in and ask the HR recruiter if he has a couple minutes to look it over. Be creative! Tell people that you WANT the job... Don't sit around and twiddle your thumbs as you put in applications expecting different results. You'll get rejected before you're even given a chance. :uhoh21:Be friendly and professional. Get to know the people who review your application. I learned that the more personable I was to HR recruiters and managers during interviews, the closer I got to an interview. The more quiet and inhuman you are, the more likely you are to be passed over. Don't give up. Keep on applying and ALWAYS follow up (without being a pest). It's so easy to get discouraged (trust me, I had my fair share of tears in the process). Be persistent and keep doing things that make you happy (yoga, working out, singing, dancing, art, that kind of thing). You'll get better at applying and interviewing the more you do it. Always be revamping your resume and try getting certified in whatever the job requires (ACLS, NRP, PALS, etc). And remember: You'll land a great job if you just keep being yourself!

No, don't just show up. Somebody once gave me this piece of advice: If you want to find the name of the nurse manager of a unit, call the hospital, say you were a patient on that unit and want to know who to address your Thank You letter to. From what I hear, it works like a charm!

Mount Carmel is very likely to hire new grads, try finding the name of a manager and handing your resume and cover letter in in person. I worked for Mt Carmel for 2 years and in that time there were around 10 new grads hired to my unit alone (which was a small ICU). Don't lose hope but keep this in mind: the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting to yield different results. So be constantly upgrading your resume, have a different and professional cover letter for every single job, keep networking and literally ASK for the job you want. That being said, also apply to outlying hospitals. Try Dayton, Dayton childrens, Marion, Fairfield medical center in Lancaster, the VA in Chillicothe. Hope I helped a tiny bit.

I agree! I worked at Mount Carmel West for 2 years and absolutely loved it. Smiles from everyone you see, the housekeepers make jokes with the doctors and nurses, the PCAs (Patient Care Assistants) are AMAZING and so helpful. Even the folks that work in the cafeteria joked around with me every day that I went down to grab my cappuccino... It's so strange that there's so much love in one hospital, yet the hospital is in such a crappy part of town. There truly is a GREAT culture at Mount Carmel. Look into it for me! I moved to California a few months back.

I would try to stick it out. Biting the bullet and taking the extra 2 weeks of orientation looks a lot better than being difficult or arrogant. You also don't want to be thrown under the bus by other nurses... we all know that happens. Best to keep on good terms with everybody there. Good luck, whatever you decide.

I see your concern, but PLEASE watch how you word your letter/email to the DON. It seems like you will have an attitude toward him/her. If you give someone an ultimatum, they will most likely retaliate. And you don't want to leave on bad terms. Take a deep breath.... Kindly ask for more orientation before being on your own. Are there a few more tasks of yours that you could delegate to your aides?

Straight to the point! :)

Work it, girl! There's no reason you can't succeed at a young age. When I met my OB/GYN for the first time, my jaw dropped at how young she looked. She looked just a few years older than me and I'm in my mid-twenties. My gut was questioning her every move, but she quickly proved herself with her knowledge and professionalism. You WILL have people that will suggest you wait until you're older, but if you have the drive, knowledge and maturity, you will do GREAT! Don't let anyone tell you otherwise!

I think that unless it is a true emergency situation (i.e. we don't have time to get much information because this person is about to DIE), we should always ask to speak with the patient in private upon admission while obtaining our history (unless the pt is incapable of giving a history on their own)... Then allow visitors after the patient is stabilized. You said the patient was over 18, no reason to have mom around while getting her history... As for the Doc, he should have followed that same rule. I was under the impression that this was common sense....

I really can't agree entirely with "DNS" but you have to think of it this way: This is the viewpoint of MANY acute care employers, unit managers, supervisors and HR recruiters. So even if this information is NOT true, it is the word that has gotten around. An RN might have the most unbelievably amazing experience at an LTC facility, but if that stigma is stuck in your employer's head, it will hardly be considered worthy experience. Just trying to keep things in perspective here, regardless of how varying LTC facilities may be...... :chair: