kerouac01

Hey everyone! I am interested in oncology and will be interviewing soon for an infusion nurse position. I have 3 years of med/surg experience, but have no oncology experience at all. I was curious if I'll still learn a lot of new things regarding oncology care if working as an infusion nurse instead of an inpatient oncology nurse. I know I'll learn a lot about chemo and its administration, but would I be better off looking for an inpatient job? The training sounds great for this position, so I'd really like to accept it if it's offered to me. If I was to move to inpatient oncology down the road is it a pretty smooth transition going from an infusion nurse? I guess my goals are to become an oncology nurse and not to lose the skills I've gained in my 3 years in med/surg. Can you describe some of the skills used during a shift as an infusion nurse? Thanks for the help!

Hey everyone! I have an interview at a hospital in Lakewood coming up and could use some help. As long as I'm not driving during rush hour, could you tell me how long it'll take me to get from the airport to Lakewood? I've never even been to WA and have no idea what the traffic is like going through that Tacoma area. I'd like to look at apartments while I'm there. Would most places in Tacoma be in reasonable commuting distance to Lakewood? Thanks for all the help!

Thanks a bunch for the help!

sorry, this post has nothing to do with finding a place to rent, but I was curious to see if you ended up in gig harbor or in Tacoma. I am currently applying to that hospital system and no very little about it. Thanks for the help!

No, I haven't worked at St. Clare, but I did just apply to that hospital the other day. What floor did you get hired onto? What area of nursing is your 1 year experience in? I have 3 years of med/surg experience, so I'm hoping to hear from them. Was your interview in person or by phone? I'm living far away, so if they do call I hope it can be by phone. Thanks for the help.

Thank you so much for the help! How many patients are typically on a unit? Are the evening and night shifts staffed as well as the day shifts as far as RN's, LPN's, and MHT's go? How long did it take you to get hired on? Do you work 8, 10, or 12 hour shifts? Thanks again!

Hey everyone. I'm interested in psych and was wondering if anyone had any experience (clinical or working) at the Western Washington State Hospital in Tacoma (maybe it's just south of Tacoma). I'm looking to possibly apply there and am just trying to get some info. As far as specifics go......Do you like it?......do you work any mandated overtime?.....are the shifts 8, 10, or 12 hours?......do they have a lot of openings?......do they hire nurses with no psych experience? (I have 3 years med/surg experience).....how long did it take them to hire you on after you applied?.....How do you like the staff? Thanks for the help! I think I finally have 15 posts and can now send/receive private messages!

Thanks for that link (I didn't really check it out. I'm just trying to get the stupid 15 posts to enable the private messaging.)

Hi Nurselacey, I just saw that you're were working at the Western State Hospital and wanted to know if you were still there and if you liked it. Would you mind giving me some info on that place? I'm thinking pretty seriously of applying there and moving to that part of the country. What kind of hours do you work? What different types of units are there? Are there many openings? I don't have psych experience, but do have 3 years of med/surg. Would I be someone they're interested in? Thanks for the help!

Thanks again for the help. Hopefully you'll see this since I haven't posted in awhile. Well, I just booked my flight to Oregon for early spring when I hope to check out the state hospital. If you don't mind I'd like to ask a couple more questions. What did you think of the aides/techs? Pretty helpful for the most part? Are there LPN's working with the RN's as well? What did the turnover seem to be like? Lots of nurses with 20 years there, or lots of new grads? You mentioned on evenings and nights there was only one RN on a unit. Were most people comfortable with that? Was there someone to go to when the only RN needs some help? Did you feel like the nurses had quite a bit of patient interaction? I know in a lot of psych facilities they hardly leave the nurses station due to the paperwork and med pulling. Any areas of Salem I for sure don't want to get an apartment in? Thanks again for the help. I hope this semester is starting off well for you.

Thanks again for the help. It looks like I'll have a couple options in Salem, so hopefully I'll be a little more sure about which hospital I want to work at once I see them both. Do you have much schooling left? Maybe you're not even going to school there in Salem, but did you do any clinicals at SH? Any plans on where you'd like to work once you graduate? I've got 3 years of med/surg, but am lacking considerably when it comes to cardiac rhythms and EKG type of stuff. I'm planning on applying to the PCU, surgical tele, and the ICU there at SH in hopes of beefing up those skills along with others if I plan to not start off in psych there. That's great to hear SH is trying for their magnet status. It's not a guarantee of course, but it kind of lets you know your coworkers will be pretty competent nurses. I'll be moving from the southwest after having lived here for 3 and a half years. I like it here for the most part, but the isolation and lack of 4 seasons is starting to get to me. I enjoy rain and trees, so the sand and lack of moisture isn't doing it for me. Why Oregon? Well, I like the weather, location to the coast and mountains, nearby universities, nursing opportunities, and the fact that there's a big airport there in Portland. My wife's family lives out of the country, so it'll be nice for her to be able to get cheaper, direct flights. I also have been doing a 60 mile one way commute for the last 3 years, so being able to live and work in Salem sounds pretty great. I think there will be some initial shock for me having a 10 minute commute. Thanks again for the help.

Thanks a ton for all the information. I'd been hoping for awhile that someone would reply. Glad to hear you really enjoyed it. All I can find on the net are newspaper articles telling horror stories from the 90's. Did you do any of your rotation in the forensic area? The person in human resources said that was the area where they needed the most help. I'd love to PM you but have no idea how to do it. I think I'd read somewhere that you have to have so many posts before it's enabled. Thanks again. I'm planning on checking the place out in early spring as well as the regular hospital there in Salem. I really want to get into psych, but I'm a bit worried about losing my skills. I'm kind of thinking of working at the regular hospital a couple years and then maybe go the the State hospital when the new facility is up. Thanks again.

Not sure if you're still interested, but there's the state psych hospital in Salem if you're looking for mental health. It's not far at all to the south of Portland.

No one knows anything about this hospital? Not even any students who've done their psych clinicals there?

Hey luvmom, how'd your interview go? Did you accept a position? I'm planning on flying up there in March to interview, but I'm kind of torn on what floors I want to apply to. Which did you apply to? Have you visited the hospital? I'm from out of state and won't even be setting foot in the place until March. Any help would be great! (maybe you haven't had your interview yet. I just noticed your post is only a week or so old). Thanks!