Stitchie

Triton College in Maywood may offer one, and it's close to you too. It was one of the first schools to have an U/S tech program. Good luck. I'm considering it too!

Tweety -- off topic, but why do people tell 'queer' jokes at all anymore? It's so insulting. I'm an old married woman, and I cringe every time I hear someone tell a "joke" that humiliates another person. While I do find the list humorous, I don't think it's meant to poke fun at anyone. Having worked in the ER for a while, I see that some of the 'experienced' nurses' actions are exactly my own. I'm not an uncaring nurse, I'm a busy busy busy nurse. If it makes my day easier/quicker/less hectic, it's going happen. Especially that foley.

I had a similar situation -- ultimately fired for taking FMLA around the holidays. Long story, but DH & I were out of the country, to Poland, to adopt our daughters. The management manipulated me into going to the dumping ground hospital of the hospital -- that lasted one day. I called the HR hag and asked her when I can expect to use see the 'adoption assistance' checks that they dangled oh so happily in front of me. I didn't get a dime. No lawyers, no reported the horrid conditions in that ER, nothing but "You said you did this, now you're denying it" (off the wall comment from HR whanker who didn't know me from her elbow. They didn't even pay my PTO. I got the "oops it was a mistake" -- which was paid out 10 months after I left. No explanation (not that I needed one), no recompense or interest paid on my money. I had 69 hours of PTO saved up to use for my FMLA. So the moral of my tale of woe is that if you hate it, leave. Can you work in a doc's office thru the rest of your schooling? Will you recieve your RN in October? If so, try to stick it out, find a better job, and leave on a professional level. Good luck to you. Keep us posted to see how things come out for you.

My hospital in IL is a Magnet hospital; I make a bit over $26.00 w/three years experience, have to do two call shifts (one must be a weekend or night shift) 20 hours a week from 4pm until 2am. The management laughed at the idea of sign-on bonuses and I don't get squat for tuition reimbursement. I have to be there, as a part timer, for a year before they'll pay a dime or six months as a full-timer before they will part with a penny. The lousy coffee's free, though. I'm considering a jump to the enemy, insurance nursing. PM me if anyone has any ideas at all about what I can do with that.

I'll second that!

I'm smack in the middle of this debate. I do the religious stuff that we're expected to do, but for me it's for my twins' grandparents; it isn't very meaningful for me. What has helped me are the things that have always grounded me and given me hope when things seemed hopeless: a poem called the Desiderata (pm me for a copy; I have to look up the origins of this poem because it is beautiful. My faith in my marriage, my family, my friends. Those are my touchstones. I have chosen, knowingly, to live this life as if this is all we get, and our heaven or our hell is of our own doing (maybe Karma comes into play here?) I admire and envy people who have such unwavering faith it gets them through anything. You have a gift that eludes me. For me, while growing up in a chaotic, turbulent, alcoholic family, church was a punishment, even Catholic school was a punishment. I stopped seeing the point of punishing someone by sending them to church -- I was supposed to be forgiven there, but somehow never felt welcomed there. Reality is my guide (at least I sure hope it is!). The life I've made for myself, the home my husband and I have created with much of our own ideas and two hands, for our children, the job I grow to love more each day (because I work with wonderful people of every background). My comfort, when life is stressing me out, is a horse, my cats (no, they don't play well together!) reading, music, and most especially, the laughter of my thriving, happy, smart, growing toddler twin girls -- it's been a year and a half since we've brought them home from Poland!

And I'm sure the pain was killing them, and they needed to be rehydrated and have meds for pain and nausea. Chapped lips wins. Even my stupid drug test guy (yes he was an idiot, and a needy one at that!) made the chapped lips people look fairly legitimate. At least you wouldn't laugh in their faces. I hope.

I just started a new job at a hospital in a wealthy suburb of Chicago. We had a 60'ish man come in c/o 'someone put something in my drugs' and asking for a drug test. Huh? I asked him if we were looking for zebras or elephants, which he refused to answer. He took his 'medication' over two weeks ago...got angry at the long wait and left without being seen. Good riddance.

I was one of those who started in M/S on a vent unit and wasn't crazy about it. Now that I'm in the ER (again) in a 'transition' program, I like it much better and I have much more confidence. If you want ER, start there!

I had a guy last weekend wait three hours for a drug screen. He left without being seen (of course, he was angry that the hemoglobin of 8 and an allergic reaction (with airway compromise) were seen before his urine tox screen. He told me that someone had 'slipped something funny into his sometimes-smoke' while he was in Mexico. Hmmmm.....it's a wonder he didn't call 911!!!

There is absolutely nothing wrong with calling home to see how your child is doing, especially during a quiet moment at work. If TPTB disciplined every single one of us who calls home during a 12 hour stretch what else do they have time to do? That is just a lame, stupid excuse on their part. If they need NA's so badly they should take better care of them so they want to stick around. As for the race issue, it's really a moot point, isn't it? Why would you want to work somewhere with people who might be racist? Administration should be color-blind and they know that. If they aren't, they are too ignorant to be in their positions, but they are, and the outcome is not going to change for you.

I just started at a new facility and they use Meditech. I've used other systems of computer charting and it seems about the same. If it makes charting faster than writing out notes with paper and pen, I'm all for it.

Sorry this happened to you. I would speak to your unit manager about this situation and why the doc was so unresponsive. Having said that, there's always going to be days like this. You did a darned good job for your patient and you shouldn't be the one losing sleep over this.

.:roll :roll :roll :roll Oh let's open our own hospital already!!!!

My pediatrician used a forehead heat-sensing probe to get temps on my twins when I had them in for ear infections. I thought that was really interesting -- no trauma to tissue possible, no holding the baby's head to get the tympanic temp, no wondering if the axillary temp is possible. Very futuristic, like something from Star Trek!

I love the "Union Man" too!

Say "no, thanks" and run. Counteroffers never work -- the same conditions that made you want to leave will still be there, and the promises don't necessarily come through unless you've got them in writing. Been there, done that, moved on.

My 75 year old mother in law said that when she was trained as a RN, also in a diploma program, she had to give up her seat to doctors. She also had to follow them around and write orders in all the patients' charts. She was a public health nurse and only worked for one year after getting her license. One would wonder why? :chuckle

Loyola also has good new grad orientation programs, and they do everything -- teaching hospital, burns. One of my friends has worked there since graduation 5 years ago and really enjoys it. If you look at any of the Advocate Health Care sites they will tell you about their hospitals.

If she loves computers and has an RN license, why not look into telemedicine? An HMO (as previously suggested) or research facility might have something for her.

I have to say that I was pretty shocked by the response from the nursing Sup; I found out later that the 10 minute delay was because she had paged the patient's doc to find out what was up with this patient. The patient had called the nursing sup for a different RN --- same complaints, etc, while I wasn't working. The fact that the patient was smoking in her room just ticked off the nursing sup/charge nurse/staff nurses and other patients. Did I mention this was a pulmonary unit? Vents and HHTC and 02 for everyone? It would have burned very nicely!

well, I wussed out and faxed my two-sentence resignation letter. I don't feel particularly good about short notice but I do feel better having made the decision. Thanks for the reality check, everyone. It seems that the vote was unanimous. Thanks to all those who replied. Sharon

i like this one. short, to the point,and emphasizes my worst gut feelings about this place. seems to be unanimous amongst my collegues here at allnurses.com -- run while i can. thanks for all the responses -- i really needed a reality check tonight. it seems that i get crappy jobs pretty easily and now that i've got one i really want, i don't want to foul things up by anything stupid -- like a bon meeting or jail time:p thanks again everyone. goodnight!

Thanks CK. That's my instinct as well.

Hi! I started a job at a private facility which treats medically fragile pediatric patients. The concept is great. They do great work with little direction. The execution of said concept ... not so great.:stone My largest concerns are the controlled substances counts (nonexistent). The other concern is the apparent worship of a long-time employee (RN) who has no hospital experience other than what she was exposed to in clinicals during nursing school. She doesn't know how to perform common procedures -- sterile central line maintenence, doesn't know what a Port-a-cath is or what it is for, can't access it, doesn't know what a huber needle is for. The facility does clean procedures, not sterile. I took this position because I am bored at home; my DH is working from home now three days a week and it is difficult to balance husband time/work time and kid time. We have sitters who come to our home to watch our twins so my husband can concentrate on work. I have finally received a start date for an ED position at a local hospital -- a Magnet facility with a new ER and expanded facilities. I'm starting in a transition program since I've been home for a year with my kids. In the past year we've adopted our twins (we came home Dec 2004) moved, rehabbed our current house, straightened out my father's probate estate, sold our first home, solved a case of identity theft and gotten rid of the houseguest from hell who was at the bottom of the ID theft ($3K in internet pharmacy charges on my credit card -- even the cc people were sympathetic). I've also buried my grandmother and administered her estate after the rest of my family refused to have anything to do with it -- long distance from the midwest to Arizona. It's been a tough year. Now my time is my own. I'm looking forward to starting at the ED -- I've been after this hospital for over a year for a job. My choice is clear -- I want the ED position and it will be full time, starting in mid-February. My dilemma is: what do I do with this first position? This isn't what I bargained for. There is no accounting of controlled substances (it really bothers me) and I feel that is a giant red flag should the state come to audit. Heck, I feel it's a giant red flag to anyone who signed their name on the MAR's when the patients were given benzo's which weren't account for. Am I being sensible or overly sensitive? Do I stick it out until February and give my notice, or should I (as my DH and non-medical friends say) run like my butt is on fire? I don't want to waste their money when my heart isn't in this; I don't want to burn any bridges either. Anyone with any insight to offer, please respond. Thanks for reading this.