mdewey626

I have been a Paramedic for 19 years and an RN for about 1 1/2 years. I have been working at our rural hospital in the med/surg department since January '10. My wife has been an ICU nurse for 11 years. We live in Wisconsin and have been applying on-line in Arizona. (Hate the cold.) She wants ICU and I want ER. Our house is for sale and there may be an offer very soon. My worry is the house sells and no concrete job offers. Anybody have a crystal ball to tell us what our prospects are for a job in the Phoenix area?

I left a full time, benefit-laden, lucrative, county paramedic job where I could go to work and sleep for 24 hours if I wanted to. (Occasionally interrupted by 911 calls.) For the last few years I spent my time studying for my ADN. I'm 52 and for most people my age, this would be the perfect job. And it was a great job. But, I got tired of sitting on my a** waiting for a call. And when the call did come it was usually anything BUT an emergency. I have been working as an RN for a month orienting to the M/S floor and LOVE it. I could have spent my last 15 years working in a cushy job doing nothing but can't stand to be doing nothing. I would rather be busy. And as a nurse, I have so many options. Traveling, clinic, LTC, home health, insurance, case management. The possibilities are endless. Yes, I'm happy with my decision!

The market is bleak right now but should improve over the next year or two. There are many older nurses who are waiting for the economy to improve before they retire. Either waiting for their investments to improve or maybe their spouses are out of work. You are fortunate to have a casual position. My hospital won't hire casual call RN's without 2 yrs of experience. I'm working casual in an ER as a paramedic. I passed the boards in January. I'm doing almost the same job as the RN's but they don't call me an RN. They don't take my 18 years as a paramedic in to consideration. I know more than most of the new grads. I'm hoping if I prove I can do the job they will change my status. Good luck and hang in there. It will get better.

Lunesta!

My wife and I recently lost our 11 year old Brittany and we are heartbroken. I work 24's and she works 12's. We trained him on an electric fence and put in doggie doors. He could come in and out as he pleases and would never leave the yard. He was the perfect dog. Didn't bark, chew or bite or run away.

I recently completed the bridge program from Paramedic to RN through Excelsior and passed the NCLEX in January. I have a friend in Arizona who can get me a job as a new grad in the ER at the University Medical Center in Tucson. I'm licensed in Wisconsin which is a compact state as is Arizona. The AZ SBON website says Excelsior graduates must have 960 hours of experience in another state or the 120 hour clinical nursing course through the college. I have neither. My ultimate goal is to travel. To do that I need some ER experience. (I have plenty as a Paramedic.) I was told by the AZ BON that I could work as a traveler on my Wisconsin license. So, I guess my question is- can I work a full-time position on my Wi license in Az and for how long? I will keep Wi as my primary residence.