direis09

The research I have read sites increased safety risks for both patients and staff with 12 hr shifts. Even if you think you feel great, the mental fatigue is there. Some hospitals limit 2 in a row with 24 to 48 hrs off between shifts. Add night shift to that and you really need to work to counter all the issues that come with going against your natural sleep cycles. I would love to go back to 8 hr shifts, but we all love the idea of 4 days off, no matter how bad we feel.

Interesting, what is the size of your "family" and "nesting" unit? Guessing that you must have a large facility to be able to offer two different postpartum units.

You may want to check out the week long Healthy Children Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) program which would provide education and certification with less initial expense and hours than IBCLC. The hospital I work at pays lactation less than nurses, but that is not always an issue for everyone. Good luck on your career, we need good nurses and good lactation support!

I have worked in Women's Health for 15 of my 17 year nursing career. A couple years ago I took the CLC course through Healthy Children and it was very beneficial. They provided current, evidence based information that I have been able to incorporate into my daily practice and share with other staff members. It is a full week and an investment in your nursing career. Another excellent shorter course is Kangaroo Care based on the research of Susie Ludington from Case Western. This additional training should be a big positive addition to your resume for any position in OB. Good Luck!

I work at a hospital that requires 'color coding' and the computer in the patient rooms explains the various colors... yet housekeeping walks around in surgical scrubs. Some places require nurses to have an additional RN tag.. maybe we should try a big tag that reads ' NOT an RN' for non-nursing staff. Just a thought or attempt at humor. ;o)

Got my license when I was 45. After many attempts, I will complete my BSN in July just before I turn 61! My husband is a paramedic hoping to start a medic to RN bridge program this fall. Never ever too late.

There are so many great "lines" here, and they are funny to read on the computer, but can be so frustrating when working the second or third 12 hr night shift! The top of the list for me is the breastfeeding mom who wants no pacifier, no supplement and has attitude when you tell here that the baby is crying because he needs to eat and her response is "I'll feed him later, I need to rest", or "it hasn't been 3-4 hours yet". Guess the baby forgot his watch. Another good one.. "take my baby to the nursery; will there be someone in there to watch him?" Seriously!

I agree with lifetimern, to ensure patient safety, a closed unit is in everyone's best interest. Many of our labor nurses don't even like to come over and help out with babies. The hospital where I work opened two years ago and includes a six bed NSCU or level 2 NICU with 24 hour in house NNP. I love it! Good luck with your new unit.

Wow, no answer, just sympathy. I also work postpartum. We are a small 13 bed mother/infant unit and we generally do couplet care. The only med-surg nurse that floats to us has been cross-trained and has taken NRP. This is why so many L&D, LDRP and MIU units have gone to closed units; a nurse from another area can't just walk in and take an assignment. Staffing is often an issue for us. How big is the unit at your hospital?

So much depends on your current financial and family situation. If you can afford to go to school and not work, by all means go to school. Once you are working, it becomes difficult to carve out the needed time and energy for classes and homework. It becomes easier to procrastinate and not get back to school. When I became an RN, my instructors encouraged me to continue with school to get a BSN and MSN or Nurse Practioner, but that wasn't an option. Now 15 years later, I am plugging away, working full-time nights, trying to complete a BSN. I don't know if I can muster the energy and determination to continue with the MSN. Hang in there and good luck.

For many nurses, it is just part of our nature to think we have to stay in bad situations and try to make them better. There are times when that may be the best road to take, but not if you are beating your head against a wall. My question to you would be simply, can you make a positive change? If not, start looking elsewhere. Life is too short to waste your valuable time and skills. Good luck with your decision.

My current commute is just under 90 miles one way. I work 12 hour nights and try to work them together and stay at a local hotel. Even with the hotel and gas cost, I am still financially ahead of the game. Plus, the company is great, as well as the job and my coworkers. The only negative is icy winter roads. I personally enjoy the drive. Life is good!

All applications go through the website; the same site for all the hospitals. In all honesty, I only applied 1 time and received a response within a couple weeks. I was applying for a nursing position but the PSAs I work with had the same process. Your best bet is 'just do it'. Apply online, what can it hurt? There is always a need for good PSAs! Good luck!

Check out the Ohio Health website for a list of postings for all their hospitals. I have been with Ohio Health for a little over a year and think it is a great company to work for. Good Luck in your job search.