dmarciniak

For twelve years I have been lying to myself. Thanks to your well-written, eloquent appeal I did what I should have done years ago and told my employer to "take this job and shove it". Yeah. Well. Anyway, I'm not sure where you are coming from. It seems to me most reports indicate nursing to be nearly recession-proof. Sorry it didn't work out for you.

I work in an inner-city hosptial in Buffalo, 35,000 patients a year, average about 100 a day. We have a ratio of 1:5. Hall beds are the responsibility of the CN. Our hall use in total minutes went from 16% to 0.6% in two years once the CN's took them. We also opened a PRN express section staffed by a PA and nurse when warrented. In our busy season (jan-feb-mar) we often feel completely overwhelmed.

I am currently a full-time ED day CN and am in a RN to BSN program. The school I attend has really catered to the full-time nurse. I am taking 9 credit hours a semester including summer session and the program, even part time, should only take two years total. The school offers 50% reduction in tuition for RN's and schedules classes at times that are most convenient to shift workers and even offers some online. It is a lot of work but I am keeping up my grades and managing not to be too insane. My employer is paying for most of it, and the time was just right.