jenn_nurse

Merrells! They are the most comfortable shoes ever. Try on different styles, though, becasue I have some I relly like (jungle moc and encore breeze) and others I don't.

I donate regularly. I try to go every 8-10 weeks. Sometimes I am deferred for low hemoglobin, but if I remember to load up on iron rich foods in the week before I go I am OK. I have also been deferred for: an irregular heartbeat (side effect of medication I didn't notice I was having until they felt the skipped beats), recent vaccination post human bite (that was a 1 year deferral, although they don't routinely ask about humn bites), and because I have dated men who have sex with men. The American Red Cross changed the guidelines so that a woman who has had sex with a MSM can doate after 1 year. This is the one that annoys me the most, as I know what my safer sex practices are, the frequency with which I have STD testing, and the recent STD results of a partner. I was a person who donated before I ever became a nurse, so I know that being a nurse didn't contribute to my donating blood, although my comfort with donating blood may have had something to do with the personality traits that also led me into nursing.

I am an RN with my BSN. I have been a nurse since Sept 2008. In Oct 2008 I worked for some flu shot clinics and then began working at an ATF (Adult Training Facility). This is basically a place where adults with mental health/ mental retardation come during the day to gain work skills. I also work part time in a residential facility with disabled adults. The ATF pays REALLY poorly, but it is consistent and 40 hours a week plus benefits. The residential facility pays well, but that is only part time. I interviewed for a peds home care job and was offered a position there doing shift work, but it is per diem. I would need to work at least 30 hours a week to balance out what I make in 40 at the ATF. So I am trying to decide what to do with my career. I like working with this population, but I am afraid of limiting myself. I have applied to every hospital within 1 hour of where I live more than once and have not even been called in for an interview. I would like to earn enough money to pay my bills on time, and maybe even start to build some savings. I don't really know what kind of nursing I want to do- but I keep hearing that I "have" to get a year of med/surg to make myself marketable. I know I really like to be challenged mentally when I work, and I am not using most of my nursing knowledge or critical thinking skills in this job. One suggestion I have gotten from other nurses is to stay with my current full time job for at least a year before quitting to show I am reliable. Other nurses say to go with the home care job to show I am seeking out new learning experiences. I wish there was a clear answer.

Yeah, I've done it. The only thing I would find out about is if you have to collect money from the patients. I did not and that made it relatively easy to do. I will be doing it again this fall.

Try www.lifeprint.com for signing instruction

Philly is a great city, but the nursing options for new grads are pretty bad here. Personally, I love Boston, and would move there is it wasn't so far from family and so darn cold. Unless you are heart-set on Philly, I'd look somewhere else.

Yeah, basically... I finished ACE in Sept, was licensed by the end of Sept, and have a job but have not been able to get into a hospital. Start applying to hospitals during 4th quarter. Good luck with ACE- it's REALLY intense.

I have my BSN and RN, and have only had them since September. I am working in Developmental Disabilities nursing right now, and while I enjoy what I do, I really feel like I need to get some hospital experience to keep up my clinical skills. Unfortunately, I live in an area without a nursing shortage, and relocating to another part of the country is not an option. Would it be worthwhile to apply for part-time jobs? Is this a good way to get in at a hospital? I am very underpaid, so part-time wouldn't be any worse financially than I currently am, and I could COBRA my health insurance if I have to leave my job, so that would give me 18 months to move from part-time to full time, if that is possible... What do you all think?

Thanks. I think I need to start that here.

I work in a day program for I/DD adults. I am the only nurse on site and did not receive any formal training for my job- I just have been figuring it out as I go. I have updated the med logs based off the logs from last year, using the same format as was used in the past. Now my question- should there be a med log form kept for Ensure/ Boost/ other similar oral supplements? There was not one when I started for any of those clients, and the Nurse did not administer them. It was all done by the personal care staff. But what I am finding out is that there were times when the home staff did not send in the supplement, in one case for several weeks. After I was notified of this, I contacted the supervisor at the home and we were provided with the Ensure. So now I'm thinking there should have been nursing records about this, since it is doctor ordered. What do you do? I plan to start today with logging it, just to be sure. Thanks for any insight you all have.

Also check out ashinstitute.org They are the American Safety and Health Institute and you can become an independent contractor through them. I know several employers who use that type of service for training their employees.