flinky23

Mom of Twins here! Our twins were 18 months old when we started nursing school...yes, "WE"..hubby (at the time) and I both quit jobs to go to school. He worked as an EMT while I was mommy and student. I did work the last semester of school part-time, 20 hours a week, but would have gladly worked full-time; the boys were 3 by then!..LOL They survived, I graduated in the top 3, but hubby dropped out after 2 semesters-said the fishing was too good to worry about care plans! He worked while I finished nursing, and after graduation, I put him through paramedic school. That was over 10 years ago..I couldn't chase the kids and go to school now like I did then!

Alert and oriented times 1= self only A&Ox2= person(who THEY are) and place A&Ox3= person, place and time i.e. day, date and year I have had pts who knew who they are, where they are, but it is 1950. I love telling them it's so cool getting to be their nurse 20 years before I am even BORN.LOL

Angela, I live about 150 miles from Tupelo, but have been working there since March. I have extended until the end of July. They use American Mobile if you want to get a travel assignment..you can also go to their website and check if they have openings in OR. http://www.nmhs.net Good Luck! I was losing my butt driving back and forth, but finally got the schedule that is awesome...week on, week off--so now I only have to make that trip once a week :)

American Mobile, NursesRx, O'Grady-Peyton...all part of the same company. I've been with them almost a year, and minor issues, but all resolved quickly. HPO/On-Assignment always ALWAYS gets the highest compliments by it's nurses...great pay, great PRIVATE housing, airfare (even for a pet), rental car..fully furnished housing too. You don't realize what a pan in the backside that can be until you drive cross country with linens, pots and pans, cats..and get stuck in the frozen hell called TEXAS for 3 days..LOL Also--some companies pay weekly, some are q2weeks...KNOW how you want your pay to work out, then run with that. It will take you a few assignments and talking with other travelers to get the 'down-low' on each company. Do your homework. And don't feel like the lone ranger if you get screwed over your first few assignments. I promise you will make sure that never happens again once you are on the road a while! GOOD LUCK!

Due to the lack of adequate staff in several of the larger hospitals, I noticed the influx of travel nurses about 2 yrs ago. Due to the typical pathetic pay MS nurses receive, I too became a travel nurse. It is very hard to have been a nurse for 10 years with critical care experience and see these nurses who have been out of school for just over a year come in and take a job at your hospital for more money, great benefits and none of the BS such as dealing with hospital politics. At first I was confused...many of the units where the travelers worked were downright mean to them. The unit I worked on (where I charged our rotation) was just so glad to have the help, we kissed the ground they walked on. Even the rotation opposite mine gave them heck though, to the point of basically running 3 off within a 2 month period of time. Their loss... Now that I have been traveling almost a year, I realize it is not as glamorous as it looked a couple of years ago. I am enjoying it very much however, and already looking ahead to the end of the summer when my present assignment ends. It's a great way to see areas of the country you would never think of vacationing (due to cost or distance) and also make some pretty cool friends along the way. My question is this...how do you (yourself, your nursing unit or hospital) feel about travel nurses? Do you feel betrayed by fellow nurses who have taken the road to avoid hospital politics, etc? We in Mississippi do tend to to 'take care of our own', but I do think our state is facing a major crisis if changes aren't made in the field, especially in the pay area. I would love to live on the Coast, but the cost of living down there is much higher and the pay is MUCH lower than most of the state. Do the math.

Not sure what the name of the show is, but while I was on assignment in CA The hospital there was allowing filming to be done by Discovery. The hospital is Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital in Valencia, CA. They had a LOT of trauma pts, helicopter there all the damn time. Just a mile off the 5 freeway and 25 miles north of L.A.--very busy ER.

I have pierced ears (2 in each ear) and in the last 2-3 years I have discovered body piercing. I use a very reputable salon, and have had both nipples, my privy parts and most recently my navel done. My reasons however, are probably far different than most. After having breastfed 3 children (including twins) I had lost all sensation in my nipples. The piercings remedied that situation! Plus I think it looks pretty cool The piercing to the 'far south' was decided upon after years of antidepressants, including Prozac 40mg bid, then changed to Effexor. Inasmuch as these meds have helped me, they do play hell on your sex life, especially desire and response. I had lost all ability to respond to 'The Touch' (without getting TOO graphic) but found that the piercing has WOW restored sensation and ability to enjoy activities that I thought I would never enjoy again. The navel ring was an impulse decision, and has actually been the hardest one to heal. Unfortunately, I'm just over 5'3, so side rails manage to hit me right at the level of that ring EVERY time. Still not sure if it is staying or going...LOL Once again referring to having twins, I laugh and say I got that piercing to let me know where my belly button is...I havent seen it in 12 years! LOL