traumarnrodney

My first few interviews after getting my license consisted of me wearing my best suit and never getting a call back. Finally, I decided to be comfortable and wear some khaki pants and a nice polo type shirt. I was more comfortable and it showed. Got hired on the spot and stayed there over a decade.

I stayed at my first employer 13 years in different positions. I know this is rare, but I never stopped learning so it was always interesting. Love a teaching hospital with the highest level of care for all specialties.

I work triage A LOT, and the majority of what we see (at least 80%) could have been seen by primary care or minor med with the same outcomes. I agree 100% with the argument that co-pays are the way to stop a majority of ER abusers. The ones that come in for every sniffle or cough are the ones who pay NOTHING for their care. There should be a minimum $50 fee for nonemergent conditions. Pay or go to your pcp.

In TN there are limited instances where blood draw is mandatory such as death or severe injuries involved. Even then, the police have to have an outside contractor come draw the blood for chain of custody issues. The hospital stays out of it.

I have been an RN in the south for 13+ years and can tell you things aren't much better here. If you say anything about the unsafe loads you're branded a trouble maker and put under the microscope until a reason for dismissal occurs (a when, not an if, due to high patient load). Nurses who have tried to help organize a union are let go for any tiny rule infraction. Administration knows how to crush any dissenters. I was so burned out I almost left the profession a few years ago due to feelings of frustration and helplessness. Luckily, 3 years ago I began a new job at a hospital that, while concerned about the bottom line, has decided to follow evidence-based best practices concerning staffing ratios and all other aspects of care. I thought it was a mirage in the desert but it is actually an oasis of excellence in a Sahara of mediocrity. I'm not saying it's perfect, but it's better than any other local facility. That being said, research your problem locally. Talk to nurses at other facilities until you find a place to work that actually cares more about people than money (they do exist.) When administration realizes they are losing all their staff due to better working conditions elsewhere, they will hopefully try to emulate the better facility. There are more than enough nurses in this country to wield considerable political influence if we would stand together, the problem is getting us to cooperate and work together, something we obviously have trouble accomplishing.