The Bear

It sounds like that it is more than being warm in Texas, it sounds like you guys are compensated well for degrees and certification. So I stepped out this morning to 27 F degrees with a wind chill of 12 degrees hitting my face and now I hear that you guys in Texas have more than warmth, just another day at the hospital.

It took me 2 trys overs 5 yrs to get my AAS in Nursing working parttime (short order cook) and school fulltime, then 6 1/2 yrs to get my BS in Nursing (working fulltime as a Nurse and parttime school), and 7 years to get my MS in Women's Health Nursing ( working full time as a Nurse and Graduate school parttime!!!). Now I must really like what I am doing OR I am NUTS!!!

Thankyou, I am happy that I found something I enjoy!!!

Thank you!

When someone else does your vital signs, you still need to check them. A Tech can not assess them . If not carefull, you might forget to check the vital sign sheet, and miss a significant change. This has happen to me! I would rather do them myself, then I could act on them right then, not two hours latter, when I am checking the v/s sheets. Perhaps if staffing was better, this would not be a question for us. OH! I think I just had a day dream!, I was discussing a safe pt:nurse ratio, sorry about that!!! I wish there was a easy answer for all of us.

My institution paid for my BS and working fulltime and school parttime, it took me 6 1/2 yrs to complete it. I got only 12 cents more for my BS and when I got certification, I got 25 cents!!!

The vitals are needed by us to make our assessments. I rather see the PCTs or what ever, doing the blood draws, transfers, stocking, and bed changing. The time it takes to do vitals is not that much more, when they are done with the assessments. We all got too use to having these "nurse helpers" do "OUR" pts vital signs! We need to embrace this job again and see it as necessary for our total assessment of out pts.

My first attempt at nursing school, I tried to work fulltime and go to school. I flunked out, a 2.0 was the cut off and I got a 1.89, and out the door I went! Then I got married (my wife is a nurse), re-applied, got in. But this time a parttime job and a fulltime focus on school. Dean's list that first semester. It is alot harder then alot of people think. Look at what scholarships are available, or is there a hospital in the area that will pay for your schooling if you will work for them afterwards. Where I live, the Community College has evening courses for nursing! Look around and see what is available in your ares. Goodluck from "The Bear"

Thankyou for your story. I have had women stop me in a local grocery store and say out load, "You were my nurse and I could not have learned to breastfeed without your help!" Even though I have been doing this a long while, I still get embarassed. Although my wife says I am getting better accepting thankyous out in public. What I do is the same thing all my colleagues do. I am happy that God has given me a skill that I can help others. Again thankyou for the story.

I am happy that there are a few of us out there. Tell Mark the Bear says hi!

I am a staff nurse with a MS, but I am only paid at a BS level because a staff nurse position does not require a MS. I used it to teach at the university level for ten years, but with budget cuts, I got cut! If the position does not require a MS, why should someone get paid a higher level for having one?

It always seems to happen that way. You can have a nice shift, nothing out of the usual, but what happens at shift change, everything and anything that can keep you from getting out on time. My last name is Murphy, and I believe firmly in Murphy's Law - "If anything can go wrong, it will!!! At the closer it gets to shift change, the probability goes up. I guess for us nurses, it is our fate!

No..... to what!

No..... to what!

I've been a Maternity Nurse for 27 years. Are there any other guys out there who are Maternity Nurses.