tiddles

Thanks for responding. That doesn’t sound too difficult then. I was hoping they would have some kind of RN to BSN Programme but I haven’t found one. Doing it here is way too costly. BTW Waikato Polytechnic (what it was called then) is where I did nursing school!

When I interviewed for my ED position I was given a triage scenario - 4 patients, their symptoms, VS etc. Who would I send through first, what order. One was chest pain with a normal EKG, a woman with what I thought could be sepsis, and I forget the rest. I decided the sepsis was the priority (think code sepsis, where you have to have cultures drawn and antibiotics in within a certain time frame). But then I had my hypothetical tech bring in the chest pain for monitoring, troponin etc. at the same time. However, if you haven't worked in the ED before (I had), they may not expect you to know all that.

Actually, many of these HH patients live with perfectly able-bodied family members. Living in squalor is a choice they have made.

It's also common practice among Chinese to spit everywhere. In New Zealand (which gets a lot of Chinese tourists) there are signs (in Chinese and English) in the airport imploring people not to spit on the flooring/carpets. And don't get me started on the skinning-alive of dogs.. (thanks facebook for that image that I'll never un-see.

Three in a row is a lot for some to handle, especially if you are not getting quality sleep during the day (with kids that can be a challenge). As previously suggested, do a mix for the first schedule. Also - for your own sanity, make sure you get good sleep. All it takes is one phone call or a barking dog and I'm awake for the day (I used to be able to fall right back to sleep). A fan helps to drown out noises.

As an overseas-trained RN I can attest to the fact that all education is thoroughly vetted by WES and CGFNS before you can apply to take NCLEX.

I agree with the overtime people. If you work for two employers you have to do mandatory education, meeting, skills fairs etc. at two places. Also the weekend and holidays commitments, as someone else mentioned. I just worked six 12s straight (nights) with one being an extra shift. I am old, so it's not something I do too often - but there is ALWAYS ample overtime available where I work.

Truth be told, if I'd had a fancy pocket computer way back when I was a young'un, I probably would have been on it constantly..although my walkman was pretty rad!

If someone started filming me I think I would be sorely tempted to take out my phone and record them recording me, hopefully covering most of my face in the process. Otherwise I would leave the room until security or management dealt with it. I have no desire to be on youtube.

I recently dreamed I only saw one of my home care patients and completely forgot the other visits I was supposed to do that day. I can't tell you how relieved I was when I woke up. I often dream that I'm trying to punch in a number such as a phone number or code - but it never goes in right and I keep doing it over and over..

Hi there. I am a NZ registered nurse who has been living in the US since 1994. I am considering moving back to NZ in the next couple of years due to family issues such as aging parents, and a desire to be close to family again. I would prefer not to do nursing in NZ (I am tired, plus I am not looking forward to going through the hoops of applying for a practicing certificate) but realistically I probably will have to if I can't earn a livable wage doing something else. Has anyone here moved back after being away so long? How has nursing changed there in the last quarter century? Would it be hard to fit back in? I would love to hear your stories. Thanks.

I would definitely not recommend either LTC or home care as slower paced or less stressful.

My preceptor at a new job was listening to me give report and tell someone that so-and-so was on azithromycin. She gave a look like I was an imbecile and said "no he's not, he's on Zithromax!". She was a terrible preceptor - tried to make me look dumb at every opportunity.

I spent (threw away) three grand on a coding course. I figured it would help me get into a utilization review-type job, but it hasn't. The only difference it made was when I was in a care manager position my boss would give me charts that needed diagnosis codes added (big whoop - anyone can do that). Even if I wanted to take a huge pay cut and be a coder, most positions require previous experience - especially home-based ones, which would be my preference.

It can also depend on how desperate your unit is. Where I work there are a number of people who call out frequently. They get spoken to and everyone grumbles about it, but we are chronically short staffed so they will probably never get fired.