mad-mary

Geographic location - NE Indiana Pay rate - $21.60 In which area / specialty do you work? - ortho surgery What type of license do you have (RN or LPN)? - RN What type of degree and/or certification do you have? - BSN How many years of experience do you have? - 5 Are you full-time, part-time, or casual / per diem / PRN status? - Full Time What shift do you work? - 0800 to 1830 4 days/wk + call Do you receive any shift differential? - Yes, $2.25 for 2nd, not sure what 3rd shift diff is. Are you a manager or supervisor? - no

I am not the greatest at this myself but I definitely pick my battles. There is a fine line between assertiveness and cranky (b....y). Try to place yourself in the other person's position and be kind about the way you approach your assertiveness. Remember, if it effects your patient's well-being or your license, it is a battle worth fighting.

Learning medical terminology helps you chart values, locations, and descriptions more precisely. It also helps you communicate your assessment findings in a manner that can be understood by those who need to know.

$52/hr? $40/hr? Wow! I make $18.80/hr as an RN in the ICU and the PACU. What state do you work in?

You are not going to like what I am about to say ..... as a new graduate beginning work I felt like i didn't learn anything in nursing school. In truth, school only provides you with a foundation to begin to learn while on the job. Your discomfort may mean that you already realize this. Do not worry, no one expects you to know everything. Experience will help you gain confidence. Hang in there!

When admitting a new patient to the unit, I take a blood pressure in each arm. If both pressures are close then it probably would not matter which arm is used. Does anyone else have a better way?

I would really like to take a thirty minute break away but would like to be able to chart while I eat. I wish there was a computer or two in the break room.

If there was another way to know, visualizing the blood would not be necessary, and possibly less disturbing to the patient.

How about stating how many years at a position rather than listing the dates?

On the unit where I work I have seen a few nurses increase their pointage due to a spouse loosing a job. I can see how this would have an effect on new positions not coming available.

While in nursing school I took a job as a tech on an ICU unit. They paid for (and paid me while I attended) a basic EKG class. After graduation they sent me to ACLS. It worked out well for me. I can't think of any use for ACLS unless you were working as a nurse in an area where you would respond to codes. :redpinkhe

I was never told I was not cut out to be a nurse but many openly questioned my choice to enter nursing school, my mother, sister, and clinical instructor included. I graduated with honors two years ago and feel I am practicing at a level consistent with my experience in a caring manner. There are so many areas of nursing practice that I find it difficult to accept that there isn't a nursing field that would not suite you. Keep working toward your goals.

We no longer receive any on-call pay and always work for regular rate unless we are over 40 hours per week, no matter what. This has all changed in the last 6 months. Between that and the increase in health insurance costs, my paycheck is shrinking dramatically.

The system we use only has the clamp on the device side. I will usually clamp the patient side as well as this seems like the most important side, especially when the purpose of the tube is to re-inflate a lung.