justami

I get the feeling that what you are actually looking for is more like Medevac nursing,i.e, you go to the scene of the accident and transport the patient via helicopter to the ED. You should know that even in a level 1 trauma your participation on a daily basis will be limited. First it could take a year before they even let you near a trauma pt, there can be some individuals who have "been there forever" who think it's their domain and are reluctant to let others participate. And also in some teaching hospital level 1 ED's the medical residents do everything, from putting in IV's to foleys and your role is extremely limited. At any rate, apply for jobs that will take you where you want to go.

If you have worked in busy level 1 with the same sort of workload then you get the picture. It wasn't my intention to defer you from taking the job, just wanted to give you some nuts and bolts about Columbia's ER. I assume with those stats you are working in the NY area. If getting into Columbia is your goal, then at least you know what you are getting into and can then use that to transfer to another area later on, jobs are tough to come by, just make sure you think the whole thing through. Good Luck

Columbia's adult ER is not Trauma designated they are only a 911 receiving facility, however the pediatric ER is a level 1. The Adult ER at Columbia is a very busy ER, and while it isn't trauma designated it is in the inner city so some trauma (lots years ago) will show up on your doorstep. The nurse to Pt ratio will be high, on average of 8 and up, could very well even have 14-20 pt's all to yourself. So hopefully you are prepared for the workload. A large population of visitors to the ER are spainish speaking only, there is also a large population of etoh/drug abusers who frequent the ER. Those who run the ER are well qualified and been doing it forever. If this will be your first ER, make sure you understand that this is no run of the mill ER.

Oh Boy, you have got quite a few issues here, number one is your mental health is clearly declining and you need to take care of yourself pronto. Whether all this has anything to with your new role as nurse has yet to be determined, those questions are best answered after you get some help and get yourself and your family life under control. Nursing is not for everyone, and no nursing school is not a good representation of what nursing is actually like, but there are some things that are intrinsic to nursing itself and those things don't change...such as taking care of people and their problems. If you can pinpoint what it was during nursing school that you liked to do then maybe you can carve out a position for yourself somwhere down the road, but right now it is imperitive that you put yourself before this job and get someone to help you. Get Well...

I say go for it, start applying to jobs Seattle and realize you may have to initially take a job you don't want but as time goes by you will be able to move into the area of nursing you really want. Good Luck

Luckily you only have the 8 days left, just remember SHE isn't the gatekeeper to your career as a nurse. Get through her miserable class and don't look back. One thing you should know though is that the likelihood of running into her clone once you graduate and start working as a nurse is pretty high. Learn to shrug off this BS now so you will be prepared later on. Good Luck

Positively revolting, insulting and demeaning...yet why am I not surprised that there are nurses who are actually participating in the above. The subjugating and herding of nurses is so easy, a couple of candy bars, a gold star and pat on the back, yes good doggy.

I don't know why some of you are calling this a "med error", because it is not a med error. What she is saying is she forgot to scan the bag, which is a tool used for insurance reimbursement. Just ridiculous, nurses have got to start to see the light. Hospitals are piling on the nonsense drop by drop and it will only get worse if nurses do not stand up and say enough Nurses doing insurance reimbursement, on top of having unsafe patient loads. I cannot believe what these hospitals are getting away with, before you know it, nurses will be replaced with robots.

You really are between a rock and hard place. Clearly this job is overwhelming in terms of the amount time you are expected to be away from home. You only just started and leaving at this point considering all your other issues: the relocation money, the apartment,finacial...etc, is a tough choice to make. You only have 2 choices either stay and tough it out, which leaves you with a good reputation, references and not having to pay any money back and no issues with your lease. If you stay you should also find someone to be responsible for your dog while you're away, either use a local kennel or a responsible neighbor, leaving the animal alone is really (all things being considered) not a good thing. Choice 2 is quit, you could ask your former job if you could return or look around at other facilities where you are currently living and see if you could get a job there. This choice in my opion is the choice of last resort as it puts you in tough spot with so many issues. Flying as a nursing/medical profession tends to be like this, especially if you are doing the sort of transporting that you are doing. Medevac is different, they fly in around regional areas. It's a shame you didn't understand this prior but it could prove to be a great experience for you even if you only stick it out long enough to get yourself off the hook. Good Luck

Strikes are always a touchy subject regardless of who is striking. I will say though it annoys me to no end that somehow if nurses go on strike the idea that it's "not for the money" always needs to be front and center. Excuse me, nursing is one the hardest jobs out there and the notion that it is some sort of calling and we shouldn't ever expect to make a decent wage for that hard work is for me just beyond words. I like some aspects of being a nurse, however I expect to get paid a decent salary for that work. I am not a nun nor ancillary staff, and just like Doctors expect to make a good wage for what they do, so do I. Most people would run for the exit within 20 minutes of working as a nurse, the average person has no idea of what is expected and just how many patients a single nurse can be responsible for. I have worked lines in the ER that ran out the building and down the street, how much do people think someone who has to work like that should get paid? It is ridiculous that in this day and age they are still not staffing hospitals with enough nurses and expecting the understaffed to take it and not complain and not expect a higher salary as compensation. These hospitals need to start hiring more nurses and stop using the recession as some backdoor way to mistreat nurses.

Hello Cathy, No I haven't been picky at all. Of course I would prefer days or evenings but I have applied to all sorts of jobs that I thought I might be qualified for. I applied to work nights in a psych ward, a few ER positions (any available shift), outpatient clinics and general med surg floors. I think I have been flexible and trying to look at positions that I feel I am qualified for, maybe I need to expand on this a little.

Wow guys thanks for the replies, it really helps. I haven't gotten any feedback from the positions that I applied to just a standard "sorry YOU weren't selected, GOOD LUCK with YOUR job search". Of course the caps are me, but that's just how it feels, like I am some sort of pariah. I am in lower New York state but I have recently gotten my FL and CA licenses in the hope that maybe I can find something in one of thiose states. I have applied to jobs in NYC and jobs with the VA (some have never even responded at all). I am now looking through Florida ads but some of them have requirements that they are looking for nurses with say 1-3 years of RECENT experience, so it's been like a treasure hunt. At first I was stuck on going back to NYC, but now I realize that that just might not happen. Again thanks so much for all your encouragement, hopefully things will turn the corner.

I cannot find a job, no matter where I apply, no matter what I apply for I am turned down each time. I have been out of nursing for about 8 years, however prior to that I was an ER nurse (in a big inner city teaching hospital) for 10 years, so it's not like I don't have any skills. I have even been turned down for VA jobs and guess what, I am veteran, can you believe that not even the VA will offer me a job and I have a veteran's preference. Is anyone else in a similar situation? I am so depressed at the thought that I am virtually unemployable as a nurse for the rest of my life. I realize that there is no longer a "nursing shortage" assuming there ever really was one, but this is just shocking. I don't know what is wrong, I have my BS, I did a refresher course, I am up to date with ACLS and all that stuff I am just at a loss for what to do.