LostButMakinGoodTime

Joe, The job market in western PA (Pittsburgh) is good. Pittsburgh is a regional medical center, so demand for RNs remains constant (turnover). I am a second career RN, I've worked in SICU/CVICU since graduation in 2006. I'm moving to an outpatient position now, but will continue to fill in at the CVICU where I currently work. I have a BA and a BS, neither of them in nursing. I'm thinking about completing a BSN, but at age 53 I don't know if it's worthwhile. Good luck with your decision.

We are required to wait until 90 days before the expiration of the contract to begin efforts to decertify. SEIU is not a nursing union, and isn't even really a healthcare union. The local at our facility has over 1400 members. We have not had a union meeting in 3 years, even though the local's charter requires it. When questioned about the lack of meetings, lack of representation, etc., the local replies "nobody comes to them anyway". The SEIU takes in over 1 million dollars per year in dues from just this facility. Oddly enough, we are the only unionized RNs in this area, but we are the lowest paid RNs working in a level one teaching facility.

We are unhappy with the union, and are taking steps to rid our facility of these pests. The petitions to decertify will be circulating beginning in August of this year, as our "contract" expires in November. Hopefully we will ring in 2013 by sending the SEIU (Serving Employers Instead of US) packing. It is looking great so far :)

Whining? I think not. Just stating a position. I don't watch Fox News, in fact, I rarely watch TV at all. And, as a matter of fact, my facility will be non-union soon :)

The 2012 elections will likely break the backs of most of the unions anyway

Yes, please expand on that profound thought. There are more than a few RNs that are unhappy with the politics of their unions. Some of us are politically conservative. The union I am forced to belong to goes against everything I believe in. As far as the Beck objector status, I've explored that. Please don't try to tell me that the SEIU only spends 5% of my 75.00/month dues on political activities. There are quite a few RNs in my facility that feel the same way. We would dearly love to show the SEIU the door, but the current rules of engagement make that a bit difficult.

I graduated nursing school at 46, after retiring from 25 years in "local government". I never had a problem being accepted, get along very well with my co-workers. You'll be fine.

Yes. Yes. No.

Bachelor's degree a sign of ability? Please. I paid for mine, did it online. Basically went through the motions and graduated. If you paid your tuition, you got a passing grade. Nothing but a cash cow for financially strapped colleges and universities.

I can understand why your view is what it is, and I'm glad that you were able to benefit from a transplant program. Sadly, I have seen and heard things that lead me to believe that in some cases, facilities are simply trafficking in human organs for profit. As you said, costs are associated with all treatments. However, profits for health systems are HUGE for organ transplants, especially lung and liver transplants. Another favorite, LVADs. I know there is some good being done, but most of my co-workers share my views (or I share theirs), because the majority of us are no longer donors.

I've been wearing the same pair of brown Danskos for five years now. They are VERY comfortable for twelve hour shifts, and they last forever. Most of the staff on my unit wear them, and ALL of the surgeons wear them. The medical students are catching on .

Yes, I'm a biker nurse. I ride a 2006 Yamaha R6 sportbike, and I love it. I ride the Dragon (US 129) every year with friends. The looks on the docs faces are priceless when I walk into the unit with my helmet in my hand.

I was. Then I started working on a transplant unit. Unfortunately, I have learned that it isn't really about saving lives, and enhancing the quality of same. It's about money.

Doesn't really matter if you buy it now, doesn't it? Because our political views don't match yours we are somehow less of a nurse? One would think that in four decades you would have noticed that everyone doesn't agree on everything, and the nurses come in all shapes and sizes, and some of us don't feel the same way you do about some things.

I formed a relationship with an RN on a unit that I visited frequently (she was/is an RN, I was a medic, now an RN). We have been married for 30 years .

I don't, mine came off inside a glove once. It now resides in a jewelry box (with my wife's). My spouse is employed at the same facility and most, if not all, of my co-workers have met her .

Aviator. I'm 6-3, 210 with a 35" inseam. I've been wearing most of my Aviator scrubs for 5 years now. Comfortable, great quality. May last longer than I will :).

I hold the same views, as does my wife, my mother, my daughter, and many other nurses that I know. If you aren't getting a nurse vibe, maybe you don't know as much about nurses as you think. BTW, most of us volunteered in Haiti last year.

My daughter graduated in Feb., starts her new position at UPMC Presby (MICU) next Monday. AGH has quite a few positions open for RNs, especially in the ICUs/telemetry units. They are having a tough time filling the positions. There are jobs out there.

We are actually working toward getting rid of our union. Our RNs are represented by the SEIU 1199P, and have found them to be of VERY little benefit to us. They collect 75.00/month from each of 1300 RNs (do the math) and don't even have a monthly (or even quarterly) union meeting. The staff is extremely aggravated about this, and the SEIU will NOT inform us as to what they do with all of this money, and how the spending of all of this cash has any benefit whatsoever to the 1300 RNs that are "donating" 75.00/month to the union. I wouldn't advise any RN to not go union, as I don't know much about who is organizing your facility. I will advise vigorously against going with the SEIU. They are a joke, and nothing but a political fundraising organization.

Our new hires (level one ICU) are split evenly between RN/BSN. The only difference I see is that the new BSNs have more debt than the youngsters that did the diploma programs.Most of the BSN grads seem to move on pretty quickly, the ADN/Diploma RNs seem to spend a longer time working at the bedside. A LOT of the ADN/Diploma RNs end up getting a BSN, but they (like me) let the hospital pay for it.

Don't worry about the BSN/RN thing. We have a bunch of openings that aren't being filled by ANYBODY. I have two degrees (BA/BS) and a diploma from a hospital school of nursing. Since graduation in 2006, I have done the CCRN and I'm 9 credits away from my next degree (BSN). The hospital paid for the BSN. Our new hires are split evenly between RN/BSN. My daughter just graduated from a hospital diploma program and was hired into an ICU position at a large hospital in Pittsburgh a week later. She loves it.

The job market is a little weak at present, and starting salaries seem to range from around 20.00 @ UPMC's larger hospitals to 24.00+ at some of the surrounding community hospitals (Butler Health System, etc.). Cost of living is much less than northern Virginia/DC.

When I graduated from nursing school 5 years ago, hospitals couldn't find anyone to take these jobs. The facility I applied to had openings in the SICU, NICU, MICU, and Trauma ICU. SICU called me first, so that's where I went. The director of NICU was upset that I didn't choose her unit, but she waited a day too long to contact me. Things are a LOT different now. Now that the nursing shortage is over, GNs are no longer considered. Applicants need at least two years as an RN, and there are probably 50+ applicants for each position.