KSmedic

Similar question for any travelers- how willing are department managers to give you block scheduling or consecutive shifts? I am wanting to do somewhat local travel and do either 3-12s or 4-10s in a row (Cath lab/IR is my field), so I can still come home on weekends. Anyone else run into issues with this in the past?

Thanks NedRN- I have been talking with several recruiters, and I've had some that are super helpful and one that ghosted me when he was supposed to call me for a scheduled chat (won't be going with him- LOL). I'm glad to hear that the recruiter matters more than the company/brand, because that's what I've been starting to realize.

Some things will be very natural to you (sterile fields/procedures/etc.). However, if your only background is OR, it might be a steep hill for you to be managing a pt without anesthesia around. Pts in the Cath lab are your responsibility, so you have to be watching and managing them aggressively. It can be done, but having some background in MS/tele, CCU/ICU, ED, or something like that is a big help. You might just need a longer orientation period to get used to having this responsibility.

I am working as a Cath lab RN (approaching 2 yrs) and have 1+ year of IR experience prior to that. Looking to break into the travel/agency world in the next few months. I've been researching as much as I can, but hard to find info specific to Cath lab/IR. Any insider information regarding these specialties and/or specific agencies that are good to work with would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Good luck in the flight world. I've interviewed for a few different flight companies, and they'll probably ask you questions about all kinds of topics/fields. You'll need a good foundation on everything- trauma, cardiac, peds, pre-hospital, vents, drips, etc. As for the job itself, I always tell people it's a good job, but a bad career (with the exception of being on a hospital-based flight program where you're an actual hospital employee). All of the privately-owned flight companies are notorious for low pay, long hours and mediocre benefits. For example, one company I flew with (a privately owned one) worked their full-timers 84 hrs one week, and then off the entire next week. There was no overtime during these 84 hours, because of some job classification loophole, and the hourly rate was sad (I make $10/hr more working in the hospital 1.5 years later). I don't say all this to scare you, or anyone, out of the job. It's a lot of fun and very challenging/rewarding. However, this is something I wish I had known before I got into flight nursing.

Congrats on the new career & welcome to nursing. I have done a few different specialties and work in cath lab nowadays. I'm not sure what a CSU is, but the best experience I can recommend you would be ICU (especially CVICU/CCU). Also, experience in ER nursing would be helpful too. Certifications to consider along the way would be CCRN and/or CEN. Good luck!

My first flight job was in Wyoming, and I am familiar with the programs in the area. I worked in flight nursing for about 4 years total, and now work in the hospital in IR. It is a very challenging job, and it can be a very rewarding job at times. For me, it didn't work out long term because I got tired of the commute, long hours, mediocre pay, etc. Getting paid to fly around in a heli or fixed wing seems to good to be true at first, but eventually every job becomes just that - a job. That being said, I've worked with plenty of flight nurses/medics who do the jobs for years and years and never stop loving it. Most flight companies will require 3-5 years of quality experience (busy ED, ICU, trauma, peds, etc.) before they'll even truly look at your application - I got a lot of "no thanks" emails when I first started applying to flight RN positions. When I got hired for my first flight position, I had 7 years of paramedic experience and 4 years of nursing experience. Certifications are always a plus, especially CEN, CCRN, and CFRN. Having the CFRN cert before getting a flight job is a little like having the cart before the horse though. Also, IMO, having varied experience is super helpful and often overlooked. For example, if you have 10 yrs of cardiac ICU time, you will be an expert with sick cardiac pt transports. However, your first flight could be a pediatric trauma pt, and you might feel like you're back in nursing school and you have no idea what to do. Being a successful flight nurse also requires a set of skills that people don't think of - people skills. You have to be comfortable with being out of your comfort zone every day. Wearing a Nomex suit is awful in the Summer and terrible in the Winter. You'll work with pilots/medics/mechanics/etc. who annoy the crap out of you. Also, you'll sometimes go to a small rural hospital and be shocked at the care they've been providing. You have to take all of this in stride, be thankful and appreciative, and sell yourself and your company to the pt and/or sending agency. I've always told people who ask me about flight nursing that it's about 1/2 medicine and 1/2 politics. All in all, I'm very grateful that I ever had the chance to do the job. For the most part, it was all I thought it would be and more. Good luck in your journey!

I've worked for a Banner hospital in CO for about 6 months now. I am an ED nurse, and that's the only nursing I've ever done, so my experience with the rest of the hospital is fairly limited. All in all, I think it's an ok place to work. Pay seems average for the region I'm in. Benefits are actually pretty good, compared to other jobs I've had. Actually, my benefits package now is outstanding compared to when I was a county government-employed paramedic (i.e. $5,000/yr tuition assistance vs. $900/yr). There seems to be a lot of bureaucracy and 'big business' attitude (if you've ever seen the movie office space, you know exactly what I mean). However, I think it's hard to find a job in this day and age that isn't that way. Overall, I would recommend Banner, but once again, I have fairly limited experience with other departments/hospitals in general. Hope this helps.

Thank you all for the input. This is basically the gist of what I've already seen/heard. Not discouraging me from moving, though, since escaping KS has been a goal of mine for about 15 years now. I am willing to make the commute to the denver area if need be. Would that help my chances of landing a job, or is it more of the same in the Denver area too? Thanks.

Hello all- New to the forum, and looking for any advice or info regarding the job market in the Fort Collins/Loveland area. For a little background, I'm a paramedic from KS with about 3 years of experience in this line of work. I am also currently completing an accredited ADN program, and (if all goes as planned) should have my RN license by January 2011. I am planning on moving to the FC/Loveland region in the summer of 2011, so I'll only have about 6 mo. of nursing experience at that time. I've done a little research and reading on this site and others. Seems like the PVHS is nice, but hard to get into with as little experience as I'll have. Also wondering about Banner Health facilities in Loveland/Greeley. I would prefer to stay working in this area, but if need be, I am willing to commute to Denver area for work. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks.