nurse.darcy

It really does depend on your nursing school and where it will be at. I have an Associates degree and I am only 3.5 years into being a nurse. I am a cardiac cath lab nurse. I took a position at a local hospital while I was in school and then got scholarship money from that hospital to finish my education. I went to work as a nurse for that hospital as soon as I had my interim license. No issues whatsoever. But I have talked to many nurses who are struggling as new nurses to get jobs. Find out what is available where you will be and get involved in EVERYTHING. It truly helps to get your foot in the door that way.

Okay so I just secured my first cath lab job in Florida (Kissimmee/St. Cloud/Celebration area). I have 3+ years experience as a nurse and only 10 months of that in the cath lab. My offered salary is a buck more than I was making in DC. My rent in DC was 1400 a month. My rent that I am looking at here in Florida is about 880 a month for a really nice place. I was an hour from my job in DC, I am 15 minutes from my job in Florida. I pay no state taxes (a savings of approximately 400 a month), my insurance costs are lower (auto - $100 a month savings, health, $174 a month savings). So, my move to Florida has saved me $674 dollars in overall bill cost and about $500 in rent (give or take a 20 here or there). That means my in-pocket savings are around $1,100 per month. I think I can handle the extra cash flow. . .

Well, for what it is worth, I am making more money here than I was in DC for the same position. I no longer pay state income tax and my health insurance costs, auto insurance costs and overall cost of living is less. Also, the hospital I was at in DC was a union hospital. The union had no real negotiating power and the hospital was forcing the employees into a strike just to keep the same current benefits they had. I actually made more money in Vegas than in DC. I had similar accommodations (2 br 2 bath apt, 1400 in a suburb of DC and 950 in upscale Henderson in Nevada). I will keep my Florida weather and skip the 3 blizzards in one year. Thank you very much.

I heard from a friend recently that it is more difficult lately for new grads to get jobs. It seems crazy that last year at this time I was being recruited like crazy and then suddenly the recruiting stopped. The economy is so crazy that I think the hospitals are just trying to tighten their purse strings a bit. Pretty soon the fact that most hospitals are still running short staffed will shake down and the hospitals will have to begin hiring again. If you are able to move to another location, that would make finding a job sooooo much easier. Here are some tips: 1. Make sure your resume is bullet pointed and reflects what you actually did in nursing school. 2. Use the Hospital's website to apply for jobs. Apply to any nursing specialty, regardless. 3. Find a nurse recruiting company and place an application with them so you have more options. 4. Walk in to HR at some local hospitals and ask questions. Talk to the secretary at the front desk and ask the best way to get hired. 5. Volunteer at your local hospital, or a hospital where you might be interested in working. The ol' "foot in the door" policy. Most of all, don't get discouraged. It will happen.

Hello, You got some real good information here. As a nurse working in the cath lab I am able to ask my MDs a variety of questions as to why they use a particular medication or not. I have one doc who has me hang a NTG drip on everyone that he stents. His reasoning is that the NTG keeps the coronaries from spasming post stent placement, thus avoiding spontaneous restenosis. He will have me hang regardless of SBP. The only exception if if the SBP is in the 80s. Also, I know its uncomfortable to call an MD in the middle of the night about a medication order. Before making the call, take a look at the patient's trends. (i.e.; How long has the patient been on this med at this dose, what is the average BP and heart rate, does the patient exhibit any signs or symptoms associated with low BP and heart rate.) If the patient has been on the same medications at the same doses and the trend is a continuous drop in BP, the MD may be interested, if its a new med and the BP dropped more than 20 mmHg, he will DEFINITELY be interested in that trend. If the BP has remained fairly consistent on the same med, give the med and don't make the call. Knowing the trend before making the midnight phone call will signal to your MD that you did your research before resorting to the phone call. Remember, MDs are on call 24-7. If they are not the one on call for the night, there will be another MD covering their call. This is why they make the "big" bucks. It is not our jobs as nurses to make medical decisions for them. By knowing current vitals and the trends of the patient before making the phone call, you have all the information at your fingertips that you need to make your phone call. The on call MD will appreciate the fact that you don't have to search around for information while on the phone with him/her and a decision can be made quickly.