Carla_RN

Just to follow up: Our team penned a letter to management outlining all the various reasons why we should not be required to be on-call overnight. It has been considered and discussed at the top level, and then our immediate supervisor informed us that we were heard, and managements agrees. We don't have to do it! Needless to say we were all very relieved. It's nice to know that some people in management positions still care about us minions on the bottom, lol.

Hi all. I am working a very stressful straight evening shift (3-11). Some days are fine, others I am not done with my work until midnight or later. I work every second weekend, so I get one day per week off. The six day stretch in between those two days is very hard. I am totally exhausted and that one day is barely enough rest until my weekend. I feel like I am living to work, not working to live. There is usually one nurse on-call during the night to attend to emergencies. He or she stays at home in bed and will get a phone call if and when there is a problem. This used to be covered by the day nurses, who start their day at 8am and, on a good day, might be done by 2 already. My workplace has now announced that the evening nurses will now be required to participate in the on-call overnight shift program. Thoughts?

Take the home health care job! Your hours are infinitely better than at the nursing home, and the work load will be much better also (35 residents per nurse in LTC). Experience wise you will probably be better off as well. In the nursing home you will become a medication-administration machine, with a couple of minutes time for wound dressings, and no time whatsoever for a kind word with your clients, lunch, or anything else. You will find yourself coming to work early and leaving late just to get your charting and essentials (such as daily wound dressings) done. That is if you are a diligent nurse. If not, you will just leave whatever you can't get done (i.e. the wound dressings) to the next nurse, and often it won't get done at all. Nursing homes are sad places, and they do need good nurses. But without a big change in attitude by managements across the board (quality care instead of money-making quantity care) they will remain sad. I know what I am talking about - I have been there for two years.

It is curious to read your post because I have two friends that work on an H1B visa in Michigan (where I do not want to work), who got that visa as graduate nurses. That would not be possible under your theory. ? And no, I am not certified. I am just working my behind off at work and falling into bed at night like many other nurses out there. Unfortunately I have not had the energy to get certification. That would be another reason why I am looking for a new opportunity. It's a dead end where I am right now.

I am on a work visa and it wasn't at all hard to get, even as a "non-NAFTA person". The Canadian test is called the CRNE. They only write it three times a year, which is a bother. And then it takes 8-10 weeks for the results to come in. As for salaries - I do believe my corner (Ontario) pays less than what I am looking for (DM/MD/VA). Then again, if you are willing to go up North they pay a lot more. Jobs in Ontario are pretty hard to come by as well, but up North they need nurses desperately. Also, I heard Alberta pays well. Though living expenses are higher also. That's all I know - sorry.

While I was a student I worked in one of our hospitals here, and compared to that one yours is the Taj Mahal. Thanks for the well-wishes!

Hi Flames Thanks for your email - I have received your information. Funny thing - that is EXACTLY the hospital I wanted to work at! This was my first choice! I heard so many good things about it, spent hours on your website, and since I used to live in Arlington it would have been very convenient near all my friends whom I left behind. Working there would have been a dream come true! I have had a phone conversation with your contact who advised me that your hospital is not currently sponsoring (what a blow ) and to get in touch with a lady at HCAhealthcare. That lady never got back to me.... C. PS: You are right about "why hire me when there are plenty of people easier to get". Except that I am just great and they SHOULD hire me!!

Hi Flames Thanks for your response. Yeah, if I was a "Canuck" things would be easier; TN Visas are so easy to obtain. The difficulty in approaching hospitals online lies in the way they setup the application form. Since I still live in Canada I can not fill out an address form that asks for a zip code - it will not let me. I also have run into issues regarding filling out previous school information, as schooling is structured much differently where I come from. So that didn't work either. Then many ask if one is legally allowed to work in the US. They do not provide a "not yet, but with your help I will be" option, and kick you out immediately when you click "no". It is very frustrating to spend hours of time on filling out forms, just to get error messages after hitting the "submit" button and finding out that those are dead ends... If anybody else has any tips - I am all ears :) Carla

Hello, everybody! I am a Canadian educated nurse (though I have a European passport) looking to work in the MD/DC/VA area. I have passed the NCLEX a few months ago, my VisaScreen certificate in hand, and a current Virginia license. Due to my current location my experience is limited to 2 years in long-term care. I am not looking for any specialty in particular - I am willing and eager to learn whatever my new employer throws at me. As far as I know the requirements for an H1B visa include that the job description must require a BScN, which I have. Does anybody have any idea how to go about finding an employer who might be willing to sponsor me? I am a very hard worker, have lots of unpaid overtime under my belt, and in the two years of work at my long-term care facility I have had not a single sick-day. Any suggestions are much appreciated!! Carla

Hello, everybody! I am a Canadian educated nurse (though I have a European passport) looking to work in the MD/DC/VA area. I have passed the NCLEX a few months ago, my VisaScreen certificate in hand, and a current Virginia license. (Maryland license to follow) Due to my current location my experience is limited to 2 years in long-term care. I am not looking for any specialty in particular - I am willing and eager to learn whatever my new employer throws at me. As far as I know the requirements for an H1B visa include that the job description must require a BScN, which I have. Does anybody have any idea how to go about finding an employer who might be willing to sponsor me? I am a very hard worker, have lots of unpaid overtime under my belt, and in the two years of work at my long-term care facility I have had not a single sick-day. Any suggestions are much appreciated!! Carla