cpl_dvldog

...and here is a problem I see. The first person that accused you of something you didn't see as true about yourself you became defensive. That happens quite often in the workplace. Most people know what is expected of them at work and they already know if they are slacking so is it really necessary to bring it up to them?

My 12 hour shift begins at 0630 and ends at 1900. I have been able to leave my area to eat less times than I have had to eat at the desk or not eat at all. If I do not get to leave for lunch I get to clock out with no lunch, which pays me an extra 1/2 hour. I would much rather eat than get the money. I rarely eat breakfast so often I eat dinner the night before and am not able to eat again for 24 hours. This seems to be a problem with many nurses.

About the cheapest place to get immunizations will be the Health Dept downtown. I had to get a couple of mine there.

From what I read birth control pills are not covered by insurance in AZ. With the proper documentation they will be covered for endometriosis and such only, not for birth control.

I cannot find a a single reputable news agency that has covered this. Not even CNN or MSNBC. If it were true they would be all over it. Also addictinginfo.org is such a reputable site they refuse to post who their writers are. Anyone in the health care industry knows releasing info of this nature at will is a big HIPPA violation. HIPPA is a Federal law, which supercedes any State law. They sound like a bunch of loones trying to upset people over nothing.

Realistically in this day and age do you see a new ADN becoming a DON? You did not tell how long it took you to reach that position, how many years of nursing experience you had. You also did not say if it is in a hospital, a Nursing Home, or a Home Health agency.

Nobody gets "canned" for using contraception. They just don't provide it. On the other hand I have never heard of an ins company paying for condoms either.

I think the contraception thing is they knew when they started that Catholic Hospitals don't pay for birth control. I am a firm believer in the seperation of Church and State. Keep the Church out of the Gov't and keep the Gov't out of the Church. Besides, what happened to the mantra of telling the gov't to, "Stay out of my bedroom and stay out of my womb?" Are they trying to be selective now?

I do not smoke, therefore I don't have a dog in this hunt, but smokers have been considered outcasts for years. I am not aware of the gov't regulating birth control.

I see your logic even if I don't agree with it completely. I don't see how someone that you, a patient, have contact with for a few hours, a nurse, can be considered a role model.

Several years ago the Coca Cola Co. here started testing for nicotine. If you came up positive you were fired. A law-suit ensued and the company won because they were able to prove that health care costs of smokers was much higher than non smokers, causing increased costs to the company. The only stipulation the courts put in was those hired before the new policy were "grandfathered in." I imagine if the "fat cats" were not mostly overweight they would also have implemented a CHO test also.

A high school guidance counselor gave me some great advice, that I did not follow unfortunately.... Ignore how you feel about a job at the present and decide where you want to be in 10 yrs, 15 yrs, and 20 yrs. In most jobs the first year or two are pretty great, then you get settled in and start seeing opportunities. Talk to people that have been in that job for 15-20 years to get a true feeling if that is where you want to be at that stage of your life. Advancing your education is never a bad thing to do. It will not prevent you from going where you want to go, but if you don't have the education you can watch others pass you by.

In my area you are not allowed to work under your education. An RN cannot work as an LPN or CNA and an LPN cannot work as a CNA. I was told this is due to they do not want someone that is working as a CNA, but holds an RN Lic. to do something outside that scope of practice setting the hospital up for a lawsuit. I was under the impression this was national not just regional.

You did not mention if you are in an ADN or BSN program. I will assume you are in a BSN program because your Pell Grant should cover your costs for Summer term. You can get a student loan to cover the Summer. The Navy program is very hard to get into. Many people apply for it. I read where it can take months after application to be accepted into the program. I am not aware of any hospitals in the B'ham area that have tuition reimbursement anymore. This is because there is NO nursing shortage in this area. I was told my hospital receives 40-60 applications for every RN job they post. With numbers like this there is no incentive for hospitals to pay any tuition. If you are in an ADN program look into the WIA program. It will cover 100% of the costs of an ADN program, including tuition, fees, books, and supplies. Regardless of what program you are in go to your financial aid office. They will be able to offer you the most help.

A close friend of mine got her MSN in Community Health. She said that degree gave her the most career choices. It qualified her to hold a Nurse Manager's position (which she does), a Nurse Educator, and others.