Lissa,RN

I don't think the sign has to be cute. Ours reads something like "For the safety of our residents and the staff that care for them, please do not enter this facility if you have a fever, sore throat, cough, runny nose, or other cold/flu symptoms. If your visit is urgent, masks are provided at the reception desk.

I am a nurse, so I obviously know that nurses provide direct care....that was why all the! ! And?? after that statement. XTX, I don't know, but really can't imagine my employer giving anyone a red cent that they don't have to..

I'm just curious. Where I work all the direct care staff get a quarterly bonus. We are told that this bonus comes from the federal government and is to be disbursed as described above, meaning managers, MDS nurses, kitchen workers and the like do not receive the bonus. When I entered the time clock room yesterday, I see a new sign up explaining that nurses will no longer be receiving, as we do not provide direct care?!?! Anyone elses' facilities distribute these bonuses? I work in LTC by the way. Do nurses get the bonus? I don't mean to sound greedy, and I know all about the Medicare cuts, but I can't help but wonder whose pocket our bonuses are going into. The CNA bonuses are smaller than usual as well.

I too love my twelves. Our schedule is a little different. We work 2 on, 2 off, 3 on, 2 off, 2 on, 3 off...so have to work every other weekend. On my weekdays off I clean and take care of the household. That leaves every other weekend for camping, four wheeling, trips, throwing BBQs. It works quite nicely for my family.

LTC nurses dont do incident reportd because we have "extra time". We do what we have to because management says we have to. I can see how it seems dumb to fill one out for a bruise caused by a lab draw, but you know what's not dumb? NOT getting fired.

"I'm glad you'd rather be rich and miserable :lol2::loll:... you may just get what you settle for!! If you don't define quality by possessions, you never 'settle'...you're always ahead ! You sound very young... (that's not an insult at all- just an observation). There are more descriptions to financial situation than rich and poor.... it's not all defined in absolutes :) Do you also think that right out of school you'll get a 9-5 Mon-Fri job? :lol2: You don't get to decide what "should be" important to ANYONE but yourself. Newsflash Not that powerful !! Why not be the best you can be at what you do, knowing that every day you work, you make someone else's life a bit easier during a time of hardship? What's wrong with that being a big part of the payoff in nursing? Having a big check "should be important to everyone" is so incredibly shallow, IMO- and offensive. But maybe depth of character is meaningless to you (another reason to avoid working with people). You will be working with people you feel are somehow inferior because they don't make "enough" money in your eyes- and that will effect how you give care. You're not doing anybody any favors by being in healthcare if you can't see past the dollar signs. Unless you want to be a CEO or CFO, where you're paid to be insufferable!! NO.... being content with what you have defines quality of life (and if you can afford more- that's great- but always aiming for more is a set up for a lot of disappointment and waiting "until" you have something. Being able to enjoy what you have gives a sense of contentment and having quality of life .. not waiting for it. :) Sometimes the 'best' is what you can afford at the time. Being content will never happen if you define it in possessions/money. There is always "more"... it's like trying to be perfect- it isn't attainable. Make a list of things that define success and happiness to you...figure out how long you're going to have to work as a nurse (hours/day, days/week, etc) and see if you'll have time to watch your kids grow up... that doesn't have a price. I don't have any problem with people making money- but don't go into a profession that requires a degree of compassion and caring... materialistically driven nurses tend to be sorely lacking in empathy and compassion and INSIGHT... and usually suck as co-workers. IME. You don't get to decide what makes me happy (thank God) I'm on disability, and while I have much less money than I did when I was working, and struggle at times, I'm not unhappy. I'm alive- and with a lot of medical issues that could have dropped me like a rock many times over (and current leukemia chemo) that is MUCH more important. I'll take alive and doing 'fair' financially to the alternative, any day. It's not always about how much you have- just that you have anything at all, and still living in a decent place because of not living above my means beforehand has been a blessing .... But if you're only in healthcare for the money, that wouldn't make sense to you ....:) What happens if (God forbid) something would happen to you, and you end up disabled, can't work, and the paycheck dries up- or shrinks a whole lot ? Insure the snot out of yourself... long term disability pays 50-66% of your base salary at the time of becoming disabled - and with %0 economic 'growth', there are no increases each year, no matter how much more expensive things get- and if you can be happy living with what you can afford, that doesn't cause your world to stop spinning on its axis !!! You won't have any way to derive happiness or contentment if you aren't "rich". That would be pathetically sad. Nobody thinks anything will happen to them. But you never know- and there generally isn't much warning. Planning for the unexpected, good educations for your kids... I can see a lot of peace in having that (I don't have kids, so no worries there) ... but you can do that without constant focus on money just for the sake of money. I wouldn't change my years of working as a nurse for anything (and this is when it paid a LOT less . It can pay well but doesn't always- depends on position and location-- staff nurses start out 'relatively' low- and the yearly increases aren't huge). I got a lot of satisfaction from a good days work- and accepted what I was paid as good enough (and it was fair for the area/years of experience)- I didn't have some 'need' to have a Mercedes when a used (very used ) Toyota got me where I needed to go just fine for 9 years :) (I've had 3 cars in my life- all used- and I'm not all that far from 50 yrs old...not there yet, but I'm within reaching distance I loved taking care of people- that was what drove me- not how big my check was. I made enough to live in decent apartments that provided anything I needed...I didn't want more. What I had was enough. That eliminates a lot of stress- the ability to be happy where you are...not dependent on something you don't have yet. If I had had more time with family, and less materialistically valuable stuff as a kid, I would have lived in a tent to get it. I've seen what having a goal of more money at any cost can do. Sure, the house was nice- but I spent a lot of time alone in it d/t parents' work hours- they too wanted to provide well for our family. But a lot of time was lost that can never be replaced. Providing for a family isn't only money. Memories aren't made by reading bank statements :) Good intentions can cause a lot of emptiness. If material possessions define your happiness, you'll never have enough... that's sad. And pretty much stinks for whoever you take care of- JMHO- but it's my opinion, that is just as valid for me as your "money = happy" is for you. Good luck. I can't see someone who goes into nursing for a 'preferably large' paycheck lasting in nursing for very long. You have to bring more to the table than a single focus on money. :smokin:" Why is it that "IMHO" is usually preceeded by one or several arrogant, chesty comments??!!!??! Humble oppinion my foot!!

I work the floor in LTC. My pt. load is 28-32 (usually on the higher end). We don't have treatment nurses or wound nurses, etc..We usually don't have enough CNAs. My job is fast paced, busy, busy, busy, and I am currently 38 weeks pregnant. I have yet to miss a shift since getting pregnant. It can be done :)

Nail on the head! That is my predicament. I work slightly more hours than hubby, but still have to do almost everything at home. I can barely keep my head above water..

"seriously, though, an older ad new grad can bring things to the table that a new bsn grad age 20-21 can't. you will both even out in psychomotor and working social skills in your first year out of the gate, but you will have more life experience than someone who went to college straight from high school. " true, but just because someone has more life experience doesn't mean it was worthwhile life experience, or that they are going to use it to their advantage. let's just not compare ourselves to eachother. we all have something to offer.

I would have the aides chart weights in the resident charts, but also have them put weights on a flowsheet somewhere. I keep mine on a clipboard that I can quickly and easily pick up and just check over. That way it's easy to add a new list just right on top of the old one whenever I need. Does that make sense?

...and the statement that "Any other job out there doesn't pay that much to start" is just silly. "Any other job" may or may not. We're not doing any other job. We are trained professionals with a degree doing a highly specialized job. I do understand how annoying it can be listening to continual complaints about how much more people think they are "worth". You are "worth" however much someone is willing to pay you. It's as simple as that.

"LPNs do not have degrees" is not an accurate statement. Neither is "LPN=certificate". Not all the time anyway. I went to a two year associates degree in nursing program for my LPN. Lots and lots of LPNs have associates degrees. Just wanted to clear that up.

Yeah, allnurses members! Quit whining and always "remember your common since rules" lmao

I feel your pain. Where I work speaking the words short or understaffed will get yah fired. What a joke. We're perpetually "staff challenged".

Thats a bit like asking "how much does a house cost". Depending on where you go, you could spend a lot or a little. My lpn cost me eleven thousand and I pay one thirty a month on those loans. RN was a lot more.